CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — For over 50 years, the Del Mar College Dental Hygiene program has been training dental healthcare professionals across the Coastal Bend.
This fall semester, the program is offering clinical services at no cost. Those services include the following:
- blood pressure screenings
- conservative periodontal therapy
- dental hygiene education
- dental hygiene therapy
- dental preliminary assessments
- dental sealants
- fluoride treatments (as needed)
- intra-oral examinations
- medical history reviews
- oral cancer screenings
- periodontal assessments
- radiographs (x-rays)
- selective polishing
“Our Dental Hygiene program offers no-cost dental services to our community while providing our students with hands-on training to prepare them for their dental profession,” Josie Wilson, an instructor who also graduated from the same program in 1997, said.
She said it is extremely vital to provide students with hands-on learning. Ana Chavez, a second-year student, agreed.
“(I) love being a part of this program and honestly, I am very prepared. I am a hands-on learner, so this has given me a really a good step forward to becoming closer into my career, and once I begin my career it will be a piece of cake,” Chavez said.
All the services are completely free; it is not based on income level. The process requires an individual to undergo a screening to determine their needs and what student they will be assigned to.
All students performing the procedures are under the supervision of a program faculty. Usually, patient care requires more than one visit.
Chavez added that this is a great opportunity to help educate our community, and she is glad to be a part of it.
“Prevention is always the first step. It's better than actually having to go through something. It’s more cost-effective, so I think our program really helps by preventing what could happen," she said.
Stephanie Higdon has gone through the process and said the staff and students are all very welcoming. She has even brought her son to get his teeth checked out.
"I think it’s an excellent program and opportunity for those people that are uninsured, or don't have the means to pay for a cleaning or just don’t really know where to start or have any education on dental hygiene," Higdon said.
Although she has insurance, she highly recommends that the community come out and support the students and educate themselves on the importance of dental hygiene.
The program has 22 second-year students this fall semester and will be offering its free services until mid-December.
If you are interested in any services, contact the DMC Dental Clinic at 361-698-2854 or by email at dentalclinic@delmar.edu .
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