Dental hygiene program students (from left) Kailee Rogers, Jacqueline Morrow and Djeneba Bocoum are practicing dental laser techniques on various food items including hot dogs, chicken wings, carrots and tomatoes. This simulates the different textures and thicknesses of tissues within the mouth and tests the intensity of the laser. (Photo by Russell Bailey)
April 28, 2023
SIU dental hygiene students receive special laser training
CARBONDALE, Ill. — What do hot dogs, chicken wings, carrots and tomatoes have to do with great dental care? These edible morsels serve as tools used by a group of Southern Illinois University Carbondale dental hygiene students to earn a special laser certification.
The students, who will graduate in May, can test the intensity of the lasers and use them on different textures and thicknesses to simulate what they will encounter working on tissues in the mouths of their future patients. The lasers are useful in treating oral ulcers and other ailments by killing the bacteria around the teeth to help promote healing.
“Having this laser certification means that I can provide more individualized care to my patients and treat them with the most current and advanced technology available. I can decrease disease by catapulting the healing process,” said Kailee Rogers, a senior dental hygiene major from Galatia who wants to practice locally after she graduates and obtains her public health dental hygienist certification.
This is the first time SIU’s dental hygiene students have had the opportunity to participate in the optional laser training for a special certification, said Jennifer Sherry, dental hygiene associate professor in the School of Health Sciences.
“To me, the most interesting part of this training was learning all the diverse ways a laser can be used for dental care,” said Rogers, who would like to implement a varnish and sealant dental program in her hometown in the future. “Not only are they used to treat active disease, but they can also treat canker sores. TMJ pain? There is a laser for that, too! It is such a versatile tool for dentists and hygienists. I feel it is a huge benefit to the patient.”
Alysia Aponte, a senior dental hygiene student from Montgomery, Illinois, said she was fascinated to discover the many benefits the laser offers.
“Those who provided the training for us at SIU were amazing and highly informative,” Rogers added. “I had a wonderful learning experience and can’t wait to share what I know with my future patients and coworkers.”
Sherry expressed appreciation to Heartland Dental and its staff for sponsoring and providing the laser training.
Improving employability
The training, which 15 senior hygiene students and four faculty members participated in, will prove beneficial to students whether they work in private practice or in public health, according to Sherry. And thanks to generous donations from alumni, students were able to obtain the training and certification at a nominal cost, she noted.
Aponte is grateful for the opportunity to earn the laser certification, believing it will be especially helpful when she seeks employment, hopefully as a traveling dental hygienist.
“This certification will allow me to be more versatile in my field and will position me above other applicants,” Aponte said. “I plan on traveling and working in many offices, and they will appreciate that I have this training.”
Additional certification provided
The new laser training isn’t the only additional credential available for Salukis. SIU dental hygiene students also earn the Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) certificate.
The university offers the state’s only baccalaureate dental hygiene program, which is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, but SIU students are one of just two groups in the state to complete the nine-month online community dental health coordinator (CDHC) certification.
The certification, developed by the American Dental Association, will benefit graduates who work in federally qualified health centers, community health centers or with underserved populations, according to Sherry. The additional training enables students to better understand the issues community health providers encounter with their patients and how to more effectively communicate with these clients and assess their needs.
“It’s critical for people in Southern Illinois and across the country to have access to dental care, and this certificate positions our graduates to provide these services to clients who might not otherwise receive them,” Sherry said.
SIU’s dental hygiene students have a very high job placement rate, according to Sherry, and they will be graduating with their bachelor’s degrees in dental hygiene during the 1 p.m. commencement ceremony on May 13.
Find additional details
To learn more about SIU’s dental hygiene program, visit the website. SIU also offers an online Bachelor of Science dental hygiene degree completion option giving working dental hygiene professionals who have an associate degree the option to earn their bachelor’s degree online. Find out more online.
SIU dental hygiene students recently earned the Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) certificate.