The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry has started construction on a new dental training clinic.
The new Kingsport Dental Clinic of the Appalachian Highlands will be used as a rotation site for dental students. It will offer a full-time advanced education in general dentistry residency and host dental hygiene student rotations from East Tennessee State University.
The clinic is a key component of the dental school's Healthy Smiles Initiative, which aims to expand dental class sizes and clinical sites throughout the state. Its objective is to enhance dental care accessibility statewide by providing students with practical experience treating underserved community patients during their rotations.
The new clinic is the first step as part of a larger plan to have a site in which third- and fourth-year students can complete their degrees in Kingsport. Ultimately, the goal is to build a major training site.
