Temple University’s Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, in partnership with the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership, is preparing to establish its first-ever rural dental education center and clinic in downtown Tamaqua.
According to Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) and Rep. Jamie Barton (R-124), the project aims to address Pennsylvania’s growing shortage of dental professionals—an issue felt most severely in rural counties across the state.
Pending approval from the Temple University Board of Trustees, the proposed 24-chair clinic and education center will be located at the site of a former Rite Aid in Tamaqua. The facility is intended to serve residents across Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties.
The clinic will also serve as a satellite training site for 20 dental students completing their final two years of study. Temple is also in talks with Lehigh Carbon Community College to begin a dental hygiene program that would train six to ten students annually.
Sen. Argall, who led a Senate Majority Policy Committee hearing in Tamaqua earlier this year on Pennsylvania’s dental care crisis, said the new center answers concerns raised by patients, families, and providers.
“When we held a Senate hearing in Tamaqua, we heard heartbreaking testimony about families driving hours just to find basic dental care,” Argall said. “If your dentist retires, it can take months to find a new one. This joint effort between Temple University, LCCC and local and state partners will not only help fill that gap – it will create new jobs, expand health care access and build a lasting foundation for rural health education in Pennsylvania.”
Rep. Barton echoed the significance of the development.
“Pennsylvania is in desperate need of dentists and dental hygienists in our rural counties,” Barton said. “Temple University’s new rural dental school coming to Tamaqua addresses our rural dentist shortage and opens up general dental care in downtown Tamaqua for residents of Schuylkill and surrounding counties.”
Dr. Amid Ismail, dean of the Kornberg School of Dentistry, described the project as the result of years of planning. The new center will test an innovative model in which dental students live and train in rural communities for two years, building stronger relationships between future practitioners and the areas they may one day serve.
The clinic will offer comprehensive services, including orthodontics and implant-supported restorations. Officials estimate at least 20 new jobs will be created through the initiative.
The project will be supported through a combination of Temple University investment, state and federal grants, private donations, and funding mechanisms tied to Tamaqua Borough’s participation in the City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ) program. CRIZ allows state and local tax revenue generated within the zone to be reinvested into local redevelopment efforts.
U.S. Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09) was also recognized for his role in supporting the project at the federal level.
Renovations to the future clinic site and nearby student housing are expected to begin later this year. If approved by Temple’s Board of Trustees, the rural dental education center and clinic is projected to open in September 2026, marking a significant milestone for Tamaqua and for rural health care across Pennsylvania.