STCC offering cost-effective resource to receive dental care

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Springfield Technical Community College is looking for patients to stop by their dental hygiene clinic on-campus.

“We are a fantastic resource for Springfield and the surrounding communities,” said STCC Associate Professor Darlene O’Brien.

A dental hygiene clinic at STCC is helping students gain real world experience while also providing a cost-effective resource to the community. O’Brien said the clinic offers routine dental treatments to patients at a low cost.

“If access to care is an issue due to finances, this would be an affordable option for them,” O’Brien added.

No insurance is needed and most services are a one-time fee of $35. O’Brien told Western Mass News that includes a cleaning or deep cleaning and x-rays, as well as dental exam, fluoride treatments, and more. In addition to the low cost for patients, the clinic allows future hygienists to gain proper training and credits towards their schooling.

“They need live patients to train on and so it’s wonderful to have patients come in and help with that,” O’Brien noted.

She said the services they provide are more important now than ever.

“A lot of people didn’t seek treatment during COVID, so there’s a backlog of patients. Sometimes, patients are having a difficulty getting into an office,” O’Brien added.

STCC’s dental hygiene program just celebrated its fiftieth year in September, but O’Brien said more people in the community need to know about the clinic, especially those who may still be fearful about COVID-19.

“We wear mask the entire time, but that were treating patients here as do anything to offices and again cleaning very thoroughly in between so it’s a very safe environment for patients to come…We are very thorough with watching our students training our students to get to that point and then watching them there watch the whole time,” O’Brien said.

You can CLICK HERE for clinic hours and information on how to book an appointment.

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