Three Dental Assistant Students from Ultimate Medical Academy Help Brighten Valentine’s Day Smiles

CLEARWATER, Fla., February 14, 2018-Three students who are on track to graduate this summer from the Dental Assistant with Expanded Functions (DAEF) Program at Ultimate Medical Academy in Clearwater, Florida helped brighten the smiles of hundreds of people on Friday, Feb. 9. They joined a total of 130 volunteers and 20 dentists to treat the first 400 people at no charge at the 17th Dentistry From the Heart (DFTH) event at Monticciolo Family & Sedation Dentistry, 5139 Little Rd., New Port Richey, Florida.

Doctors Vincent and Natalie Monticciolo started the annual DFTH event 17 years ago. The married couple were brainstorming how to give back to the community and decided to offer free dental services around Valentine’s Day. They have now turned the concept into a nonprofit entity that hosts 300 events a year in every state and five countries.

“A lot of people can’t afford dental care, so this is our way of giving back and hopefully putting smiles on their faces,” Dr. Vincent Monticciolo said. “We were pleased this year that Ultimate Medical Academy students could help us provide this vital care to those with dental needs in the community.”

The Ultimate Medical Academy students – Jessica Padilla from Clearwater, Daikery Parrish from Saint Petersburg, Florida, and Michelle Montel from New Port Richey – did such a good job that a dentist at the event offered to provide his Tampa Bay area office as an externship site for other Ultimate Medical Academy DAEF students.

“We are so pleased that UMA students could volunteer their skills at Dentistry from the Heart,” Ultimate Medical Academy DAEF Program Director Krista Bloom said. “Gaining real life experience while helping others is what UMA is all about as we work to fulfill our mission to equip and empower students to excel in healthcare careers.”

The DAEF Program is one of several diploma and degree programs offered at Ultimate Medical Academy’s Clearwater Campus. The other programs include: Medical Assistant, Nursing Assistant, Patient Care Technician, and Phlebotomy Technician.