LEWISTON — The University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) is pleased to announce that it will now offer a certificate and an associate degree program in Dental Assisting at its UMA Lewiston Center.

An Information Session on the UMA Dental Assisting Programs will be held on Thursday, February 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 170, at UMA’s Lewiston Center, located on USM’s Lewiston Campus at 51 Westminster St, Lewiston. (If necessary, snow date will be March 5 at same time and location.)

“This is a great opportunity for residents of the Oxford Hills area as well.  Students can take many of their classes online and then they then take their pre-clinicals in Lewiston and their Externships at dental offices in their local communities,” stated UMA Lewiston and Rumford Director James Bradley. Bradley continued, “Registration for fall 2020 classes begins on April 13, 2020.  Anyone interested in pursuing a degree in Dental Assisting should plan on attending the information session on February 27.”

This opportunity to offer the Dental Assisting Program at the UMA Lewiston Center is made possible through multiple funding sources, including a $100,000 grant through the University of Maine System’s Program Innovation Fund, a $50,000 grant from the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation, and a $25,000 grant received from the Libra Foundation. These grants will support UMA’s development of a portable dental clinic.

Until this innovative program, UMA’s Dental Assisting Program has been limited to offering laboratory and preclinical dental assisting courses on the UMA-Bangor Campus where the UMA Dental Programs are currently located. Establishing the portable dental clinic provides an opportunity for place-bound students interested in pursuing a professional program to do so close to home.  Immediately upon graduation, these graduates are ready to enter the workforce in their communities.

The portable nature of the clinic allows UMA, over a two-year period, to help meet the dental workforce and community needs of a specific area of Maine before relocating to another UMA Center to do the same. The portable dental assisting program will host its first cohort of students at UMA’s Lewiston Center beginning in the fall of 2020.

“UMA is excited to bring its Dental Assisting Program to the Lewiston Auburn area,” stated UMA President Rebecca Wyke. “This new Portable Dental Clinic concept allows us to expand into areas where students can pursue dental assisting degrees close to home. This also provides educational opportunities that are beneficial in growing Maine’s workforce.”

“UMA offers the only accredited dental assisting program in the State of Maine. Upon graduating from an accredited dental assisting program, students are immediately eligible to apply for a State of Maine Dental Radiographer license and may also take the Dental Assisting National Board exam to become a Certified Dental Assistant,” acknowledged Amanda Willette, UMA Assistant Professor of Dental Health. “There is a significant need for credentialed dental assistants throughout Maine, particularly in the Southern and Mid-coast regions. A critical element of improving access to quality dental care is having an adequate workforce to meet the needs of a community,” Willette stated.

The information session will include a tour of UMA’s operations at the campus, information on the admissions process, financial aid and tuition, and Dental Assisting Program requirements.

Program faculty, as well as Admissions staff, will be on site to provide assistance to prospective students in completing the free UMA admissions application and the free application for Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA). Attendees can also learn about the various scholarships offered by UMA, including the Pine Tree State Pledge and UMA $10K that offer no cost, or low cost, tuition to qualified students.

While not required, anyone interested in attending is encouraged to RSVP for this event by calling 753-6600 or emailing umalewiston@maine.edu.