For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing and PR Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: October 25, 2024
Dental Assistant students become the teachers
Wisconsin AHEC organizes learning experience on campus
Fennimore -
Dental Assistant students at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College became the teachers recently. On Oct. 24, the 10 college students hosted 13 high school students from throughout the area, to participate in a learning lab opportunity on campus. The event was organized by the Wisconsin Area Health Education Centers (AHEC). The younger students learned about the day-in-the-life of a dental assistant. “They learned about placing disclosing agent, taking impressions, taking x-rays, taking intra-oral pictures, and many other responsibilities a dental assistant might do in a typical day,” said Krista Demo, Dental Assistant instructor at Southwest Tech.
The students were divided between Southwest Tech and Fennimore Smiles, a dental office near the college campus. In addition to the hands-on activities, the young students also learned about career and educational pathways in the dental field. “I feel like Southwest Tech is a great place to start because our program is only one semester, so it allows the students to see if they like the dental world or not,” said Demo.
Students who participated had to be 16 years of age or older and express an interest in the dental field. “Our goal is to improve the development, distribution and diversity in the healthcare workforce, specifically in rural and underserved areas in Wisconsin,” said Brianna Mowbray, program coordinator with Scenic Rivers AHEC, who was on campus to support the event. “Historically, and currently, rural areas do not have enough dental care providers. Wisconsin AHEC is part of an initiative funded through the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Health Services, and Delta Dental to encourage students and expose them to oral health careers.”
Demo noted there are many dental assistant positions in the area for Southwest Tech graduates. Traditionally, graduates from the program work in a dental setting. Some of those graduates move on to other educational opportunities after working, professionally, as a dental assistant.
Anyone interested in a dental career, can reach out to a regional AHEC center, or contact Southwest Tech.
https://www.swtc.edu/academics/programs/health-occupations/dental-assistant
• Wisconsin AHEC offers a variety of education and training programs designed to increase the diversity and distribution of the healthcare workforce and enhance healthcare quality and delivery in rural and medically underserved communities across Wisconsin’s 72 counties.
Through its seven regional centers, a statewide program office located at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, and partnerships with academic institutions and community-based organizations throughout the state, the organization serves over 4,000 learners annually.
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, is one of 16 institutions that comprise the Wisconsin Technical College System. The college was recently named a top 10 finalist for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Southwest Tech offers more than 60 programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Courses are offered on campus, online, HyFlex and in a blended format. The college provides apprenticeship, certificate, technical diploma, and associate degree programs that respond to district workforce needs and prepare student for family-sustaining jobs and career advancement. |