Plaza Opens Community Dental Clinic
On May 1, Plaza College’s Community Dental Clinic opened to the public for preventive care dental hygiene services. The clinic, the first of its kind in Queens, is a community-based clinic that accepts all patients requesting dental hygiene services with no qualifying criteria.
Plaza’s clinic is a much-needed and valuable resource for the community, addressing the gap in oral healthcare services in the area.
“There is a well-documented need for oral healthcare prevention and treatment for patients of all ages, particularly the diverse population in the borough of Queens,” explains Dr. Laura Sleeper, Dental Hygiene program director.
All services at the Community Dental Clinic will be provided by students of the Plaza College Dental Hygiene program under the supervision of faculty members, including licensed dentists and registered dental hygienists.
The students will provide patients with a number of dental hygiene services, including baseline vitals, dental examinations and cleanings, routine x-rays, and oral cancer screenings. Patients will also be able to receive fluoride treatments and pit and fissure sealants.
Additional services, such as mouth guards and whitening treatments, are provided to patients who qualify. The costs for basic services are: 
• Adult Exam/Cleaning: $20
• Child Exam/Cleaning: $10
• Full Mouth X-Rays: $20
• Panoramic X-Rays: $20
• Fluoride Treatment: $5
• Sealants (per tooth): $5
The clinic will only provide hygiene services, but it does have a vast network of local dentists to whom patients can be referred to seek dental procedures outside of the scope of the clinic.
“We’re prepared to treat our patients to the fullest extent possible and see them through the entire process of care,” explained Sleeper. “If they require additional services, we’re prepared to assist them in locating a dentist that can complete their treatment.”
