Students
Tooth travelers: Students sharpen their skills on dental mission trips over the summer breaks
A busy dental student scheduled to graduate next May, few would fault Mackenzie “Kenzie” Bankes for heading to Jamaica for a few lazy days to enjoy sandy beaches and misty mountains. But those and even dances to the Caribbean island’s famous reggae beats had to wait. Bankes and fellow Texas A&M University College of Dentistry students traveled Aug. 1-8 on a dental mission trip to St. Elizabeth Parish and its Helping Hand Dental Clinic in the southwestern part of the country. Working with the nonprofit Christian Medical & Dental Association, they provided oral hygiene education, cleanings, fillings and tooth extractions to more than 600 underserved residents rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa last year. Read More
White coats: Symbols of new students’ commitments
They studied hard and aced their entrance exams and interviews to gain admission to dental school or the dental hygiene program. Then, 134 students who are part of Texas A&M College of Dentistry's Dental Class of 2030 and Dental Hygiene Class of 2028 gathered together Aug. 7 to don their white coats. It's an annual tradition called White Coat Ceremony. Read More
Giving back: New graduates become leaders of summer programs that helped them succeed
Drs. Britni Duffie, program aide in student affairs at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry in Dallas, and Dawn Miller McElroy, formerly a program aide, smile when someone mentions they’re new Class of 2026 dentists. They worked hard to earn dental degrees, and both have gold stars in perseverance. Read More
Bits and Bites – July 2026
Here's a roundup of some recent news about faculty, students and alums of Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas. Read More
Smile, you’re in demand: Dental hygienists find a friendly job market but limited benefits
Meet your next dental hygienists. The 30 newest graduates of Texas A&M College of Dentistry’s dental hygiene program earned both their dental hygiene pins and diplomas last month. They are now days away from their first opportunity to receive state licenses – golden tickets to enter a career so in demand that nearly two in five dentists surveyed nationwide reported their practices didn’t have adequate numbers of dental hygienists. Read More
Bankes earns AGD scholarship
The Academy of General Dentistry recently awarded Mackenzie "Kenzie" Bankes, a rising fourth-year dental student at Texas A&M College of Dentistry, the Dr. Chethan and Avani Chetty Scholarship. The scholarship will support Bankes in attending AGD's Annual Scientific Session, a continuing education event in general dentistry. AGD2026 will be June 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Read More
Congratulations, Class of 2026
All the years of studying and hard work paid off for 177 dental students, dental hygiene students and graduate students who earned their degrees and specialty certificates May 22 from Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas, also nicknamed “Aggieland Dallas” by Dr. Lily T. García, the dean. Read More
Personal trauma leads to dental hygiene career for new Texas A&M College of Dentistry honor grad
Time in a dental chair can change more than a smile. Ask Marie Seykora, one of Texas A&M College of Dentistry’s new graduates. Read More
Pinned for success
Soon-to-graduate dental hygiene students at Texas A&M College of Dentistry were honored May 8 for their accomplishments. They received pins and awards, marking the end of their coursework and the beginning of their careers. All 30 are scheduled to graduate May 22 and are expected to be licensed in late June. Read More
Double wins, double grins
Dr. Joshua Allen, oral pathology graduate student and graduate assistant in diagnostic sciences at Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas, has multiple reasons to smile. He was recently awarded both the prestigious Shafer Award from the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and A&M Dentistry’s annual Clinical Graduate Research Award. Allen also graduates May 22 with a master’s in oral biology and a certificate in oral and maxillofacial pathology. Read More