Dental Hygiene Clinic

Department of Dental Hygiene

The staff and students welcome you to the Fresno City College Dental Hygiene Clinic as a prospective patient.

This clinic is primarily a teaching/learning classroom and treatment is performed by students under the supervision of registered dental hygiene faculty and a licensed dentist. Treatment under instructor supervision requires more time than if performed in a private dental office.

Appointments will require 2-4 hours and for many adults more than one appointment is necessary. You will be selected as a patient only if you are considered suitable as a teaching case. Treatment at our clinic is not a substitute for routine dental examinations by your personal dentist. You may schedule an appointment on a yearly basis, unless a faculty decision is made to the contrary.

Patient acceptability is dependent upon:

Freedom from any medical or dental condition, which would make treatment hazardous to the patient or clinician.
Whether the oral condition is acceptable for student learning.
Cooperation in keeping scheduled clinic appointments.
Ability to accommodate 2-4 hour appointment sessions.

The clinic supervisor reserves the right to refuse or discontinue treatment when indicated. The assessment of the oral condition will determine the type of dental hygiene treatment needed. At the time of the Preliminary Examination, the patient will be scheduled with a student dental hygienist for a prophylaxis (dental cleaning). This second appointment may be on the same day or at a later date depending on the clinic time available.

Non-English speaking patients are required to bring and interpreter with them.

All patients should have regular examinations by their personal dentists annually.

Appointments

Fall Semester Clinic Hours

Tuesday 12pm-4pm & 5pm-9pm
Wednesday 8am-12pm
Thursday 1pm-5pm

Spring Semester Clinic Hours

Tuesday 12pm-4pm & 5pm-9pm
Wednesday 2pm-6pm
Thursday 8am-12pm & 1pm-5pm
Friday 8am-12pm

Preliminary Examination

You can make a Preliminary Examination appointment in person or by calling the Dental Hygiene Clinic at 559.244.2601.
The Preliminary Examination consists of an oral inspection and medical history.
There is no charge for the Preliminary Examination appointment. Allow about 2 hours for this appointment.
Children age 5-17 do not require a Preliminary Examination. A parent or guardian MUST accompany all children during their appointments. A signed medical history form must be completed and written permission must be given prior to any treatment of a minor.
A prophylaxis, fluoride treatment, dental radiographs, sealant placement and other procedures, deemed appropriate as part of comprehensive dental hygiene treatment during the Preliminary Examination, will be initiated at the first treatment appointment.

Treatment Appointments

The fee for dental hygiene therapy will be collected during the first appointment.
Appointments are 2-4 hours in length. For many adults, more than one appointment is necessary.
A student will call a day or two in advance to confirm the appointment. Patients are required to be on time for their appointments. If patients find that they are unable to keep appointments, they agree to notify the student dental hygienist at least 24 hours in advance. A total of TWO cancellations without 24 hours notice, TWO missed appointments, or repeated unsuccessful attempts to arrange for an appointment will be cause to discontinue a patient from further treatment.
If a patient is more than 30 minutes late for an appointment, the student will not be able to see that patient on that day.
Allow 2-4 hours for the treatment appointment.
Additional appointments may be necessary for a patient with a more involved oral condition. Since this is a teaching institution, patients should also be aware that students require more time per appointment than is normally required in private dental offices. No additional fee will be charged for additional appointments, if they are needed to complete the treatment.

Dental Radiographs

Dental radiographs (x-rays) will be taken as determined by the faculty and consulting clinic dentist for dental hygiene assessments, examinations, consultation and treatment. These radiographs may be sent to the patients personal dentist upon request so that the dentist can diagnose any dental problems that may exist. There is a small fee for the duplication of radiographs. Radiographs are part of the permanent dental record in the Dental Hygiene Clinic and are part of a preventive dental care program offered by the Clinic. Current x-rays from your primary dentist and/or request for x-rays can be sent to: dentalhygiene@fresnocitycollege.edu.

FCC Dental Hygiene Faculty, Supervising Dentists & Staff

Program Director

Joanne Pacheco

Full-time Instructors

Linh Bui, Heidi Caetano, Jeanice Howard, Mimi Myers, Fred Thomas

Part-time Instructors

Heather Alvarado, Anita Coronel, Mary Claire Ewing, Cindy Flores, Tamara Kawakami, Jean Kulbeth, Angela Sample-Paige, Ruth Rutledge, Evelyn Schrager, Arvinderpal Sidhu, Arlene Vianello, Martha Warner, A-Ong Xiong

Supervising Dentists

Dr. Paul Ayson, Dr. Abran DeLa O, Dr. Lisa Dunshee, Dr. Ted Falk, Dr. John Fredrick, Dr. Michelle Galeon, Dr. Laine Janzen, Dr. Richard Jennings, Dr. Litah Lin, Dr. Cynthia Titius

Staff

Signy Copeland-Cruz - CTE Laboratory Technician, Fran Hoge - Program Assistant

Notice on Bloodborne Pathogens

Fresno City College Dental Hygiene Program operates in compliance with OSHA’s Blood borne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). This standard is the facilities policy to protect students and healthcare employees from occupationally acquired exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials. Implementation of various methods of exposure control include standard precautions, engineering and work practice controls, protective clothing and equipment, Radiation exposure controls, housekeeping, vaccinations, education and training, and documentation. Should additional information be required, please contact the dental hygiene program 559-244-2601.