At a time when the skilled workforce is shrinking and access to dental care is declining, early exposure and training for the next generation of dentists can make all the difference.
By Genni Burkhart
Each year, a group of wide-eyed teenagers walks through the doors of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine expecting to observe, not to participate. However, by the end of the week, they're mixing materials, studying X-rays, and asking questions that surprise faculty. At Tufts University, the Mini Dental School gives high school students their first real taste of the profession, and it's changing how young people imagine a future in oral healthcare.
For many participants, it's their first time stepping into a lab or speaking directly with dental teachers and students. They learn how oral anatomy connects to overall health and discover the discipline, empathy, and precision that define the profession. The impact of this experience goes beyond a few days of exploration. It builds a bridge between curiosity and career, helping high-school students picture themselves in a world they might never have otherwise considered.
Early exposure programs like this do more than spark interest. They make the idea of dentistry attainable. In a country facing workforce shortages and an uneven distribution of dental professionals, especially in underserved areas, initiatives like these help shape who chooses the profession and why.
Programs Making a Difference
Across the United States, a growing number of universities are introducing high school students to dentistry in ways that are practical and inspiring. These programs reflect a shared belief that the earlier students experience the profession, the more likely they are to pursue it.
The Destination Dental School program at the University at Buffalo runs for eight weeks, with seven virtual Saturday sessions followed by a week on campus. It welcomes undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds and combines mentoring, simulation exercises, and admissions guidance to help participants gain insight into dental practice and the confidence to see themselves in it.
At Virginia Commonwealth University, the Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP) prepares college students and graduates for dental and other health professions. Participants complete lab work, attend workshops, and engage in community outreach. For high school students, VCU offers shorter Dental Careers Exploration sessions that provide similar insight at an earlier stage.
Harvard’s MEDscience program, in partnership with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, introduces high school students to health professions through labs, case studies, and mentoring. The dental component helps students connect classroom learning to patient-centered care and understand how dentistry contributes to public health.
Even shorter programs, such as the Tufts Mini Dental School, show what a difference a single week can make. For students who have never been inside a dental school, one immersive experience can change the course of their entire lives.
Success Through Mentorship and Access
The success of these initiatives depends on more than curriculum. Their strength lies in how they connect students with people who care and a purpose they relate to. These programs include:
- Active learning builds confidence. When students hold instruments, observe procedures, and practice hand skills, they start to see dentistry as something they can do, not just admire.
- Mentorship sustains interest. Relationships with dental students, residents, and faculty offer honest insight into what dental school requires. Those connections often continue long after the program ends.
- Equity and inclusion are essential. Many of these initiatives recruit students from first-generation, rural, and underrepresented backgrounds, helping to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the patients it serves.
- Ongoing investment matters. Programs that maintain contact with student alums through mentoring, academic advising, and scholarships tend to see higher matriculation rates and stronger long-term outcomes.
- Institutional support ensures growth. When dental schools, local societies, and professional organizations invest in outreach, the results extend far beyond recruitment. They strengthen public trust and demonstrate dentistry’s commitment to community.
A Benefit to the Profession
For graduates of these programs, these achievements are more than institutional promotions and public service. They became irreplaceable opportunities that shaped their professional future. Each volunteer, mentor, and speaker who has opened their door to students helps build a more capable and compassionate generation of dentists—a benefit to the profession and public health in America.
Encouraging early exposure also advances public health. Furthermore, students who see themselves represented in the field are more likely to pursue it; this includes people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, women, and those with disabilities. As a result, the profession becomes stronger, more accessible to a diversified field of talented students, and better equipped to address the ongoing disparities in oral health access. Programs like these also remind the public that dentistry is about more than technical skill. It's a science tied to human connection and compassion. When young people witness that firsthand, they see more than a medical procedure—they see a career with purpose.
Opportunities to Get Involved
Feeling inspired? Dentists can support this growing movement in practical, meaningful ways in their own communities. A few examples include:
• Partnering with local schools to host a “Day in Dentistry” or career open house.
• Offering short-term shadowing experiences for interested students attending local high schools or undergraduate programs.
• Volunteering as a mentor or speaker for university outreach programs.
• Advocating for funding and institutional support for healthcare career initiatives.
Looking Ahead
The Tufts Mini Dental School and similar programs nationwide prove that the path to dental school begins long before an application is submitted. It starts with a spark of curiosity and the opportunity to see dentistry in action.
By investing in those early experiences, the profession cultivates a new generation of clinicians who are skilled, compassionate, and aware of the world around them. Opening those doors to young learners does more than teach. It builds connection, inspires confidence, and keeps the legacy of dentistry moving forward with purpose.
Author: With over 15 years as a published journalist, editor, and writer, Genni Burkhart's career has spanned politics, healthcare, law, business finance, technology, and news. She resides in Northern Colorado, where she works as the editor-in-chief of the Incisor at DOCS Education.
