MohaveWire

The dental hygiene program began four years ago at Mohave Community College, but graduating well-trained hygienists to fill the needs of Mohave County dental offices hasn’t been the only benefit of the program. Working closely with patients has produced side benefits, program director Tracy Gift said. Students and teaching faculty in the program have identified a large number of dental and unrelated ailments and diseases among their patients in those four years, she said.

The dental hygiene program has been involved in community outreach events since its inception. It has provided free checkups, reduced-cost treatments, free cleanings and sealant treatments for children as well as education for residents of the county at various local events. While the program is based on the Henry Campus - Bullhead City, students, instructors and program officials have been involved with events and seen residents from the Kingman and Lake Havasu City service areas as well.

“Many medical problems, including diabetes, leukemia and the more-obvious oral cancer, can be identified through a comprehensive oral exam,” Gift said. “Students have also referred patients to specialists, and that has resulted in confirmed cases of malignant skin and mouth cancers. We have also referred many cases of high blood pressure and suspected diabetes to patients’ regular physicians.

“Most skin cancers and some other visible problems are often obvious, so most patients take care of those by themselves,” she said. “But the tricky ones are diabetes and high blood pressure because people just don’t know. They think they are fine, but they’re not.”

The dental hygiene program annually holds its “Give Kids a Smile Day” in February, conducts its year-round sealant program on Mohave County school children in second and sixth grades and conducts education programs in nursing homes, at Head Start schools and public schools for all ages. The program has been represented at community events, including Winterfest in Lake Havasu City, and the dental hygiene students provide fluoride varnishes as part of Mohave County Health Department immunization clinics.

Schools in Mohave County that have been a part of the sealant program include: Cerbat and Palo Christi elementary schools in Kingman and Coyote Canyon, Mohave Valley and Topock elementary schools in Bullhead City and Mohave Valley. Those projects are underwritten by the Delta Dental Foundation and the BHHS Legacy Foundation.

New patients are always welcomed by the dental hygiene students. Community members can be seen in the dental clinic for preventive services such as cleanings and non-surgical treatment of gum disease under the observation of supervising dentists and hygienists - at a much reduced rate.

For more information about the dental program, contact Gift at (928) 704-7793. For more information about the clinic and reduced-cost treatments, call (928) 704-7788.

Cutline:
Two MCC dental hygiene students work on an elementary school student during “Give Kids a Smile Day,” an annual event within the college program, held in February.