The University of Bristol's Dental School will move to a new site in 2023 after outgrowing its existing premises at the Dental Hospital in Lower Maudlin Street where it has been based for many years.

Planning permission has been granted for the University to refurbish 1 Trinity Quay in Avon Street, which is very close to Temple Meads Station and the proposed new university campus at Temple Quarter.

figure 1

The new £27 million purpose-built facilities will provide students and staff with around 7,300 square metres of space and 119 dental chairs with the latest equipment across numerous clinics (artist's impression pictured).

A multi-disciplinary design team are redesigning the building to include clinical skills, prosthetics and dental production laboratories, dental clinics, teaching spaces, informal study spaces, staff offices and social areas.

In addition, free dental treatment for the local community by undergraduate students, under the supervision of qualified clinical dentists, will continue to be available.

The site was chosen after many months of searching, detailed analysis and site visits. Engagement on the new plans has been carried out with staff and student representatives, colleagues from University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, who run the Dental Hospital, Health Education England, Healthwatch Bristol and local NHS commissioners.

In addition to its existing teaching programmes, the new facilities will enable the Dental School to offer new courses including a Diploma in Dental Nursing which will build on the School's successful strategy to diversify by empowering and supporting prospective students from underrepresented backgrounds to access a university education, especially from the local communities.

The move will also mean the creation of new jobs including dentists, hygienists, therapists, nurses, technicians and support staff. The University will be launching a co-ordinated recruitment campaign for this in the next couple of months.

Professor Jane Norman, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, said: 'The new model allows primary care services and training to take place in the most appropriate setting, allowing students to train at the most appropriate level with the majority going to work in primary care settings such as high street dental surgeries after they graduate.

'Research will remain on site at the Dental Hospital, and strong partnership working between the University and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust will also continue as we work together to develop a joint vision and future service model for dental education.'