Students connect with community at clinic during Dental Hygiene Month

 

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Wendy M. Borey believes her teeth provide a terrific learning opportunity for dental hygiene students at Springfield Technical Community College.

 

“I have a difficult mouth … I have a very difficult mouth,” Borey said with a hearty chuckle at the STCC dental hygiene clinic. “I have a lot of crowding.”

 

Borey noted she also has a large tori, which is a harmless bone growth in the mouth.

“I didn’t even know what that was till I came here,” said Borey, a Ludlow resident who’s been visiting the clinic for the past five or six years. “So it’s educational.”

 

October is recognized as National Dental Hygiene Month, and the clinic was bustling with activity on a recent fall morning. Students used instruments with names such as explorers, scalers and probes as they tended to their patients. At one of the 17 chairs, a steady suction sound was heard coming from an instrument. At another chair, a familiar high-pitched whirring – the kind of sound that provokes fear in many people – could be heard.

 

But the patients at the campus clinic, located in Building 20, seemed happy to be there. Many, in fact, said they were grateful to have an opportunity to get a checkup for a fraction of the cost of a private dentist’s office.

 

“I love the people. They’re very genuine here, and they treat me very good here. I love it here. That’s why I keep coming back,” said Borey, one of roughly 30 patients being treated by students during the three-hour clinic on a recent Thursday morning. 

 

Abbe Carreira, a second-year student who was treating Borey, called the clinic “a great program.”

“I think it’s one of the best programs in the area,” Carreira said. “The cost is really good. It’s a great service to the community. You can come and get your teeth cleaned, with bitewings (X-rays) and fluoride treatment for $35.”

 

Four clinics are offered per week in the fall. Next spring, when eight clinics are offered, about 200 patients per week will be treated, according to Michelle Sirois, an associate professor of Dental Hygiene.

 

Sirois said the $35 charge covers a variety of procedures. Services include routine cleanings, sealants, chemotherapeutic placement, deep scaling, and dietary assessments. Patients might pay extra for a series of X-rays or for teeth-whitening. Patients with dental insurance can submit paperwork for reimbursement following their treatment.

 

A dentist works on the floor during each clinic, offering students guidance and visiting with each patient who comes through the door.

 

“They are getting a consultation with a practicing dentist from the area,” Sirois said. “We use only area dentists, because we feel that makes another community connection. Most of the clinicians that work in this environment also work full time as dental hygienists in the field, and they too are from the surrounding area. We feel like we’re making good connections here. The patients feel comfortable with that clinician, and they may want to continue their treatment at their office because that’s a familiar, friendly face.”

 

Dr. Paul Donohue III, who has a private practice in Springfield with his brother Christopher, generally comes in once a week to assist. He’s been helping out at the clinic since 2001.

“You want to give back,” he said, explaining why he enjoys lending a hand at the clinic. “You want to impart some of your knowledge.”

 

Because it’s a learning clinic, procedures that may last 45 minutes in a dentist’s office may take a couple of hours to complete.

 

“Health care here is really affordable,” Donohue said. “It takes longer to clean your teeth, but you’re getting a deal.”

 

For example, a full series of X-rays costs $30. Teeth whitening at the clinic costs only $85, he said.

 

“I can’t even buy the kit for $85,” Donohue said. “People are getting good quality care. They’re getting the same inspection I give in my office for like 25 percent of the price.”

 

The clinic is able to charge such low prices because it receives support from STCC, and federal grants offset costs. Dental offices also have to pay their hygienists. Students do not get paid.

“We teach a lot of skills here,” Sirois said. “Some are social skills; some are clinical skills. That’s what we pride ourselves on.”

 

Donohue said he is proud of the students he works with once a week. “There’s a great bunch of kids here,” he said. “With the students here, you feel like we’re passing the torch on to someone who can relay it to the next generation.”

 

STCC dental hygiene students are enrolled in a rigorous two-year program that takes them outside of the classroom. Senior dental hygiene students visit indigent or underserved community sites, where they provide dental education to community members, caregivers and others. When they are out at events, they always provide free dental hygiene products and an education. Their goal is to create awareness about the importance of taking care of your teeth. They may point community members to the dental hygiene clinic. 

 

For Veterans Day in November, students will donate a basket of oral hygiene products to a veterans’ group. They often hold fundraisers to take trips to the State House to meet with lobbyists on issues involving dental hygiene licensure.

 

Jessica Storozuk, of Chicopee, a second-year student, said she loves the dental hygiene program at STCC. “It’s difficult and a lot is covered in a short amount of time,” Storozuk said. “But I think because of that we can give patients optimal care. And it really prepares us to go out into the workforce, because we have so much hands-on experience.”

 

She said the STCC clinic gives students valuable real-world experience “in order to prepare us for what’s really out there.”

 

Why did Storozuk choose a path toward a career in dental hygiene?

 

 “I wanted to do it ever since I was a kid. I had really good experiences at the dentist and I always loved my hygienist,” Storozuk said. “I like the educational aspect of it –  teaching people how to really take care of themselves. It’s healthcare, it’s education. It’s really a well-rounded job.”

 

Anyone interested in services provided by the clinic should call (413) 755-4900. To learn more about the dental hygiene program or how to enroll, call the STCC Admissions office at (413) 755-3333.

 

About Springfield Technical Community College

 

Founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, STCC is a major resource for the economic vitality of Western Massachusetts. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC, an Achieving the Dream Leader College, offers a variety of career programs unequalled in the state. STCC’s highly regarded transfer programs in business, engineering, liberal arts, science and technology continue to provide the most economical options for students pursuing a four-year degree. With an annual enrollment of more than 8,700 day, evening, weekend and online students, STCC is a vibrant campus rich in diversity.

 

For more information about STCC, visit www.stcc.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@S_T_C_C).

 

Media contact: Jim Danko, coordinator of media relations, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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