LECOM opens group practice to community

EAST COUNTY — For Dr. Robert Hirsch, the dean of LECOM’s School of Dental Medicine, providing quality oral care can’t be taught solely in a traditional classroom.

“Dentistry is sort of an art,” Hirsch said.

As part of LECOM and Hirsch’s mission to fully equip students for the workforce, staff members designed a new level of learning — a group practice where students will perform extractions, root canals and other services for about 200 patients daily.

The clinic opened March 17 at LECOM’s East County campus, located at 4800 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., four days a week this month, the dental program’s 100 third-year students — alongside hygienists, secretaries and other personnel — replaced their plastic replica human mouths with the mouths of real patients. And to treat these patients, the students used technology found in regular dentist offices, such as X-ray machines.

Students will see patients Mondays through Thursdays through April, but will start a five-day-per-week schedule in May.

Details, such as the arrangement of students’ work cubicles, brought Hirsch’s vision of hands-on learning to life.

Spanning across the school’s second floor are 10 offices, each composed of 10 free-of-doors glass rooms, which together resemble a horseshoe.

Hirsch wanted to be able to look over each student, without being intrusive, as he or she worked with patients in their “offices.”

“I like the way this (facility) is set up, so that we’re all working together,” student Jasmine Shafagh said. “Group practices are the way of the future, and this simulates that.”

Talking openly with patients about their dental needs and other conversational topics helps ease a nervous patient and a nervous student, Shafagh said.

Patients are encouraged to ask questions throughout the process as instructors and dentists discuss the patient’s particular needs during the visit.

Hirsch also stresses the patients’ need for patience; appointments will take longer than regular dentist visits.

“Our goal is to provide our students with adequate learning opportunities so that upon graduation, they will be prepared to practice successfully,” Hirsch said.

To make an appointment, call 405-1600.

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].