Students helping underserved populations

Dental hygiene students learning in long-term care facilities

In their last two years of school, students in the Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene degree program are sent to work in alternative practice settings. This past year, these settings included the Cross Cancer Institute, the Edmonton Remand Centre, and various long-term care facilities in Edmonton.

These experiences are intended to broaden the students’ horizons, and challenge the students’ knowledge in the context of unknown situations.

One instructor shared that the rotations show students what they can do beyond the common private-practice model. Interacting with different populations in need is often a new experience for students leaving a large impression on them, which can foster empathy and understanding.

The emotional impact on the students was great, but it also opens a dialogue with the instructors on dealing with these emotions in a clinical setting.

Ieva Mikitanovs, who graduated in June from the Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene program, has seen long-term care facilities from the patient side before coming to school. Her father is paralyzed and has been living in a facility for over ten years.

During her schooling here, she spent time in the facilities as a practitioner and now can see both sides. “I learned that there is need for hygienists as health professionals to be more involved in the care of residents at these facilities.”

She says the experience taught her a lot of soft skills, like communication and relationship building. She looks forward to being in full practice when she has more time to build the relationship.

The class offers students a bevy of unteachable skills (like patient-clinician connection, creative problem solving, and working in sub-optimal situations), and offers care to those populations that may not otherwise receive it.

“I see my future as a Registered Dental Hygienist involving myself in the longterm care setting. My heart is in this community.”

Please note: Due to the risks involved with COVID-19, our Long Term Care Facility Rotations have been suspended until further notice.