This new, 27,000-square-foot facility houses graduate clinics in orthodontics, endodontics, periodontology and prosthodontics, as well as a new dental faculty practice location. It was formally dedicated on Friday, Sept. 20 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. In addition to state-of-the-art dental equipment, new teleconferencing capabilities have been installed, allowing faculty and graduate residents to collaborate with referring dentists in their offices on patient care.
The clinics will house 30 graduate residents and 24 of the School’s 30 full-time faculty, including 15 specialty providers, making the Suncrest clinics the largest group practice of dental specialists in West Virginia.
The opening of the satellite clinics marks the first major expansion of the School of Dentistry’s facilities since its opening in 1957. By moving into the Suncrest Towne Center, the School will be able to free up 33 chairs for pre-doctoral dental and dental hygiene students, lowering the student to chair ratio from 2.5-to-1 to 2-to-1.
“We are elated to be able to open this satellite clinical facility in Morgantown for our faculty and graduate residents,” David A. Felton, D.D.S., M.S., dean of the WVU School of Dentistry, said. “This space provides long-overdue and much-needed space beyond the cramped quarters of the Health Sciences Center.”
Christopher C. Colenda, M.D., M.P.H., chancellor of WVU Health Sciences, said the Suncrest facility is transformational for the School.
“This is the first step in a historic re-imagining of the WVU School of Dentistry. WVU has made creation of the new School of Dentistry building a priority,” Dr. Colenda said. “When that facility is built, then these programs and the dental professional and hygiene programs will be back under one roof again.”
Through December 2013, new patients can receive a credit of up to $150 on their first visit by mentioning the new patient offer. For appointments, call 304-293-5831.
Photo caption:
Dr. David Felton, dean of the WVU School of Dentistry (second from left) and his wife, Sue (seated), tour through the new Suncrest Towne Centre clinics with Dr. Harold Reed, clinical professor in the WVU Department of Periodontics (far left), and Dr. Lora Graves, assistant professor in the WVU Department of Prosthodontics (second from right).
