Dentalxchange.com, University of Kentucky and ADAA to Deliver Full Online Curriculum for Dental Assistants.

Business Editors/Health and Medical Writers

IRVINE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 6, 2000

The University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and dentalxchange.com have signed an exclusive agreement to convert the University's Independent Dental Education for Assistants (UK-IDEA) curriculum into interactive courses to be delivered over the Internet.

When available online at www.dentalxchange.com beginning in the fourth quarter of this year, the courses will supplement the courses already provided by the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) in dentalxchange.com's extensive continuing education library. Dentalxchange.com is the leading provider of Internet-based tools and e-commerce solutions for the dental community.

Through the agreement, dentalxchange.com will create and license Web-based versions of the UK-IDEA courses, which include more than 275 lessons of dental assistant education organized into 15 units of learning. The online curriculum enables the UK College of Dentistry to significantly extend its reach to both aspiring and practicing dental assistants, according to faculty from the UK College of Dentistry.

"The majority of dental assistants receive on-the-job training as opposed to a formal educational program," they said. "This curriculum enables dentists to prepare assistants in their own offices using materials that ensure high-quality patient care."

The new affiliation also expands an ongoing collaboration between the ADAA and dentalxchange.com and enables the association to expand the services it offers its members, according to Anna Nelson, CDA, RDA, MA, president of the ADAA. "We will now be able to provide education to assistants in rural areas and in underserved communities," she said.

"There is extremely high turnover among dental assistants, so training and keeping qualified assistants is a challenge," said Dr. William F. Wathen, vice president of dentalxchange.com's Oral Health Sciences Division. "Delivering this curriculum over the Internet to the worldwide practicing community raises the overall proficiency level of dental assistants and helps them stay current on best practices."

The UK College of Dentistry, established in 1961, is located on the campus of the UK Chandler Medical Center in Lexington, Ky., and is recognized as one of the country's outstanding dental colleges. The College is committed to providing superior programs emphasizing clinical care and oral health research to prepare students to address the dental care needs of citizens today and in the future.

Dentalxchange.com is the leading provider of Internet-based tools and e-commerce solutions for the $60 billion dental industry. The company brings together dentists, manufacturers, suppliers, dental professionals and patients to educate, evaluate and integrate the dental community and its resources.

The Web site is the most trafficked commercial dental site on the Internet with more than 12,000 registered dentists, 2.5 million monthly hits and 100,000 monthly user sessions. For more information, visit the Web site at www.dentalxchange.com.

Founded in 1924, the ADAA is America's oldest, largest professional association serving dental assistants. It is dedicated to the development and recognition of professionalism through education, membership services and public awareness programs.