- by Ben Boehl -

Dundalk, along with all parts of eastern Baltimore County, received a huge academic, medical and financial boost as the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) President Dr. Sandra Kurtinitis officially opened the new Dental Arts Building at the Dundalk campus.

The $2.6 million state-of-the-art building is the new home of a much-needed Dental Hygiene program. This program is considered by many as an event of importance for students, the medical field and the local

CCBC Dundalk Gets A Dental Plan

community. Until this September, the only schools in Maryland with a dental hygiene program were Allegany County Community

College and Baltimore City Community College. The addition of the program gives students more opportunities, it will create more dental hygienists jobs and will eventually provide the community with low cost dental treatment. The center will open to the public in January 2009.

I wondered why CCBC with all its array of health programs did not have a dental hygiene program when we have over 600 dentists in Baltimore County, Kurtinitis said when she first came to CCBC two years ago.

The new 10,130 square-foot building was created by Sanders Designs and built by North Point Builders. It includes a classroom, Panorex X-Ray, Intraoral X-Ray, a dark room, a dental materials lab and clinic. The building was constructed over a two-year period.

CCBC is not only dedicating a new dental center, but we are launching a new suite of programs, Kurtinitis added.

CCBC Media Relations Coordinator, Jacquelyn Lucy said that for the Fall 2008 semester only 20 students will be accepted into the dental program, but that number will increase to 40 for the Spring 2009 semester. Students can apply for admission and the administration will select the most qualified students.

Right now we have 82 applicants, but we expect that number to grow when the program becomes more publicized, Lucy said.

Of all three CCBC campuses, Lucy said Dundalk was the most logical choice to place the new 70-credit program.

The Dundalk campus was selected because the dental program tied into our other school health profession programs, there was space available here and a real community need, Lucy said, referring to the fact that only 15 dental offices reside in the Dundalk area.

Kurtinitis stated that every person should receive dental treatment and recalled the story of 12-year old Deamonte Driver. He was the Prince Georges County boy whodied last year from an abscessed tooth. Since his mom was uninsured, Driver couldnt get treatment and the infection spread from his tooth to his brain. Kurtinitis stated steps need to be taken to prevent an episode like Drivers from reoccurring.

CCBC was already hard at work to help the state meet its dental crisis, she said.

Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith added that everyone will gain with the addition of the dental program.

The opening of this facility is a valuable addition to our community college, but students are not the only beneficiaries as we will provide dental healthcare to those who otherwise could not afford it, Smith said.

Thomas M. Lingan, CCBC Board of Trustees chairman, thanked Smith, the County Council, the State Delegation and the federal government for their contributions to help finance the building.

We have been blessed with a lot of political support that was absolutely critical and essential. Not only political support but funding support.

Senator Norman Stone, along with Senator Kathy Klausmeier, met with Kurtinitis to discuss the new building. Stone recalls a time when there were rumors that the Dundalk campus was going to be closed. He credits Kurtinitisfor not only maintaining the campus, but for making CCBC Dundalk stronger with the addition of programs like the dental hygiene program.

There were some or at least one (president) who would have liked to have closed this wonderful institution and we are fortunate enough to have gotten where we are today and we are very, very happy, Stone said.