Dancing His Way to Oral Health at Middlesex Community College

Growing up in a low-income family that moved all over the country, having no health or dental insurance and lacking knowledge of the importance of dental care caught up to Richard Peebles when he was 21 years old.

“I went to the dentist for the first time in eight years and had to have a scaling and root planning procedure (aka deep cleaning) due to the accumulation of bacteria that had caused the beginning signs of bone loss,” he said. “I had to pay $1,000 out-of-pocket for this deep cleaning — after that, I began to brush, floss and research dentistry.”

At that time, Peebles had a career as a professional dancer, having attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia for two years on a full-talent scholarship and spending a summer at Alvin Ailey’s Dance School. He had also worked in restaurant management, but was unfulfilled professionally.

“That difficult experience at the dentist made me think about how I could help others with dental education,” he said. “I wanted to teach others how to brush and floss so they wouldn’t end up in the same boat as me.”

He danced into the dental field by earning a certificate in Dental Assisting from Everest College in 2010 and worked as a dental assistant until 2016 when he quit that job to enroll in Middlesex Community College’s Dental Hygiene Program.

Peebles chose MCC because he knew two alumni of the program who spoke highly of the experience. Living closer to Boston than Lowell at the time, he was concerned about the commute, but the cost difference of $8,000-10,000 less per year at MCC than at a school in Boston sealed the deal.

“MCC saved me so much money for the same ­– if not better – education,” he said.

The highlights of that education, Peebles said, were having a dental clinic on campus that gives students the experience of working in the real world, participating in community outreach and working in harmony with other students in study groups.

The MCC Dental Hygiene Clinic provides low-cost dental procedures and education to MCC students, faculty and the community-at-large, serving more than 600 patients in the 2018-2019 academic year.

“MCC keeps such high standards in the clinic, it is hard to see it any other way now that I am in the community working,” Peebles said. “I have instituted changes in both offices I have worked in because the MCC dental clinic has such high standards — they taught us the right way a clinic should run.”

The community outreach program allowed Peebles to work with elementary school students in Lowell, patients at Tewksbury State Hospital and inmates at the Billerica House of Corrections.

“These challenging situations take you away from the comfort of the MCC dental clinic and help you understand the other aspects of dentistry,” he said. “There are many ways you can provide dental services without being in a dental office. MCC and the outreach program helped me see dentistry in a different way and many different paths for my career.”

Peebles said the array of support services offered to students helped keep him on track.

“From tutors to counselors to fun events, the school offers so many additional aids for students, especially those who are struggling,” he said. “I realized at MCC the education process is not just black and white — there are many ways to learn and educate.”

Peebles graduated from MCC in 2018. At 33 years old, he is a dental hygienist for an Aspen Dental office in Gloucester that opened earlier this year.

What is the most important dental advice Peebles can give?

“Floss, floss, floss!” he said. “The food that gets in-between our teeth cannot be removed even if we have an amazing electric toothbrush that we are using 12 times a day. If you had dirt all over your hands and you washed your hands with your fingers closed, once you dried them and opened your fingers, you would still have dirt between your fingers. If we look at teeth the same way, we may be better off.”

Visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/dentalprograms/ for more information on MCC’s Dental Programs, including Dental Hygiene, Dental Assisting and Dental Lab Technology.

MCC is still registering for Summer Session 3 and the Fall 2020 semester – featuring expanded online options. For more information visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration or call 1-800-818-3434 to register.

MCC is celebrating its 50th year starting in September 2020. If you have ever taken a class at Middlesex, you are an alumni! To join us in celebrating – and to share your story – 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.

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!