The dental hygiene students have established schedules for patient care. Since the goal is quality dental hygiene care within a teaching/learning environment, patients should understand that this is an educational setting and the student's learning experience and progress depends on the patient's full cooperation. Everyone's time is valuable. If for some reason a patient is unable to keep an appointment, advance notice of 24 hours is required to allow the student to schedule other patients. Patients with two cancellations or no-shows will be inactivated from the care facility.

Patients may be dismissed/inactivated from the Dental Hygiene Clinic if:

1. Two (2) appointments are cancelled for any reason.
2. Two (2) appointments are missed without notification.
3. Since our ultimate goal is to educate students with acceptable teaching patients if faculty deem that a patient is not suitable for our teaching clinic, or if a patient fails to comply with policies, the patient will be dismissed, inactivated, and referred to a community clinic or private sector.

All broken appointments are documented in the patient's health record by the dental hygiene student and approved by supervising faculty.

We thank you for making an appointment with us and look forward to working with you.

The goal of the staff at the Dental Hygiene Care Facility is to assist individuals in eliminating and preventing oral disease and in maintaining optimal health. The facility is staffed and supervised by licensed dental hygienists and dentists. Dental hygiene students, provide the oral health care, have extensive education and training and have demonstrated competence in the clinical services before treating the public.

Patients in the Dental Hygiene Clinic at Old Dominion University have the right, consistent with the law, to:

1. Courteous, respectful, and confidential treatment
2. Treatment that meets the standard of care in the profession including the use of appropriate infection control
3. Inspect their patient record and any radiographs taken
4. Advanced knowledge of fees and services
5. Explanation of recommended treatment, alternate treatment options, and explanation of risks with no treatment
6. Participate in the planning of treatment (informed consent)
7. Refuse recommended treatment (informed refusal)
8. Continuity of care or referral for continued care
9. Written informed consent prior to participating in experimental research and the right to refuse participation
10. Provide feedback, comments, or complaints about treatment using the confidential Patient Satisfaction Survey

1. The Dental Hygiene Clinic DOES NOT provide a dental exam or diagnosis of restorative needs. Services such as fillings, crowns, root canals, extractions, partials, or dentures are NOT provided in the Dental Hygiene Clinic. A dentist must provide these services.
2. If a patient has medical or dental conditions that warrant further consultation with their physician/dentist, treatment in the Dental Hygiene Clinic will be delayed until written approval is obtained from the patient's physician/dentist. Examples of such conditions include: damaged or abnormal heart valves, specific heart conditions, organ replacements, joint replacements, uncontrolled diabetes, kidney dialysis, decreased immune system, elevated blood pressure (160/110), active infections of hepatitis or tuberculosis, active herpes infection (cold sores).
3. Multiple appointments (2-4) and extended appointment lengths (3 hours) are required for most clients.

To promote infection control and to protect patients, dental hygiene students and faculty following the current CDC Guidelines for Infection Control for Dental Health Care Settings. Our goal is to provide a safe environment for our students, patients, faculty and staff. The Dental Hygiene Care Facility has implemented numerous additional safety measures following CDC Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response including:

1. Screening patients for risk factors associated with COVID-19.
2. Ensuring our personal protective equipment (PPE) is appropriate for the procedures performed, and adding additional PPE as needed such as: N95 masks, isolation barrier gowns, and face shields
3. Using high speed evacuation for all dental hygiene procedures that produce aerosols
4. Hand sanitizer available throughout the clinic for staff and patient use
5. HEPA and UV-C air filtration units throughout the Dental Hygiene Care Facility
6. Achieved compliance with ODU Environmental Health and Safety policy and procedure.