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UCB dental clinic unveils imaging equipment

Posted Aug. 27, 2008, at 12:12 a.m.

BANGOR, Maine — New dental radiographic sensors purchased with help from a $15,500 grant from the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation were unveiled Tuesday at the University College of Bangor’s Dental Hygiene Clinic.

“We are extremely grateful to the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation,” said Diane Blanchette, coordinator of UCB’s Dental Health Programs. “Their grant has helped us to enhance the education of our dental assistant and dental hygiene students, as well as improve the quality of care provided to patients who use our low-cost public clinic.”

The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation is a philanthropic arm of Northeast Delta Dental, which adminis-ters the dental benefits to more than 700,000 people in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Established in 1995, the foundation seeks to improve access to and the quality of dental health and education for the public and dental communities in the three states it serves.

The new radiographic sensors make digital images of teeth, reducing patient exposure to radiation from X-rays.

“About 50 percent of dental offices are now using this new digital technology and that percentage is steadily increasing as new dental practices open and existing practices modernize,” said Blanchette.

“Our students need to learn how to use this technology to ensure they are properly prepared to care for pa-tients. Now they will be.”

For information on UCB’s Dental Hygiene Programs and public access to its Dental Hygiene clinic, go to http://www.uma.edu/dentalhygiene.html or call 262-7872. The clinic reopens next week and appointments are now being scheduled.

The University College of Bangor is a campus of the University of Maine at Augusta.