On a hot Wednesday in June, 44 high school students ambled into the simulation clinic on the 14th floor of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine as music pumped in the background. They donned yellow gowns, safety glasses, and purple gloves—and prepared for an afternoon that would turn their teeth pink and allow them to fill a mock cavity.

The students were attending the first-ever Mini Dental School hosted at TUSDM’s tower in Boston. The five-day experience is one of Tufts University College’s Pre-College offerings. Intended for rising high school juniors, seniors, and recent high school graduates, Mini Dental School features lectures, hands-on activities, a TUSDM student panel, and a tour of the Tufts Medford/Somerville campus.

Third-year dental student Michael Song introduced a supervillain of the oral health world: plaque. “What is plaque, specifically?” Students guessed, discussed, and Song explained that it’s a sticky biofilm that forms on teeth and can lead to cavities or gum disease if not removed.

The teens then each chewed a small hot-pink tablet. As the dye in the tablet turned the plaque on their teeth purply-pink, the students smiled, revealing a spectrum of hues.

The tablet “tasted sweet at first, then bitter, then dissolved into saliva,” said participant Ilia Gorshkove, a rising senior from Parkland, Florida. The others chatted energetically and called across the room: “Look how pink this is!” and “What do you look like? Oh, you’re fine.” Three squeezed in for a toothy selfie. 

“The intention was to design a week where the students feel like they’re in dental school, but they're also getting to explore the career of dentistry,” said Jason Cummins, D22, a clinical instructor in the Department of Public Health and Community Service. Cummins co-created a curriculum with the idea that “By Friday, students can say, ‘Maybe this is a profession that I want to get into.’”

The program grew from a dental component at Tufts’ Pre-College Mini Med School. Anna Lubitz, D26, developed the dental curriculum at that program in partnership with the Mini Med School dental TAs, and the student feedback she collected from that experience guided her—she’s now Mini Dental School Program Coordinator —and Cummins as they planned this year’s program.

Riki Gottlieb, associate dean for admissions and student affairs, and Aruna Ramesh, associate dean for academic affairs, advised the coordinators.

The inaugural cohort included students from a range of schools and backgrounds. While close to half of participants were from Massachusetts, the rest hailed from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, Florida, and Illinois—while some came from other countries such as the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, and Taiwan. Financial aid fully covered six students’ tuition and partially covered the cost for two more, according to Cummins.  

Over five days, participants learned from TUSDM faculty about X-rays, cavities, cancer screening, and other topics. Associate Professor Hugo Campos used Play-Doh and sleep masks to explain how dentists use radiology to examine what’s hidden in the gums and other tissues of the mouth.

Seven TUSDM students served as teaching assistants, with Song as head TA. They led hands-on activities such as the tooth restoration activity, which allowed students to fill a cavity in an artificial tooth. TAs worked one-on-one with participants, explaining filling techniques and dental anatomy, crouching or standing near the work stations as they did.

Angel Permenter was happy to explore dentistry after years of curiosity. A rising high school senior from Memphis, Tennessee, Permenter found out about the Mini Dental School herself through an online search. Although she was nervous at first, she settled in quickly, especially enjoying the hands-on activities. 

Cummins said he wanted participants to understand the range of careers in dentistry, including academia and various specialties. He also said he wanted students to feel comfortable asking questions and striking up conversations with the TAs, so they could learn about dental school more informally.

The week wrapped up with a capstone gala, where students presented their learning from the week, as well as small-group research projects into dental health topics such as the effects of vaping on oral health. 

With TUSDM’s first Mini Dental school in the books, Lubitz reflected: “Had this program, or something like it, been in my high school, I probably would have made the decision earlier to go into dentistry,” she said. “Because I would have gotten that spark of inspiration and guidance from mentors.”