The Power of Ideas and Our New Dental Assisting Program

Not all ideas are generated from the top

May 1, 2024

What does a dinner out with two colleagues, some good conversation and a napkin result in? A dental assisting program at the school.

In all seriousness, this isn’t that far off.  

Carla Clarke and Melanie Deveault began discussing the idea of a dental assisting program in 2019. Their initial casual conversation was about the idea, and whether it would be worth looking into. One day, they mentioned it to another who said, “Why don’t you present it to the executive?”

From there it picked up speed, creating and presenting a framework to the executive, then to the due diligence phases of consultations and market assessments, and finally to the proposal. There were many moving parts! “Despite the rigorous process of moving it through internal governance and working with external stakeholders, it was a very rewarding journey,” said Carla. “I feel grateful that so many people in the School of Dentistry supported this idea to its final destination of being approved.”

Over 100 years after the dentistry program began, and 63 years since the dental hygiene program, we finally are bringing dental assisting to our undergraduate program offerings. People will no longer need to go elsewhere for dental assisting training. Our first seven certificate students started last week and another cohort will join us this fall. Their journey to graduation will span 10 months with courses that include oral facial science, dental materials, oral pathology, pharmacology, prosthodontics and other specialized dentistry topics.

Patients coming into the Oral Health Clinic will receive care from the students. You’ll find them alongside students from other programs (DDS and DH), to give everyone a real-world dental experience and build connections. 

Ideas contribute to the growth and innovation of the university and this is exactly what happened with the dental assisting program; so, pull out your napkins and get sketching as some of the biggest ideas in business, science, politics and showbiz began as doodles on the damp rag from underneath a glass.