Senators Tour Temple Dental School, Review Plans for Tamaqua Rural Dental Education Center and Clinic

PHILADELPHIA - Sen. Dave Argall (R-29), chair of the Senate Majority Policy Committee, visited the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry to learn more about their programs and discuss new strategies to improve access to dental care in Pennsylvania. He was joined by Dr. Amid Ismail, dean of the Kornberg School of Dentistry, and Sen. Sharif Street (D-3). The group reviewed plans to locate Temple's first-ever rural dental education center and clinic in Tamaqua.

"The stories we've heard about the impact of dental care shortages on families are heartbreaking," said Argall. "Temple University and our federal, state and local partners are committed to addressing this crisis. I was very impressed by the technology and programs I saw in Philadelphia and look forward to seeing shovels in the ground in Tamaqua - the sooner, the better."

In June 2025, Argall chaired a public hearing about the severe dental care crisis in rural Pennsylvania. Dental professionals shared personal accounts about how the lack of care affects the health of their patients, describing children with abscesses missing school and elderly patients with broken dentures forced to go on soft diets.

To aid rural dentistry across Pennsylvania, Temple University, Tamaqua Area Community Partnership, Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09), Argall and Rep. Jamie Barton (R-124) have obtained millions of dollars in grants to locate a 24-chair dental education center and clinic in downtown Tamaqua, bringing a state-of-the-art learning facility to northeast Pennsylvania. The center will host 20 dental students for their final two years of training and provide comprehensive care to underserved patients.

The Kornberg School of Dentistry was founded in 1863, the second oldest dental school in the country, with more than 7,000 alumni. Students provide free or discounted dental care to about 22,000 patients per year, performing more than 119,000 procedures per year. The school also serves as a hub for dental care research to provide better care to patients in Pennsylvania and beyond.

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