Middlesex Community College: MCC To Offer Dental Hygiene Alumni A Preview Of Renovated Clinic

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

3/10/2021

Amid the pandemic, Middlesex Community College continues to offer students, alumni, faculty and staff an opportunity to connect with the college community. As Middlesex is celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout the year, the college has been creative in developing online events and celebrations. MCC’s Alumni Association is collaborating with the Dental Hygiene department to run an event for alumni of the program.

The free event will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 18 and is also open to alumni of MCC’s Dental Assisting program. Participants will have the chance to reconnect with classmates, network with other dental professionals, and learn about the newly renovated Dental Hygiene Clinic.

“The MCC Alumni Association supports alumni by providing a space for alums with shared interests to connect, learn from one another, and remain an integral part of the Middlesex community,” said Amy Lee, MCC’s Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations. “This event offers alums an opportunity to see MCC’s renovated dental hygiene clinic, hear from faculty, and make connections to other alums in the dental hygiene field.”

MCC’s dental clinic on the Lowell campus offers training hours for students while serving the community with a wide range of low-cost comprehensive dental services, including for those who could not otherwise afford the services.

Services go beyond teeth cleaning, including checking blood pressure; providing head, neck and oral cancer screenings; and nutritional counseling. Patients can also receive thorough cleanings, fluoride therapy, x-rays, sealants, cleaning of dentures or partials, custom fit athletic mouth guards and Arestin treatments to treat gum disease.

As the services provide an educational experience for students – and high-quality care for patients – the clinic was in need of updating. The renovation project included 24 new patient treatment rooms, new patient chairs in radiology and a new centralized sterilization center. It also included a revised floor plan that increased compliance with patient privacy laws (HIPAA) and increased accessibility. The dental assisting clinic also received five new treatment areas.

“We are so proud of our new clinic and all the benefits it provides our students and community,” said Karen Townsend, MCC’s Director of Dental Hygiene. “The new clinic optimizes clinician ergonomics and work efficiency, while providing students the opportunity to practice with state-of-the-art equipment such as integrated power driven instruments and intraoral cameras. In addition, the new design allows for significantly improved patient and student privacy.”

The updates have also allowed the department to safely reopen the clinics during the pandemic, according to Townsend. Students and staff can remain apart as they perform services on patients with more division and space between treatment rooms, and stay safe with optimized ventilation and air purification. Calling the renovation “long overdue,” Townsend looks forward to sharing the updated clinic with alumni.

Middlesex received a $499,254 Massachusetts Skill Capital Grant that covered the cost for some of the renovation. To raise funds for the remainder of the project costs, the Middlesex Community College Foundation created an additional fundraising campaign.

“MCC’s SMILE Campaign will support the efforts of the Dental Hygiene, Dental Assisting and Dental Laboratory programs to keep the newly renovated clinic outfitted with the latest tools and resources to keep our students competitive as they enter and continue their dental careers,” said Sherri McCormack, MCC’s Dean of Advancement. “As advancements are made in the dental field, our students will be ready with the educational foundation to become experts in their field.”

Visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/alumni/events.aspx for more information and to register for the free event. To make a donation, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/foundation/donations/ or mail a check to MCC Foundation, P.O. 8681, Lowell, MA 01853 with the SMILE Campaign designation.

MCC is celebrating 50 years! If you have ever taken a class at MCC, you are an alum! To share your story – and join in on the 50th anniversary celebrations – contact Amy Lee, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, at 978-656-3028 or leea@middlesex.mass.edu. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/alumni/ for more information and to join the Alumni Association.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.