Dental Hygiene

Alumni Dental Hygiene Nursing & Health Sciences

Student’s capstone project accepted for publication

The capstone project of a Fall 2020 Pennsylvania College of Technology graduate – on COVID-19 and dental care – has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Dental Hygiene and is being offered as a continuing education opportunity by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Breanna J. Connell, of Easton, received her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene in December. Her paper – and the related continuing education offering – is titled “COVID-19 and Oral Maintenance.”

“My motivation for this research was to create a one-of-a-kind literature review that discussed a topic that was fresh and new. At the beginning of the pandemic, I found that my coworkers and I did not know proper COVID-19 related protocols,” said Connell, who has been a registered dental hygienist since 2015. “As the protocols were constantly changing, I found the topic to be extremely interesting and knew that researching this topic could improve my career as a dental hygienist.”

Alumni Dental Hygiene Nursing & Health Sciences

Recent dental hygiene grad shares expertise at home and abroad

With her keen knowledge of the ties between oral and overall health, recent Pennsylvania College of Technology graduate Lori Dietz hopes to help people near and far.

Here in Pennsylvania, the registered dental hygienist, who earned her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene from Penn College in December, already has a full plate educating and caring for others as a part-time, private-practice dental hygienist and an adjunct clinical instructor for first- and second-year dental hygiene students at Northampton Community College.

Recently, as part of her Penn College senior capstone project, Dietz, of Pen Argyl, educated peers in the dental profession on the role of a dental team in helping patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Dental Hygiene Nursing & Health Sciences Students

Student poster presentations earn honors at state conference

Pennsylvania College of Technology students achieved second- and fourth-place honors in the Pennsylvania Dental Hygienists’ Association’s “informative posters” event for college students.

A poster titled “Transforming Treatment for Transplant Patients,” presented by Tara L. Roupp, of Lewisburg, and Kimberly R. Bergenstock, of New Columbia, placed second among more than 40 entries from across the state.

Taking fourth place was “Going Green: Innovative Products for Periodontal Prevention and Maintenance,” presented by Madilyn G. Serenko, of Williamsport, and Erin K. Gohn, of Spring Grove.

Dental Hygiene Faculty & Staff Nursing & Health Sciences Students

WNEP visits Penn College clinic for Tuesday newscasts

Newswatch 16’s Chris Keating visited Penn College’s Dental Hygiene Clinic on Tuesday for a story about the services the clinic provides to more than 2,000 members of the community each year while giving future registered dental hygienists critical hands-on education. He interviewed Shawn A. Kiser, director of dental hygiene, along with students Erin K. Gohn, of Spring Grove, and Lauren Groody, of Lititz. The segment premiered at 5 p.m. and aired during several of the ABC affiliate’s subsequent news broadcasts.

Student Erin K. Gohn talks with WNEP's Chris Keating in Penn College's Dental Hygiene Clinic. — Student Erin K. Gohn talks with WNEP’s Chris Keating in Penn College’s Dental Hygiene Clinic.

Dental Hygiene Faculty & Staff Nursing & Health Sciences Students

Low-cost dental care available in college’s Dental Hygiene Clinic

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Dental Hygiene Clinic provides low-cost dental services to the community and is scheduling appointments for the Fall 2020 semester.

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s state-of-the-art Dental Hygiene Clinic is scheduling appointments for the fall semester.

The clinic provides low-cost preventive dental hygiene services to the community, including cleanings, exams, X-rays and sealants. The clinic collaborates with area dental offices and can share records to prevent duplication of services.

Dental Hygiene Nursing & Health Sciences Penn College Magazine Penn College Magazine Feature Students

Restoring smiles and lives for those in recovery

At the college's May 2019 commencement ceremony, Lisa M. Zimmer celebrates the culmination of her 12-year journey to a bachelor's degree in dental hygiene. — At the college’s May 2019 commencement ceremony, Lisa M. Zimmer celebrates the culmination of her 12-year journey to a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.

smiles4recovery is a burgeoning nonprofit that was born of Zimmer’s senior project.

From the Spring 2020 Penn College Magazine: Lisa M. Zimmer’s resolute spirit has borne her through a 12-year journey to a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene that included overcoming opioid addiction and developing a senior project, now a nonprofit organization, to provide oral health care to those in recovery. Read “Restoring smiles and lives.”

Alumni Dental Hygiene Faculty & Staff Nursing & Health Sciences

Dental hygiene director named accreditation site visitor

Shawn A. Kiser, dental hygiene program director at Pennsylvania College of Technology, was appointed to the position of commission site visitor for 2020-21 by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Site visitors assist the commission in a number of ways, including developing accreditation standards, serving on special committees and serving as site visitors to predoctoral, advanced dental and allied dental education programs. Site visitors are fact-finders, who report their findings to the commission, which then decides on a program’s accreditation status. Kiser’s term begins in October.

Dental Hygiene Faculty & Staff General Information Nursing & Health Sciences Students

Speaker provides timely inspiration to dental hygiene students

Last week, the Pennsylvania College of Technology’s dental hygiene program held a special event for its first- and second-year students, engaging an international motivational speaker who is well-known in the dental field to speak with students via videoconference.

“Our students have been going through such turmoil during this COVID-19 pandemic, that we felt the need to lift their spirits,” said Shawn A. Kiser, the college’s director of dental hygiene.

Dental Hygiene Events Nursing & Health Sciences

‘Service Saturday’ canceled

Penn College’s planned April 4 “Service Saturday” – a dental hygiene outreach to veterans, active-duty service personnel and their dependents – has been canceled.

Dental Hygiene Events Nursing & Health Sciences Students

Free dental services for veterans, active military and dependents

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Dental Hygiene Clinic will host its second “Service Saturday,” a day providing free dental hygiene services to veterans, active military personnel and their dependents, on Saturday, April 4.

Pennsylvania College of Technology dental hygiene students and volunteer dental professionals will provide free dental hygiene services to veterans, members of the armed services, and their dependents on Saturday, April 4.

Dental Hygiene Nursing & Health Sciences Students

Low-cost dental care available in college’s Dental Hygiene Clinic

The Dental Hygiene Clinic at Pennsylvania College of Technology, which provides low-cost dental care to the community, is accepting appointments.

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s state-of-the-art Dental Hygiene Clinic is scheduling appointments for the spring semester.

Dental Hygiene Faculty & Staff Nursing & Health Sciences Sports Students

Standing ‘guard’ on Wildcats’ behalf

Samantha J. Morningstar, of Lewistown, trims a study model, which is an exact replica of the athlete’s mouth. The study model is then used as a form to make the custom mouthguard.

A newly vacuum-formed thermoplastic mouthguard is ready for trimming.

Lacrosse team members show off their custom mouthguards.

Second-year dental hygiene students and faculty developed a program to provide professional-grade athletic mouthguards for members of the Penn College lacrosse team as part of the students’ Dental Materials and Specialties course. The multiweek project began with taking impressions of the athletes’ teeth to create exact replicas of their mouths. This model was then used, along with specialized equipment, to fabricate the mouthguards. The students were directed by faculty members Barbara K. Emert-Strouse and Marie Y. Stewart, both assistant professors of dental hygiene. The athletic mouthguards play a critical role in contact sports in the prevention of concussions and injuries to teeth.

Dental Hygiene Nursing & Health Sciences Students

Student poster presentations earn honors at state conference

Pennsylvania College of Technology dental hygiene students Tyler J. Wetzel-Haynes (left), of Ono, and Pavel Dariychuk, of Leola, present their fourth place-winning poster, “Locked in on Dental Implants” at the Keystone Dental Health Conference in Kind of Prussia.

Two informative posters presented by Pennsylvania College of Technology dental hygiene students placed in the top 10 during the Pennsylvania Dental Hygienists’ Association’s annual conference.

A poster titled “Locked in on Dental Implants,” presented by Pavel Dariychuk, of Leola, and Tyler J. Wetzel-Haynes, of Ono, placed fourth among 58 entries from across the state.

Jordyn Kahler’s poster, “Knowledge is Power: Oral Health Literacy,” placed sixth. Kahler is from York.

Dental Hygiene Faculty & Staff Nursing & Health Sciences Radiography Students

‘Pink Out’ classes color their world with hope

Radiography students support breast cancer awareness – and the profession’s role in early detection.

Aptly attired, dental hygiene students and faculty paint the clinic pink.

Penn College programs went pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On Oct. 9, radiography students dressed in pink. Potential workplaces for radiographers include mammography centers. The dental hygiene program held a “Pink Out” on Oct. 23. Throughout the day, students, faculty and dentists donned pink gowns during patient care activities in the Dental Hygiene Clinic. In addition, the dental hygiene student organization, SADHA, is making a monetary donation to a local cancer patient support charity.
Photos provided by program directors Christine L. Eckenrod (radiography) and Shawn A. Kiser (dental hygiene)

Dental Hygiene General Information Nursing & Health Sciences

Students serve 2,000-plus patients in Dental Hygiene Clinic

The Dental Hygiene Clinic at Pennsylvania College of Technology provides low-cost preventive dental care to the community and a remarkable, real-world learning environment for students.

Pennsylvania College of Technology students provided dental care to more than 2,000 patients in the college’s Dental Hygiene Clinic during the 2018-19 academic year.

The college’s state-of-the-art Dental Hygiene Clinic is open to the public and provides low-cost services that include cleanings, exams, X-rays and sealants.

Since many patients require more than one visit, the students provided a total of 4,138 patient appointments.

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