Tanner College of Dental Medicine receives prestigious 2024 CRET Innovation Center Award
Monday, February 19, 2024
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The University of Pikeville’s (UPIKE) Tanner College of Dental Medicine (TCDM) was recently selected as the recipient of the 2024 Center for Research and Education Technology (CRET) Innovation Center (IC) Award. TCDM is the seventh school recipient chosen for the prestigious IC Award. The award will support the establishment of a hub for innovation and advancement in dental education that will house the latest in dental technology and materials to prepare students for modern-day dental practice.
CRET was founded in 2004 by a group of innovative dental industry leaders to ensure that each dental school has the latest in equipment and products and that dental students and faculty have access to this technology for treating patients while in dental school. CRET’s mission is to develop a technology educational program for dental students, residents and faculty to provide knowledge and competency in 21st century technology.
Dean of TCDM, Jill Keaton, DMD, MS, is eager to partner with CRET and stated that UPIKE seeks to play a role in identifying strategies to address barriers to care and provide much-needed dental services to the most vulnerable populations.
“The University of Pikeville is excited to partner with the Center for Research and Education in Technology to establish a CRET Innovation Center at the Tanner College of Dental Medicine,” said Keaton. “This initiative will enhance the overall outreach of the university while providing dental students with access to the latest technological innovations in the oral healthcare field.”
“I would like to congratulate the Tanner College of Dental Medicine for being the newest recipient awarded a CRET Innovation Center,” said CEO and Chair of the CRET Executive Board Debora Bridges. “Having a IC will provide the students first-hand experience with innovative dental products-merchandise and equipment and expose them to what it is like to be a part of a practice upon graduation. Fundamentals of patient scheduling, materials management, and dental equipment functioning are incorporated into the teachings of the IC.”
The design of the CRET IC will have a private practice atmosphere where dental students will treat patients using the newest technology from more than 30 CRET member companies. For more information about CRET visit cretdental.org
-UPIKE
Founded in 1889, the University of Pikeville is an innovative higher education institution in the heart of Appalachia. UPIKE prepares students for the future while creating intellectual, cultural and economic opportunities for Eastern Kentucky. With four academic colleges, two professional schools, the Kentucky College of Optometry and the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the upcoming Tanner College of Dental Medicine, UPIKE offers a broad liberal arts curriculum where students can discover their passion, see new possibilities and move mountains.