Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center expands with new dental lab to enhance care

The Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Clinic has opened a new state-of-the-art dental lab, which will provide advanced manufacturing and customization of oral dental prosthetics to include crowns, bridges, dentures and more. The 2,400-square-foot facility, located next to the main dental center, will streamline patient care while offering valuable hands-on training opportunities for the future dental workforce.

The open-concept lab will feature advanced technology, including multiple 3D printers, a CAD/CAM milling area, design stations and a lab director’s office. Residents, students, other Medicaid providers and staff will have the unique opportunity to learn, observe and participate in the process of crafting essential dental products, equipping them with advanced digital skills for their future careers.

“This new dental lab is a game-changer for our clinic and, most importantly, for our patients,” said Scott R. Miller, D.D.S., director of the dental residency program at Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center.

“By producing high-quality, digitally designed dental prosthetics in-house, we can significantly reduce wait times and costs to our safety net dental center. For example, a patient needing dentures will now possibly only need two visits instead of five. This investment ensures that our community has quicker access to the dental care they desperately need.”

The opening of the lab was made possible thanks to the generosity of donors who recognized the importance of advancing dental healthcare in the region. The following funders and partners provided an $874,414 investment for this much-needed project for the dental community in Southwest Virginia: The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, The Debra K. Howe Charitable Trust, Virginia Health Care Foundation, Mr. Michael and Mrs. Deborah Quillen, The Smyth County Charitable Fund, The Skewes Family Foundation, Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation, The Thompson Charitable Foundation, The Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia and The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation.

“We are incredibly grateful for the donors who helped bring this vision to life,” Dr. Miller said. “Their contributions will have a lasting impact, improving both patient outcomes and professional training for years to come. This is truly my happy place. I recently retired from private practice to train dental residents, students and staff, elevating their skillsets to succeed in the dental workforce. I always wanted to be a teacher, and now I have that opportunity. Our goal is to end the need for dental mission trips in the Appalachian Highlands.”

“I am thrilled that the Tobacco Commission was able to play a role in expanding this critical facility that has treated thousands of patients here in Southwest Virginia,” said Del. Israel O’Quinn, a member of the Tobacco Commission. “There is nothing more important than the health and wellbeing of our communities, and this expansion will only further the incredible work already being done at the Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center.”

“As both a legislator and a pediatric dentist, it’s incredibly exciting to celebrate the Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Lab,” said Sen. Todd Pillion. “I’ve had the privilege of supporting this project since its infancy and witnessing how public and private investments into this clinic are changing lives. This lab represents another major step forward in expanding access to dental care across our region, while also investing in the workforce that will serve our communities for generations to come.”

Dewey Chapa, director of the new lab at the Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center, emphasized the benefits of having an on-site facility for both clinicians and patients.

“Our lab provides a dedicated space where we can design and manufacture precise, custom dental restorations in a fraction of the time,” Chapa said. “This means patients experience fewer delays and improved quality in their dental care. The ability to control the entire process under one roof is a tremendous advancement.”

The safety-net clinic first opened in March 2020 and has since served more than 8,000 unique patients with 31,621 visits. The Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center provides a variety of services, including preventive and restorative care. Dental care is offered to uninsured patients on a sliding scale fee structure, targeting low-income community members in need throughout Southwest Virginia. Approximately 83% of the clinic’s patients are Medicaid recipients.

“Through Ballad Health’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry program at Johnston Memorial Hospital, our residents will gain critical first-hand experience in this new lab by seeing how prosthetics are manufactured from beginning to end,” said John Jeter, CEO of Johnston Memorial Hospital.

“Through programs like these, Ballad Health is committed to improving the health and well-being of patients across the region, and we appreciate the work that Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center does to provide accessible oral healthcare while fostering education and innovation in the field. The new dental lab represents another step forward in ensuring exceptional service to the community.”

Appointments for the Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center can be made by calling 276-525-4487 or visiting Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center. The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Anyone interested in supporting Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center can contact Elaine Smith at elaine.smith@ahcdc.dental or 276-525-4487.

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