OUTLET: The Roanoke Times

The Virginia Dental Association and the Piedmont Virginia Dental Health Foundation have teamed up with Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville to train a new level of dental health providers.

The program is open to students across Virginia and will train them to become community dental health coordinators. Students will receive 12 months of online instruction, travel one weekend a month to Martinsville for clinical training and complete a six-month internship at a safety net clinic.

“In 2006, the American Dental Association began a project to train a new type of community health worker,” Dr. Mark Crabtree of Martinsville, past chairman of the American Dental Association’s Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations, said in a news release. “The goal is to break down barriers that keep many Americans from enjoying good dental health so that as many people as possible have access to dental health care.”

Students can earn a CDHC certificate and take the examination for a dental radiation certificate. They will be trained to work in clinics, schools, private practices and public health settings to help people learn more about oral care and prevention of disease.

For more information call 276-656-0260 or email wecd@patrickhenry.edu. The Harvest Foundation of Martinsville and the Piedmont Virginia Dental Health Foundation are providing funds to launch the program.

Posted: Wednesday, March 23, 2016 10:00 am

Luanne Rife luanne.rife@roanoke.com 981-3209