The University College of Bangor’s dental program is spreading bright smiles all over campus and throughout its surrounding community. Located at Lincoln Hall, UCB’s dental program has become so sought-after so quickly that only students who meet the rigorous requirements are accepted.

Second-year student Mariam Alam is studying for a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene, and says of the program, “It’s great!”

Alam, with four years of on-the-job experience – two of them at Tufts University – said it was her drive to “dig in” and the priceless experience gained from working with actual patients that made her decide to attend the dental program here in Bangor.

One of the biggest assets of the program is the community outreach that it provides.

Peggy Morse, an administrative assistant for the dental program, pointed out that anyone from anywhere can take advantage of the services.

“There isn’t any income or geographic constraint,” said Morse. Families who struggle with everyday expenses can take advantage of the services the UCB dental program has to offer.

The clinic is not a dental office, but rather a hygiene-intensive program offering routine teeth cleanings and dental X-rays – services that many low-income families could not afford were it not for this program.

Both associate and baccalaureate degrees are offered for students in the dental program. Those interested in the dental assistant program have the opportunity to obtain a dental assisting certificate.

For the spring semester, there were 60 students enrolled in the dental assistant and dental hygiene programs, divided into two groups. Forty-eight students saw patients and the rest rotated in and out of area dental offices.

Hampden Family Dentistry is one of the many area businesses that take advantage of the supply of qualified, UCB dental assistants, who are very eager to enter into their chosen fields.

Cathy Fearon, an employee at Hampden Family Dentistry, is a member of Bangor Community College’s Class of 1980 with a two-year associate degree in dental hygiene. She described the program she took as “very intensive and effective.”

Fearon returned to UCB in 2006 with her eye on a bachelor’s degree in science in dental hygiene.

“It is a really wonderful program for me – to be able to raise my family and have a rewarding career in this community,” said Fearon.

As for the caliber of students sent their way from UCB, dentists at Hampden Family Dentistry called the program “simply outstanding.”

UCB Campus Dean Gillian Jordan added, “UCB’s dental program is one of our signature programs that provides a significant contribution to the dental profession within our community and throughout the state of Maine.”

Not only is it a huge success, but UCB’s program is the only one of its kind in the state. For a campus that normally looms in the shadow of its mother college, the University of Augusta, success has never tasted so sweet.