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Twenty-six high school students from across New England will converge at the 51Ʒ�� for an immersive Dental Careers Exploration Camp, taking place July 31 – August 2. Designed for students who have expressed an interest in oral health professions, the camp will expose them to a variety of career pathways in the field. Camp organizers hope that the event will inspire attendees to study dentistry and dental hygiene, eventually helping to alleviate the region’s shortage of oral health providers.

The students will engage in experiential dental activities in UNE’s state-of-the-art clinic, the Oral Health Center (OHC). They will have the opportunity to prepare a tooth for restoration using a sophisticated dental simulation unit, investigate digital crown technology via CEREC ceramic reconstruction, and practice suturing using raw chicken breast, which mimics gum tissue. On the final day of the program, the students will job shadow local dentists who have volunteered to share their professional expertise.

The campers come from diverse backgrounds, with 12 from HRSA designated Dental Professional Shortage Areas and 16 living in designated rural areas. Attendees include an African-born student who speaks four languages and became interested in dental hygiene while having an initial cleaning in the U.S., a student who is a self-described “teeth-crazed perfectionist,” and a student who learned the importance of affordable oral health care after needing significant dental work at a young age.

Faculty instructors at the camp include Lionel Vachon, D.D.S., associate clinical professor and group practice leader for the College of Dental Medicine; Mohamed El Naga, B.D.S., M.S., assistant clinical professor; Namita Khandelwal, B.D.S., M.S., assistant clinical professor; Jay Beauchemin, D.D.S., assistant clinical professor and group practice leader; and Eileen Dunfey, R.D.H., M.S., clinical instructor of Clinical Health and Safety. They will be assisted by students in UNE’s Doctor of Dental Medicine and Dental Hygiene programs. Several undergraduate peer mentors will assist in staffing the camp, including a 2011 camp alumna who has been accepted to UNE’s dental school.

“At UNE, we’re committed to shaping the next generation of health care professionals to be experts in their field as well as exemplary patient care providers,” said Zoe Hull, M.P.H., dental camp coordinator and program manager for the Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network. “We’re excited to provide these students with a chance to explore their interests through the Dental Careers Exploration Camp and hope it inspires them to pursue careers in oral health.”

The Dental Careers Exploration Camp has been held at 51Ʒ��each summer since 2010. It is free of cost for the campers and their families thanks to generous donations from TD Bank Charitable Foundation and the Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network.

To learn more about the 51Ʒ��Dental Careers Exploration Camp, please contact Zoe Hull at (207) 221-4463, or zhull@une.edu.