Construction began on the Tufts Dental Health Sciences building at One Kneeland Street on the Boston campus in 1969, after four years of planning. The building, constructed to expand the facilities of the School of Dental Medicine, was finally dedicated in April, 1973.

The eight-story building, originally slated to cost $12 million, actually cost the university a total of $14.5 million. Rising construction costs over the course of the building's completion caused the price increase, and at its dedication one and a half floors remained empty due to financial restrictions.

Tufts began planning the project in 1965, after numerous requests for more space from dental school faculty and students. The dental school had been sharing a building with the School of Medicine, and was restricted to tight teaching and operative quarters. During the planning phases of the new building, Tufts received a $7.5 million grant from the federal government to assist in covering the construction costs. In March, 1970, Tufts received a second grant, from the New England Regional Commission. The grant of $500,000 was in recognition of Tufts continued contribution to New England area dentistry. During the summer of 1970, Tufts received one last grant, for $250,000, in order to build the Center for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Oral Diseases in the new building.

The completed building contained modern operating rooms, new seminar rooms, faculty offices, lounge areas, a large lecture room, and classrooms. The building also contained larger clinic facilities and more space for graduate research. All of the clinics and operating rooms were decorated with artwork to make dental treatment a more pleasant experience for patients.

As of 2001, the Dental Health Sciences Building continues to serve as the headquarters of the School of Dental Medicine. Its laboratory facilities have been updated to contain modern dental equipment.

Source: TC 2-5

Subject terms: