MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University has opened the first phase of a major expansion of the state’s only dental school, as federal figures show nearly 720,000 West Virginians live in areas designated as having shortages of dental health professionals.
The newly renovated and expanded clinics at the WVU Health Sciences Center in Morgantown are intended to train dentists more effectively to serve West Virginia while expanding opportunities for patient care.
The project comes as access to dental care remains a significant challenge across much of the Mountain State. As of June 30, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration listed 123 dental Health Professional Shortage Area designations in West Virginia, encompassing a population of 719,902.
Those areas met only about 22.6% of their calculated need for dental professionals, according to the administration. The agency estimated that 140 additional practitioners would be needed to eliminate the state’s dental shortage designations.
The figures underscore the broader significance of the expansion at WVU, where university officials say more than 85% of dentists practicing in West Virginia are WVU School of Dentistry graduates.
“As the only dental school in West Virginia, we are keenly focused on our land-grant mission to improve the lives of families throughout our state,” said Dr. Stephen Pachuta, dean of the dentistry school.
“The support we received through the federal appropriations process and from our alumni and friends for this extensive renovation and expansion project is transformational for West Virginia. It will greatly strengthen our educational base while helping to expand access to care and patient care experiences throughout the region.”
$12.6 million federal investment
WVU officially opened the new facilities Wednesday, Aug. 19, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a tour of the clinics.
The first phase brings the school’s pediatric dentistry and orthodontic clinics, Dental Group Practice, and Dental Innovation Center together at the Health Sciences Center. The operations had previously been located at Suncrest Towne Center.
The project was funded primarily through a $12.6 million award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, supplemented by private donations raised through the School of Dentistry’s capital campaign.
The work also included substantial upgrades to sanitary, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, mechanical, and electrical systems.
Construction began in March 2025 in areas that WVU says had remained largely unchanged since the School of Dentistry was established in 1957. SmithGroup worked with WVU Facilities Management on the design, while Manheim Corporation handled construction.
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who helped secure federal funding for the project, said the investment should benefit both dental education and access to care.
“By modernizing this facility and providing students and faculty with the tools and technology they need, we are helping prepare the next generation of dentists while expanding access to quality dental care for families across our state,” Capito said.
West Virginia struggles with dentist shortage
The expansion addresses a problem that extends far beyond Morgantown.
West Virginia has long struggled to maintain an adequate dental workforce, particularly in rural communities, where residents may have to travel considerable distances for routine and specialized care.
WVU has reported that West Virginia has about 49 dentists for every 100,000 residents, compared with about 61 nationally. Consequently, retaining graduates in West Virginia has become an important part of efforts to improve access to oral health care.
The School of Dentistry plays an outsized role in that effort. “Over 85% of the dentists that practice in our state are graduates of our School,” Pachuta said. “Our commitment to education, community service, and patient care is strong.”
The school offers a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene, advanced education programs, and graduate medical education residencies. It is also integrated with WVU Dental, which provides general and specialized dental care through faculty, resident, and student providers.
WVU President Michael T. Benson said the expansion reflects the university’s responsibility to prepare health care professionals for the state.
“The scope of this project exemplifies how seriously West Virginia University takes its responsibility to serve the people of West Virginia,” Benson said. “We must always be looking forward — investing in opportunities for our students who will be the caretakers of our collective future.”
More expansion planned
Wednesday’s opening marks only the first phase of the project. A second phase is expected to include specialty clinics and a dedicated surgical suite. Together, the two phases will total approximately 50,000 square feet.
For West Virginia, however, the project’s significance extends beyond new treatment rooms and equipment.
With hundreds of thousands of residents living in federally designated dental shortage areas and WVU graduates accounting for the overwhelming majority of dentists practicing in the state, the expanded school will remain central to efforts to build the state’s dental workforce and improve access to oral health care.