ALUMNI NEWS
between paying their bills or getting their teeth fixed,” Dr. Deskins-Knebel said. “Here, they meet patients who do have to make such choices.”
Teamwork In addition to gaining experience with actual patients and procedures, OHIO Project students have the opportunity to work with experienced lab technicians, dental hygienists, and other professional dental auxiliaries. Being part of a working team contributes to their understanding of working within a dental practice, and frees them to focus on more sophisticated procedures. “The students love that they get a [full-time] dental assistant when they are here, so they can focus on patient care,” Dr. Kanetsky said.
Experience In addition to treating a variety of populations, students also hone the skills they have developed in the classroom.
“I can’t overstate the value of this experience for the students, not only are they gaining procedural skills and understanding patient care, but they’re also gaining confidence in themselves as future dentists.” - Dr. Deani Deskins-Knebel Dr. Erik Risolvato ’03 is in private practice at Lima Dental Associates and Lima Community Dental, and began participating as a supervisor in the OHIO Project in 2005. He agreed that one of the key benefits to the program is when students realize they can do even more for underserved populations. “I teach them to get a bigger vision, serve more people, and be more confident doing procedures,” he said.
Dr. Matthew Kanetsky ‘09 “I can’t overstate the value of this experience for the students,” Dr. Deskins-Knebel added. “Not only are they gaining procedural skills and understanding patient care, but they’re also gaining confidence in themselves as future dentists. This preparation will help them avoid the overwhelm that can occur when running a busy private practice.”
Public, Private As a practitioner who has successfully run a private practice and worked in public health, Dr. Deskins-Knebel understands the advantages and demands of working in both areas. Students in the OHIO Project can gain experience in both areas during their 50-day rotations. “Working at a public health site, students see the benefits of giving back,” she said. “In private practice, they get to perform a number of procedures that we don’t do in public health. They also have technology that is not available in public health.” As the only private practitioner site in the project, Dr. Risolvato agreed that private practice provides a different type of experience for students. “I can expose them to tools, techniques, and technology that they can’t get in school or at publicly funded sites,” he said. alumni news 5