Dental clinics accepting reservations

Illinois Valley Community College’s Dental Assisting program will once again offer free and reduced-cost dental clinics for IVCC students, staff and the community.

Clinics are 8 a.m. to noon Fridays Jan. 27 through May 5 (excluding Feb. 24, March 3 and 10) in the new Dental Health Center on the main floor of G building (upper floor of gymnasium). Please note this is a new location from previous clinics.

To schedule an appointment, call (815) 224-0227 or email ivccdentalassisting@ivcc.edu.

Screening days for new patients only are Jan. 27 and Feb. 3 and include x-rays, a comprehensive exam, treatment plans and oral hygiene instruction. Recommended treatment will be scheduled.

Treatments are free for IVCC students and employees and qualifying patients are charged $30. The May 6 clinic is school exams.

The clinics do not provide any oral surgery, removable or fixed prosthetics (dentures/partials), orthodontic procedures or prescribe any medications.

IVCC Dental Assisting students have taken courses such as “Getting Ahead of the Next Stage of the COVID-19 Crisis” as well as “Interim Dental Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for the COVID 19 Response.”

Faculty, staff, students and volunteering dentists follow proper CDC guidelines and wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Dental assisting program coordinator Heather Seghi said, “Our students are excited to start clinics to hone their skills and provide exceptional care to our community in our brand-new clinic completed in August.

“Students are required to see a specific number of patients to meet graduation requirements, so reliable patients are desired as there is not time for rescheduling missed or canceled appointments.

“We do have outside resources for those unable to have the cleaning completed in our clinic, and we are happy to help in any way we can to ensure they receive the best care,” Seghi added.

IVCC’s $1.2 million dental assisting and hygiene lab opened in August.