Dental Career Discovery: A Hands-On Journey (DCD) partners with local schools and community programs to offer hands-on workshops that encourage young people (17-25) to explore dental career pathways. DCD visits schools, community centers, and partner organizations in historically underserved communities with a goal of increasing diversity in the dental career field by highlighting what a day-in-the-life of someone in a dental career looks like. Participants get to do hands-on dental work. Those interested in the dental career field can then be matched with a mentor.
DCD Senior Program Manager Nicolette Slaughter recently appeared on Tacoma's CityLine tv show to. You can watch the video here.
What does DCD do?
The DCD program connects 17–25-year-olds from historically underrepresented groups to dental career opportunities by partnering with statewide programs to provide scholarships to participants who want to become licensed registered dental assistants. From there, students are assigned a mentor from a similar cultural background, reinforcing the importance of diversity and equity in the dental career field.
The mentorship aspect of the DCD program creates a pathway for students from historically underserved groups to find their place in the dental industry – which is desperately needed across the nation. By inspiring students to consider dentistry, DCD is positively impacting the shortage of hygienists, assistants, dentists, and other dental professionals, while also addressing the lack of diversity that continues to grow in the profession.
Why is DCD important?
Showing up for students in historically underserved groups and giving them access to hands-on experiences can illuminate pathways to a career they may have not considered: dentistry. It’s hard to imagine yourself working in dentistry if you’ve never seen a dentist from your cultural background. And this is common.
The data shows:
- Fewer than 6% of dental providers are Hispanic
- Fewer than 4% are Black
- Fewer than 2% are Indigenous
The DCD program introduces the idea that people of all backgrounds, from any community, can have a successful career in dentistry.
DCD: A Roadmap of success
There has been much success since the launch of DCD in 2023!
- In 2023, DCD reached nearly 800 communities. The 2024 goal was to engage another 800, but instead DCD had 2,200 participants in 2024!
- In 2024, DCD launched its mentorship program.
- In 2024, DCD began working with the University of Washington to develop a robust program evaluation toolkit that will help ensure the program makes a difference in Washington’s dental workforce and that we progress toward our vision.
- DCD has had an overwhelming response from the dental community and have filled all the volunteer roles for 2025 programs!
Engage with DCD now!
Want to host a hands-on workshop at your school or community gathering place? Click here to schedule an intro meeting with Nicolette or schedule a workshop!
