El Paso Community College (EPCC) and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso) have teamed up in an innovative collaboration that brings dental hygiene and dental students together for an integrated approach to oral health care. EPCC News reports that during a clinic held in El Paso yesterday, dental hygiene students provided vital preventive care, such as screenings and cleanings. Subsequently, TTUHSC El Paso’s third-year dental students stepped in to offer more comprehensive exams and restorative treatments.
According to Kathryn Villapana, a Dental Hygiene Instructor at EPCC, this synergy between the two areas of dental expertise ensures that patient care does not halt at the preventive level. “It’s been really nice to have the other side of dentistry, the comprehensive care portion,” Villapana told EPCC News. She emphasized the benefits of such collaborations for achieving optimal patient outcomes, as many patients might otherwise overlook the necessity of follow-up care.
This initiative is especially valuable for the student participants. Blanca Castillo, who once instructed at EPCC before becoming a third-year dental student at Texas Tech, shared her insights into how the partnership is instrumental in bridging the gap between different aspects of patient care. “This partnership helps bridge the gap between preventive and restorative care,” Castillo told EPCC News. She emphasized that working together not only enhances the learning experience but also fosters a greater understanding of the roles each plays in promoting oral health.
