The School of Dentistry opened an expansion to Chippewa Valley Technical College Health Education Center Oct. 22 in Eau Claire.

The $10.2 million expansion features high-tech medical equipment and will be used to provide care to low-income patients who would normally have difficulty receiving treatment. Marquette students will work in the dentistry area of the clinic, while Madison and Chippewa Valley students will handle the health clinic.

"I believe there are opportunities for other Marquette programs, such as nursing and life sciences, to get involved with this facility, but I haven't addressed deans of those colleges about it yet," said Bill Lobb, dean of the School of Dentistry. "I hope it can be a possibility."

The 90,819-square foot expansion is the result of a partnership between the School of Dentistry at Marquette, the Chippewa Valley Technical College and the University of Wisconsin Health Family Medical Clinic.

Marquette will send two dental students and a dental resident to the clinic for a few days every week. Right now only third- and fourth-year dental students, and post-graduate students, are able to participate in the program, but Lobb hopes to eventually include all years of dental students.

The Eau Claire center is not students' only opportunity to gain experience away from Milwaukee. On Thursday, the School of Dentistry celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Appleton clinic. The dental-only clinic is partnered with Fox Valley Technical College and, like Eau Claire, provides dental care to low-income patients.

Student response to their expanding opportunities has been positive, according to Lobb.

"The students love that they can gain experience in an area outside of Milwaukee and work with the local dentists in those areas," he said.

"I love working at the off-site locations," said John Bocchi, a senior in the School of Dentistry who has been to the Appleton facility numerous times. "We get to work with other doctors and better technology."

The low-income patients offer emergency experience for the dental students.

"It's almost like working in a dental E.R.," said Reid Wycoff, a School of Dentistry senior. "Many patients we get at the clinics have been drinking Mountain Dew their whole lives and have never seen a dentist."

Lobb sees a bright future for Marquette's affiliation with the clinics.

"These clinics are a way for students to fulfill the service mission of Marquette and to get our students valuable experience in the field," Lobb said.

In the coming months, Marquette will begin placing students in a new facility in Ladysmith, near Eau Claire. The Ladysmith facility is part of the Marshfield clinic system. The Dental School is also looking into the possibility of sending students to Stevens Point.

"(Students) just really love going," said Andrew Banker, a School of Dentistry senior and veteran of the Appleton clinic. "Students in the future will benefit even more from the new clinics that are opening."