Kristina Sprague, an instructor in the dental program, shows off clinic equipment. Alisa Chmerenko | Washtenaw Voice
Alice McGuire
Contributor
Looking to save money at the dentist? The WCC dental clinic is back and offers affordable options for cleanings, X-rays, and more.
“I always liked going to the dentist. I think a lot of people in dentistry do,” said Kristina Sprague, an instructor in the dental program, upon being asked why she was drawn to dentistry which she described as a blend of “art and engineering.”
The dental clinic offers basic treatments, such as radiographs, simple fillings and cleanings, provided by WCC dental assisting students and third year students from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
But Sprague hesitates to call it “just” a cleaning.
“People look at it as just a cleaning–where it is kind of a preventative measure to see what’s going on and get that bacteria cleaned up as much as possible,” she said.
Keiana Armstead, a student who is more than halfway through WCC’s dental assisting program, said that going to the dentist as a kid is where it all started.
“I love it here,” she said.
The WCC Dental Clinic assists patients in starting their journey to better oral health and finding their “dental home,” said Jodi Neuman, another dental instructor.
“The reason we start off small is because our clinic is open two days a week,” she said. “We only get such a short time to see patients and restore their oral cavity. So we only take on smaller projects to make sure that we can complete their care and give them what we need in the time frame in which we’re open.”
The dental clinic starts patients out with X-rays, or an exam before referring them to a private practice or to someplace like the University of Michigan School of Dentistry to complete more complex work for them.
“We treat dentistry as whole body health,” said Neuman. “If we can’t do something for them, we make sure that we can get them to a place that can. We want our patients to be healthy and as happy as possible.”
The dental clinic also educates about oral health.
