ST. GEORGE – Dixie State University’s Dental Hygiene program, in conjunction with The Learning Center for Families, will be conducting a special oral health clinic this Friday, from 1-4 p.m., at the DSU Mervyn and Sue Cox Dental Hygiene Clinic. The clinic is housed on the first floor of the DSU Russell C. Taylor Health Science Center located on the Dixie Regional Medical Center’s River Road campus at 1526 Medical Center Drive.
DSU’s Dental Hygiene students, through its Outreach Program, hold a special clinic with TLC twice each semester. According to DSU dental hygiene program director and assistant professor Patricia Wintch, the purpose of the TLC clinic is to provide free screening exams, x-rays, cleanings, fluoride and patient education, all of which are provided by DSU students, under the supervision of DSU dental hygiene faculty. In order for families to participate in the program, they must commit to having dental screening examinations for the entire family.
“We have partnered with TLC for many years and they have provided our students with a wide variety of patients,” Wintch said. “The clinic includes the entire family, everything from screening babies for bottle mouth decay, to periodontal treatment for the parents.”
TLC representatives schedule the patients and provide transportation to the clinic for families, in addition to providing child care and Spanish-speaking translators, Wintch said.
“We have found that the lack of transportation and time are big concerns facing many in our community,” Wintch said. “Another concern facing our community is lack of financial means to be able to afford preventative dental services. We have found that many working parents do not have the transportation nor the time off of work to take their children to get dental services.”
About DSU’s Dental Hygiene Outreach Program and Mobile Dental Hygiene Clinic
In recognition of DSU’s Dental Hygiene Outreach Program’s continued community service efforts in making Utah a healthier place to live, the program was recently selected as one of 25 Utah nonprofit organizations honored by SelectHealth.
DSU’s program was presented with a $2,500 grant award by SelectHealth on May 1, to further the Outreach Program’s mission of providing dental hygiene services to the uninsured and underserved population of Washington and Kane Counties.
The funding is utilized in services performed in Dixie State’s Mobile Dental Hygiene Clinic. Christened in 2006, DSU’s Mobile Dental Hygiene Clinic, has four operatories on board, which allows students to perform many preventative services under the supervision of Dental Hygiene Faculty. The preventative services include oral screenings, prophylaxis, x-rays, sealants and oral hygiene education.
The mobile clinic is used to reach transportation-limited populations of southwestern Utah, including visits to qualifying elementary school children, the Paiute reservation, rest homes, and various community health centers. All services are provided through the mobile clinic are to populations 100-200 percent below the poverty level.
“Many in the population we serve are unable to afford many basic preventative dental services,” Wintch said. “The need is great. We have many requests for our dental hygiene services throughout our community.”
Event details and contact information
- When: Friday, Nov. 1, from 1-4 p.m.
- Where: DSU’s Mervyn and Sue Cox Dental Hygiene Clinic located on the first floor of the Russell C. Taylor Health Science Center on the Dixie Regional Medical Center’s River Road campus, 1526 Medical Center Drive, St. George.
- Contact: Patricia Wintch – 435-879-4904 or [email protected]
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