Baltimore County, MD – (Dec. 1, 2025) – Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) is proud to announce a monumental achievement for its Dental Hygiene program. It is the first dental hygiene program in the United States to integrate immersive Virtual Reality (VR) simulation training into its curriculum. CCBC will highlight and demonstrate this groundbreaking initiative at a Dental Hygiene Virtual Reality Simulation Launch Event 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4 in the Roy Staten Building, Rm 102, CCBC Dundalk.
CCBC’s Virtual Reality Dental Hygiene Lab is part of a grant-funded project, supported by Delta Dental, designed to expand access to high-quality training tools. It is led in partnership with Black Meta Agency, Swedish technology company Gleechi and the NYC School of Dentistry, who helped bring world-class simulation experiences into a community college setting.
According to CCBC Dental Hygiene Program Director Brionna Burris, "The dental hygiene field is evolving quickly, and employers are seeking graduates who are comfortable with emerging technologies. By integrating virtual reality, we are creating a learning experience that is more interactive, more consistent and perfectly aligned with the expectations of today’s modern health care environment."
The new VR lab introduces an immersive, hands-on learning environment designed to meet the growing demand for well-trained dental hygienists across Maryland and the nation. This training method provides several key benefits for students:
This initiative also lays the foundation for potential future simulation-based training across other health programs at CCBC, reinforcing the college's role as a leader in health care education.
"This milestone reflects CCBC’s commitment to innovation, accessibility and future-focused workforce development," said CCBC President Sandra Kurtinitis. “By embracing cutting-edge tools like virtual reality, we are not just teaching students; we are actively preparing them for 21st century careers and ensuring they have a competitive edge in the modern health care industry.”
*Watch video to experience the technology from a student’s perspective.
Since 1957, CCBC has opened the doors to accessible, affordable, high-quality education empowering generations of area residents to transform their lives and the lives of others. Each year, over 50,000 students enroll at the college’s main campuses, extension centers and online to make their starts, earn degrees, launch and build careers. CCBC offers the region’s most expansive selection of degree, certificate and workplace certification programs that prepare students for transfer, job entry and career advancement in such industries as business, education, health care, information technology, cybersecurity, construction, and transportation. Designated as the “Best Community College” among the Maryland Daily Record’s 2025 Reader Rankings, CCBC is also nationally recognized as a leader in innovative learning strategies and among the nation’s top associate degree producers.
