Soldiers, civilians train to be dental assistants

By Ms. Suzanne Ovel (Army Medicine)November 30, 2016

Soldiers, civiians train to be dental assistants
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Service members and family members are learning to do medical charting, conduct dental exams, and help with fillings and sealants thanks to a dental assistant training program here.

Ten students are studying to be dental assistants in the second class of the American Red Cross Dental Assistant Program on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which operates through a partnership between the American Red Cross and the JBLM Dental Health Activity.

"We give them a snapshot of everything that is going to be tangible to them being competent dental assistants," said Staff Sgt. Chavis Batie, the assistant training and operations noncommissioned officer for JBLM DENTAC.

The six-month course includes clinical and classroom instruction from dentists, dental assistants and other experts. Since the students train in the clinics as volunteers, the Red Cross takes care of all of their onboarding and administrative needs.

Anyone with a Department of Defense ID card and who is 18 or older, to include service members, dependents and retirees, can apply for the dental assistant course.

"One of the real benefits of the program is that it supports the community, offers vocational support and supports big Army's Soldier for Life program. It's a win-win for the unit, the community and the Army at large," said Col. Shan Bagby, JBLM DENTAC commander.

Learning new skills to help her transition to the civilian workforce is why one student joined the program.

"I've just seen it as a really good opportunity to learn a new skillset that could possibly start me in the direction of a career once I exit the military," said Samantha Sud-Martinez, a sergeant with 17th Fires Brigade. As a dental assistant student, she's working a few days a week at the Fulton Dental Clinic learning the skills of the trade as well as gaining more experience working alongside civilians.

While the free course provides all of the training students need to work as dental assistants, those who want to work for civilian clinics may need more civilian training, said Batie.

Even so, the program "is a step in the right direction. You're already familiarized with a lot of material that they're going to be using, a lot of terminology they'll be using, even some of the techniques," he said.

Being able to land a steady job either with the military or civilian workforce is why Baylen Houchin signed up for the program.

"This is a great opportunity for my future, whether my husband gets stationed somewhere else or he gets out," said Houchin.

When they graduate, Houchin, Sud-Martinez and their classmates will earn a certificate of program completion and the possibility of employment in the field.

"The good thing about the program is that you are eligible to apply for a job with the DENTAC itself," said Sgt. Gregory Runion, assistant NCO-in-charge of Okubo Dental Clinic.

Alma Robinson is one of those success stories; she graduated from the program last year and now works as a dental assistant at Okubo. As a military spouse, Robinson liked that the DENTAC program is a more flexible course for the Army's mobile lifestyle as it's half the length of the civilian course she previously considered.

Robinson said that she and the dentist she's paired with make a good team for patients.

"It's fixing teeth, fixing cavities, (working with) people who have never had any knowledge of teeth brushing or even seen a dentist in their entire life before joining the military, and just being able to teach them," Robinson said.

She plans to continue learning new skills so that she can one day accomplish her next dream of being an oral surgery assistant.