ABINGDON, Va. — A new dental laboratory has officially opened at the Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center in Abingdon, aiming to improve access to care and reduce treatment times for patients in Southwest Virginia.
The 2,400-square-foot lab, which will produce crowns, dentures, and other oral prosthetics, was unveiled Thursday during a “floss-cutting” ceremony. According to Dr. Scott Miller, the clinic’s site director, the addition will help streamline operations and provide several key benefits for patients and staff.
“This lab will allow us to cut down on lab costs, build a digital design workflow, and create a training path for digital lab technicians,” said Dr. Miller. “It also gives our dental residents hands-on experience with advanced technology.”
With over 2,300 patients currently on a waiting list, the clinic is working to reduce barriers to timely treatment. Miller emphasized that the new lab will significantly cut the number of appointments required for patients to receive prosthetics like dentures.
“If we can shorten treatment times, we can get more patients into the chair,” he said. “This also opens the door to encourage more providers to accept Medicaid by helping them lower their own lab costs.”
The new facility features advanced tools such as 3D printers, digital design stations, and a CAD/CAM milling system, all of which enhance the efficiency and precision of creating dental prosthetics.
The clinic also has plans for immediate growth. It will expand its number of dental chairs from 14 to 21 and increase its dental residency program from seven to eight residents next year.
“Our clinic is growing, and we’re helping more people get the care they need,” Miller said. “That’s always been our top priority.”
The region continues to face a shortage of dental professionals. Dr. Miller pointed out that Southwest Virginia has only 29 dentists per 100,000 people—well below the national average of 61.
One way the clinic is addressing this is by retaining graduates from its residency program. Out of 22 graduates to date, six have chosen to remain in the area to practice, helping to strengthen the local dental workforce.
With the opening of the new lab and continued expansion efforts, the Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center hopes to improve oral health outcomes for underserved communities throughout the region.
