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Continuing its mission to expand its clinical reach across the state, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry has established two new student clinical rotation sites in Crossville and Knoxville.
“Clinical rotations are great opportunities for our students,” said Orpheus Triplett, DDS, assistant dean for extramural clinical education and community service. “Not only are students exposed to diverse populations, but they also gain experience in the real pace of the day-to-day work of private practice. They build that speed and consistency.”
In Knoxville, the college is proud to open a new rotation with two full-time attending students. Two fourth-year dental students travel to Knoxville every two weeks to assist in the clinic with supervision from the dental faculty. The clinic operates in partnership with the Interfaith Clinic of Knoxville. This Knoxville rotation will give students experience with urban populations that are underserved.
“An added bonus to this rotation is that dental students spend several days in the General Practice Residency Program at the University of Tennessee Medical Center,” said James Ragain, DDS, dean of the College of Dentistry. “This is the only such rotation where our students get this opportunity to experience hospital-based dental care for an extended period.”
The Crossville clinical rotation location has been in the pilot phase since fall 2022. The rotation spans six weeks in the fall and again in the spring. For three two-week periods each season, two fourth-year dental students assist in the clinic with faculty supervision. In the future, the college hopes to expand the Crossville rotation into a full-time rotation.
Existing college student rotation sites include Union City, Bristol and Chattanooga. With the addition of Crossville and Knoxville, the college’s goal of providing supportive dental care to all Tennesseans advances.
