A ribbon-cutting ceremony is held Friday for the new University of Maine at Augusta Delta Dental Oral Health Center at its Lewiston center located at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn Campus. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Friday for a new dental clinic at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn Campus. 

The University of Maine at Augusta’s Delta Dental Oral Health Center will be used by students in the school’s dental assisting program and take in patients in the future.

“I think it’s going to bring in a lot more people into the dental program, open doors for a lot of people,” said Sydnie Thayer, a UMA dental assisting student.

Thayer lives and practices in Auburn. She said the increased capacity could help ease the ongoing dental care shortages. “They’re going to be able to have more students in the program, which I think is really important because there’s a big need for dental assisting. There’s a wicked shortage right now,” Thayer said.

Dental students Sydnie Thayer, left, of Auburn and Codi Reinhard of Biddeford tour the new University of Maine at Augusta Delta Dental Oral Health Center at its Lewiston center located at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn Campus. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

“The new clinic expands our capacity for patient treatment,” said Courtney Noonan, assistant professor of dental health and program coordinator at UMA. “For the dental assisting program, it allows us to go from six students to 12 students. For the expanded functions dental assisting, it’s going to allow us to go from 12 to 18 students,” Noonan noted.

The clinic is not currently open to the public but the expansion will allow for extended hours and more patient intake, Noonan said. “Our clinic was open just one day a week last year during the academic year for approximately 30 weeks. About 30 days in total. We treated over 50 patients during that time.”

“Now that we’re ramped up, we’ll be able to have our rotation of students a little bit more frequently, maybe do different events, like ‘Give Kids a Smile’ day, and those kinds of things, to really showcase the space and allow our students to have a much broader experience,” Noonan added.

Dental student Achol Ring of Lewiston chats Friday during the opening of the new University of Maine at Augusta Delta Dental Oral Health Center at its Lewiston center located at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn Campus. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

“We’re hoping to be able to open it up to the public to have them come in, call and make appointments,” Noonan said.

“This is going to help get the education for more dental care professionals. There’s a very bad shortage right now, an influx of patients that can’t get the care they need,” said Madalyn Phillips, a program alum and dental care professional in Waterville.

Guests listen Friday during spoken remarks Friday at the opening of the new University of Maine at Augusta Delta Dental Oral Health Center at its Lewiston center located at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn Campus. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal