KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – A new wave of funding is set to help expand the Kingsport Dental Clinic of the Appalachian Highlands, a community-centered facility that also serves as a hands-on training site for dental students.
The Kingsport Economic Development Board recently approved over $21,000 in additional funding to support the clinic’s development. The funding comes primarily from a state grant awarded last year, along with private donations.
Kingsport City Manager Chris McCartt said the funds will be used for the first phase of a master plan to enhance both the clinic and the building where it operates. The city has contracted CainRashWest Architects to lead the planning process.
“The $21,500 to cover this initial phase of the master plan is coming partially from a grant that the City of Kingsport received from Governor Bill Lee’s office a little over a year ago,” McCartt explained. “It allows us to begin this first step while planning for what’s next.”
The master plan will evaluate how to use three additional suites in the building that are not yet occupied. The goal is to decide what those spaces should become and how they can best serve the clinic’s educational and community missions.
A Regional Hub for Dental Training
The Kingsport Dental Clinic currently operates as a satellite campus for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Students from UT, East Tennessee State University (ETSU), and Northeast State Community College receive clinical training there, offering services to the local community while gaining real-world experience.
Dr. Ken Tilashalski, Dean of UT’s College of Dentistry, said the university plans to expand its academic offerings at the Kingsport site.
“We are putting in a post-graduate program,” Tilashalski said. “Graduates of dental school can spend an extra year doing more advanced care under supervision. It helps improve their speed and allows them to perform more complex procedures.”
Tilashalski noted that they are awaiting accreditation approval. If approved, dental residents could begin training at the clinic as early as next summer, in addition to the current rotation of student clinicians.