Seattle Central joins partners to dedicate groundbreaking Dental Education Clinic

May marked the opening of a new clinic that will train Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting students while providing dental services to low-income patients. 

A new Dental Education Clinic has opened, and Seattle Central celebrated with its partners, Delta Dental and Neighborcare Health. In May, a dedication event commemorated the new 20-chair clinic, located on fourth floor of Seattle Central’s Health Education Center in Beacon Hill’s historic Pacific Tower.

Opening with the help of a groundbreaking partnership, the clinic will operate under a dual education and service model, the first of its kind in the nation. With funding provided in part by Delta Dental, Neighborcare Health will operate the clinic, serving primarily low-income patients. This will give students in Seattle Central’s Dental Hygiene bachelor’s degree program and Seattle Vocational Institute’s Dental Assisting an on-site training opportunity. They will be able to practice their skills under the close supervision of experienced dentists, and in the process, provide Neighborcare with the ability to serve more patients.

The Health Education Center opened earlier this year in five floors of the Pacific Tower, creating a first-rate training facility for the next generation of healthcare workers in Seattle and the Puget Sound region. The Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting programs will begin offering classes at the center this fall.