Salt Lake Community College’s Dental Hygiene Clinic, located on the Jordan Campus, is a viable option for students looking for affordable, basic dental care. The clinic also allows dental hygiene students to develop their skills in an industry setting.
“Our facilities are really nice. We have a four-to-one ratio of clinic instructors. We actually have one of the best clinics in the state,” says Cami Hymas, Dental Hygiene student. “It’s always busy. You get all kinds of patients in here. It’s a really good service for people who don’t have insurance.”
A dental cleaning will typically cost between $75 and $200 without dental insurance. Students without insurance can save money at SLCC’s Dental Hygiene Clinic, where the average cleaning is only $30.
“You get quality care. The students are learning and then the instructors evaluate everything that’s done,” says patient Rebecca Lyles. “You get a great teeth cleaning and a very thorough exam and teeth cleaning for a really good price.”
The Dental Hygiene program takes two years for students to complete after they have finished their prerequisites, which include anatomy, physiology and microbiology.
After completing all the prerequisites, students are ranked by their grades and take an entrance exam demonstrating competence in math, English and chemistry. Students then get to work with technologically advanced equipment at the clinic.
“The facility that we have here at Salt Lake Community College is outstanding,” says Lynne Berman, Dental Hygiene Program Director. “The clinic has been remodeled, and it has state-of-the-art equipment. We have 24 operatories, which are semi-private. We have wheelchair access for patients with special needs. We have digital radiography, which is very high-tech and what is used in industry. The students also document all the records and medical history on computers.”
The clinic offers oral cleanings and exams. If a person needs dental work such as a filling, s/he is referred to other places such as Roseman University College of Dental Medicine for low-cost care.
