The University of Maine at Augusta Dental Clinic expansion at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn Campus is expected to be complete by Aug. 30, just in time for the fall semester to start on Sept. 3. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — Dental assisting is often overshadowed by other health care professions, such as nursing, when high school graduates are considering going into the medical field, said Courtney Noonan, coordinator of Dental Assisting and EFDA Programs and assistant professor of Dental Health.

University officials hope a $665,000 Northeast Delta Dental grant will help change that and get more people enrolled into its dental assisting programs, she said. The funds will help expand the number of students that can be admitted into its dental assistant and expanded function dental assisting programs.

With the funds, the University of Maine at Augusta will expand its dental assisting program at the University of Southern Maine Lewiston-Auburn Campus by adding three new operation chairs to the three it already has and establish a $100,000 scholarship fund to help students pay for the program, she said.

By doubling its number of operation chairs, the campus will be able to nearly double its enrollment in the programs. Currently up to 12 students can be admitted into both of those programs but when the new chairs arrive and renovations are complete it will be able to admit up to 18 dental assistant students and 24 expanded function dental assisting students, she said.

“We’re able to accept more students into both of those programs because we just have a larger capacity, you know, to have those students come in and have a place to sit and learn,” she said.

The expanded function dental assisting program is two semesters long and teaches existing dental hygienists and dental assistants how to provide more types of care, some of which include doing certain dental restorations and placing sealants — expanding their skill set, she said.

The dental industry in Maine experienced a decline in the number of hygienists working in the state between 2019 and 2023. There were 1,040 dental hygienists employed in Maine in May 2019 but that number decreased to 840 as of May 2023, according to data on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

Administrative support specialist Tanya Hamilton, seen Wednesday, said that the University of Maine at Augusta Dental Clinic expansion at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn Campus is expected to double the number of dental chairs from three to six. “The need is there. We have patients that are willing to drive from all over the state to have us take a look at their teeth,” Hamilton says. “I schedule 26 appointments per semester and now we will be able to double that. Expanding this program will be so beneficial in so many ways.” Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

The number of people working as dental assistants increased from 2019 to 2023 in the state. In May 2019, there were 1,140 people employed as dental assistants in Maine, which increased to 1,390 in May 2023, according to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There is such a need for dental professionals that graduates usually have no problem finding work — with some students getting multiple job offers, Noonan said. She has noticed that most of those graduates stay and work in Maine.

“We have a 100% job placement and have for many years for both of our programs because the need is just so great,” she said. “Many students have job offers before they even graduate.”

Dental assistants help dentists during procedures and when they are working on a patient, along with preparing the room beforehand and cleaning after, she said. Dental hygienists typically do cleanings and provide preventative dental care.

Employees of PM Construction Co. work Wednesday on the University of Maine at Augusta Dental Clinic expansion at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn Campus. The expansion is expected to double the number of dental chairs from three to six, according to administrative support specialist Tanya Hamilton. Work is on schedule to be complete by Aug. 30, just in time for the fall semester to start on Sept. 3, says Hamilton. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Dental assisting is different from other health care professions, as there is no college degree required but University of Maine at Augusta offers a three-semester track that certifies students and gets them ready to work closely with a dentist, according to Noonan. She thinks the increase in people working as dental assistants could be attributed to people who are learning on the job.

The dental assistant program starts in the spring semester and then students work toward their certification over the semesters, graduating in roughly 1 1/2 years, Noonan said. There are two people so far enrolled in the fall dental assisting program at the Lewiston campus.

The expanded function dental assisting program operates on Fridays, allowing dental assistants to stay working, she said. It tends to be a popular program, typically having a waitlist of students interested in it.

After being launched in 2019, the fairly new dental assistant program in Lewiston had its first graduating class in 2020, she said. The program was then placed on hold after the pandemic for restructuring and reopened last spring semester. However, there were no students enrolled in the program so university officials are pushing to make the program better known.

“So we’re kind of like trying to get it ramped up again just to remind people that we’re here,” Noonan said. “And like I said, I think that we’re starting to get that interest where I’ve kind of heard through the pipeline that we have some interest coming.”