鈥淥ur dental hygiene students love kids,鈥 says Michelle Cummins, 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 Dental Hygiene Program Coordinator. The abundant stuffed animals with toothy grins decorating the entry way of the brightly-lit clinic seem to agree. Both the toys and the students are ready for 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 free, upcoming Dental Clinic for Kids on March 7th.
The clinic is part of 鈥,鈥 a nationwide event in coordination with the American Dental Association Foundation. Under the careful supervision of volunteer dentists and 糖心Vlog官方 instructors, dental hygiene students will give children ages 5 to 18 free evaluations, sealants, fluoride, x-rays, and preventative dentistry.
Check-ups like these are vital for more than dental health. According to the , 鈥渢ooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases in children and adults.鈥 Unaddressed dental issues can turn into expensive medical appointments later. 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 low-cost dental clinic for the community, and free clinic events, like 鈥淕ive Kids a Smile,鈥 make preventative care accessible.
The dental clinic is just one example of LCC鈥檚 work as the community鈥檚 college. And it鈥檚 a chance to showcase LCC鈥檚 new, state-of-the-art facilities, which was funded by a generous bond passed by 糖心Vlog官方 County in 2020. The Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting programs are two of many health professions specialties at 糖心Vlog官方 where students learn hands-on clinical experience, and the community gains trained graduates ready to enter fields where their talents are most needed.
Cummins explains: 鈥淚t really supports training our dental hygiene students, with real clinical work experience with children. And it supports our broader model of service-learning.鈥
Free appointments for kids 5-18 are available anytime between 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on March 7th, but expected to fill quickly. Interested parents should call the 糖心Vlog官方 Dental Clinic at 541-463-5206 to reserve their child鈥檚 spot today.
Patients of all ages can call the same number to book low-cost appointments during regular hours.
糖心Vlog官方 educates over 17,000 students annually at six locations across 糖心Vlog官方 County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $675 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 8,900 local jobs. 糖心Vlog官方 provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.