Dental school plans new extension after students fill Preston unit to capacity

The 16-chair department, which has been in operation on the Preston campus for more than 15 years, is looking to add an extra unit to ease the pressure on services.

Plans have been submitted to the city council for a new eight-chair training bay to avoid having to farm out work.

And a report to the planning committee says: "Without the use of an additional multi-chair bay the University will not be able to grow the clinic and would need to seek alternative placement options.

"This has historically led to reduced parity of experience and a reduction in teaching quality for students and postgraduate clinicians."

The proposed extension is being earmarked for the side of the Allen Building where a reception area was built in 2014. The reception, which wraps around the corner of the block, will be demolished. University chiefs say the department, off Adelphi Street is now operating at full capacity during term time.

"The development proposes an extension to the existing School of Dentistry building to facilitate an additional training bay to provide enhanced educational and clinical based activities for postgraduate and undergraduate dental students as well as other dental care professionals," says the planning report.

"The proposal will help to facilitate several additional dental care professional courses that require patient-based training, local placements for consultant supervised paediatric training, plus increased community based dental activities. The University requires the additional space to allow it to run multiple activities at one time."

The proposal is for the conversion of the current dental clinic reception area and waiting room to a second 8 chair bay facility. The current reception would be relocated to the entrance of the Allen Building.

The UCLan School of Dentistry was opened in 2007, one of only two new dental schools to be created in England in a century. Its first students graduated in 2011. During their training the students saw more than 5,000 patients, did 9,500 fillings and provided treatment ranging from preventative advice, to advanced procedures.