(Courtesy of Touro College of Dental Medicine) A brand new 32,000-square-foot oral health facility opened in Hawthorne, New York, Alan Kadish, MD, president and CEO of the Touro College and University System, and Dr. Mark Hasten, chairman of the board of trustees, announced today. The facility will be known as Touro Dental Health, the educational training facility of the Touro College of Dental Medicine (TouroCDM) at New York Medical College.

“Touro College of Dental Medicine has had an outstanding start. We are thrilled to be opening the state-of-the-art facility, which will serve as the advanced educational training platform for our students as they immerse themselves in clinical dentistry,” said Dr. Kadish. “The opening of Touro Dental Health is an important milestone for both the school and the community.

Located on the campus of New York Medical College, in an iconic steel and glass building at 19 Skyline Drive in Hawthorne, this former IBM Research facility has been transformed into a modern dental treatment center that will educate the students and bring comprehensive, affordable care to the residents of the lower Hudson Valley, Westchester County and the metropolitan New York City area.

“Opening an oral health care facility of this magnitude and quality will ensure access to care for underserved populations and others in the community who seek quality, low-cost dental care,” said Ronnie Myers, DDS, dean of TouroCDM, and a Westchester resident.

Each of the 81 dental treatment stations at Touro Dental Health has been uniquely designed to utilize the most advanced breakthrough dental technologies, including digital impressions, digital treatment planning, 3D imaging, guided implant surgery and endodontic microscopy.

“An enormous amount of planning has gone into the design and execution of our new facility. We were able to create an environment that redefines the training of future dental professionals,” said Edward Farkas, DDS, vice dean of the TouroCDM. “The digital technology used at Touro Dental Health will offer our patients precision, comfort and efficiency in their treatments. With the help of all those who participated in the process, we are realizing our commitment to the school’s mission to ‘educate outstanding dental professionals…who will return to their diverse communities and provide outstanding service with integrity, compassion and empathy’ and we are sincerely grateful.”

As the practical training facility for the Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College, this facility will offer comprehensive services ranging from basic dental exams and preventative care for seniors, adults and children, to cosmetic dentistry, advanced dental reconstruction and TMJ diagnosis and treatment.

“Touro’s experienced and world-class professional faculty will work alongside our dentists-in-training, ensuring that the highest level of care is being delivered. Patients will receive direct benefits from this faculty-student collaboration, as well as significant cost savings,” continued Dr. Farkas.

The opening of Touro Dental Health is a part of the College’s mission to improve the oral health care delivery network in New York State, where the population has grown by 4.5 million people since the last dental school opened nearly 50 years ago. According to a 2015 survey published by the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute and Families USA, 26 percent of New Yorkers are not getting the oral health services they need because of “trouble finding a dentist”—a rate significantly above the national average of 15 percent. A number of factors including Medicaid and insurance coverage limitations, a shortage of providers in many communities, and challenges with mobility and transportation pose formidable barriers, especially among seniors who typically have more dental needs.

Touro Dental Health will begin treating patients in January of 2018. Appointments are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and can be scheduled beginning December 1, by calling Touro Dental Health at 914-594-2700, or by emailing [email protected].

Further information is available at dentalhealth.touro.edu.