Those participating in the open house will receive a tour of the UMA Lewiston Centerā€™s newly expanded dental clinic and have an opportunity to discover more about the dental assisting and EFDA Program requirements, information on the admissions process, and financial aid and tuition resources. Attendees can also learn about the various scholarships offered by UMA, including the Pine Tree State Pledge and UMA $10K that offer no cost, or low cost, tuition to qualified students.

Ā鶹APP Dental Assisting program is the only public accredited program in Maine which allows graduates to immediately sit for the Dental Assisting National Boardā€“Certified Dental Assisting (CDA) exam which also qualifies them for licensure in dental radiography from the Maine Board of Dental Examiners.

ā€œThese are in-demand, high-paying jobs in Maine,ā€ stated Jim Bradley, Director of Ā鶹APP Center in Lewiston. ā€œStudents take their classes online as well as spend one to two days a week at our state-of-the-art dental lab in Lewiston, and then complete their clinicals at dental practices in their local communities.ā€ The program can be completed as quickly as three semesters.

Event Details:

• What: Drop-in Open House for Dental Assisting Programs
• When: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Where: 51 Westminster Street, Lewiston

For more information about the event and the dental assisting programs, please visit uma.edu/dental or contact james.bradley@maine.edu or 207.753.6520

Join us and take the first step towards a rewarding career in dental assisting!

As part of its efforts to improve access to care, the Ā鶹APP (UMA) officially opened an expanded dental education clinic in its Lewiston Center on Friday, Nov. 1, doubling its capacity to educate in-demand dental health care professionals and provide community care there.

UMA officials dedicated the space as the Delta Dental Oral Health Center in recognition of a $665,000 grant from Northeast Delta Dental last year that funded the project, which added three new operatories (dental chairs) and a state-of-the-art 3D digital X-ray machine. Jeffrey Walawender, Jennifer Beyer, Erin Holt and Brian Staples from Northeast Delta Dental were on-site for the celebration.

ā€œIn an effort to expand the dental workforce in Maine, Northeast Delta Dental is excited to support the dental health care professionals at Ā鶹APP,ā€ said Jeffrey Walawender, D.D.S., Maine board of directors chair, Northeast Delta Dental. ā€œOur organization knows that supporting high-quality dental education is an investment in improving access to dental care across the state of Maine.ā€

UMA Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Joseph Szakas underscored the importance and impact of the new Delta Dental Oral Health Center. ā€œWith this expanded space in Lewiston that we are officially opening and dedicating today, we can enroll more students, provide them with cutting-edge tools and training, and add more dental professionals to Maineā€™s workforce.ā€ 

ā€œWe are grateful to Northeast Delta Dental for its support and shared commitment to increasing access to high-quality dental education and care,ā€ said UMA President Jenifer Cushman. ā€œUMA plays a lead role in addressing the shortage of dental professionals in Maine, in turn improving access to care for our communities. Expanding our Lewiston Center dental clinic allows us to help more people have rewarding careers in dental health and meet community needs, which will positively impact Maine and its economy for decades to come.ā€

The expanded space in Lewiston complements the dental education facilities at the UMA Bangor campus. Together, the two locations can accommodate 30 dental assisting students and 30 EFDA students per academic year. Educating and training 60 allied dental professionals for the workforce here in Maine per year will make a significant impact on the overall workforce shortages.

ā€œTransforming lives is ingrained in our mission at UMA, and we see that in our dental education program through student career success and the impact we have on improving access to dental care,ā€ shares UMA Assistant Professor of Dental Health Courtney Noonan. ā€œAs part of their training, our dental assisting students receive hands-on clinical experiences, including at university-run dental clinics in Bangor and Lewiston where they provide free and low-cost preventative and basic restorative services to eligible Mainers including low-income children, veterans and members of the Maine National Guard.ā€

The programs have met with tremendous success. Provost Szakas provided statistics. ā€œUMA is the stateā€™s leading provider of practice-ready allied dental health professionals with 100% job placement rate for its graduatesā€”95% of whom stay in the state.ā€ 

Through its Lewiston Center and Bangor campus, UMA, which is part of the University of Maine System, offers associate and bachelorā€™s degree programs in dental hygiene, certificate and associate degree programs in dental assisting, and a micro-certificate in expanded function dental assisting. 

The grant from Northeast Delta Dental will also support scholarships for students enrolling in Ā鶹APP dental assisting and expanded function dental assisting programs. The next cohorts for Ā鶹APP dental assisting programs begin in January 2025 and applications are currently being accepted. For more information on the dental assisting and EFDA programs, contact Lynett Kelly at 207-262-7805.

About Northeast Delta Dental

Northeast Delta Dental administers dental benefits in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, offering dental insurance programs for businesses and nonprofits of all sizes, and individuals and families with no access to employer-sponsored dental benefits. Northeast Delta Dental follows its mission to advance the oral health and overall wellness of its customers and the communities it serves by funding oral health initiatives and numerous community organizations throughout Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. VisitĀ Ā for more information.Ā 

Ā鶹APP

UMA transforms the lives of students of every age and background across Maine and beyond through access to high-quality distance and on-site education, excellence in student support, civic engagement, and professional and liberal arts programs. For more information, please visitĀ .

The UMA Dental Health Programs at both the Lewiston and Bangor Dental Clinics has been a dedicated member of the (MVDN) for the last three years. Northeast Delta Dental has provided $300,000 in funding to the MVDN for their 2024 program and UMA was one of 13 clinics chosen to participate in this fabulous network of providers.

A veteran must qualify and be pre-approved to receive the free services.

Before being seen at the clinic, simply contact the MVDN’s dedicated phone line 207-287-6836 or email MVDN.mainebvs@maine.gov for approval. Currently, the UMA Dental Clinic has openings for qualifying veterans this spring 2024 and fall 2024. For appointments, please call 207-262-7872.

Are you interested in a free dental screening? Lack a dental home? UMA is offering free dental screenings and X-rays on January 26th at the UMA Lewiston Center Dental Clinic!

You may also be eligible for future free restorative dental care. 

Appointments on a first-come, first-served basis. To schedule an appointment for Jan 26, call (207) 753-6600. 

Earlier this year, the Ā鶹APP (UMA) received a $665,000 award from Northeast Delta Dental to expand the dental workforce in Maine. The award was celebrated October 18, at a ceremonial event at the UMA Lewiston Center Dental Clinic located at USMā€™s Lewiston-Auburn College.

The initiativeā€™s goal is to address the shortage of dental auxiliaries in Maine and extend the benefits of dental care to address disparities in oral health, providing quality oral health care for people who are low-income, uninsured, and/or members of racial/ethnic minority, immigrant, or rural populations.

Dr. Jeff Walawender, Chair of the Maine Board of Directors of Northeast Delta Dental, and a practicing dentist in Portland, Maine with nearly 15 years of experience in dental medicine spoke to attendees. ā€œThis is an historic gift from Northeast Delta Dental, and it demonstrates our commitment to community oral health. Dental Assistants and Dental Hygienists are a critical component of this effort dental health and we are very proud to award this gift to the University.ā€

In addition to doubling the number of state-of-the-art dental units (from three to six) to Ā鶹APP Lewiston Center Dental Clinic with equipment and construction costs, and adding increased staffing, the gift will enable increased access to care for preventative dental services in the Lewiston and surrounding areas. With these funds, the programs also plan to award $100,000 in student scholarships to those enrolling in the Dental Assisting (DA) or Expanded Function Dental Assisting (EFDA) programs which will increase the number of trained dental professionals entering the workforce. Although not a focus of this gift, UMA also anticipates that more dental hygiene students from its Bangor location would be able to go on rotations in Lewiston, adding valuable educational experiences for hygiene students and increasing access to care for preventative dental services in the Lewiston and surrounding areas.

Nancy Foster, Associate Professor of Dental Health and Dental Health Programs Coordinator for UMA, said, ā€œReceiving this award to expand our Lewiston dental clinic will make a monumental impact on the role the University is able to play by positively impacting and contributing to the dental workforce shortages and ultimately aiding in Maineā€™s lack of access to dental care for its residents.ā€

With three additional dental chairs, UMA will increase enrollment in both the Dental Assisting and Expanded Function Dental Assisting programs. The Dental Assisting Program anticipates an increase in Lewiston enrollments from six students to 12 students per year. The Expanded Function Dental Assisting Program is projected to increase Lewiston enrollments from 12 to 18 students per year. With these additional dental units and equipment, the Dental Assisting Program in both Bangor and Lewiston would anticipate 24 dental assistants and 30 EFDAs per academic year. Educating and training 54 additional allied dental professionals for the workforce here in Maine per year will make a significant impact on the overall workforce shortages.

Northeast Delta Dental administers dental benefits in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, offering dental insurance programs for businesses and nonprofits of all sizes, and individuals and families with no access to employer-sponsored dental benefits. Northeast Delta Dental follows its mission to advance the oral health and overall wellness of its customers and the communities it serves by funding oral health initiatives and numerous community organizations throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Visit for more information.

UMA transforms the lives of students of every age and background across the State of Maine and beyond through access to high-quality distance and on-site education, excellence in student support, civic engagement, and professional and liberal arts programs. For more information, please visit .

Explore UMA’s Dental Programs

Dental Assisting

Expanded Functions Dental Assisting

Dental Hygiene

The centers offer 3 or 4 workshops a month and they have been well received.

Tanya Hamilton comes to the UMA Lewiston Center with a backpack of experiences and qualifications including 13 years of management, training, scheduling, organization, collaboration, and teamwork/team building, to name just a few. She most recently has worked as a work-study at the UMA Brunswick Center, where she has been an invaluable member of their team.

Tanya is currently completing her BS in Mental Health and Human Services at UMA and is the UMA Brunswick Center Student Association President. She is also a TRiO Scholar and Peer Mentor. Her years of experience and toolbox of skills will make her a wonderful addition to the UMA Lewiston Center family. Jim, Joe, and Lynn are excited to welcome her to the team on Tuesday, June 21st.

Please feel free to welcome her at tanya.hamilton@maine.edu or at the UMA Lewiston Center at 207.753.6600. If you are ever in the Lewiston area, please drop in to say hi! We’ll greet you with a smile and a cup of fresh coffee.