Whether it is providing hope during disasters, spreading warmth with the animal visitation teams, or volunteers feeling the impacts of doing a good deed, the Red Cross has a way of brining about smiles. But one program through the Service to the Armed Forces is helping others smile in a different way. 

“This program is blossoming in Alaska,’ says Melody Hansen, director of Service to the Armed Forces in Alaska. ‘This program sets the students up for success in the real world and we can’t forget to mention that is done at absolutely no cost.”  

The Dental Technician Program is an initiative by The Red Cross aimed at providing military dependents and veterans marketable skills they can use anywhere in the world. In turn, essential dental care is provided to the military communities right here in Alaska.  The program offers a comprehensive training curriculum that ensures each student has the training to be a certified dental technician in the state.  Participants undergo one month of didactics, followed by hands-on learning and over four months of practical skills training in dental clinics. At the end of the program, students will have completed over 720 hours of training in six months and are capable of providing oral health care to those who need it. The program initially began at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska and has recently expanded to Eielson Air Force Base. In 2023, two individuals made up the first graduating class of certified dental technician in the Eielson program. The Red Cross of Alaska’s dental program was the first program in the nation to return after the 2020 pandemic.

If you are interested in applying for the next Dental Technician session, email melody.hansen@redcross.org