牙医诊所的顺利运作需要训练有素的牙科助理， and many of them come from Trinidad State. “I think it’s great,” said Dentist Dr. 朗·瑟曼说，“因为从零开始需要很多时间. This really cuts the gap.”
The dynamic and positive Crystal Benavidez leads the program. She replaced Canada
她于2017年开设了这个项目，并推荐了贝纳维德兹
for the job.
“你必须获得实践经验，他们能够很快地开始工作 fast coming out of the dental assisting program,” said Thurman. Three of his assistants 都是从特立尼达国家项目中出来的，”这三个项目都很成功.”
Other dentists in the San Luis Valley have offered help. Ten dental chairs have already been donated. One came from Dr. Thurman. Retired dentist, Dr. Rick Santi, donated six. 他的女儿卡莉·桑蒂·洛佐亚(Carly Santi Lozoya)也来了，她拥有牙科卫生硕士学位 每学期到班级一次复习和评估学生的放射学表现 and to certify them for that part of their degree. When Dr. Richard Williams retired, 他捐赠了三把带手册的椅子、一些仪器和一台全景x光机. 今年夏天，许多捐款将被纳入该学院的一个新实验室.
Students are excited about the program. Ahlisia Gallegos, confessed, “I wanted to 因为我是那个喜欢看牙医的怪孩子吗. Since I was little, I wanted to work with teeth. I love it. It’s so fun and working in a dental office now is like actually doing it. It’s just a great time.”
Gallegos是目前在牙科诊所工作的三名学生之一
in Alamosa. 他们在接受了一个学期的培训后，于去年12月开始协助工作.
“我想一开始我们太害怕在牙科诊所工作了，”加莱戈斯说.
“Crystal made us feel more comfortable with the idea. It gave us the confidence we
needed to go out and get a job.” Two of the three are working with dental assistants
whom Benavidez trained her first year.
贝纳维德兹对牙科工作的兴趣始于她和她的伴侣搬到帕戈萨 Springs from the Valley. She responded to an ad for an office assistant in a dental office. 她曾在阿拉莫萨的Valley Wide公司的办公室工作多年. 雇用她的牙医注意到她的科学背景，问她是否愿意 interested in being a dental assistant. Benavidez had earned her bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies and geology and environmental science at Adams State.
贝纳维德兹说:“当时我不知道牙齿有数字. “I knew we 必须刷牙和用牙线剔牙，这就是我的牙科知识的范围!” 贝纳维德兹立即接触了高科技牙科手术，而不是常规手术 dentistry such as fillings. The first day of work the dentist said, “We’re going to 提取一些骨头碎片，然后我们将使用二氧化碳激光来帮助 移除软组织，今天下午我们要做植入手术. “That really got my interest,” she said. “The blood and gore don’t bother me at all, so I said, ‘Sign me up!’”她的训练很艰苦，需要做研究、阅读和测试 addition to hands-on work. She learned the trade well.
在她和她的伴侣带着儿子搬回硅谷后，贝纳维德兹开始工作 with Public Health as a dental assistant for eight years. After she left that position, 没过几个月，她就失去了这份她逐渐爱上的工作. She applied at Dr. Thurman’s dental office where she has worked since. Meanwhile Trinidad State 找到她，想要替换即将返校的教练雪莉·杜福-普拉茨曼 to Canada. 有了教书的机会，贝纳维德兹欣然接受了这个职位 with Trinidad State. “It has definitely put the spark back in the dental life for me,” she said.
因为上课时间是周二和周四晚上以及隔周的周六，贝纳维德兹 continues her full-time work with Dr. Thurman, who has generously allowed her to use 他的一个工作站用来训练学生，直到她的新教室准备好.
“我们绝对是办公室的四分卫，”贝纳维德兹说. There’s a lot more to assisting than people realize.” Her predecessor said, “They (dental assistants) become a second set of hands for the dentist. They learn what is wanted before they are even asked.“培训内容包括牙科医疗紧急情况、专业术语、 牙科程序，牙科病史，放射学，感染控制，如何成为一名专业人员 and more.
“我认为每个人都应该从牙医助理开始，因为它会介绍你 to everything,” said Benavidez. “From there you can go to oral surgery, or endodontics (牙髓内的治疗)，种植体(用于附着的人工牙根) 牙齿矫正(矫正牙齿错位)或牙周病 (牙龈疾病)，外科助理，办公室经理，项目协调员，教师 lots of opportunity.”
“老师能教课程是一回事，能教是另一回事 他们有真实的经验来帮助你在这个领域取得成功. She has the 能够和她的每一个学生建立关系，所以这让你 feel more engaged,” said Gallegos.
该项目需要50个小时的实习时间——要么是在牙医诊所实习 dental setting or working directly with Benavidez. Dianne Gardner is doing her internship with Benavidez. “我对每件事都知道一点，”加德纳说 社会学、心理学、刑事司法、网络安全、编程、编码等等 – “but this one stuck.她最近在同一间办公室被聘为牙科助理 where she has received training.
莫莉·卡维特是一名学生，现在在一家牙科诊所工作，她说:“当我看到 that ad for the program, I decided I’m going to try it. Crystal’s great. The program’s great.”
迪德拉·格雷是一个雄心勃勃的学生，她喜欢生活中的变化，是三次特立尼达
州立大学毕业，持有会计文员证书，以及理工科副学士证书
and Associate of Arts degrees. “I had always been interested in the dental field and
I wasn’t sure it was something I wanted to take on,” she said. “I love it. This is
one of my favorite things I’m doing.” Gray now works full-time in a dental office
在医院放射科兼职，协助技术人员
and scheduling.
All of the students want to continue in the dental field. ”I want to go to dental school,” said Gallegos. “I’m doing the assisting program to test the waters. It’s 这是一个很好的开始，现在我在做这个工作，我喜欢它. And it’s something I definitely want to do. I wanted to before, but it gave me the little boost I needed to actually pursue it. We have a good time, and we learn a lot.”
贝纳维德兹说，在科罗拉多州，一个人可以直接接受牙医的培训 获得牙医助理的认证，或者可以参加一年(两个学期)的课程 which Trinidad State offers. The graduate also certifies in the required radiology and in CPR. 硅谷的平均工资从每小时15美元到25美元不等——还不错 for two semesters of study.
贝纳维德兹为她的学生在最近一次紧急医疗中的平均成绩感到自豪 exam was 90.
To learn more, contact LoriRaeHamilton at lorirae.hamilton@2ve6n74.net or 719-846-5524.