In March We Celebrate Dental Assistants!
While we appreciate dental assistants all year long, each March for the past 46 years there is a week set aside specifically to honor the important role dental assistants play in keeping our smiles and bodies healthier. This year, Dental Assistants’ Recognition Week™ is March 5-11, 2023!
Dental Assistants Recognition Week (also known as DARW) was designated by the American Dental Assistants Association as the “perfect time to acknowledge and recognize the versatile, multi-talented member of your dental team.” Dentists across the US and Canada celebrate by honoring their dental assistants for their various duties and helping them provide patients with vital dental care.
The theme for 2023 is The Heart of Dental Offices Through Education, Commitment & Safety, and acknowledges the growing importance of dentistry's role in overall health and the responsibilities and contributions of dental assistants.
The American Dental Assistants Association has created a toolkit to help dentists across the country celebrate their dental assistant teams. This toolkit includes various ways dental practices can promote this celebration through advertisements, press releases, social media, and more!
Dental assisting continues to evolve and expand. Whether working chairside with your dentist, taking x-rays, helping manage the business, teaching or working in insurance (Delta Dental employs people with dental assisting backgrounds!) or going out into the community to help educate youth about the importance of healthy smiles – this oral healthcare team member is certainly someone to smile about!
Manny Chopra, D.M.D., chair of the ADA Council on Dental Practice, is reminding dentists to show gratitude for the work of their dental assistants.
“Oral health care is delivered as a team,” Dr. Chopra said. “Dental assistants are an integral part of quality patient care. I invite dental professionals to highlight the significant contributions of dental assistants throughout the year, and especially during Dental Assistants Recognition Week.”
How Delta Dental supports Dental Assistants
Each year the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation provides $1M in grant funding to various organizations across New Jersey and Connecticut that provide access to dental care and education to under/uninsured children, seniors, veterans, and those with developmental disabilities. Our Foundation also supports workforce development for dental hygiene and dental assistants through student scholarships, high school school-to-career programs, and more.
Here are a few organizations that we support through our Foundation:
- Bloomfield Health Careers Foundation, Essex County, NJ: support Rutgers Dental School Internship/Shadowing Program with Newark Tech and Central High School in Newark. This program exposes high school students to dental careers, including dental assisting.
- Central High School, Newark, NJ: support the high school’s dental academy program, which prepares students for an entry level position in the dental field, including dental assisting. Our grant supports dental equipment and supplies, as well as two student scholarships.
- Cape May Technical School, Cape May County, NJ: support the purchase of dental equipment and supplies for their ADA Accredited Dental Assisting program.
- Middlesex County College, Middlesex County, NJ: support the re-establishment of the college’s dental assisting program. Our Foundation awarded a three-year grant to support this program, which will help address the workforce shortage exacerbated by COVID-19, as well as support tuition and recruitment costs associated with this program.
Remembering Dr. Gene F. Napoliello, DDS
Dr. Napoliello, or Dr. Gene as he was affectionately known, was the Chairman of our Foundation for more than 25 years. Sadly, we lost Dr. Gene last year. Dr. Gene had a passion for dental education, engaging with youth about dental careers, and giving back to his communities. As Chairman of our Foundation, Dr. Gene worked tirelessly to increase access to dental care for all, as well as expand the dental workforce though educating youth on dental careers.
Dr. Gene was active with NJ HOSA, serving as the NJ state advisor, and he volunteered providing free dental care, including dentures, to veterans at our Smiles for Our Heroes event at Zufall Health and at the Connecticut Mission of Mercy that provides no-cost dental services to thousands over a two-day period on a first come, first served basis.
In memory of Dr. Gene, we will now be awarding Dental Assisting Grants as part of our SMILE grants. These grants focus on establishing or expanding dental assisting programs across New Jersey and Connecticut, as well as finding ways to provide opportunities for youth to learn more about dental assisting careers. We are offering these grants to continue Dr. Gene’s quest and legacy to support our future health care leaders, in turn, creating greater access to dental care for all.
For anyone interested in learning more about the SMILE Dental Assisting grants, please contact Kim Elmore at kelmore@deltadentalnj.com
