New dental education facility in Exeter

She said: “I applaud and admire the tenacity and vision that has brought this incredible dental care centre to fruition. What we have here is so much more than bricks and mortar; it is the spirit of best practice in care, in learning and in social enterprise. Recognising a need to improve access, the Exeter Dental Education Facility offers not only a place for excellent patient care but an outstanding environment for the high quality of training of the next generation of dental professionals – a true exemplar of enterprise and collaboration that will deliver quality time and time again."

The facility is used to train dental health profession students from Plymouth University and is run and managed by the Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise. It also provides a suite of postgraduate programmes, allowing local dentists and other dental health professionals to further their careers through education.

The new facility replaces one that has operated within Heavitree Hospital since 2008. That facility, which was opened by Ben Bradshaw MP, had 16 dental chairs and provided early hands-on training for first year dental students, dental hygiene and simple dental procedures for local NHS patients.