Dental Hygiene Clinic

Through the expertise of dedicated student dental hygienists, licensed dental hygiene faculty and clinic dentists, the Lansing Community College Dental Hygiene Clinic serves hundreds of people each year.

Learn more about the Dental Hygiene degree program at Lansing Community College.

Interested?

When school is in session, the clinic is typically open Tuesday, Wednesday,  Thursday and Friday. Appointment days will vary per semester. Please call the number below to schedule a dental hygiene patient screening appointment. Screenings are not required for potential patients under age 18 or for those who are current patients of record, who have been seen at the clinic within the past two years.  After your screening, you will be able to schedule your dental hygiene clinic appointments. For more information call the clinic office at (517) 483-1458.

General Clinic Information

The Dental Hygiene Clinic at Lansing Community College offers preventive dental hygiene services to the public.

The program provides dental hygiene care to almost 2,000 people annually.

This care is made possible by the Dental Hygiene Program of the College, which provides education to students for future practice in private dental offices, hospitals, and public health agencies.

The clinic does not provide restorative dentistry (fillings), oral surgery (removal of teeth), orthodontics (braces), or dentures.

Because the Dental Hygiene Program is designed and maintained for teaching procedures, scheduling and dental hygiene services differ from those of a private dental office.

Those accepted for treatment are patients whose dental problems have teaching value and who have the extra time required for treatment. All dental care is performed by student dental hygienists who are carefully supervised by licensed dental hygiene faculty and a clinic dentist. Therefore, the instructors constantly review and evaluate the treatment rendered by the student which affects the length of visits and the number of appointments required.

Before you decide if you wish to be considered for treatment, please read the following information that describes what you may expect as a patient in the Dental Hygiene Clinic.

Becoming a Clinic Patient

As a possible patient, you must first have a dental screening. A dental screening allows the student dental hygienist to secure the necessary dental radiographs. With faculty supervision the student dental hygienist will complete a brief assessment of your oral health needs to ensure that you meet the needs of a teaching institution. A student dental hygienist will be assigned to you that has the skills necessary to care for you.

To schedule a screening appointment, please call (517) 483-1458. Screenings take place in the clinic Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday by appointment only.  Screening appointment days may vary according to the semester.  Due to the educational nature of this clinic, the last 30 minutes of your appointment is allotted for the checkout process.

If an appointment is not immediately available to you following your screening, you will be notified by phone when an appointment becomes available. The length of the wait for this first appointment can be from one to several weeks, depending upon the time in the school year and your individual oral health needs.

Policy on Bloodborne Pathogens and Infectious Disease

LCC Dental Hygiene students are required to treat all patients assigned, regardless of the disease state of the patient. The student is expected to follow standard precautions with all patients. The Americans with Disabilities Act forbids discrimination against patients with HIV; therefore, it is the policy of the LCC Dental Hygiene Program that students are required to treat all patients assigned, regardless of the disease state of the patient. A full copy of the Dental Hygiene's policies on Bloodborne Pathogens and Infectious Disease is available upon request.

Appointments and Services

Your first appointment will begin with a screening examination, to determine which of your dental needs can be met in the Dental Hygiene Clinic.

Screening appointments are necessary for any new patients to the clinic. During the screening appointment patients receive radiographs that are deemed necessary and appropriate for treatment. At that time the patient will have a dental assessment done by the clinical faculty and they will be assigned to a student who has the skills to care for that patient. Fees are to be paid at the screening appointment.

Appointments and Services Continued

A specific plan for your treatment will be explained to you. With the aid of dental radiographs, a faculty member and student will determine your dental condition and recommend a general outline of dental hygiene treatment and a way to complete it. Generally, a complete prophylaxis (teeth cleaning) for a patient who has regular dental care requires a minimum of one to two appointments of two to four hours each.  The actual length of the dental appointments will vary due to: the difficulty of the case, the level of experience of the student, the amount of paperwork required of the dental hygiene student and the instructor’s supervision at different intervals of the actual procedure. Additionally, the last 30 minutes of the appointment is allotted for the check-out process. Please be prepared to spend more time than is necessary in a private dental office.

Patients should arrange an appointment with a dentist of their choice for a comprehensive oral examination and diagnosis following completion of the services provided at this clinic. The dental hygiene clinic does not provide a comprehensive dental exam for patients. Dental radiographs will be taken after review of the medical/dental history.  Need for dental radiographs is approved by the faculty dental hygienist and clinic dentist and is dependent upon the presence or absence of dental decay, gum disease, and frequency of dental visits.

Your radiographs (x-ray pictures) will be mailed or emailed to your dentist (or copies can be mailed to your home address) upon your request. We must have a release signed by the patient on file according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). We require five (5) working days to process and mail your radiographs to your dentist. The patient should expect that their dentist will charge a fee for diagnosing the radiographs and the planning of the patient's treatment based on their findings.  Digital radiographs are emailed through a secure server that is 100% HIPAA compliant.

Payment for Services Rendered

A reasonable fee is charged for all dental hygiene care provided by the Dental Hygiene Clinic. One fee is charged, per preventive series of appointments, regardless of the number of visits required to complete your care. Fees are to be paid at the screening appointment.

Payments may be made by money order, check, credit or debit card. The Dental Hygiene Clinic does not accept or bill private dental insurance or Medicaid.

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Please read our complete statement on your rights and responsibilities as a patient.

Just as your time is valuable, so is that of your student dental hygienist. You can help the student, and speed up your treatment by being available when your presence is required and by arriving promptly for each scheduled appointment. You should plan on spending a minimum of two hours for each visit once treatment has begun.

If you must cancel an appointment, please give 48-hours or more notice by calling the Clinic Reception Office (517) 483-1458.

Appointments will be rescheduled as the schedule allows.

The student's grade is determined by the completion of patients. If you are not available for your scheduled appointment, the student's grade is negatively affected.  Treatment will be discontinued for patients who do not have the required amount of time, or for those who routinely break appointments or do not notify the student or clinic receptionist in advance. Two missed appointments will result in patient suspension of at least one year and possibly longer.

Your cooperation may enhance the students learning experience and will assist with your treatment.

We look forward to providing you with excellent, affordable dental hygiene care.