ATSU-MOSDOH to increase class size following CODA approval
Posted: March 10, 2026
A.T. Still University’s Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) is set to expand its impact on oral healthcare in the region. Following approval from the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), the School will increase its class size from 63 to 84 students beginning in July 2027.
This expansion is a strategic response to the rising demand for access to oral healthcare across Missouri and the Midwest.
“ATSU is grateful to CODA for granting our request to increase enrollment at ATSU-MOSDOH,” said ATSU Chancellor Craig M. Phelps, DO, ’84. “Every student dentist represents thousands of future patients. As we prepare to welcome more students to our Kirksville, Missouri, campus and St. Louis location, we remain dedicated to providing exemplary educational and clinical experiences to improve the health outcomes of their future patients for decades to come.”
“This approval from CODA is a validation of our program’s strength and our commitment to the region,” said ATSU Vice Chancellor for Academic Support and ATSU-MOSDOH Interim Dean Don Altman, DDS, DHSc, EdD, ’12. “By increasing our class size, we are proactively addressing the growing demand for dental professionals and ensuring that more communities have access to the high-quality, compassionate care for which our graduates are known.”
ATSU-MOSDOH’s unique structure brings first- and second-year students to the University’s Kirksville, Missouri, campus, where they study basic sciences and principles of patient care in the classroom and complete exercises in a state-of-the-art dental simulation clinic. In their third and fourth years, ATSU-MOSDOH students transition to the clinical environment by providing faculty-supervised patient care at the St. Louis Dental Center, operated in partnership with Affinia Healthcare, a federally qualified health center.
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About A.T. Still University of Health Sciences
Established in 1892 by A.T. Still, DO, the founder of osteopathic medicine, A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) began as the nation’s first college of osteopathic medicine and has evolved into a leading university of health sciences comprised of a growing community with a rich history in education and osteopathic healthcare. Today, ATSU offers certificates and master’s degrees across health disciplines; and doctorates in athletic training, audiology, health administration, education, health sciences, medical science, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, dental medicine, and osteopathic medicine.
Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health
Established in 2013, A.T. Still University’s Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) offers an innovative curriculum with an emphasis on public health, leadership, and practice. ATSU-MOSDOH addresses the oral healthcare disparities in Missouri and across the nation. In addition to the issues of oral health and skills of dentistry, students learn from and are encouraged to become caring, community-minded healthcare providers.
CODA statement
The program in dental education is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements”. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (800) 232-6108 or at 401 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3300, Chicago, IL 60611-4250. The Commission’s web address is: https://coda.ada.org/.