Construction on the expansion of Lakeshore College’s on-site dental clinic began Dec. 16 with an anticipated completion date of June 1.
The clinic is expected to be fully operational for training and hosting the college’s Community Dental Clinic by June 30.
During construction, Lakeshore’s dental assistant program students are practicing skills and completing clinical evaluations two days a week at Lakeshore Community Health Care in Manitowoc. Thanks to a new partnership between the two organizations, Lakeshore Community Health Care is also providing a mobile dental unit for the students to work on skills one day a week on Lakeshore’s Cleveland campus.
“Expanding our dental clinic and launching a dental hygiene program are crucial steps to meeting the growing needs of our community,” said Lakeshore College President Dr. Paul Carlsen. “We are grateful for the Lakeshore Community Health Care partnership that allows our students to gain essential hands-on experience while we are addressing the critical shortage of dental professionals in our region.”
Kristin Stearns, CEO of Lakeshore Community Health Care, said, “We are proud to partner with Lakeshore College by providing clinical space for students. This collaboration not only ensures hands-on training for future dental professionals but supports our mission to expand access to dental care in our community. Wisconsin faces a significant need for dental hygienists,” added Stearns. “Lakeshore College recognized this challenge and is working quickly to expand their dental program to include an associate degree in dental hygiene.”
In May last year, Lakeshore secured over $1.2 million in new funding to support the expansion of the college’s dental clinic and the development of an accredited dental hygiene program. Carlsen said the accreditation process takes approximately 18 months, leading to an anticipated program launch in the fall of 2026.
