As part of its new Dental Hygiene program, Salina Area Technical College is opening a clinic on campus in January, with the goals of providing students an opportunity to develop their hands-on skills and provide low-cost services to the public. The students will work under the supervision of licensed dental hygienists and a dentist, providing basic services such as teeth cleanings, whitening and sealants, to patients ages 4 and up. Costs will be substantially lower than usual; an adult cleaning will cost $20 to $40, depending on the status of the patient’s oral health needs. The clinic will operate during the school year, on Mondays from Noon to 3:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and services are by appointment only. Because the dental hygiene students are learning their skills, appointments could take as long as 3-1/2 hours with the possibility of the need to return for additional appointments to provide the highest standard of dental hygiene care. Our students are looking forward to seeing patients when they come back from Christmas break,” said Brooke Horner, Director of Allied Dental Education. “And even though we’re just beginning to advertise the clinic, support from the community has been amazing – there are huge numbers of people out there who don’t have access to regular dental care right now.” For more information about the clinic and its services or to schedule an appointment, contact the clinic at 785-309-3146 or [email protected].
