100 Future Dentists Begin Training in Albuquerque to Help Expand Access to Oral Healthcare
NEW MEXICO - Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM), the first predoctoral dental training facility in New Mexico, announces that its second class of 100 dental students have begun their clinical education at its Albuquerque training facility on June 15.
The students will complete the clinical portion of their dental education in New Mexico under faculty supervision, providing affordable care to patients across Albuquerque and surrounding communities. As the incoming class begins clinical training, the inaugural New Mexico cohort, which began training at the facility during its opening year, has now advanced to the second phase of clinical education, gaining expanded hands-on experience in general dentistry and specialty care.
“The arrival of our second class marks an exciting milestone for Touro College of Dental Medicine in New Mexico and for the communities we serve,” said Dr. Joseph Parkinson, executive assistant dean of TCDM’s New Mexico campus. “These students will help expand access to quality, affordable oral healthcare while continuing their education in a hands-on clinical setting.”
This year’s incoming class also includes TCDM’s first New Mexico student, Sandra Dorr, returning home for clinical training at the Albuquerque facility. After two years of academic and didactic study in New York, 100 dental students transition into clinical training in Albuquerque, where they begin treating patients under the supervision of licensed faculty. Dorr’s return represents a milestone for the program, creating an opportunity for New Mexico students to complete their education in-state while serving local communities and helping strengthen the state’s future dental workforce.
“Returning home to continue my dental education feels incredibly meaningful,” said Dorr, “I am grateful for the opportunity to learn while caring for patients in the community that helped shape me, and I hope to make a lasting impact on oral health in our state.”
Similar to the inaugural class before them, students will treat patients under the supervision of licensed dental professionals and faculty while providing significantly lower cost services than many traditional practices. TCDM’s teaching model is designed to support underserved, uninsured, and underinsured communities while helping students develop the skills needed to become future oral healthcare leaders.
Located at 2425 Ridgecrest Dr., just steps from the Gateway Center in Albuquerque, TCDM features more than 100 dental chairs offering specialty care in oral surgery, orthodontics, endodontics, and pediatric dentistry, supporting the students who complete their education at TCDM’s facility and campus while providing high-quality dental care.
Appointments can be booked by telephone at (505) 658-8236. To learn more about Touro College of Dental Medicine, please visit https://dental.touro.edu/patients/ nm/.