The TJC Dental Hygiene Clinic has multiple booths for students to work on patients.

At Tyler Junior College, dental students gain hands-on experience working at the TJC Dental Hygiene Clinic serving patients at lower costs.

The clinic offers services for a one-time fee of $20 for the semester, where 30 students see patients. They are able to see two patients a day, but as they gain experience they can see more patients. The clinic can see 60 patients on clinic days. At most, the clinic sees 200 to 220 patients, including children and adults at the clinic, according to TJC Dental Hygiene Clinic Manager Jennifer Johnson.

“The fee without insurance would be approximately $500,” Johnson said. “We’re only having to pay $20 for that service. So for those who are uninsured, without dental insurance, essentially which is a large population of people, that makes it more attainable.”

The clinic offers dental examinations, including X-rays, periodontal examination and head and neck screening and cleanings. They do not do any major dental work, such as cavities. However, they offer fillings for children. Due to the clinic having students who are learning, the wait time for an appointment may be longer, Johnson said.

“You may spend 45 minutes [to] an hour with a person because they already completed their education, they’re already skilled and so they can do things at a faster pace, but here they’re learning,” Johnson. “So they’re gonna need more time to complete these services. So they need to be willing to stay here for probably three hours in order to get the X-ray examination and the treatment done.”

The application process for students is competitive. In 2023, they received 133 applications as of early February. Students have to take four lab courses before they can apply for the Dental Hygiene Clinic. This is so they are familiar with the anatomy of the mouth, Johnson said.

“That’s a very intimate thing to do to be in someone’s mouth,” Johnson said. “So you do want to learn how to put a patient at ease, provide them with comfort because for a lot of people it is an intimidating process. Definitely a time here to learn that and to understand that grow from that.”

Once they are in the program, they start taking a course together the following summer. The program is two years long. The students are also encouraged to be involved in the community. In the past students have volunteered with the Clinic Under the Bridge program with the University of Texas at Tyler, Johnson said.

Before the clinic moved to the Robert M. Rogers Nursing and Health Sciences Center in 2015, it was located at the George Pirtle Technology Center on the TJC main Campus. The space was smaller, according to Carrie Hobbs, TJC Professor and Department Chair of Dental Studies. Now they have windows and ample space for the students.

“We came out of the dark ages,” said Hobbs.

The services provided help meet the needs of people who are uninsured. Even those with insurance, sometimes cannot afford dental services because the insurance will not cover dental completely. Although the clinic cannot reach everyone, TJC said they hope to help as many as they can.

“If we could get people in before they reach that point, the major issues that happen so that we can help lessen the burden to people when they need to see a dentist,” Johnson said.

To schedule an appointment with the clinic, call 903-510-2342. Their hours for the spring semester are from 8 a.m. — 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and 8 a.m. — 12 p.m. on Thursday.