Concorde Staff
National Dental Hygienists Week (NDHW™) takes place April 8-14th in Canada, as part of oral health month. While we realize that here in the states, Dental Hygiene month is in October, there's never a wrong time to spotlight the important work that these health professionals do!
Dental hygienists work in traditional dental offices and independent dental hygiene practices, clinics, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and the community. As health care superheroes, dental hygienists examine your mouth, head, and neck at every appointment and offer preventive treatments such as scaling and root planning, dental sealants, and fluoride. They are, in so many senses, your "partners in prevention."
Concorde Dental Hygiene Clinics
Did you know that you can visit these "superheroes" in training at many of our on-campus clinic locations? Community members are in most instances, able to walk in without an appointment and be treated at a lower cost then they typically would. This is a great service for people who can not normally afford to use a typical independent practitioner.
Concorde has Dental Hygiene Clinics at eight of our campuses. Patients are able to get their teeth cleaned by a student under the supervision of a licensed dentist. While the average appointment time is a bit longer than normal, patients are able to get a low-cost, high-quality service.
Prices vary by location. At Concorde's Dallas campus, for example, Dental Hygiene Program Director, Tammy Fisher, says, "We charge is $20.00 per adult patient for all treatment indicated. Children are charged a fee of $10.00. The most someone will spend out of pocket for cleaning and x-rays is $55."
Alissa Beckerle, Dental Hygiene Program Director at the Concorde Kansas City campus said, "we also provide pit and fissure sealants, fluoride treatments and mouth guards. In addition, we also make custom bleach trays and dispense solutions."
Free Veteran Dental Care
One of the other ways Concorde's Dental Hygiene Clinics give back to the community is by offering free dental care to Veterans who bring a valid military ID. Beckerle explains, "We see them free of charge and provide basic preventative and diagnostic services (cleanings, x-rays, and exams)." And Fishers says, "We do not charge veterans for any of our services."
Marla Dunlap, Program Director at Concorde-Memphis estimates that her campus treats 50+ veterans a year.
In addition to free care, campuses also do extended outreach throughout the year.
"In November (in honor of Veteran's Day), we offer free oral cancer screenings to veterans. We promote this in coordination with our campus Veteran advocate. Mr. Jerry Esquivel attends various Veterans meetings in the community and invites the veterans to attend the screenings. We offer these screenings as a way to spread the word about our (Dallas) services" says Fisher.
At Concorde, it's important to give back to the community and we couldn't agree with Fisher more, "It is truly our honor to serve those who serve our country!"
Use Concorde's Services in your Community
To book an appointment at Concorde's Dental Hygiene Clinic or any of our other community services, contact your local campus to see what we can do for you. If you're interested in a career in the health care industry contact Concorde's admissions office today!
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