The University of Essex's brand new purpose-built academic dental clinic was officially opened on 26 April 2016 at the Bromley Road Dental Surgery in Colchester. The clinic is already being used to teach and supervise students undertaking patient treatment on the new MSc programmes in Periodontology and Advanced Periodontal Practice.

Six training surgeries are already up and running and by the end of the summer there will also be a state-of-the-art dental skills laboratory in use. This facility is the latest development in the University's growing oral health provision, which is delivered at the University's Colchester and Southend campuses and which already includes the largest dental hygienist and therapist training programme in the UK.

The clinic is one of only a handful of places in the country where advanced periodontology is taught. However, what makes this clinic unique is that it is the only place in England to teach these courses in a non-teaching hospital setting, with students having access to patients in general dental practice surroundings and working in a manner reflective of their everyday working lives.

The new teaching facility is a step towards enhancing the dental treatments available to patients in a primary care setting, which may prove more cost-effective than in a traditional teaching hospital.

During the opening, Sara Hurley, Chief Dental Officer for England, said the 'energy, drive, concept and execution of this endeavour has been amazing' and stressed that the new teaching facility was a step towards 'futureproofing' the dental profession.