North Idaho College’s dental hygiene students are to begin providing dental hygiene services to community members. Patients are now being accepted for the program’s spring 2022 clinics in Coeur d’Alene and Lewiston through a partnership with Lewis-Clark State College.
Open to adults and children, the clinics offer low-cost dental hygiene care while helping trained dental hygiene students develop the hands-on skills needed to become registered dental hygienists.
“These community clinics are invaluable to our students’ training. They gain the experience they need to be successful in their future careers and patients receive the attention and quality of care that they expect from professionals,” said Janis McClelland, director of the NIC Dental Hygiene Program.
This is the first cohort of dental hygiene students participating in public clinics since the NIC dental hygiene program launched in January 2021, although students have had clinical experience already with family and friends as patients.
Abbey Leon, a second-year dental hygiene student, recruited her friend and study buddy, second-year nursing student Megan Rauvola, as a patient during her first clinic in fall 2021.
“I told Abbey that I don’t like the dentist but I’m really excited about being able to be a part of her learning experience,” Rauvola said.
Students in the dental hygiene program spent their first semester working with models and peers within the program before clinics began in the second semester. Leon said the transition was a big change, but one that has prompted significant growth in her training.
“If I compare my first patient in the fall clinic to my last patient, which would be Megan, I felt so much more confident and comfortable,” Leon said.
McClelland said each student’s confidence and comfort level will continue to grow as they work with patients from the community.
“Our students are looking forward to working with many new patients,” McClelland said. “They are eager to hone their skills while providing patients low-cost access to a needed health care service.”
McClelland said it’s important to understand that these appointments require a time commitment while students are in training. Appointments will likely take between two to three hours, and patients may need to make two or three appointments to complete their initial cleanings. During these clinics, dental hygiene students are directly supervised by local dentists, hygienists and program instructors while they provide treatment to patients.
The public clinics are held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at Heritage Health Dental Clinic at 1090 W. Park Place in Coeur d’Alene. During these clinics, dental hygiene students are directly supervised by local dentists, hygienists and program instructors while they provide treatment to patients.
Services are by appointment and will be available through the end of the college’s spring semester in May. A complete dental hygiene exam, X-rays, complete oral and periodontal assessments, and a cleaning costs $45 for an adult, $40 for seniors and veterans, and $35 for children up to age 12 and both LCSC and NIC students.
