YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Family First Health’s dental center on Springwood Road is celebrating a landmark first year after dramatically expanding Dental Services in York County and launching a new effort to train future dentists.
Since opening in January 2025, the center has treated more than 13,000 patients and recorded over 21,000 visits. Those figures represent nearly one-third of the organization’s total dental patients and almost half of all dental visits across its sites, underscoring strong community demand and long-standing gaps in care.
Of those visits, more than 7,200 were for urgent dental issues, highlighting limited access to preventive oral health services in the region. Center leaders said emergency appointments are being used as an entry point to connect patients with routine cleanings, follow-up treatment, and long-term oral health support.
The expansion comes amid nationwide workforce shortages in dentistry. To address the challenge locally, Family First Health has partnered with WellSpan Health to launch a federally funded dental residency program.
The initiative, known as the WS-BRUSH project, is supported by a $2.2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The program places dental residents at the Springwood Road facility, other Family First Health locations, and in a mobile, school-based dentistry program.
Its goal is to train postdoctoral dentists in community health settings and encourage them to serve rural and underserved populations in south-central Pennsylvania.
Current and incoming residents include graduates from Howard University, the University of Maryland, the University of Pittsburgh, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
The addition of the Springwood Road Dental Center has significantly increased overall capacity. Between January 2025 and January 2026, Family First Health delivered nearly 46,000 dental visits across all sites — a 71 percent increase compared to the year before the center opened.
Organization leaders say the combined focus on urgent care access and preventive follow-up is improving patient outcomes while strengthening the regional dental workforce.