Over the past year, 22 Tunxis dental hygiene students have collectively treated over 1,700 patients. Their community outreach extends to Hartford Public Schools, where they conduct screenings and provide oral health education to children.
In the program, students undergo comprehensive training in an on-campus lab, including how to assess and document patients’ oral health, administering preventive dental care and anesthesia, and providing education on oral health improvement techniques. Soon after, they venture to clinical sites across the state, serving underserved populations such as children, the elderly, and those lacking dental insurance.

Community service lies at the core of the CT State Community College (CT State) Tunxis dental hygiene program, where students work in community health centers, clinics, and skilled nursing facilities to provide oral health services to patients under the guidance of registered dental hygienist faculty.

Among the locations, UConn Health’s Dental Clinic stands out as a key partner for the program, maintaining a 45-year collaboration. The clinic offers reduced-price cleanings and care for individuals without insurance or with HUSKY.

“There is a significant demand for oral health care providers in Connecticut and nationwide,” notes CT State Tunxis dental hygiene program coordinator Patricia Johnson Lane, Ed.D., R.D.H., emphasizing factors like an aging population and workforce disruptions during the pandemic. She highlighted the program as a great path for individuals who enjoy caring for people and preventing diseases beyond oral health, with lucrative career prospects and salaries exceeding $100,000. “I am frequently contacted by dentists in the Northeast inquiring about our graduates,” she added, noting the program’s 100% job placement rate.

Since 2008, students completing the program uninterrupted have achieved a perfect 100% pass rate on licensing exams.

“Oral health and preventive education is my passion— helping people be more aware of what they can do and how much oral health relates to the rest of the body,” said Autumn Gardner, an adult second-year dental hygiene student from East Hampton. “Tunxis has prepared me well for real-world application of my skills,” she added. Classes, faculty and fellow students have helped her build confidence as a first-time college student who started in her late thirties. She took her prerequisite classes at CT State Three Rivers before transferring to Tunxis for dental hygiene. “You get to meet and help so many people out in the community. It’s a lot of work, but you get so much out of it, so it’s worth the work.”

In another initiative, during the upcoming spring break in March, several students and faculty will collaborate with health care providers from a private Connecticut university to deliver dental care to school children in Great Harbor Cay, Bahamas, where access to dental care is limited.

Accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, CT State Tunxis in Farmington stands as the sole public college in the state offering a degree in dental hygiene. The program maintains special admissions requirements and application deadlines.

For those who are interested in the program, virtual dental hygiene information sessions will be held April 12 and May 3 at 10 a.m. For more information, visit ctstate.edu/dental-hygiene-events.

About Student Dental Hygiene Services for the Community

CT State Tunxis dental hygiene students offer evening appointments from September to May at UConn School of Dental Medicine. Dental hygiene services may include cleaning, fluoride treatment, X-rays, sealants, nutritional counseling, oral hygiene instruction, oral cancer screenings and referrals. All students are supervised by faculty who are licensed dental professionals.

The dental hygiene clinic accepts direct pay, as well as Medicaid and HUSKY A and B plans. To make an appointment, call 860-773-1681 Monday through Thursday during the academic year, August 25 to May 1.

About CT State

The 12 campuses of CT State Community College offer more than 30 accredited allied health programs, which in addition to dental hygiene include dental assisting, nursing and other specialties. More than 3,800 students are enrolled in credit nursing and allied health programs each year. Within four years of starting at CT State, 84% of students in selective programs such as dental hygiene and allied health programs have either graduated, are on track to graduate, or transferred out to a four-year institution.

With the merger of the 12 Connecticut community colleges on July 1, CT State Community College is now the largest community college in New England, enrolling more than 70,000 students each year, and approximately 25 percent of college students in Connecticut. As the most affordable college in CT, CT State is dedicated to making quality education accessible to all in a supportive and inclusive learning environment. CT State students benefit from a streamlined financial aid process and apply once to take classes at any campus. The campuses—Asnuntuck (Enfield), Capital (Hartford), Gateway (New Haven and North Haven), Housatonic (Bridgeport), Manchester, Middlesex (Middletown and Meriden), Naugatuck Valley (Waterbury and Danbury), Northwestern (Winsted), Norwalk, Quinebaug Valley (Danielson and Willimantic), Three Rivers (Norwich), and Tunxis (Farmington and Bristol)—form a network that empowers students to tailor their educational journey to their needs.

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