The Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque is offering a new certificate Community Dental Health Coordinator program, which was initiated by the ADA.
Classes start August 24; the first entering class will accept only registered dental hygienists and certified dental assistants, according to an ADA news release.
CDHCs provide dental health education and basic preventive services. They also help patients navigate the public health system to receive oral healthcare in underserved communities. These providers help people bridge barriers such as poverty, geography, language, culture, and a lack of understanding of oral hygiene.
Before entering internships with dentists in New Mexico communities, CDHC students will learn how to interview patients, improve their dental health teaching and learning skills, and how to screen and classify patients, as well as palliative care skills.
Currently, 34 CDHC program graduates are currently practicing in eight states, while some have taken visiting assignments in other states to illustrate the value of a dental health coordinator.
The ADA is working to help additional schools in New Mexico and other states integrate the model into their curriculums.
For program information, contact the college's Department of Health Wellness and Public Safety at 505-224-4111 or visit the college's website.
