UAB to bring state-of-the-art dental clinic to Decatur
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — The University of Alabama at Birmingham is set to bring a new dental clinic to the area in 2026.
UAB announced on August 2 that the new Decatur clinic will aim to recruit, educate, train and retain dentists to help improve the dental health of those in rural north Alabama.
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The clinic will reportedly be housed at Decatur Morgan Hospital’s Parkway Campus pending the approval of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees.
Funding for the project is said to be provided by the state with District 3 state Senator Arthur Orr leading.
“It is no secret that there is a shortage of dental health providers in rural and moderately urban locations in our state,” said Nicolaas Geurs, DDS, dean of UAB’s School of Dentistry.
Geurs emphasized how important it is to prioritize oral health in Alabama.
“It is critical that we continue to find ways to close those gaps, the way we did in Dothan earlier this year and now as we plan to do in Decatur. Our mission at the UAB School of Dentistry is to help optimize oral health care in Alabama.”
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Alabama ranks 51st in the country for access to dental care, according to the American Dental Association. The association says 71% of Alabama’s counties experience a dental care shortage.
The Decatur clinic is said to continue UAB’s mission of addressing the rural dentistry shortage in the state because Decatur is more centrally located to people in north Alabama.
“The collaboration between the state and UAB underscores our collective dedication to tackling the dental crisis in Alabama.
I’m confident this clinic will play a crucial role in delivering essential dental care to residents of Decatur and the surrounding region. Thank you to Decatur Morgan Hospital for their willingness to host this clinic in their facilities and thereby further improve health care in the area.”
Nicolaas Geurs, DDS, dean of UAB’s School of Dentistry
UAB said details on what the clinic will provide are still in the works but the Decatur location is expected to serve the community in a variety of ways. The clinic hopes to serve dental needs, treat patients of all ages, provide preventive care, basic periodontal therapy and restorative treatments.
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UAB said the clinic will also offer emergency dental care for root canals, extractions and chipped or broken teeth.
The clinic is said to be staffed by UAB School of Dentistry faculty as well as residents and dental students.
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