The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine is partnering with Pitt Bradford, Universal Primary Care and Olean General Hospital to establish the commonwealth’s second regional training center to offer both dental training and care in rural Pennsylvania communities.
The new dental center will be located at Universal Primary Care’s Old City Hall location in Bradford, Pennsylvania. The first location, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, was announced in May 2025 and will open in July 2026.
“More than 1.5 million Pennsylvanians live in areas facing a dental shortage,” said Marnie Oakley, dean of Pitt Dental Medicine. “The loss of a dental hygienist or dental assistant can push a rural dental practice to make the tough decision to close its doors, leaving a community without enough dentists to meet its needs,” she said.
“Pitt Dental Medicine is committed to developing programs to help address the critical decline in dental auxiliaries across the profession and to improve access to care across the commonwealth. We fully understand the impact of this trend on our profession, especially in rural areas,” Oakley added.
The center will train general practice dental residents, dental hygienists and dental assistants.
Patients will be able to receive routine dental care at Universal Primary Care (UPC) beginning in January 2026 from UPC staff and then from dental residents in July 2026.
“We are really looking forward to collaborating with Pitt Dental Medicine and our local partners,” said Rick Esch, president of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, which will deliver the predental hygiene curriculum as part of the initiative. “This program will provide the education and preparation students need to become successful dental professionals and will help to enhance access to dental care in our rural communities.”
Dental hygiene students will provide dental cleanings, and licensed dentists completing a residency program will provide most other dental care. All residents and students will work under the supervision of Pitt Dental Medicine faculty.
“As the sponsor of the residencies for this program, we look forward to both improving access to care for local patients and broadening access to education,” said Bradley Chapman, president, Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean General Hospital. “Partnerships like this bring the community together around a shared goal and highlight the commitment that makes our region such a great place to live and work.”
“We operate as a Federally Qualified Health Center, serving patients who often have had limited access to dental medicine,” said Brett Lawton, CEO, Universal Primary Care/Southern Tier Community Health Center Network. “We have long identified low access to oral health care as a huge pain point in our community. This program will help fill an important health gap in our region and grow and train the next rural oral health care workforce.”
Upon securing funding and a remodel of space at 2 N. Center Street in Bradford, UPC and Pitt will move the residency program there to open a full regional training center along with UPC’s plan to expand primary care services there.
The regional training center offers residents of Bradford and the surrounding area the opportunity to enroll in two educational programs. The Dental Hygiene Program is a two-year program that results in a bachelor’s degree from Pitt. A year of prerequisite courses can be taken at Pitt-Bradford. The Dental Assistant Training Program is a nine-month program that trains dental assistants to work in private practice dental offices.
Both are hybrid programs, with classroom training delivered online and clinical training taking place at the regional training center. This hybrid format allows students to complete either program without having to relocate and sets the stage for them to stay in their community as they seek employment.
“This project is a stellar example of how we can strengthen our community through collaboration,” said Pennsylvania Senator Cris Dush (R-25). “I look forward to seeing how the regional training center and new dental programs enhance both health and education in the district.”
“The lack of high-quality dental services is a critical issue for the region, and this Regional Training Center will go a long way toward filling that gap,” said Pennsylvania State Representative Martin Causer (R-67). “I applaud the efforts of all partners involved for working together to meet the needs of our community.”
For information on how to apply to the programs, visit the Pitt Dental Medicine regional training centers website.
About the Regional Training Centers
The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and partners in rural communities are working to bring dental care to areas in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that are underserved due to lack of dental professionals. The first two regional training centers, in Titusville and Bradford, will formally open in July 2026.