Indiana University hosted the one-day Planet Smilez Discovering Dentistry Symposium. The mobile program next heads to Michigan universities, expanding students’ exposure to dental careers through hands-on experiences.
Program supports dental leaders in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana with skills to manage clinics, improve care, and advocate for underserved patients.
HealthLinc, a federally qualified health center in Valparaiso, covers training costs while preparing local residents for dental assistant jobs, strengthening workforce pipelines and expanding access to care.
Michigan introduces licensed dental therapists to address provider shortages, empowering students to deliver vital community care.
Hali Householder helps recruit future dental hygienists and promotes whole-body health through a pioneering workforce initiative tackling care shortages.
Serving 24,000 patients annually, the Cincinnati Health Department dental program brings year-round care to students and community patients through an innovative public-private partnership.
Walker Career Center trains teens for dental careers, tackling workforce shortages and helping underserved students access well-paying, high-demand health care jobs.
“We didn’t set out to build a national program. We just responded to a local need and applied what we knew best—how to create health education that people actually understand and use.”
Jessica Rickert, DDS, the first American Indian female dentist, advocates for oral health equity and inspires Native youth through mentorship and representation.
Two Michigan veterans care advocates are tackling the critical gap in veterans’ dental care, offering free clinics through grants and sustainable community programs.
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