Students in JCCC’s dental hygiene program provide low cost dental cleaning and education services on campus during the fall and spring semesters. At the Dental Hygiene Clinic in SCI 210, students, faculty and community members can schedule a preventive treatment appointment for a one time fee of $10 per appointment.
According to the clinic’s website, they offer blood pressure screening, oral examination, x-rays as needed, tooth scaling and polishing, fluoride treatment, nutritional counseling and other selected services during the appointments.
Associate of Arts student Julien Nell was shocked to hear the price of the treatment and thought it might cost $50.
“As a student, without my personal relationship with my dentist, because I know not everyone has one,” Nell said, “that would be an amazing option for $10 to get in there and probably learn, myself, what’s happening as it’s happening.”
Another service offered, because the clinic is a learning environment, is patient education.
“I have had numerous patients where I educate them and they’re like, how come my regular dentist has never shown that or said that to me,” dental hygiene student Jasmine Barrientos said. “With a student learning environment, you should want to help other students and it’s great to educate the future dental hygienists.”
The dental hygiene students participating in the program understand people may have concerns over the quality of the treatment.
“That’s valid, but we stress that we work under the license of registered dental hygienists and a dentist is also in the clinic,“ dental hygiene student Lizzie Stock said. “We have checkpoints throughout the appointment, they make sure we are all on the same page and that the registered dental hygienist and dentist agree with what we are doing. It is at the professional level that you would receive at a regular dental office.”
Nell also described roadblocks that could prevent students from receiving proper dental care.
“Not all insurance is even willing to work with the dentist you have, if you switch insurance they may cut your dentist off, all those things, every roadblock that has been put into the healthcare system,” Nell said. “I think that [the clinic] is a great option that’s always there.
Students in the dental hygiene program are required to take part in the clinic as part of the associate’s program. The clinic is available to students, staff and community members, including children who are 4 years old or older, according to the clinic’s website. The website also states payment is due at the first appointment, through cash, check and card.
Henry Gamber, editor-in-chief