Northeast Ohio Medical University in Cleveland earned initial accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation for its college of dentistry.
The approval allows the university to move forward with its plan to offer a DDS program at its Bitonte College of Dentistry beginning in 2025, according to a Sept. 4 news release.
More than 75 out of Ohio's 88 counties are considered health professional shortage areas in dental care. According to the Ohio Department of Health, oral health is the top unmet need for Ohio residents.
Dominic Bitonte, DDS, and Helen Bitonte provided the college a $10 million commitment in 2022 to fund the dental school, the release said.