The Montana Legislature approved $4.25 million in 2019 to expand the dental area at Great Falls College MSU for dental hygiene and assistant students. While the $4.25 million will build the new clinic building, it does not cover the costs to equip the fully functioning dental clinic. This leaves Great Falls College to raise an additional $800,000. The expanded dental facility will break ground this fall and be ready for 2021-2022 school year.
The expansion will:
Allow Great Falls College to accept 25 dental hygiene students in each cohort instead of 18 to better address the shortage of hygienists in Montana. Hygienists can earn $50,000 a year upon graduation. |
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Increase the number of operatoriesfrom 16 to 25 and increase the square footage of each operatory from 52 square feet to ll 5 square feet. The increased square footage will provide a better experience for students and instructors, as well as increase patient privacy. The new operatories will better mimic what students will find in modern dental offices. |
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Provide a centralized ster-ilization station and layout more consistent with what our students will experience when they go to work in a dental office. |
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Modernize and expand space for Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene programs 181 |
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Enhance patient privacy and comfort in a spacious recep-tion area. |
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Give the students a com-fortable and relaxed common space in which to congregate when the reception area is not in use by patients. |