Northwood Technical College Unveils New Mobile Dental Lab

SUPERIOR, Wis. (WLAK / WBZH) – Northwood Technical College hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at its Superior campus on Wednesday for its new mobile dental lab.

The new state-of-the-art mobile dental lab is meant to give students more hands-on training experience and increase access to dental services for northwest Wisconsin residents. According to a Northern News Now report, the project received $350,000 in funding through the Wisconsin Technical College System and Delta Dental.

School officials say their goal is to use the lab in partnership with community groups across the region to serve residents who do not have access to dental care. Inadequate access to healthcare has become a major issue in the northwest Wisconsin region. In addition to rural healthcare closures, residents are now concerned they may lose even more services with the expiration of the Affordable Care Act tax credits at the center of the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Northwood Technical College officials say the mobile dental lab will operate at each of its four campuses for two years before heading to the next one. In addition to the Superior campus, the school also has campuses in Rice Lake, Ashland, and New Richmond. Students interested in working in the mobile dental lab will need to apply and register for the one year program.

Northwood Technical College officials also say the new mobile dental lab could help to address workforce shortages in the dental field. Their hope is that the lab will create a strong pipeline of skilled dental workers that may consider staying in the region after they graduate.