Century College in White Bear Lake has received a $100,000 grant from 3M and a $30,000 grant from Delta Dental to establish a community dental clinic at the college.

The clinic not only will deliver quality dental care to members of the public at reduced rates, but it also will train dental hygienists and assistants so they can be certified to perform expanded functions such as placing and carving fillings.

ìThese grants will help us purchase equipment and supplies and develop curriculum,î said Linda Jorgenson, director of dental hygiene for Century College. ìWe are enormously grateful to 3M and Delta Dental for their generosity and their foresight.î
Mary Morales, dental hygiene instructor at Century, said a growing number of people do not have access to dental care. Poor dental health, she said, can affect a personís life in some really dramatic ways.

ìIf people do not have a dentist, they can come to the college and we will provide care,î said Morales. ìWe anticipate seeing some people who have never been to a dentist before.î

The restorative and expanded-functions training for hygienists and assistants will be provided through Centuryís non-credit Continuing Education/Customized Training department, which has established the Century College Dental Institute. To be certified by the State of Minnesota in these expanded functions, hygienists and assistants must complete 64 hours of lab and clinical training.

The Century College community dental clinic will serve people on two Saturdays per month, and possibly more often in the summer. In addition to Century staff members, volunteer dentists and volunteer hygienists and assistants also will serve patients. They will provide a full range of dental care, including treating cavities.

It is anticipated that the clinic will open next summer and the new expanded-function course also will begin at that time.

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