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University of Bridgeport Fones School of Dental Hygiene Opens First EFDA Program in CT, Receives Over $270,000 From the Delta Dental SMILE Workforce Grant
The Fones School of Dental Hygiene at the University of Bridgeport was awarded a three-year Delta Dental SMILE Workforce Grant in the amount of $271,056 to support the Fones School of Dental Hygiene’s Expanded Function Dental Assisting (EFDA) Program. The first-year grant amount is $136,603, which includes $50,000 in scholarships and funding for equipment and supplies to start the program. The scholarships provide $2,500 per student to support a total of 20 students.
“We’re excited and proud to offer another ‘first’ in the state of Connecticut here at Fones. As the first EFDA program in the state, we hope to contribute to the growth of the dental team to better address the oral health needs of patients in Connecticut,” said Adriana Fields, M.S.H.A., RDH, Program Director at Fones School of Dental Hygiene.
The grant funds from the Delta Dental Foundation will help eliminate financial barriers and provide opportunities for experienced certified dental assistants to expand their skills and provide care beyond their current scope of practice, under dentists’ supervision.
In 2016, EFDA legislation was passed in Connecticut allowing expanded function dental assistants to provide preventive and restorative services, such as sealants, fluoride treatments, topical anesthesia, coronal polishing not to be billed as a prophylaxis, and temporary and permanent restorations, as prescribed by a dentist.
Dental assistants with two years of experience are eligible for this EFDA program. Evidence of successful completion of the hands-on EFDA program and the DANB Restorative Functions (RF) and Preventive Functions (PF) exams must be provided to the dentist for an EFDA in Connecticut to provide expanded services.
The first cohort of 20 students has been accepted for the April 2025 session. The University of Bridgeport’s EFDA program will be led by Jennifer Boyce, D.M.D., and Amanda Sargent, M.S.D.H., RDH.
Courtesy of the University of Bridgeport Fones School of Dental Hygiene
Published on December 11, 2024