Sudbury MP announces $2.6M for Cambrian College Funding Creates first Dental Assist Program and Simulation Lab in Northeastern Ontario

SUDBURY – Today, Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury announced over $2.6 million in funding for Cambrian College to develop Northeastern Ontario’s first Level II dental assisting program and new Dental Simulation Lab.

The Dental Simulation Lab features 16 new interactive and high-tech simulated dental operatories. The stations allow students to practice instrumentation and chairside dental assisting skills, as well as infection control protocols.

To meet the growing demand for dental assistants and with the help of this funding, Cambrian College is reintroducing its Dental Assisting Levels 1 & 2 program, beginning in January of 2026.  This redesigned, 10-month program prepares graduates for both chairside and intra-oral dental assisting roles. It offers flexibility in learning, with theory delivered primarily online, complemented by condensed, hands-on laboratory sessions and a clinical placement in a dental office.

“Today’s announcement is great news for families in our region. With new investments in training at Cambrian College, we’re strengthening our local health workforce and ensuring more people can get the dental care they need close to home,” said Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury. “I’m proud to see our community benefit from programs which are building a healthier future for Canadians.”

The Sudbury project is part of a broader investment of more than $35 million over three years for 30 projects under the Oral Health Access Fund (OHAF). The OHAF supports projects that reduce and remove barriers to oral health care for targeted populations and is designed to complement the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).

“The creation of our new Dental Simulation Lab, and the reintroduction of a new Dental Assisting program embody exactly what our new Strategic Plan says we should do,” explains Janice Clarke, Cambrian’s Vice-President Academic. “We are evolving our programs and adopting innovative technologies to meet the demand for more skilled workers in the field of dental care, and in doing so, we are delivering education that sets up our students to succeed in this career path.”

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