Gift of Materials Helps Dental Students, Boy Scouts Practice Skills

Many kids are afraid of going to the dentist, but not those who are trustworthy, loyal, helpful friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.  Thanks to a gift of materials from the Las Vegas Institute and the work of UNLV dental students, local Boy Scout troops are excited to visit the UNLV School of Dental Medicine and earn a merit badge.

Dr. Stan Nelson, a faculty member who works closely with the Boy Scout program, says the scouts earn a merit badge by spending a few hours in the labs.  The UNLV dental students provide information for the scouts on parts of the teeth and various aspects of dentistry and dental care.  The scouts also have an opportunity to work hands on with the materials to build teeth out of wax.

The gift from the Las Vegas Institute includes filling material, instruments, curing lights, and impression material.  In addition to the outreach program with the Boy Scouts, UNLV dental students are also using the materials to hone their own skills.  In the simulation labs, the students use these items to practice forming teeth and working with fillings. 

Even though the materials may not appropriate for clinical use on live patients, there’s still a lot of opportunity for students to use them to practice, explains Nelson. 

“A lot of learning can come from these materials,” he says. 

A few times a year, the School of Dental Medicine also offers undergraduate students considering dental school an opportunity to come in and work with the simulation lab to help them learn more about dentistry.  The donated materials are used in these pre-clinical experiences to give students an opportunity to consider dentistry as their career field.