Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 6/11/2015
SPRINGFIELD – The rising cost of dental insurance, or lack-thereof, is one reason families today skip going to the dentist. Combine that with pre-existing complications or fears of having work done, and that makes it tough to be in the business of treating patients who are in need of help.
Dental hygiene students at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) are no strangers to the anxiety, fears, and frustrations many patients have when it comes to oral hygiene and visits to the dentist. The students, who undergo the rigorous two-year program to obtain their associate degree, are qualified to help patients navigate through the process of good dental health care and are often on the front-line to overall patient health care. Many patients don’t realize routine cleanings are as important as visiting their primary care physicians, as oral hygiene is the window to their overall health care.
“We educate our students not just for a career, but also to provide outreach services to our community,” STCC Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene Michelle Sirois said. “Dental hygienists have a long history of supporting access to care and being a part of the health care profession that is truly focused on prevention as its core foundation. We play a key role in the delivery of health care services to prevent and help treat disease while it’s still manageable.”
As part of their training, students must work on a number of patients with a variety of dental issues in the STCC dental hygiene clinic, which is conveniently located on the STCC campus in Building 20. The clinic, which is open to the public, offers a full range of dental hygiene services to the community and is overseen by licensed dentists and hygienists. Services offered range from routine cleanings, sealants, chemotherapeutic placement, tooth whitening, dietary assessment/nutritional counseling, x-rays, deep scaling also known as root planning and scaling and much more.
For those patients with dental insurance, reimbursement paperwork can be submitted after treatment. But for those who do not have insurance, the clinic is a cost-effective way to get the treatment they need. The one-time fee patients pay for their services is all they pay so there’s no further billing once they’ve walked out the door. And the quality of care and services provided mirror what a local dental office would provide.
“Our students are trained to provide the highest level of excellence in dental hygiene care,” Sirois said. “Area dentists are constantly seeking our graduates.”
Christine Bertoncelli, 30, of Agawam, is one of those sought-after soon-to-be graduates. Despite starting the program while 9-months pregnant with her son, her hard work and determination to do well in the program has paid off.
“When I applied to the program, I had just found out I was pregnant,” Bertoncelli said. “My husband said, ‘just go for it.’ And I honestly think it made me even more motivated to stick with it and move forward with my education. At first I felt a little like a fish out of water, but with all the guidance from my instructors I settled in.”
Bertoncelli said she had always been fascinated with the dental hygiene profession. While starting such a demanding program with a newborn might deter some people from moving forward, Bertoncelli said it made her even more determined to do well and taught her valuable lessons in time management.
“It really made me focus,” Bertoncelli said. “With having a child, I really needed to manage my time wisely.”
She studied every chance she could – carving out time during the day and during middle of the night feedings in order to stay on top of all her assignments. And her hard work has paid off. Bertoncelli will graduate from the program this month.
In addition to the work Bertoncelli and her classmates do in the STCC dental clinic, they also participate in area outreach programs to help educate the community about dental health care and preventative measures as well as how nutrition impacts their oral care. Seniors are required to participate in external site visits and frequent area veteran and health care centers.
“We want our students to leave the program completely confident and competent as they enter the challenging, yet rewarding, workforce,” Sirois said. “The clinic is fully equipped with all the latest technology in the field, including digital radiographs. We also have more aggressive cancer screenings and hands-on training thanks to the STCC SIMS Medical Center. We’re as progressive as possible thanks to the new technology we’ve added.”
The STCC dental hygiene program is one of the school’s “competitive” programs – grades are paramount and prerequisites for the program are substantial.
“Our students need to be able to juggle multiple science classes and manage their time effectively to be successful in this program,” Sirois said. “They also need to be ready to dedicate themselves fully to the program for two years.”
The intense training and externships the students complete ensure they are highly prepared to take their board exams for licensure. And the services they provide at the clinic while pursuing their degree are an invaluable service to the community-at-large.
For those who are interested in services provided by the clinic, contact 755-4900. To learn more about the dental hygiene program or how to enroll, contact the STCC admissions office at 755-3333.