COD Dental Hygiene Clinic Provides Great Value to Patrons and Students

The Dental Hygiene Clinic at College of DuPage provides state-of-the-art training and hands-on experience to students while providing valuable services to the community at a discounted rate.

"This clinic reflects the College's commitment to both providing students with the best possible training and career preparation while providing community members with affordable services that meet their evolving needs," said Dental Hygiene Program Coordinator Patti Belmonte.

The Dental Hygiene Clinic at COD features state-of-the-art facilities with 18 fully functioning dental operatories. Under the supervision of licensed dental hygiene instructors and clinical dentists, students provide preventative dental services, including children and adult teeth cleaning, deep scaling, fluoride treatments, traditional and digital x-rays, dental sealants and teeth whitening.

"Through this clinic, we bridge the curriculum of the classroom with hands-on experience in a comprehensive setting that mirrors environments students will be working in," said Dental Hygiene Professor Lori Drummer.

According to Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene Barbara Czahor, in addition to providing crucial real-world experience to dental hygiene students at COD, the clinic also provides services and education to the community.

"The clinic offers a way for us to extend our hand to the community, particularly the underserved populations such as veterans and the uninsured who can't afford private dental care," Czahor said. "We also educate patients about both their oral health and its relationship to their overall well-being. For example, many people don't know that evidence of many diseases, including diabetes and hormonal diseases, can be diagnosed through dental exams."

Dental Hygiene student Sonja Richards, who will graduate with an A.A.S. in Dental Hygiene this May, said she chose the Dental Hygiene program at College of DuPage because of the program's reputation for quality and COD students' excellent pass rates on state board exams. The Plainfield resident said she is thrilled with the College's knowledgeable and supportive faculty, state-of-the-art facilities and the opportunity to gain crucial hands-on experience.

"The dental clinic is where students get their hands-on training - where you put theory into practice," Richards said. "By working in the clinic, I know that I am more than prepared to practice dental hygiene professionally. We are trained in all aspects of preventative care and we treat all types of patients, from healthy to those with severe periodontal disease. We perform the most comprehensive treatment that anyone could receive."

Upon graduating in May, Richards plans to secure a position as a dental hygienist in a private practice, but would like eventually to fulfill that role in the service of the government or the military. She said that working in the clinic demonstrated that performing as a dental hygienist is a multifaceted undertaking.

"We don't just treat the oral cavity, we treat the whole person," she said. "Oral health is directly related to systemic health, so we must be knowledgeable in how medical conditions affect the mouth and teeth and their supporting structures. What's more, I've learned the importance of building good relationships with patients. That goes a long way toward building trust and getting individuals involved in their oral health."

She added that she has also built strong relationships with her fellow students, faculty and everyone involved in the program.

"You start this program alone, but you end up with a forever family," she said. "The intensity of the coursework brings you together, and we all support one another."

Located in the Health and Science Center, Room 1122, the Dental Hygiene Clinic at College of DuPage accepts appointments from 8 a.m. to noon, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, and from 5 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

During spring semester, the program offers the same treatment modalities from 8 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The clinic also offers a 15 percent discount to COD students, faculty and employees, as well as to seniors age 65 and older and current and past members of the military.

For more information and to schedule an appointment, please call (630) 942-3250.

Accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, the Dental Hygiene A.A.S. degree program at College of DuPage prepares students to provide comprehensive oral health care services in a variety of professional settings. Through a partnership with Concordia University, the Dental Hygiene program at COD also offers an innovative 3+1 Bachelor's in Healthcare Management degree program, a streamlined and affordable way to earn a bachelor's degree.

For more information about the Dental Hygiene program, call (630) 942-4237, email Belmonte@cod.edu or visit www.cod.edu/programs/dental.