Among the many community services offered at KCC are those of the KCC Dental Hygiene Clinic, where future dental hygienists get hands-on training by working with actual patients at reduced costs.
KCC Dental Hygiene students spend their first semester practicing on mannequins, models and student partners before moving to actual patients for the rest of the two-year training program. The student clinic offers dental exams and cleanings to patients from the community through scheduled appointments.
The clinic serves approximately 60 patients a week during the fall semester, when it’s open three days per week, and 100 a week during the spring semester, when it’s generally open Monday through Friday.
Dr. David Smith, director of Dental Hygiene Education at KCC, said the clinic is “the heart of the Dental Hygiene Program’s educational experience.”
“Clinical experience is the most important thing,” Smith said. “That’s what employers are going to be looking for: the skills that they learn in the clinic. Their patient treatment, the way that they take X-rays, their patient communication, all of it. Students are trained in the clinic.”
Because the students are learning, there is a time commitment involved; appointments are generally scheduled for two to four hours.
Smith said in addition to serving the general public, the clinic also has partnerships with other community organizations to provide additional learning experiences for students, including Grace Health in Battle Creek and the Fountain Clinic in Marshall, which both refer patients to KCC for dental treatment.
KCC also blocks off time to offer free dental care for Michigan Youth Challenge Academy cadets, and participates in treatment-related outreach with organizations including Harper Creek High School’s Athletics Department, Haven of Rest Ministries, Marian E. Burch Adult Day Care Center and Stars and Stripes Learning Station.
“Most of our patients are uninsured or underinsured, and they come here to save money on their cleaning, exam and X-rays,” Smith said. “Our services are very valuable to the community.”
First-year Dental Hygiene student Jordyn Puckett, of Springfield, said the clinical training is important because it offers hands-on training that allows them to perfect their skills so they can confidently provide safe and effective treatment for their patients.
“It’s also set up as a dental office, so we get used to using new dental equipment and get a feel for actually working in the position after graduation,” Puckett said.
Among her favorite parts of clinical instruction is the constant feedback from professors, an element echoed by second-year student Madeline Kipke, of Adrian.
“My experience in the KCC Dental Hygiene Program has been nothing short of amazing,” Kipke said, noting that her favorite part about clinical instruction is the faculty. “All of our Dental Hygiene instructors genuinely care about our well-being and want us to succeed. I am so thankful to be a part of the graduating class of 2025 and I’m so excited to start my career in May.”
For more information about KCC’s Dental Hygiene Program or the College’s Dental Hygiene Clinic, visit kellogg.edu/dental. To schedule an appointment at the clinic, call 269-565-2008.
KCC Dental Clinic Services
The KCC Dental Hygiene Clinic offers services to children and adults for the fees listed below.
- Cleaning and Fluoride
- Adult: $25
- Child (17 and under): $15
- Sealants (per tooth): $5
- Athletic Mouth Guard: $15
- Custom Fluoride Tray: $15
- Custom Whitening Tray: $15
- Dental X-Rays
- Individual Films: $2
- Bitewing Series: $8
- Full-Mouth Series: $20
- Panograph: $20
Please note: The KCC Dental Hygiene Clinic does not accept Medicaid or bill insurance companies. Payments for the above services are due at time of service. There is a one-time registration fee of $4 for all new patients and former patients who have not received treatment at the clinic for three or more years.
This article first appeared in the December 2024 edition of BruIN magazine. To read the issue online, please visit kellogg.edu/bruinmagazine.