Bulletin of Dental Education Article

Lily T. García, D.D.S., M.S., FACP, Dean of Texas A&M University College of Dentistry (Texas A&M Dentistry), was celebrated in August as one of the Dallas Business Journal’s (DBJ) Women in Business honorees. Dean García, who’s also a prosthodontist, was among 30 northern Texas women chosen from more than 280 nominees. 

Lily T. García, D.D.S., M.S., FACP, Dean of Texas A&M University College of Dentistry

DBJ selected the winners with the assistance of a judging panel comprised of past recipients. The women were selected based on their contributions to their organizations and the community.

“I am honored to have Texas A&M University College of Dentistry recognized through this award among so many amazing organizations and businesses in Dallas,” Dean García said. “The recognition is based on our staff and faculty who work diligently to educate the next generation of health professionals, many of whom will contribute as business owners in the North Texas region.”

Dean García became the 17th dean of Texas A&M Dentistry in October 2022 and recently received recognition on behalf of the college of dentistry’s growth in research initiatives, including the most recent agreement with Shear Kershman Laboratories and Innovative MedTech Inc., to study the treatment of oral thrush, a fungal infection, in cancer patients.

Offering 10 dental specialties, Texas A&M Dentistry is the largest oral health provider in northern Texas. After her arrival, Dean García, also an alumna of the dental college, immediately started recruiting top faculty. That includes recognized leaders in pain research, public health sciences, biomedical sciences, endodontics and comprehensive dentistry in the last year or so.

Recruiting top talent at all levels is essential for attracting the best students, she said. Texas A&M Dentistry is known for educating dentists, dental specialists and dental hygienists with strong clinical expertise. Nearly one-third of all dentists in Texas are graduates of this dental college and many opt to practice in northern Texas, as do the college’s dental hygiene program graduates.

Texas A&M Dentistry boasts 587 students, including those in dental, dental hygiene, graduate science programs and dental specialties.

Courtesy of Texas A&M University College of Dentistry

Published on October 8, 2025