A Dentist from Grand Haven made students that were enrolled in a local dental careers program very happy with his donation of dental chairs, just in time for the 2015 school year. The high-tech chairs, donated by Dr. Darren Riopelle, give students the valuable opportunity to practice and become experienced on the state-of-the art equipment that is being currently used in the field. This ensures that they will have no disadvantages when they start looking for jobs since they will be completely qualified for the modern dental clinic environment.
Dr. Riopelle said he donated the chairs because he wouldn’t need them at his new office and he knew they would provide a great resource for the students at the center: “I knew [the chairs] would allow them to become better trained and enhance their education.”
Denise Callaghan, the Instructor at the Dental Careers Center, expressed gratitude for the donation since the chairs will provide students with experiences that they wouldn’t have otherwise had access to. She is now working with Dr. Riopelle to set up an externships program that will feature regular tours and exposure to practical experiences by allowing students to work directly with patients, as well as typical equipment currently being used in dental offices.
Callaghan was also pleased to announce that Dr. Riopelle plans on granting students at the Dental Careers Center access to working in a real-life dental clinic that is currently still in progress. “This type of experience is amazing for our students and will help them leave CTC prepared for what dentistry really has to offer,” she added.
She said that Dr. Riopelle’s gracious efforts will better prepare students for successful careers in dentistry and added that many students enrolled in the program are eager to work on real equipment and in a setting so close to an actual dental clinic.