OU Receives $1 Million Grant to Support College of Dentistry Care Clinics

OU Receives $1 Million Grant to Support College of Dentistry Care Clinics

The University of Oklahoma has been awarded a $1 million endowment grant from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund to support the College of Dentistry. The generous gift will support comprehensive dental care clinics in Oklahoma.

“The OU College of Dentistry is proud to partner with the Kirkpatrick Family Fund to expand access to affordable dental care to the people of Oklahoma,” said Paul M. Mullasseril, D.D.S., M.S., dean of the OU College of Dentistry. “For oral health care to be effective, it needs to be accessible. The establishment of the Dr. E. E. Kirkpatrick Dental Care Fund will help to ensure that our most vulnerable and underserved populations receive the dental care they deserve. Thank you to the Kirkpatrick family for this incredible gift.”

For more than 50 years, the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry has provided essential dental services to Oklahomans and expanded access to affordable high-quality oral health care for people throughout the state. Each year, the College of Dentistry treats thousands of patients through care clinics in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. More than half of the patient population is considered indigent, uninsured or underprivileged and may be eligible for patient assistance funds in order to afford their treatment plan. OU College of Dentistry care clinic fees are approximately 40% lower than private practice fees.

The Dr. E.E. Kirkpatrick Dental Care Fund will advance the college’s primary mission of supporting the oral health care of Oklahomans, especially those who would otherwise be unable to afford the treatment they need. Care will be provided by third- and fourth-year dental students under the supervision of licensed dental faculty members in a clinical educational environment.

Since its founding in 1989, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund has been dedicated to supporting charitable, civic and cultural causes that impact citizens of Oklahoma. 

“The Kirkpatricks have been committed to providing high quality dental care for all Oklahomans since the arrival of my great grandfather Dr. Elmer Ellsworth Kirkpatrick, Sr. in 1893, whose license to practice dentistry was #25, making him one of the earliest registered dentists in Oklahoma Territory,” said Christian Keesee, president of the Kirkpatrick Family Fund. “In addition to being the first president of the Oklahoma Dental Society, Dr. Kirkpatrick also organized the first dental supply house in Oklahoma Territory when pioneers were settling in the area. We are honored to pay tribute to his work by establishing the Dr. E.E. Kirkpatrick Dental Care Fund at the OU College of Dentistry to improve and enhance oral health care for Oklahomans at or below the poverty level.” 

“The establishment of this fund is a fitting way to commemorate Dr. Kirkpatrick’s work and we look forward to the high-quality dental care this endowment grant will provide to Oklahomans in need for many years to come,” said Liz Eickman, director of the Kirkpatrick Family Fund. 

The Kirkpatrick Family Fund has also supported the Weizenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, the Ballet Russes Special Collections and Archive, and the Carl Albert Center for New Leadership at OU. 

For more information about the services available through OU College of Dentistry comprehensive care and specialty care clinics, please visit dentistry.ouhsc.edu/patients.

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About the University of Oklahoma 

Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information visit ou.edu.

About the University of Oklahoma Foundation

To learn more about the University of Oklahoma Foundation, including different giving opportunities, visit oufoundation.org.

OU College of Dentistry

The OU College of Dentistry is home to the state’s only doctor of dental surgery program and baccalaureate degree program in dental hygiene. More than 70% of the state of Oklahoma’s dentists are graduates of the OU College of Dentistry. The college provides general dental care and specialty care to Oklahomans through student, resident and faculty practice clinics. The OU College of Dentistry has established a reputation of training its students to provide the highest quality of clinical care available.