EWU to Start Dental Therapy Program

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Eastern Washington University plans to launch a new dental therapy master's degree program that will train an emerging field of practitioners and expand access to oral care in underserved communities.

The new dental therapy degree, funded by a $10.5 million commitment from the Washington state Legislature, will be an integral piece of a broader strategy to realign EWU's health sciences programs in Spokane's University District.

Dawn Lewis-Kinnunen, dean of EWU's College of Health Science and Public Health, said the college has begun working through the accrediting process for the new dental therapy program with the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The college hopes to attain accreditation and begin instruction to its first cohort of students in the fall of 2028.

Dental therapists are trained to provide a level of care greater than a dental hygienist, said Lewis-Kinnunen. They can conduct clinical and periodontal examinations, administer local anesthetics, prepare cavities and place fillings, install temporary crowns, and in some cases, extract teeth. They also can perform services provided by hygienists, including taking dental X-rays and cleaning and polishing teeth.

"Rural communities don't have adequate access to oral care in Washington state. Our goal with the dental therapy program is to improve availability by educating a new tier of providers," Lewis-Kinnunen said.

Currently, only three CODA-accredited dental therapy programs operate in the U.S., with only one of those offering master-level education.

Program Moves

Development of the dental therapy program is occurring as EWU enters the beginning stages of its plan to create a health sciences hub in Spokane's University District. That process will involve consolidating the university's health sciences programs into the Catalyst and SIERR buildings, a move intended to increase opportunities for collaboration amongst disciplines and create synergies in health sciences education.

As envisioned, the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program will move to the Catalyst building-on the University District's South Landing at 601 E. Riverside Ave.-from the SIERR Building, located at on the eastern edge of the University District at 850 E. Spokane Falls Blvd.

EWU's Master of Occupational Therapy and Doctor of Physical Therapy programs also will move to the Catalyst. Both programs currently are located in a Washington State University facility elsewhere in the University District.

The new dental therapy program will be located in the SIERR Building, adjacent to EWU's Dental Hygiene Program and a dental hygiene clinic devoted to providing services to underserved members of the Spokane community. The dental programs also will be in close proximity to the nursing program, which is also housed in SIERR.

The Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program, which is a partnership between EWU and the University of Washington School of Dentistry, will remain in the 840 Building, next to SIERR.

"This is the ideal plan for the interprofessional work we want to foster," Lewis-Kinnunen said. "It's going to be pretty and productive."

Remodeling of some spaces in the Catalyst and SIERR buildings is scheduled to start in the spring of 2026.

To accommodate the health sciences programs, EWU will move to the Cheney campus the academic programs that are presently housed in the Catalyst but not related to health sciences and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Those programs are scheduled to return to the main campus in advance of the 2026-27 academic year.

EWU Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Lorenzo Smith acknowledged that the move may present some temporary inconveniences for those impacted. "We understand that this series of changes will be challenging for some of our employees and students, and we are prepared to make the move as smooth and convenient as is practical," he said.

The health sciences programs shifts will occur within the next three years, he added, and will be scheduled to cause minimal disruptions for students, faculty and staff.

EWU President Shari McMahan said the changes represent an important step forward for the university. "Eastern Washington University is becoming a leader in health sciences education, with a focus on training the essential workforce of the future," she said. "With programs located in the University District and near Spokane's largest health systems, we will position our students to make the most of interdisciplinary opportunities and to succeed in the future."

**Photo courtesy of the Spokane Journal of Business.

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