Middlesex College Celebrates New Dental Hygiene Clinic at a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

The Dental Hygiene Clinic, located on the College’s Edison campus within L’Hommedieu Hall, underwent a $2.8 million renovation that was completed in January 2023.

The milestone expansion includes the renovation of the former Biology labs and former Dental Hygiene Clinic and the construction of a Dental Hygiene Clinic, lab, three all-purpose classrooms, faculty offices, and student and faculty locker rooms.

The new dental hygiene clinic has 24 treatment areas plus a demonstration room that allows for faculty to provide instruction and transmit it to each student throughout the clinic. The dental radiology area contains five lead lined rooms. New Kavo Intra-oral radiology machines have been installed in four rooms. The fifth room contains a digital panoramic machine.

Michelle Roman, chair of the College’s Dental Hygiene Department, underscored the fundamental importance of the clinic to the Dental Hygiene Program.

“This is an exciting time for our program as we are getting ready to graduate our 52nd class of dental hygiene students. So not only is this a celebration of our new clinic, it is also a celebration of a half century of successfully graduating hygienists. To date, over 1400 people have graduated from this program,” Roman said.

She began the ceremony by introducing Assemblyman Sterley Stanley from the 18th Legislative District, who presented a joint resolution from the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly to commemorate the grand opening of the new clinic.

The Dental Hygiene Clinic serves a unique, dual purpose on campus: it delivers affordable dental hygiene services to the community, while providing clinical training for students who are preparing to become licensed dental hygienists. Established over 50 years ago, the College’s Dental Hygiene Program awards the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Dental Hygiene and is fully accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Middlesex College President Mark McCormick highlighted the program’s distinction as the best dental hygiene program in New Jersey and one of the best programs in the nation, saying that a “makeover” of the clinic was years in the making.

“Standards for delivering dental care and for teaching dental hygiene have evolved, and the old clinic would have proved difficult to refresh. So, we explored opportunities for constructing a brand-new clinic that would meet our needs now and well into the future. This new facility does that,” McCormick said.

Mark Finkelstein, chair of the Middlesex College Board of Trustees, remarked on the years-long journey that began in 2018 when the Board approved the use of Chapter 12 funding from the state of New Jersey, with support from Middlesex County, for construction of the new clinic.

“Much hard work and many hours of meetings and planning went into the development of the architectural plans,” Finkelstein noted.

County Commissioner Charles Kenny, representing the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners, described the new clinic as a wise investment for the residents of the County, especially as it relates to employment opportunities.

“The [dental hygiene] field really needs an infusion of workers. And this room here is going to provide that opportunity for someone to go and have a good paying job and be able to support their families and have a good life,” Kenny explained.

Workforce needs was also the focus of Darius Somkhian, head of Strategic Partnerships at Cloud Dentistry, the event’s sponsor.

The company uses an employment app to connect jobseekers with employers.

“What’s being accomplished today, both with Cloud Dentistry and Middlesex College, we’re building toward a common goal of empowering the lifestyle and education of hygienists and building toward an infrastructure and technology that is so well needed in today’s growing patient needs for better access to quality oral care,” Somkhian said.

Claire Pean, the former chairperson of the Dental Hygiene Department and now retired, was at the inception of the Dental Hygiene Program in 1969.

“During these 50+ years, the program has evolved in many ways,” she said, noting the changes in curriculum to keep up with academic standards as well as technological advances in the profession, such as radiology equipment and computers.

Four of the College’s Dental Hygiene students – Camar Mershon, Giovanna Onofrietti, Melody Chen, and Aishwarya Anand – had the honor of performing the ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Abigail Obembe, a member of the graduating Class of 2023, summed up the impact of the new Dental Hygiene Clinic for current and future students.

“Even before we go into the world to make an impact, we have the privilege to start here, in our beautiful state-of-the-art clinic, helping our surrounding community, one patient at a time,” said Obembe.

The Dental Hygiene Clinic is open to the general public as well as to the College’s students, faculty, alumni, and staff. In treating patients, dental hygiene students are directly supervised by licensed dental hygiene faculty and clinical dentists. Based on an assessment of dental health needs, patients can receive oral health screenings, dental cleanings, dental X-rays, non-surgical periodontal therapy, fluoride treatments, tooth sealants, and more. Costs for services is $20 for children up to age 17, $30 for adults, and $15.00 for senior citizens (65+), students, faculty, staff and graduates of the Dental Hygiene Program

For more information, please visit middlesexcollege.edu/community-programs/dental-hygiene-clinic.