TRENTON — The state Department of Health and Senior Services and the New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA) have teamed up to create a unique tool kit designed to diverse encourage students to pursue careers in oral health.

“New Jersey’s minority populations are growing, and so too is the state’s need for a diverse health professional workforce,” said Health Commissioner Heather Howard in a Nov. 23 release. “With this tool kit, we hope to inspire minority students to pursue careers in the oral health professions.”

Coincidentally, this county’s own state senator is a dentist and he approves of the new initiative.

“Any program that interests people in a career in the health professions and a career in dentistry is good,” Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-1st) told the Herald. “There is certainly a need for dentists, and particularly a need for dental hygienists and dental assistants.”

According to the release, the state developed this kit, in collaboration with the Dental Association, to encourage qualified high school students to learn more about careers in the oral health professions.

The tool kit contains information that will help school guidance counselors and student advisors arrange for an oral health professional visit their school. The kit also provides facts about oral health careers and outlines various resources for students and their parents.

“Careers as a dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant or dental lab technician are available to students of all backgrounds and education levels,” said NJDA President Steven Fink. “In fact, many areas of dentistry are experiencing a shortage of professionals, so the sky is the limit for the student who has the will and determination to excel.”

“It can be a challenging way of life but certainly a good way of life as well,” Van Drew noted.

The release stated that patients play a more active role in their health care when they see a provider of the same race. Additionally, patients are more likely to visit a provider of the same race and ethnicity.

According to the American Dental Association, in 2000, black dentists reported that 61.8 percent of their patients were black; 45.5 percent of Hispanic dentists’ patients were Hispanic; and 76.6 percent of white dentists’ patients were white.

The tool kit was released at Central High School in Newark, which is equipped with a state-of-the-art dental lab and offers its students a dental program.

For more information on the tool kit, visit state.nj.us/health/omh or njda.org.

Locally, census figures for this county report that 5.1 percent of the population is black and 4.7 percent is Hispanic.

The Cape May County Technical High School offers a Certified Dental Assisting program, which trains students to be a part of the dental health care team.

The program includes clinical duties, chair side assisting, use of dental materials, dental radiography, collecting and recording, clinical data, preventive dentistry, nutritional counseling and sterilization techniques.

According to the school’s Web site, students receive on-the-job training in local dental offices as well as the U.S. Coast Guard Dental Clinic and the Wildwood Dental Health Clinic.

Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com

Tool Kit - Click here for a pdf copy of the Dental Tool Kit. -Click Here