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Representatives from seven of Maryland’s eight dental hygiene programs, public health leaders, and Maryland Dental Hygienist Association members gathered Aug.15 to collaborate on community-engaged, service-learning projects aimed at benefiting underserved communities in non-traditional settings. The goal of the inaugural event, held at the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry, was to develop innovative ways of addressing the statewide shortage of dental hygienists while enhancing dental hygiene curricula. Eighty-six Maryland Coalition of Allied Dental Education (MCADE) members attended.
Debbie Jones, clinical assistant professor, Periodontics, and Lisa Bress, clinical associate professor and division chief, Dental Hygiene, both in the Department of Advanced Oral Sciences and Therapeutics.
Organized by Lisa Bress, RDH, MS, clinical associate professor and division chief, Dental Hygiene, and Debbie Jones, DDS, clinical assistant professor, Periodontics, both in the Department of Advanced Oral Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD), the initiative was funded through the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, the ADEAGies Foundation, and the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.