May 31, 2013 9:08 pm
Learning how to prevent and treat common “gum” infections, such as gingivitis and periodontitis, goes far beyond the classroom for Pierce College dental hygiene students.
Students can be found treating patients at health fairs throughout Pierce County, whether at an elementary school, a church parking lot or the Tacoma Dome. At a recent Homeless Connect fair in Sumner, for instance, students volunteered to clean homeless patients’ teeth, apply sealants and fill cavities.
Students aren’t paid for their service, and many volunteer more than the minimum number of hours they must fulfill to meet program requirements.
Pam Strand has volunteered with her classmates at many health fairs in her two years in the Pierce College Dental Hygiene Program.
“I enjoy it,” Strand said. “I think it’s interesting to go and see this population of people who don’t have current or permanent oral or dental care in their lives. It’s nice to be able to provide them the care they need, and give them the experience so they might seek it out in the future.”
Patients would otherwise forego care
Without the students’ help, many of the patients likely would not receive any type of oral health care. According to a 2012 U.S. Senate report, “Dental Crisis in America,” as many as 130 million Americans have no dental insurance. “Seeing a dentist is expensive, so many people seek care only when the disease is advanced and the pain is unbearable,” the report said.
And lack of dental care can lead to other health problems, including heart problems, stroke, pre-term labor, and brain infections.
State-of-the-art clinic
The Pierce College Dental Hygiene Program enrolls 40 students who also treat patients at the newly equipped Dental Hygiene Clinic on the Fort Steilacoom campus. Thanks to state instructional funding, the clinic installed almost $700,000 worth of state-of-the-art equipment last fall.
The new dental chairs and units are equipped with fiber optic hand-pieces, which are lighted dental drills; ultrasonic scalers; a mechanical dental hygiene instrument, and curing lights, said Monica Hospenthal, director of the Dental Hygiene Program.
“The new equipment provides the best ergonomics for both patient and operator comfort and safety,” Hospenthal said.
“Additionally, the entire clinic is now fully digitized with electronic health records and digital radiography. This includes the new panoramic digital machine which takes an X-ray of the patients’ entire jaw.”
Close supervision
Whether at the clinic or at community health fairs, students work under the close supervision of professors who are licensed dental hygienists and dentists. During clinics, the ratio is one faculty member to five students. Four licensed dental hygienists and one dentist are present at clinics.
“Students render the care, and the licensed dental hygienists and dentists check all patient treatment,” Hospenthal said.
Dental hygiene is known as a rigorous, academic professional program from start to finish.
At Pierce College, dental hygiene hopefuls must complete 1 ½ to two years of pre-requisites that are heavy in the sciences. Next, they typically compete against more than 120 applicants for the 20 openings available each fall.
Students who are accepted face an intensive, seven-quarter program to earn an Associate in Dental Hygiene degree and then must pass several licensing exams in order to practice.
What dental hygienists are licensed to do
Once licensed in Washington state, dental hygienists provide preventive oral health treatment for gum infections, prevention of cavities and other conditions. They administer local anesthetic injections and nitrous oxide, and place permanent amalgam (silver) and composite (white) fillings.
Strand, 32, of Lacey, said she decided to become a dental hygienist after working as a dental assistant for ten years. Unlike dental assistants, she said, hygienists have more of a chance to develop ongoing relationships with patients and work independently.
Said Strand: “It’s nice to be able to get to know somebody personally and help them understand how to maintain good oral health.”
Affordable care at the Pierce College Dental Hygiene Clinic
The Pierce College Dental Hygiene Clinic always welcomes and needs new patients. Here are things to remember about the clinic:
- Anyone can get a free screening to determine suitability as a patient. Since the program’s mission is to educate dental hygiene students, patients must meet specific criteria to be accepted for treatment at the clinic.
- The clinic provides a range of preventive care and treatment including cleanings, sealants, and amalgam and composite fillings. Since it is not a full dental clinic, it does not provide extractions, dentures, crowns or root canals but can refer patients to low-cost clinics.
- Fees are low compared with private dentists. Pierce College students and Provider One patients receive a further reduction for preventive care.
- Students take longer than professional dental hygienists to perform treatments. Once a patient has been accepted, students individually schedule appointments.
- Hours are based on Pierce College’s academic calendar, but are generally:
- Monday & Friday: 8 a.m. to noon
- Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- * This summer, the clinic will be closed Aug. 19 through Sept. 20.
Pierce College Dental Hygiene Clinic
Pierce College Fort Steilacoom
9401 Farwest Dr. S.W.,
Lakewood, WA 98498
(253) 964-6694
dhclinic@pierce.ctc.edu