The University of Minnesota is making a big ask at the Capitol, pushing for $100 million in the state bonding bill to overhaul its aging dental clinics in Moos Tower. School leaders say the tired clinic floors are limiting how many future dentists they can train, and they argue that modernizing and expanding the space would help tackle the stubborn shortage of dentists outside the Twin Cities.
Dr. Angela Hastings, director of community outreach and engagement at the School of Dentistry, told FOX 9 that about 160 Minnesota dentists retire each year while the university graduates roughly 120 new ones, and not all of those graduates stick around in the state. That gap, she and other university officials say, is a big reason why dozens of Minnesota communities are tagged as dental shortage areas under federal guidelines.
What the university would do with the money
The $100 million request is part of the university’s 2026 capital plan and targets several clinical floors inside Moos Tower for partial renovation. The project would add more simulation stations, teaching chairs and patient-care chairs, effectively giving the school more room to train students and treat patients. According to the University of Minnesota's project narrative, the school would kick in about $50 million in non-state funds and start predesign work in spring 2026 if lawmakers sign off.
Shortages are national and getting worse
The crunch is not just a Minnesota problem. Federal numbers show oral-health shortages across the country, with tens of millions of people living in designated dental health professional shortage areas and a projected need for thousands more providers. Data from the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, underline why university leaders are framing the clinic expansion as a statewide access issue, not just a campus upgrade. HRSA's data are also what drive the federal shortage area designations that now cover many Minnesota communities.
Rural pipeline and student stories
To get more dentists to set up shop beyond the metro, the School of Dentistry runs a rural track program. First-year student Rebekah Muhlenkamp told FOX 9 she plans to return to northeastern Minnesota after graduation and practice where she grew up. Dr. Hastings said 15 students are currently enrolled in the rural track. As part of their clinical training, they will be paired with practicing rural dentists, an arrangement the school hopes will nudge more graduates to stay in greater Minnesota long term.
How the ask fits into the bonding calendar
The dental school’s pitch is now folded into the Legislature’s bonding process. Bill tracking shows a measure connected to the School of Dentistry was introduced in early March and sent to the Capital Investment Committee for review. LegiScan lists SF4146 as the related filing. The university’s project packet notes the governor did not include this request in his bonding proposal, which means supporters will have to make their case directly to lawmakers.
Lawmakers will weigh the dental renovation request alongside other campus projects this spring, and even if it gets the green light, design and construction would take years. That means any boost in training capacity would be down the road, not next year. Still, university leaders argue that upgrading the clinical space is a key piece of a long-term strategy to keep more dentists practicing in the parts of Minnesota where getting an appointment can already feel like pulling teeth.
