A contingent of 17 dentists in private practice from across China (private practice in China being a notion that would have been unthinkable a generation ago) took a tour of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry on Wednesday as part of an effort to find continuing education opportunities in the U.S.

The visitors – mainly practicing in general dentistry --  started with a tour of the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry, led by Scott D. Swank, DDS, MS, and curator of the museum, then were guided through the School of Dentistry by Isabel Rambob, DDS, general practice director for the Department of General Dentistry.

The group also had made visits to MIT, Harvard University and Columbia University as part of their U.S. visit.

Dr. Rambob said the dentists from China were interested in the high level of technology showcased at the School of Dentistry and hoped to be able to incorporate such technologies into the practice of dentistry in their home country.

Coincidentally the tour by the dentists in private practice came in the midst of a more formal visit conducted through the School of Dentistry’s global education exchange program with the School of Stomatology Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The student exchange involves two full weeks at Maryland in the first week of December.