It is our privilege to provide high-quality dental hygiene care to patients in our community. We are a teaching institution with a commitment to the education of dental hygiene healthcare professionals. We provide treatments that meet or exceed the standard of care for accredited dental hygiene schools. We are pleased that you have selected us for the provision of dental hygiene services and preventive dental care. Patients that are accepted into the clinic will have their treatments provided by Students and supervised by members of the Faculty. Not all patients may be accepted. Some may have dental conditions that are determined to be too severe or advanced to be an appropriate teaching case for a student. If this occurs, a referral form will be given to you with treatment recommendations. We urge you to see your private dentist take care of those needs. A supervising Dentist will make the determination of your acceptance or not, and approve of your care plan.
Your treatment plan may require more than one appointment and these appointments take more time than at a private dental office. You should count on 2 to 3 hours of your time for most appointments. Also, depending on your needs, you may require 3 to 6 appointments to achieve optimum oral health. Amarillo College may not be able to schedule your preventative recall cleaning appointments as fast or as often as your Private Dentist can. We are closed between semesters and all Amarillo College holidays.
Unless you tell us otherwise, we may call, email or text at the e-mail address and phone number we have on file to notify you of the following: an appointment reminder or that it is time to make a routine appointment and to notify you of other treatments or services available at our office that might help you. Standard messaging rates may apply. We may also leave you a reminder message on your home answering machine or with someone who answers your phone if you are not home. You may choose to discontinue your participation in our online communication system at any time by contacting us at (806) 354-6050 and letting us know that you no longer wish to receive e-mails or text messages.
Your treatment may involve any or all of the following procedures: Medical/dental histories, medical consults when needed, oral cancer screenings, biopsy referral when indicated, vital sign recordings of blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and respiration rate, intra-oral and extra-oral radiographs, intra-oral and extra-oral photographs and video, caries risk assessment, dental and periodontal charting of findings, plaque control, and assessment, brushing and flossing instruction, patient education videos, nutritional counseling, smoking, and tobacco cessation, preventative dental prophylaxis or cleanings, therapeutic scaling and root planing for periodontal disease, placement of subgingival localized antimicrobial agents, periodontal re-evaluation, periodontal maintenance procedures, topical and non-injectable sub-gingival anesthesia for pain control, injectable local anesthesia when necessary, trans-illumination detection device, pit and fissure sealants, topical fluoride, prescriptions, and desensitizing procedures.
These will be taken as necessary and appropriate for your examination, diagnosis, consultations, and treatments. We do not usually need or request x-rays from other dentists or clinics. Current radiographs are important to have here at Amarillo College to be available for your continuing care and treatment and for the continuing education process of the students. Your x-rays and photographs may be used for instructional and educational purposes. Your identity will not be disclosed to individuals not involved in your care and treatment.
The fees charged for your care are considerably lower than at a private dental office because the students are not paid, and these fees are set at a level to cover the cost of supplies used in your care, not for the services provided. It is also extremely important that you not offer gratuities to the students or staff.
If you have never been seen in our clinic before, your first appointment will be a screening appointment. The cost of the screening appointment is $35. At this screening we will take x-rays, a dentist will complete an exam, and the student will determine what kind of cleaning you will need. We will then schedule you accordingly. If you only need one appointment for a cleaning, there will be no additional fee when you return for the cleaning appointment. If it is determined that you need scaling and root planing (or deep cleaning), up to 5 additional appointments are required. At the first of those 5 appointments, an additional $35 will be due. This second fee will cover up to 4 quadrant appointments and a follow-up periodontal maintenance appointment. A fee of $35 will be due for each subsequent cleaning after these initial appointments are completed. The clinic also offers sealants, if deemed necessary, at an additional cost of $5 per sealant.
Payment is due at the time of service and will be collected at check-in. We accept cash, check, and credit card.
The College does not accept or process any dental insurance or Medicare /Medicaid claim forms. If you have these plans, then they should be used at your Private Dentist's office for payment.
Protection and safety of patients, students, faculty, and staff is essential in the clinic setting. To achieve this, we use steam sterilization of all instruments and handpieces, chemical disinfection and barrier protection in all treatment rooms, disposable supplies of gloves, masks, gowns, and proper waste management. In the unlikely event of a parenteral, mucous membrane, or cutaneous exposure incident to a student, faculty, or staff which, involves blood or body fluids, patients consent to be tested for any communicable disease such as HIV, Hepatitis, Syphilis, or others and to supply or allow Amarillo College a copy of the report of the results.