EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — It’s called a win-win.
Borderland residents in need of dental care can get free screenings and cleanings and dental students at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso get some hands-on experience.
Students with the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic will offer free services on Monday, Dec.11 and Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 222 Rick Francis St. The clinic will be open from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. both days.
“The Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic is the clinical practice of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine and offers students hands-on training and an introduction to early clinical experiences among a diverse population, a rare opportunity among dental schools,” according to a news release that was sent out.
According to Texas Tech, only 50 percent of El Paso residents visited a dentist in 2017.
“Access to low-cost dental care at the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic helps Borderplex residents establish routine dental care which benefits their overall health. Since opening in 2021, the clinic has provided more than 20,000 hours of reduced-cost dental care for over 3,500 patients from the region,” according to the news release.
Limited appointments are available for this special event. El Paso residents interested are asked to call (915) 215-6700 for an appointment.
The Hunt School of Dental Medicine opened in 2021 and is the only dental school on the U.S.-Mexico border, and the first in Texas to open in more than 50 years.
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