Dental Hygiene Clinic

SFSC’s Dental Hygiene Clinic is located in Building T, Highlands Campus. The facility provides private treatment to the public and is handicapped accessible. The clinic is primarily a teaching and learning classroom, where dental hygiene students practice to become competent professionals. Services are performed by students under direct supervision of a licensed dentist and licensed dental hygienists and may proceed at a slower pace than at a licensed dentist’s office. Student/instructor interaction requires many stopping points but also assures your treatment meets the highest standards of care. As a patient, you should expect your appointment to take up to three hours, and it may take more than one appointment to complete needed treatment.  

Patients are assured of receiving the highest standards of care.

Service is by appointment only. For more information, call the front desk: 863-784-7020. If you must cancel for any reason, please give us a 24-hour notice so that the student can find another patient. They depend on treating a patient every session to complete graduation requirements. Two missed appointments result in discontinuation of treatment.

Services Provided

The Dental Hygiene Clinic provides the preventive services dental hygienists typically perform.

Examples of treatment provided in the clinic:

• Comprehensive oral exam
• Oral Hygiene Therapy for adults and children-scaling and polishing
• Dental and Periodontal Charting
• Fluoride Treatment
• X-rays – full mouth, bite-wing, and panoramic
• Sealant applications
• Oral appliances – custom fluoride trays, night guards, bleaching trays
• Tobacco cessation and nutritional counseling

The clinic does not provide services that are legally required to be performed by a licensed dentist, such as extractions, fitting and making dentures, fillings, and crowns. The clinic is not intended to be a patient’s primary oral care giver. Patients should continue to see their regular dentist for routine check-ups.

Payment is expected in full on the first appointment. Cash and checks are accepted.

Eligibility

All patients over the age of 18 must be screened prior to appointment with a student for treatment. Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before your appointment to complete needed paper work. The student provider and instructor will decide together how much deposit is present on your teeth and determine if you will require x-rays or other ancillary procedures. Your name and contact information will be placed on a list, determined by level of difficulty, for students to appoint when they are in need of a patient with your status. It may take anywhere from one week to several months to be called for an appointment, depending on the level of difficulty. No fee is charged for a screening appointment.

Acceptability and treatment continuance is also dependent on:

• Cooperation in keeping scheduled clinic appointments
• Ability to accommodate long appointments in your daily schedule
• Oral status that is a good learning experience for the student
• Absence of any medical condition that would make treatment unsafe for you or the student

The clinic director reserves the right to refuse or discontinue treatment when indicated.

• Dental Hygiene Clinic Policies
• Patient Bill of Rights
• Consent for Treatment

Blood-borne Pathogens and OSHA Requirements

Students are taught to adhere to the OSHA standards for infection control and disease prevention. They are required to wear masks/shields, gloves and goggles and you can expect to see plastic barriers covering anything you may come in contact with during treatment. Patients are also required to wear safety goggles when the student is working in the mouth. 

Students may be exposed to hazardous materials, bloodborne pathogens, infectious diseases, and ionizing radiation. Program policies are in place to protect the student and patient from harm. The curriculum provides specific instruction on taking standard precautions; wearing gloves, masks, goggles and protective clothing to protect from infectious diseases. Students also follow safety procedures to minimize the risk associated with the use of x-ray machines.

Child Patients

A parent or legal guardian MUST accompany children during their appointments. Consent for Treatment, Medical History, and Treatment Plan all must be signed before the student can proceed with treatment of a minor. Through the generosity of the Highlands County Hospital Board, all preventive treatment performed on patients under the age of 18 and a Highlands County resident, is billed to a grant and is of no cost to the parent or guardian.

Hours