New dental hygiene program to start in January

North Idaho College is partnering with Heritage Health to launch a new two-year dental hygiene program to start in January.

“Historically, when I first moved to North Idaho, there was talk then, and that was 22 years ago,” director Janis McClelland said. “The community, the community dentists, really wanted to have a dental hygiene program here in our own area since we always have to depend on dental hygienists that have just moved here that have gone to school in other states or in the lower part of the state which is where our other two programs are.”

Janis McClelland, director of the new dental hygiene program, said she is excited for the start. “It feels really real now,” McClelland said. “I’m ordering their instruments and getting things ready for orientation day.” Courtesy photo.

Students who complete the program will receive an AA in dental hygiene and be eligible for the national exam to become a registered dental hygienist. The program also requires two semesters of prerequisites.

“We’ve had a lot of interest,” McClelland said.

Courses will be mostly online and hybrid, with labs on NIC campus as well as LCSC in Lewiston. There will be 10 students accepted into the program on NIC’s campus as well as five students on NIC’s program at LCSC. Students will also be working on patients in the clinic at Heritage Health.

“We’re very excited to be partnering with North Idaho College,” the Coeur d’Alene Clinic Director for Heritage Health, Bill Davenport said. “In addition to our space, our staff will be contributing their expertise and knowledge to NIC students. Creating a pipeline of potential employees is a bonus for us and this is about helping our community partner.”

Dental hygiene students will use the clinic in the evenings to get first-hand experience. The clinic will be open to the community at varying hours but usually around 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., McClelland said.

“It’ll be at a very reduced fee,” McClelland said. “As a patient of an NIC dental hygiene student, you actually are paying a little bit with your time.”

Services will include radiographs, head and neck oral cancer exams, periodontal assessments and periodontal treatment in addition to cleanings and polishing, fluoride and desensitizing treatments, dental sealants, sports guards and a complete dental examination under the watch of a supervising dentist.

McClelland said to allot more time than normal for the services.

“Our process will take much longer as they [the students] are checked off in different points because of it being an educational setting,” McClellend said.

McClellend said the program is still looking to hire instructors but have come a far way since she came on board in 2019.

Christy Doyle, Dean of Instruction for the workforce education programs, said they first received a grant in 2014 to launch the dental hygiene program.

“We had several challenges with trying to find a dental clinic and with the CODA, the accreditation body,” Doyle said.

In 2016 they started working on the curriculum which McClellend took over.

 “It is very exciting,” McClellend said. “All the effort that many people have put into place. So for me to step in where I did is just really exciting to watch it come together. We’ve got a lot of work to do between now and January but we can get it done.”

Heritage Health is located at 1090 West Park Place, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.