INDIANA BUSINESS

Ivy Tech expands South Bend dental-hygiene clinic from 10 to 18 chairs

Ivy Tech Community College announced on Oct. 13, 2026 that it has expanded its South Bend dental-hygiene clinic from 10 to 18 student dental chairs. The college said the $2.5 million project was paid for with private donations and will add student training capacity and more community clinic openings.

News BriefBy BusinessIndy News DeskCommentsPublished October 14, 2026 at 5:45 AM EDTLinked source published October 13, 2026 at 4:49 PM EDT.

AI-generated illustration of the topic: Ivy Tech expands South Bend dental-hygiene clinic from 10 to 18 chairs — AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.

Ivy Tech Community College announced on Oct. 13, 2026 that it is expanding its dental-hygiene clinic in South Bend, increasing the number of student dental chairs from 10 to 18. The college said the $2.5 million project was funded with private donations and will increase the availability of hygienist training.

Ivy Tech said the clinic’s community program — where students provide discounted cleanings and X‑rays while working under a licensed dentist — will have more openings after the expansion. The school added that the expansion should help shorten wait times for dental care in the Michiana region and invited the public to a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, at 4 p.m.

WHY IT MATTERS

Ivy Tech trains many of the dental hygienists who work in Michiana, so increasing the number of clinical training chairs directly affects the college’s capacity to prepare new hygienists. More chairs mean more students can gain hands-on experience treating patients under licensed supervision — a requirement for clinical competency and for graduating qualified hygienists.

The clinic’s community program offers discounted cleanings and X‑rays provided by students supervised by a licensed dentist; expanding the clinic enlarges the program’s capacity to serve patients who need lower-cost care. The college characterized shorter wait times for care as a likely outcome, but that remains a school projection rather than a measured result.

Next milestone: Ivy Tech scheduled a public ribbon-cutting for the expanded clinic on Oct. 14, 2026, at 4 p.m. (Source: WVPE Public Radio).

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Sources

WVPE Public Radio: Ivy Tech Expands South Bend Dental Hygiene Clinic to 18 Chairs ↗

Linked source published October 13, 2026 at 4:49 PM EDT. A sourced news brief; no independent staff reporting is implied. Prepared with AI assistance from the linked research; material claims remain attributed in the article.

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