Teens explore careers in dentistry at OHSU
Dental Week offers hands-on experience for the next generation of professionals
Pour the contents of a package of dry antimicrobial material into a small plastic bowl. Add about two tablespoons of water. Use a flat, wide knife to gently fold the thick, cake-like batter mixture, taking care not to overmix. Scoop the mixture into a tooth model, wet a finger and spread the batter around.
The mold, or impression, creates a cast—a replica of tooth positions, shapes and bites. Dentists use these to design crowns, plan orthodontic treatments or diagnose dental issues.
Jeremiah Morris, a recent graduate from Jefferson High School, prepares the material to make a tooth mold. Photo by OHSU
From June 16 to 19, more than a dozen high school students from around Oregon gathered at the OHSU School of Dentistry to learn this technique and many others while exploring careers in dentistry.
The experience introduced students from underrepresented backgrounds to the health sciences and biomedical fields. Called Dental Week, the immersive experience was a collaboration among the OHSU School of Dentistry, Permanente Dental Associates and OnTrack OHSU!
The students—some recently graduated from high school—practiced procedures using dental instruments and spoke candidly with Permanente Dental Associates professionals to learn what it’s like to be a dentist. They also explored how to pay for dental education and watched as dentists worked with patients in a clinic.
The 16 students who participated came from Jefferson, Woodburn, Parkrose, Mazama, Madras and Chiloquin high schools. This is the second of a two-year pilot program.
A breathtaking view
Current OHSU School of Dentistry students led hands-on activities as volunteers, giving high school participants the chance to ask them questions.
“What’s your favorite thing about OHSU?” asked Jeremiah Morris, a recent graduate from Jefferson High School.
“The view!” said Daniel Kim, a third-year dental student, referring to the 12-story Skourtes Tower building on Portland’s waterfront, which houses the school.
“Being able to have sunlight is a big improvement to our quality of life in dental school.”
Research—one of the core mission areas of OHSU—is attractive to prospective students, like Morris.
Jakob Wilson, a second-year student, highlighted the supportive research faculty, noting their enthusiasm and reasonable expectations.
“My mentor and I meet and talk regularly. I’m in the lab one to two hours a week doing research. They don’t expect you to be in the lab until midnight,” said Wilson.
The golden age of dentistry
Susie Goolsby, D.D.S., MSHA, associate dean, School of Dentistry Student Admissions, led a session on restorative dentistry.
Photo by OHSU
“Why do we do fillings or otherwise restore the aesthetic form of teeth?” she asked the group.
“To restore confidence and function,” Goolsby explained. “It helps people get a job. It helps them find love.”
During the week, Dean Ron Sakaguchi, D.D.S., Ph.D., M.B.A., School of Dentistry, stopped by to welcome the students. He spoke about the rapid advancements in digital technology, including innovations like digital imaging of the oral cavity.
“I like to call this the golden age of dentistry. It’s an exciting time to learn dentistry,” he said.
He also asked the students what they had found most interesting so far. One mentioned the instruments, while another said the diversity of options in the field.
“I liked learning all the different careers inside of dentistry. Before this, I didn’t know there were other types of jobs within dentistry,” said Tschshayla Bates, a student at Chiloquin High School in Klamath County. She was referring to areas like endodontics, which focuses on root canal treatments and periodontics, which supports gum treatments and structures of the teeth.
Suturing
Closing incisions and administering anesthesia are essential skills for dentists. Kim guided the group through the steps of a “simple interrupted suture.”
Luwana Tekie, Parkrose High School, examines a beaker of water in the wet lab. Photo by OHSU
To begin, students used a needle shaped like an unbent fishhook, threading it with suture material. Holding a hemostat in one hand and the needle in the other, they wrapped the suture around the hemostat twice before inserting the needle into the tissue—in this case, a rubber tooth model.
“The goal is to have the suture go through both sides of the tissue to close the wound,” Kim explained.
“Is it supposed to make a knot?” asked Kamille Fletcher, from Jefferson High School.
“Yes,” replied Kim, as he demonstrated the completed procedure.
Putting it all together
After building a foundation in dental basics, the high schoolers spent their last day a Permanente Dental clinic, where they observed Thien-y Hoang, D.M.D., a general dentist who has practiced since 2017. There they watched her interact with patients and saw the same instruments they had used throughout the week put into action.
“My goal is to eliminate dental phobia one patient at a time,” Thien-Y told the students earlier in the week during a lecture. “I ask patients to give me a chance. I’m here to get to know you.”
“The students visited the (Permanente Dental) sterilization area, lab, operatories and hygiene station … each student had a chance to work with a Dexter (mannequin model), while small groups rotated in to observe Thien-Y working chairside. The experience offered a fun and engaging look at clinical life in a dental office,” said Mailiki Patterson, D.D.S., Permanente Dental Associates.
Dental Week reflects the OHSU commitment of supporting students from underrepresented communities and first-generation college students who are interested in health care or the biomedical field. By offering opportunities to explore dental and other medical fields, students discover pathways to enter advanced education and pursue careers.
Story by Rhonda Morin, APR. Photos by Patrick Lee and Aaron Bieleck, OHSU
AI was used to review and revise this story.
