Bulletin of Dental Education Article

The Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C^®) Dental Hygiene Program received two significant charitable donations that will help fill a vital workforce need in northeast Ohio.

Hudec Dental, an Ohio-based dental office, has committed funds to support student scholarships and program needs. In addition, the Delta Dental Foundation has awarded funding for capital equipment to expand the program’s capacity.

“We’re grateful for this support, which will empower our dental hygiene program to continue providing high-quality, accessible education to the next generation of health care professionals,” said Anne Myatt, M.Ed., RDH, Director of Tri-C^®’s Dental Hygiene Program. “These investments not only strengthen our community’s health but also open doors for more students to achieve their full potential, ensuring a brighter, healthier future for themselves.”

“Hygienists are the backbone of the oral health workforce, yet we’re experiencing a nationwide shortage,” said Holli Seabury, Ed.D., Executive Director of the Delta Dental Foundation. “Expanding the seats available at hygiene programs like Tri-C^® is just one way we can start closing the care gap.”

More students will have the means to fill those spots, thanks to the support received by Hudec Dental. This northeast Ohio multilocation, family-owned dental practice offers comprehensive general, family and senior dental services, helping patients of all ages maintain optimal oral health. After visiting the facilities and learning about the expansion plans, the brothers Michael Hudec and Brian Hudec, D.D.M., wanted to support Tri-C^®’s efforts. Hudec’s four-year commitment will create scholarships and support future program needs.

“We were so very impressed with the dental hygiene program and the opportunities it offers students,” said Michael Hudec, President of Hudec Dental. “At Hudec Dental, we believe in improving the quality of life of those we serve and are honored to partner with Tri-C^® to improve the quality of dental hygiene students’ lives at Tri-C^®.”

The practice will also offer job shadowing and externships to help students prepare for their careers, and its dentists will present on specialty topics to enrich the program’s curriculum.

Tri-C^®’s Dental Hygiene Program was first accredited in 1966 by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation. Its nationally recognized faculty have graduate degrees and extensive experience clinically and in educational concepts.

Students in the two-year program complete about 2,000 hours of classroom study, with approximately 600 hours dedicated to supervised clinical dental hygiene instruction in the dental hygiene clinic at Tri-C^®. The clinic is an educational facility where students provide care with close supervision by clinical faculty and a dentist.

The program currently accepts 22 students each year. It plans to expand enrollment to 28 students annually by using the grant for additional training equipment and minor remodeling.

“Increasing our capacity will greatly reduce our current one-year waitlist,” said Prof. Myatt. “Additionally, more students and community members will have access to low-cost, quality preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene care with additional student hygienists providing care in our dental hygiene clinic.”

Courtesy of the Cuyahoga Community College Dental Hygiene Program