Fresno City College’s Dental Health Clinic is open to students and the public amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, according to FCC’s California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids’ Instagram page. 

Due to the pandemic, the dental health clinic has implemented various safety guidelines such as wearing a mask and social distancing. 

In addition, a patient’s temperature will be checked and will also be asked a series of questions regarding COVID. Those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms are urged to stay home. 

For more information about the clinic’s infection control guidelines, visit their letter to patients. 

One worry many have is if it is safe enough to visit the clinic during the pandemic. 

FCC Professor of Pain Management, Patient Management, and Radiography, Jeanice Howard, believes the clinic being open during COVID-19 with proper safety measures is a positive thing.

“We went through a lot of the procedures and things have changed to keep it safe. I think I feel it is safe and I like that students are getting to move forward and not being put on hold during a pandemic,” she said. 

Lindsay Barnett, dental hygiene major at FCC, believes the clinic is essential and should be operating during the pandemic as well. 

“It is important for us to be open during this pandemic because it can also help us deliver the narrative that healthcare or dental hygiene and oral health care is a part of overall healthcare,” she said. 

In addition, she says the clinic being open allows students to continue their education and get experience before they go out into the workforce. 

Due to the campus closure, the clinic has relied heavily on word of mouth which has affected their number in how many people they saw in the past, according to Howard. 

The Dental Hygiene Clinic offers services such as cleaning, x-rays, temporary fillings and other treatments. 

There is a  $5-15 fee depending on the kind of service performed by the clinic which is collected upon arrival. 

The best part about the service being offered is that those receiving the service do not need any medical insurance, according to Barnett.

The clinic is currently operating Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.  

For more information, students and community members should visit FCC’s Dental Hygiene webpage.