Courtney Noonan, far left, coordinator of the University of Maine at Augusta’s Expanded Functions Dental Assisting Program, works with dental students at the UMA Lewiston dental lab. UMA Lewiston Center photo

The University of Maine at Augusta plans to hold a virtual Expanded Functions Dental Assisting Program information session at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 13.

During the event attendees can learn more about the program. Faculty and students will be available to answer questions including how current dental assistants can further their careers in dental assisting with this program.

The EFDA program is available at the UMA Lewiston Center as well as the UMA Bangor Campus. This program also qualifies for Healthcare Training for ME funding, where students can receive free or reduced education provided by the State of Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan with additional funding by the Harold Alfond Foundation, according to a news release from Jim Bradley, director of the UMA Lewiston Center.

The Expanded Functions Dental Assisting program includes two-semester long courses taught by a local dentist with the assistance of an expanded functions dental assistant. In the fall preclinical semester of expanded program, the course includes an online lecture with on campus laboratory sessions scheduled on Fridays. During this phase of the program, students complete a variety of expanded function skills on a typodont with direction from the course instructors as well as mentoring from a sponsoring dentist.

Upon successful completion of the fall semester coursework, students are authorized to perform EFDA skills on a patient under the direct supervision of a sponsoring dentist. The fall semester typically requires approximately five to 10 hours of time in a practice outside of a student’s work schedule to complete the laboratory course requirements. This requirement is in addition to the lecture component, which typically requires four to eight hours a week.

For more information and to register for this event, visit uma.edu/dentalevents.

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