Several years ago Joyce Conover decided to check out the dental hygiene services offered by Dixie State College students.
Since then, Conover, of Santa Clara, has gone several times and said each time has been a positive experience. Plus, with no dental insurance, the savings also help.
"Dental care can be expensive and the students do a good job," Conover said. "It's important to me to put that effort into my teeth. You only get one set and you've got to take care of them."
Conover is right on both counts. Dental care is expensive especially if you don't have insurance and dental care and health is important.
Karmen Aplanalp, director of the Dixie State College dental hygiene program said continued studies show that poor dental care impacts the health of the entire body.
"Gum disease and heart disease are intertwined, and diabetes and gum disease go hand in hand," Aplanalp said. "Studies have also shown that poor dental hygiene in pregnant women is directly related to low birth weight babies and pre-term babies."
Unfortunately, across Utah, dental care visits are low and toothw decay is high.
Bloomington dentist Chris Neilson said the high rate of tooth decay in the state, which is higher than neighboring states, is due to the lack of fluoride in the water.
Any trace amount of fluoride in the water is not enough to help form adult teeth Neilson said.
"It's always said that there is a natural amount of fluoride out of the water sources," Neilson said. "But it's not at a level that it has to be for the needs of kids."
Neilson said, in his opinion, younger children are underserved in Southern Utah because of the lack of dental insurance. Consequently, cleaning and dental care is not as regular as it should be.
Aplanalp said in 2006, the dental hygiene program acquired a mobile clinic that had been a dream of hers and Gordon Jennings, the previous director of the program who passed away the same year the mobile clinic started.
Since the mobile clinic started, Aplanalp said about 200 school children each year are served and their treatment paid by grant money received.
The mobile clinic, equipped with a wheelchair lift and outfitted with four work areas, also goes to rehabilitation centers and nursing homes.
In addition, the students involved in the dental hygiene program operate clinics twice a week providing dental services at a fraction of the cost of a regular dental visit.
Since the college started the dental program 10 years, the program has expanded and recently moved into a new facility said Aplanalp.
From 2002 until June of this year, the program was run on campus with 14 chairs. Before that, from 1998 until 2002, Aplanalp said the clinic was run out of local dentist offices.
Now, the dental hygiene program is located behind the Dixie Regional Medical Center River Road Campus and has expended to include 24 chairs and a bachelor's degree program.
Conover said she goes into the school's hygiene clinic for regular checkups which includes x-rays, cleanings and evaluation and although it takes a little more time because students are performing the work, said it is worth it.
"The students strive to be the best they can be," Conover said. "It (a cleaning) may take a little longer but they do a good job."
The dental program has the latest equipment including a digital panoramic x-ray machine which Aplanalp said is so new, that only about 50 percent of the dentists locally have one. The mobile clinic is also equipped with a digital panoramic x-ray machine.
Since the program moved to its new location with additional chairs, more students can be accepted each year
Aplanalp said the dental hygiene students spend the first year and a half taking prerequisite science courses and once completed, apply for the program.
This fall, the college also started a bachelor's degree program which requires one more year of school and is done completely on-line.
With a shortage of hygienists in most areas of the country, Aplanalp said it makes a good career for those who want to be hygienists and the job provides good pay and flexible hours.
Because overall health is impacted and starts with dental health, both Neilson and Aplanalp strongly advise early dental care for children that includes fluoride, learning how to brush and floss properly and trips to the dentist.
"Tooth decay is a huge issue and leads to abbesses if left untreated and is extremely painful," Aplanalp said. Neilson said that teeth sealants also help by providing a barrier and help protect the teeth from decay caused by bacteria.
Applied to the pre-molars, the coating helps protect the groves in the back molars and helps reduce decay on the back teeth.
Neilson said the sealant doesn't prevent decay but helps along with good dental practices.
Children also should be seen on a regular basis by a dentist, even when they are young and have only a few teeth. Neilson said it is very important to bring children in for a checkup if there is any discoloration of the teeth.
Older adults may have problems with periodontal disease and Neilson cautions that medications may also impact dental health.
A dry mouth leads to higher bacterial counts which leads to decay, Neilson said who volunteers at the Doctor's Free Clinic providing free dental care for qualifying patients.
For those without insurance, the college dental program provides many services at greatly reduced rates and Neilson said the community has an opportunity for dental care with that program.
Neilson also feels at state run program is also needed to make sure children get the proper dental care since it impacts the whole body.
Aplanalp said dental care is very much linked to overall general health and a poor, unhealthy mouth leads to poor overall health.
Conover said going to the school may not be for everyone since it does involve extra time but she said she always has a positive experience there and knows the importance of dental health.
"My teeth are really important to me," she said.source
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