White Coats, Bright Futures: Expanding the Dental Pipeline

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the growing national shortage of oral health professionals, Planet Smilez is building a pathway for future providers. They believe through early exposure, hands-on learning, and mentorship for students from educationally and economically underserved regions, this can be addressed. By engaging students from dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) at a young age and introducing them to careers in dentistry, Planet Smilez is addressing critical workforce gaps and helping improve access to care in underserved communities. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of oral health professionals from dental HPSAs to pursue careers in oral health and return to serve their own communities. To combat this, Dr. Kathryn Pawlak and the Planet Smilez senior leadership team will present the Discovering Dentistry Symposium (DDS).

Planet Smilez is proud to have received funding from Delta Dental as part of their continued dedication to advancing the future of the oral health workforce. Since 2023, Delta Dental has invested more than $1.7 million in programs that support developing comprehensive solutions, innovative pilots, and scalable models that inspire school-aged children from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to pursue careers in oral health. Planet Smilez is honored to be named a 2024 awardee in recognition of its commitment to hosting 10 immersive workshops nationwide.

Planet Smilez is thrilled to present the DDS on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Westin DC Downtown featuring leaders from the American Dental Association SmileCon Conference in Washington DC. Designed to spark interest in oral health and STEM, this immersive event explores the oral-systemic health connection, showcases diverse dental careers, and offers a glimpse into the daily life of oral health professionals. Geared toward middle and high school students, the symposium features engaging hands-on activities, mentorship opportunities and in-depth career exploration. Attendees will have the chance to connect with dental professionals and oral health professional students, deepen their understanding of oral health, and discover the many rewarding pathways within the dental field. This inspiring event is made possible through the generous support of Delta Dental.

"I believe education and mentorship has the power to transform lives." Pawlak said. "My goal for the DDS program is to empower children with oral healthcare knowledge and hands-on dentistry experiences. This will optimally help children envision a future in dentistry, while also fostering a generation of oral healthcare professionals who can address the needs of their communities, they one day will serve."

To learn more about Planet Smilez visit www.planetsmilez.org. 

Contact: Kathryn Pawlak ( [email protected] )

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SOURCE Planet Smilez