Roane State dental hygiene students help at RAM Clinic

Ten second-year students in Roane State’s dental hygiene program provided care to more than 30 patients during the February 1 Remote Area Medical clinic held in the Jacob Building in Knoxville’s Chilhowee Park.

“It was an eye-opening experience,” student Andrea Layne of Clinton said. “It was kind of neat to see people willing to go out of their way to help those in need.” Layne and other second-year dental hygiene students will graduate in May.

“It’s a great experience for the students, plus it’s a great way for our students to continue to give back to the community,” said Melinda Gill, director of the community college’s dental hygiene program. She said it was the second time students in her program participated in a RAM Clinic, and it’s going to be an annual event for her second-year students.

Based in Blount County, RAM is a nonprofit that provides free medical and dental care by volunteers. Area RAM Clinics are usually held in the East Tennessee region in the winter.

This year, more than 2,200 people received medical and dental treatments, and officials estimated those free exams were worth more than $800,000.

Layne said the dental cleanings she and her fellow students provided normally took about an hour and forty-five minutes per patient. There were some patients who hadn’t had their teeth cleaned in 10 to 15 years, she said.

Roane State is a two-year college providing transfer programs, career-preparation programs and continuing education. Founded in 1971, the college has locations in Crossville, Harriman, Huntsville, Jamestown, Knoxville, LaFollette, Lenoir City, Oak Ridge, Wartburg and Clinton. 

For more information, visit www.roanestate.edu or call (865) 882-4554.

Remember, eligible adults can now attend Roane State tuition-free with the new Reconnect grant. Learn more at www.roanestate.edu/reconnect.