The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on Thursday, October 29, 2026. 

JENKINTOWN – Manor College unveiled its new Dental Health Center on Thursday, October 29 in a formal ribbon cutting ceremony on campus. 

“Good dental health leads to better chances of overall systemic health, this is why it is so important to have leading-edge facilities to provide not just the necessary dental safety net to our community, but a level of care on par with a premium private suburban metro dental office,” said Dr. Jonathan Peri, President of Manor College. 

Manor College’s Dental Health Center was established in 1980 for the Expanded Functions Dental Assisting program, and expanded in the late 1990s with the inception of Manor’s Dental Hygiene program. 

The center has been a beacon to those needing dental care who are without insurance coverage. In the 2025-26 fiscal year, the Dental Health Center had more than 3,200 total visits from nearly 900 patients. Of those, about 75 percent of the patients do not have health insurance, relying solely on the center to receive cleaning, exams and other routine care. 

WATCH: Take a tour of the new facility.

“Today is exciting,” said Jaime Simpson, Director of the Dental Health Center. “The modernized clinic equipment with updated technology ensures students are learning on state-of-the-art equipment while patients receive care in a refreshed, welcoming and comfortable environment.

In addition to the cosmetic and physical upgrades, the renovation adds two additional dental chairs, increasing the enrollment in Manor College’s Dental Hygiene program from 14 to 18 students. 

“This will only help for the better,” said Carolyn Hagan, a Dental Hygiene student from Media. “Our old units were starting to wear out, including one moment where I needed 30 minutes of patient time to fix a problem. I’m looking forward to figuring out the new setup collaboratively with our staff.”

Work on the Dental Health Center was completed in August, with the center unofficially opening to patients in September. The renovations were made possible thanks to a LSA grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The grant, which is in excess of $625,000, comes from the Pennsylvania Local Share Account grant program that distributes gaming revenue for public-interest and community improvement projects. 

The prior dental equipment has been donated to clinics in Kenya and Ukraine. 

Manor College’s Dental Hygiene and Expanded Functions Dental Assisting programs are among the top dental health programs in the region. Both programs currently feature 100 percent pass rates on the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam.