A NEWLY completed, £500,000 dental training centre has opened in the heart of Bradford.

The facility, at Bradford College’s Advanced Technology Centre, features state-of-the-art equipment that will be used to enhance and further the skills of dental healthcare staff.

Among the more eye-catching facilities are rows of training dummies called “phantom heads”, realistic open-mouthed mannequins which may look like Doctor Who villains, but offer a great way to replicate working on a human mouth.

The centre will be know as NORDEC, the Northern Dental Education Centre, and is a joint enterprise between Bradford College and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership.

The centre will offer training and education for the whole dental team. It includes a classroom set up like a dental surgery and one filled with the phantom heads.

It also boasts a decontamination suite and space for lectures, conferences and workshops.

Apprentice dental nurses will be among the first to benefit from the facility which will be formally opened by Judith Cummins MP next month at a ceremony attended by key figures from the dental industry, education, politics and health.

As well as apprenticeships, the centre will deliver qualifications for those looking for work in the dental industry.

It will also offer Continuing Professional Development courses for dental professionals on topics such as fluoride application, oral cancer awareness and dental impression taking.

The college’s £10 million ATC, off Great Horton Road, opened in 2015.

Andy Welsh, chief executive officer of Bradford College, said: “NORDEC is dedicated to the task of training healthcare professionals, driving clinical standards and improving clinical leadership through opportunities for continuous personal and professional development.”

Gail Holmes, vocational sciences manager at the college, added: “We have an excellent track record of running apprenticeships in dental nursing and we are excited to be expanding and growing our involvement and expertise in the industry.”

Half-funded by the college, the project received £250,000 investment through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of Government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, skills lead for the partnership and leader of Bradford Council, said: “The new centre will not only provide a fantastic skills boost for the dental industry nationwide but also demonstrates growth within the Leeds City Region that benefits local people. Leeds City Region has a well-established reputation nationally as a centre for healthcare innovation and I look forward to us increasing our reputation in the dental training sector in the years to come.”

Roger Marsh, chairman of the LEP and Combined Authority board member, said: “By investing £79m in college facilities like NORDEC, we are focusing on creating continued economic growth that boosts jobs, skills and wages in the long term. This key project will create good quality employment opportunities in a highly skilled and fast-growing industry as well as helping to retain and attract talent to unlock the potential of the Leeds City Region.”