UNE opens wide for Dental Careers Exploration Camp
New England is currently facing a concerning shortage of dental health care providers, particularly in rural areas. In an effort to combat this issue, The University of New England will host 20 budding young dentists and dental hygienists from high schools across New England at its Dental Careers Exploration Camp, running August 2 –4. The camp aims to instill an early passion for dental health in young people in the hopes that they will eventually return to practice in their communities, closing the shortage gap.
While at the camp, students will engage in hands-on dental activities in UNE’s fully-operational Oral Health Center (OHC). In the OHC simulation clinic, students will have the opportunity to practice suturing, taking dental impressions, x-ray imaging and crown-making, and will have access to dental mannequins on which they can practice teeth-drilling. In addition, campers will receive CPR training and job shadow experiences set up through area dental offices.
Lionel Vachon, D.D.S., associate clinical professor and group practice leader for the College of Dental Medicine, will be instructing campers through the dental activities, with the assistance of students in UNE’s Doctor of Dental Medicine program. There will also be three undergraduate peer mentors helping to staff the camp, two of whom were once campers and are returning to the camp as a result of their positive experiences.
“At UNE, we feel a responsibility to not only shape the next generation of health care professions to be experts in their field, but also to ensure that they are committed to delivering the highest level of patient care possible in their communities,” said Collyn Baeder, B.A., dental camp coordinator and coordinator for UNE’s School of Community and Population Health. “This is such an amazing opportunity for young people to explore their interests, and we hope they will leave the camp feeling excited to pursue careers in dental health care.”
The Dental Careers Exploration Camp has been held at UNE annually since 2010. It is free of cost for the campers and their families thanks to generous donations from Time Warner Cable, TD Bank Charitable Foundation and the Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network.
To learn more about the UNE Dental Careers Exploration Camp, please contact Collyn Baeder at (207) 221-4467, or cbaeder@une.edu.