The founding class of Southwestern Community College’s Dental Assisting program found a way to make a difference in the lives of area veterans recently.
Late last year, SCC’s students volunteered at the “Smiles for Veterans” event at East Carolina University’s School of Dental Medicine Community Service Learning Center Dental Clinic in Sylva. Twenty veterans from the area received free dental care during the event.
“We could not have put this clinic on without the help from SCC’s students,” said Dr. Robert Manga, the Clinic Director and Clinical Assistant Professor at ECU’s clinic in Sylva.
Abra Brooks, Program Coordinator for SCC’s Dental Assisting program, said it’s been a mutually beneficial partnership.
“We’re extremely grateful to our neighbors at the ECU clinic for this opportunity,” Brooks said. “We talk a lot in class about what to expect in the clinical setting, but until we actually get in the clinic, there’s no way to fully appreciate what it’s like to assist a dentist and a patient in a real-world scenario.”
SCC launched its one-year Dental Assisting program last fall, and the first class will graduate with diplomas in July. The program prepares students to assist dentists in the delivery of dental treatment.
For more information about SCC’s Dental Assisting career path, explore this page on our website or contact Brooks at 828.339.4319 or au_brooks@SouthwesternCC.edu.
