TAMAQUA, Pa. – Temple University is highlighting plans to develop a rural dental education center and clinic in Tamaqua, Schuylkill County.
Temple University’s Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, along with the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership, will develop the clinic, according to a news release from the Senate Republican Communications Office.
The plans for the clinic were announced at this week’s PA Oral Health Summit, according to Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) and Rep. Jamie Barton (R-124).
The clinic aims to help address Pennsylvania’s growing shortage of dental professionals, especially in rural areas, the Senate Republican Communications Office said.
The proposed 24-chair education and clinic center would be located at the site of a former Rite Aid in downtown Tamaqua.
The Senate Republican Communications Office said the Temple University Board of Trustees must still approve the plan.
The facility will host 20 dental students who will complete their final two years of training in Tamaqua and will provide critical dental services for residents of Schuylkill, Carbon and Luzerne counties, according to the news release.
The Kornberg School of Dentistry is also in discussion with Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) to open a dental hygiene program that will train six to 10 students, the Senate Republican Communications Office said.
Dr. Amid Ismail, dean of the Kornberg School of Dentistry, said the project is the culmination of years of planning to bring high-quality dental education and care to the communities that need it most.
The clinic will create at least 20 new jobs, according to the news release.
The new dental education center and clinic, once approved, will be made possible through investment from Temple University, state and federal grants, private donations, and Tamaqua Borough’s participation in Pennsylvania’s City Revitalization and Improvement Zone program, the Senate Republican Communications Office said.
According to the news release, renovations for the education center and student housing are expected to begin this year, with the center projected to open in September 2026.
