On March 6, delegates from the UMKC School of Dentistry, including 27 students and three faculty, traveled to the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City for the Missouri Dental Association (MDA) Dental Day. This event, which is attended by dentists throughout the State of Missouri, gives our students the opportunity to speak with their legislators about issues affecting the dental profession.

“This is one day, in a series of 364 other days where you could make contact, but this one day of physical presence, is needed each year to demonstrate the magnitude of the problem and to show the number of providers that insist on change,” says the MDA.

According to Dr. Wendy Weimer, Clinical Assistant Professor, Restorative Clinical Sciences, most students met with at least three legislators each, bringing up points on change that “some of the more seasoned dentists hasn’t thought of. They were great ambassadors.”

Dr. Weimer stressed the significance of students attending the events, “It is important the students know how invaluable their voice is in changing our profession for the better.”

Faculty Attendees
Dr. Erin Bumann, Assistant Professor, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences
Dr. Jared Gerhardt, Clinical Assistant Professor, Restorative Clinical Sciences
Dr. Wendy Weimer, Clinical Assistant Professor, Restorative Clinical Sciences

Student Attendees
Nik Wickerhauser
Sarah Godwin
Robert Ward
Van Hopkins
Ayden Henry
Hannah Sells
Angela Marulanda
Olivia Horton
Chandler Hill
Mary Inman
Layne Konneman
Hannah Ragsdale
Lauryn Allison
Allison Lawler
Claire Freeman
Megan Dart
Alexis Overton
Sophie Rosen
Anh Nguyen
Niyati Bhakta
Katie Roe
Dillon Trinh
Rebecca Otten
Kylee Townsend
Mackenzie Kortz
Alayna Wallace
Elizabeth Quinn

Photos courtesy of Dr. Wendy Weimer. Lunch for delegates provided by Greater Kansas City Dental Society.