DASH into Dentistry
- 1 Day Program
- Hosted at LSU School of Dentistry
- Charter Bus Provided
- CLAHEC provides transportation from Baton Rouge. Students travel to the meet-up location on their own.
What You Will Learn
- Hands-on techniques used in dentistry and dental hygiene
- How dental forensics works and what dental lab technology involves
- What day-to-day life looks like for a current dental student
- LSU School of Dentistry admissions requirements and application process
- The range of careers within oral health beyond becoming a dentist
Who Should Join
- High school junior or senior students interested in becoming a dentist
- Students considering dental hygiene as a career
- Students interested in dental laboratory technology
- Students who want to see a dental school campus before applying
- Students who enjoy detailed, hands-on technical work
Requirements
- High school junior or senior student with an interest in becoming a dentist, dental hygienist, or dental laboratory tech
- At least a cumulative 2.5 grade point average
- Own transportation to and from the designated pick-up and drop-off location in Baton Rouge; the charter bus to New Orleans is provided
Explore This Program
Overview
About This Program
DASH into Dentistry is a free one-day interactive program that offers high school students who have an interest in dentistry and oral health the opportunity to spend a day at the campus of the LSU School of Dentistry in New Orleans. Students explore the fields of dentistry and oral health by practicing techniques and participating in hands-on activities relating to dentistry, dental hygiene, dental forensics, and dental lab technology, in addition to receiving LSU School of Dentistry admissions information and interacting with current dental students.
Why Join This Program?
Impact
DASH into Dentistry has already fed directly into Louisiana's oral health workforce. The LSU School of Dentistry has admitted its first dental hygiene student who came up through the program.
Purpose
The purpose of DASH into Dentistry is to show students that oral health is a broad field with several distinct career paths, and to give them a realistic look at dental school before they commit to the prerequisites.
Value
Students spend the day inside the state's dental school, working with its equipment and talking to its current students. Few high schoolers get inside a professional school of any kind, let alone with hands-on time.
Benefits
Participants practice real dental techniques, explore dentistry, dental hygiene, dental forensics, and dental lab technology, receive admissions guidance directly from LSU School of Dentistry, and travel by charter bus at no cost.
Curriculum
What You’ll Learn
DASH into Dentistry runs as a single day on the LSU School of Dentistry campus. CLAHEC staff and students depart New Orleans from Baton Rouge at approximately 7:00 am and return at approximately 5:00 pm. Lunch is provided.
Dentistry
Hands-on activities and technique practice covering the core clinical work of a dentist, using the school’s own operatories and equipment.
Dental Hygiene
Sessions exploring the dental hygiene profession, its scope of practice, and the training pathway into it.
Dental Forensics
An introduction to dental forensics and the role dental records and evidence play in identification work.
Dental Lab Technology
Hands-on work with the materials and processes used in dental laboratory technology, a career path many students have never encountered.
Admissions and Student Life
LSU School of Dentistry admissions information delivered directly by the school, plus time interacting with current dental students about what the program is really like.
Testimonials
Program Impact: Student Perspectives
Students consistently tell us that DASH into Dentistry widened their view of what a career in oral health can look like. Here is what past participants and partners have shared.
Malak Abdel-Jabbar
Today’s program widened my view about dentistry and all the occupations within it and it was really interesting to hear about and do.
Jane Walsh
Through the DASH into Dentistry program we have admitted our first dental hygiene student that went through that program with AHEC and made it all the way to our dental hygiene program.
Chloe Cashio
This early exposure helps students gain a clearer understanding of various healthcare professions, allowing them to make informed decisions about their future.
Trusted By
DASH into Dentistry is offered in cooperation with the LSU Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry in New Orleans, whose faculty and students host Central Louisiana AHEC participants on campus each year.
Secure Your Spot Today
Spots are limited, so apply by November 21st by 11:59 pm. A completed online application must include the application itself, one letter of recommendation from your teacher, counselor, or high school principal, and a copy of your most recent high school transcript from your counselor.
FAQ & Contact
Need Help?
Have questions about program day, transportation, or eligibility? The answers below cover what we’re asked most often, and our team is always happy to help.
When does this program typically take place?
One day during the month of February or early March.
What is the timeline on program day?
CLAHEC staff and students will depart for New Orleans from Baton Rouge at approximately 7:00 am and return at approximately 5:00 pm.
Will I need to provide my own transportation to the program?
You will only need to provide your own transportation to the meet-up location in Baton Rouge. CLAHEC provides a charter bus to transport students and CLAHEC staff between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Can I participate if I live in Central Louisiana?
Yes, you can participate. This includes Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Rapides, Vernon, and Winn parishes. The meet-up spot for the program is at the CLAHEC Baton Rouge office, where students will ride a charter bus to and from the New Orleans School of Dentistry. You must have your own transportation to and from the meet-up spot.
Will lunch be provided?
Yes.
Who is eligible to apply?
High school junior or senior students who have an interest in becoming a dentist, dental hygienist, or dental laboratory tech, with at least a cumulative 2.5 grade point average.
Who do I contact with questions?
Call our office at (225) 757-9845 for questions about this program.
Get in Touch
If you have more questions or need personal assistance, feel free to contact us:
info@clahec.org
Drop us a message anytime, we’ll get back to you shortly.
Phone: (318) 443-2855
Available Monday to Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
CLAHEC Headquarters
1308 Dorchester Drive Alexandria, LA 71303
