By Michael Pineda
mpineda@cherryroad.com
National Children’s Dental Month in February is a perfect reminder that low-cost dental cleanings are an option at SouthernTech.
The Oklahoma College of Dentistry on campus offers daily and deep cleanings along with x-rays, sealants, fluoride and whitening at a cost of $30. Cleaning service for children is available for $10. It should also be emphasized that the clinic does not perform rehabilitation work.
“We perform routine cleanings and advanced cleanings that address gum disease,” said Dental Hygiene Coordinator Christy McCullers. “And fluoride placement, nutritional advice, smoking cessation, things like that.”
McCullers said the benefit of being a patient is that it’s cheap. The $30 fee covers all services offered. An advanced cleaning in a private office can cost up to $1,200 alone. The downside is that it is time consuming. He emphasized that it is a learning atmosphere and the work is double checked.
“Appointments are three hours long and you’re going to be here three hours,” McCullers said. “It may take several appointments, even if it’s an easy task, because they’re here to learn. We teach them the whole big picture.”
This includes examining your medical history. It is complete but the price is right. McCullers added that it can be difficult to get in.
“Even though we benefit the community, they won’t graduate if they don’t qualify,” he said. “If you come in and you’re an easy case, you have almost no stone or calculus and they need these advanced cases. I can’t schedule you because they won’t graduate. It can be hard to get in, but we’re trying really hard to reach everyone.”
Students also do a lot of community service for local nonprofits and organizations throughout the year.
The clinic is closed during the summer and hours average 9am. to 4 p.m., but some days it can be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or even 9 a.m. until noon.
History of dental school
The dental school opened its campus at SouthernTech which opened in 2004. It is a degree program offered through the University of Oklahoma and Southern Tech. Students completed 60 hours of prerequisite courses before applying to the program. If selected, the student has completed the last two years and receives a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene.
The school began seeing students in the spring of 2005. The program at SouthernTech consists of six first-year students and six sophomores. There are plans to expand it for eight students.
“It’s mainly because we have a lot of people in rural areas who come to us looking for hygienists,” McCullers said. “Dental college dean wants to boost numbers statewide.”
In addition to SouthernTech, the dental college has classes of 24 students in Oklahoma City at the OU Medical Center complex, 12 students in Bartlesville and six in each class in Weatherford.
“It’s very competitive,” he said. “Of those 48 spots we have now, we usually get 150 applications and it’s very GPA heavy. We have rejected 4.0.”
Coverage of regional need
McCullers has been with the program since 2004. During that time, she has seen the school go through a renovation while also helping fill a regional need for dentists. He said the purpose of opening the program at Southern Tech was to recruit people to work in southern Oklahoma.
He said the school is focused on filling the class with people from either the SouthernTech area or the region. However, it is weighted in the GPA. After graduation, students must complete three licensing exams in order to be licensed by the state. They include a clinical board, a written national board, and an exam covering state laws.
“For the most part, most of them live in rural Oklahoma, but they’re all working and doing very well,” McCullers said. “Initially, we were worried that we would see wages start to fall as there is a lot more availability now, but they are not. Every year the benefits increase. You used to not see much benefit in dental hygiene, but now it’s getting better. See also 401 K.”
McCullers said the average salary for a graduate is up to $40 an hour. Some make $50 an hour and there are some who make $35 an hour.
Additional opportunities
The Oklahoma Mission of Mercy, which is an annual two-day free clinic designed to meet the needs of children and adults who are either uninsured, underinsured or do not have access to oral health care, will be held February 9-10. at Great Plains Coliseum in Lawton.
Services will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis from 9am. In addition to cleanings, there will also be extractions, root canals in the front teeth. Visit okmom.org for additional information.
Ardmore Cleaning and Services
To schedule a cleaning in Ardmore, call 580-224-8241 to schedule a free exam. It lasts 30 minutes and is free.
We will contact patients to schedule an appointment. No screening appointment is required for a child, but the child must be accompanied by an adult.
