DELTA DENTAL OF NEW JERSEY FOUNDATION SUPPORTS DENTAL ASSISTING TEACHING PROGRAMS, ENCOURAGING FUTURE PROFESSIONALS

- March honors dental assistants' contributions to dentistry and their communities -

PARSIPPANY, NJ (March 10, 2008)

The Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation is proud to support dental assisting education programs such as Camden County College, the Bloomfield Health Careers Foundation Dental Assisting Program, UMDNJ School of Allied Health Professionals, and Newark’s Central High School, in their commitment to educating dedicated dental professionals. 

“A credentialed dental assistant is an invaluable asset to the dentist, helping the dentist to work more efficiently,” said Dr. Catherine Boos, Director of Dental Programs, Camden County College. “It is with great pleasure that this week we honor the many contributions our dental assistants make to the practice of dentistry.” 

The Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation, which aims to promote and assist institutions devoted to the enhancement of dental health education, recognizes that one of the leading factors to the evolution of dentistry is the increasingly important role of dental assistants.

“The dental assistant is a very key position. In order for dentists to treat the number of patients they see daily, they need qualified, licensed help,” said Dr. Gene F. Napoliello, D.D.S., president of the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation. “Dentistry needs dedicated, certified assistants right now. The opportunities are there for students both for education and jobs.”

Dental assistants are important elements of a successful practice. Assistants make patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair and prepare patients and instruments for treatment. During procedures, they work alongside dentists performing activities such as handing them instruments and keeping patients’ mouths clean and dry using suction or other devices. They may also prepare, take, and process dental x-rays. 

“With the need for dental care becoming an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle, the role of the dental assistant is becoming just as indispensable,” said Dr. Carolyn Breen, chair, Department of Allied Dental Education, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Scotch Plains campus. “Dental assistants are valuable members of the dental team and play a major role in the delivery of health care to the residents of New Jersey.”

In conjunction with supporting professional certification programs, the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation helps develop and support high school dental assisting programs that offer hands-on education, encouraging students to go on to become licensed certified and registered dental assistants.

About Delta Dental of New Jersey
Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc., is New Jersey’s and Connecticut's leading dental benefits carrier, providing coverage to more than one million people through contracts with employers in New Jersey and Connecticut. The Delta Dental system offers seamless dental benefits administration for employer groups throughout the country and the largest network of credentialed dentists in the nation. For more information visit us on the Web at www.deltadentalnj.com.

About the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation
Delta Dental established the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation in 1986. Its mission includes promoting and assisting educational projects devoted to the enhancement of dental health, research programs designed to increase public awareness of the general benefits of good health, and to improve dental health through the science of dentistry. Each year, the Delta Dental Foundation provides financial support to various organizations throughout the state.