Ivy Tech Community College expands Dental Hygiene Clinic

On October 14, 2026, Ivy Tech Community College opened its newly renovated and expanded Dental Hygiene Clinic. The expanded space will bring expanded access to dental hygiene education, increased workforce development opportunities, and create more access to affordable dental cleanings for the community. In total, the project cost approximately $2.6 million.

According to an article on Ivy Tech Community College’s website, Patrick Englert, who serves as the Chancellor of Ivy Tech South Bend-Elkhart, was quoted as saying fo the opening, “By expanding our clinic, we can prepare more students for rewarding careers in dental hygiene while increasing access to affordable dental care. It's an investment that benefits students, local employers, and the families we serve.”

The Dental Hygiene Clinic was expanded to occupy a former bookstore space on campus and the renovated and expanded space can now serve more students in their training. Training stations have increased from 10 to 18, and the college plans to increase the number of students per cohort from 16 to 24, with the possibility to expand even more in the future.

The purpose of the expansion and renovation was to expand access to dental hygiene education and to affordable dental cleanings for the community. More students in the college’s dental hygiene program means more qualified graduates to work in the region’s dental workforce, strengthening the community’s access to healthcare services. 

Thanks to the expanded clinic space, students will gain more supervised clinical experience while providing dental services to the community. These services include cleanings, screenings, X-rays, fluoride treatments, sealants, and oral health education. The services are offered to the community at a reduced cost, and licensed professionals supervise students as they work on patients.

The project was made possible through college resources and support from Leighton Foundation and Indiana's Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI).

For more information about Ivy Tech Community College, visit the school’s website.