Since 2007, Sandhills Dental Career Center (SDCC) in Aberdeen has provided instruction for careers, not just jobs. The 2023-2024 spring graduates celebrated course completion on March 16, and they work in dental offices from the Sandhills to Raleigh and beyond.
SDCC’s classroom adjoins Dr. Kuhn’s dental office, where students learn to use the latest technologically advanced equipment, including computer-aided crown designs.
“After the first week, they take impressions on one another,” the director of education, Renate Yow, said.
Students receive hands-on training in the classroom at SDCC. Photo/Stephanie M. Sellers/Sandhills Sentinel.
Students learn to place a rubber dam, matrix placement, syringe set-up, suction, take radiographs, and assist with endodontics, prosthodontics, amalgams and composite fillings. They learn front desk responsibilities and how to chart patient information. Students practice role-playing for various clinical situations.
Yow has been with Dr. Kuhn’s offices for 29 years, and Pat Newsome, the co-owner and clinical director, has worked in the dental field for 30 years. They emphasize hands-on training from the first day of the eleven classes, which are offered only on Saturdays.
SDCC offers spring, fall, and winter classes. It operates under Guardian Dental, the corporate headquarters, and works with over 50 dentists, mostly in the eastern United States, for job placement assistance.
“The main skills needed are confidence, verbal skills, and empathy,” Yow said about what students personally need because patients rely on dental assistants to educate them about procedures in simplified terms.
Students learn how to use each dental instrument at SDCC. Photo/Stephanie M. Sellers/Sandhills Sentinel.
Yow said SDCC offers experience points for students seeking placement in a dental hygiene program, which works on a point system. It also offers insight to students considering becoming dentists without a long-term commitment.
SDCC is at 1902 Sandhills Blvd in Aberdeen. Call 910-695-1900 for registration. View their Facebook page and read their reviews on their website.
Feature photo: The spring 2024 Sandhills Dental Career Center graduates prepare for dental assisting careers on March 16, 2024, in Aberdeen—photo courtesy of Renate Yow.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel journalist Stephanie M. Sellers. Stephanie is also an English instructor at Central Carolina Community College and Father Vincent Capodanno High School. She is the author of young adult fiction, including When the Yellow Slugs Sing, Sky’s River Stone, and GUTTERSNIPE: Shakespearean Stage Play with Translation.
