Lily T. Garcia DDS, MS, FACP

Dr. Lily T. García joined UNLV in 2019 as the dean of the School of Dental Medicine. As dean of the UNLV School of Dental Medicine, Dr. García works with the university’s health-related schools and helps students prepare for practicing dentistry as a vital part of a person’s overall well-being. Within the School of Dental Medicine, Dr. García's priorities are to strengthen faculty by filling a number of openings and to expand the school’s ties to community partners and friends within dentistry as well as among state and local leaders.

Dr. García specializes in prosthodontics, the extensive, complex restoration of a person’s teeth to restore a person to optimal oral health in function and appearance. Her research focuses have been on the effective replacement of teeth including dental implants as anchors for intraoral prosthodontic rehabilitation.

Dr. García previously served as associate dean for education at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, where she focused on assessing and improving educational programs. She coordinated teaching and learning programs, and served as a key contact for curriculum management and tracking educational trends. Her advocacy and leadership have been recognized by the Hispanic Dental Association, and she has earned a Presidential Citation from the American Dental Education Association.

Dr. García is also a sought-after lecturer and has published numerous articles and abstracts. She has co-authored and edited numerous textbooks, including Removable Partial Dentures: A Clinician’s Guide, Physical Evaluation in Dental Practice. She co-edited the 2019 Dental Clinics of North America – Prosthodontics. She has served on editorial boards of dental journals including the Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. She is a reviewer for the Journal of the American Dental Association and the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.