Some vivid memories of my early childhood revolve around going to the dentist! Dr. Dinan's office was above one of the banks in my hometown.  I remember vividly the increase in tension and fear as I climbed the stairs to his second floor suite. 

The sound of the drill became louder; the dentist's loud voice grew even louder.  I still can hear Dr. Dinan's loud voice when this young child of 8 or so reclined with mouth open.  "Wider, wider," he scolded.  I stretched my little mouth until it hurt.

Nearly everything I remember about the experience was negative.  They only positive remembrance was the reward. Well, two rewards. The first was the opportunity to put my hand in a little box and take out a trinket of some sort.  It was the reward for suffering the pain of the appointment. The second reward, not fully appreciated at the time, was the dental care. 

As Hiwassee moves forward with the development of its dental hygienist program , I am reminded of that loud booming voice, saying "Wider!"  That is exactly what the hygienist program will do - it will open wider the doors to better dental care for the people of the region.

We have been working with our consultant for several months.  An advisory committee of area dentists is in place to give counsel to the college as we proceed. The initial papers for program accreditation by the American Dental Society have been filed.  A campus location has been identified.  We now are working with vendors regarding the purchase of equipment for the clinic.  Dr. Beth Scruggs is guiding the application process here on campus.

The initiative to have a full-blown dental hygiene program at Hiwassee is a cooperative effort between Hiwassee and county health officials.  It demonstrates the college's commitment to help address current and emerging needs for the community and the region.  Dr. Barb Levin played a critical role in identifying the need for and advocating for the program. Funding for the initiative is the result of the work of Congressman Duncan.

We look forward to the time when our vision for the clinic becomes reality.  In the meantime, we continue offering pre-dental hygiene classes. Dental care has made great strides since I was eight years old. Now, if I could only get over those childhood fears.