Students put education to work, provide dental care to those in need
Published April 06, 2026
Applying what they’ve learned in the classroom, 22 dental hygiene students from College of Lake County (CLC) delivered free dental services to underserved individuals during a service-learning trip to Knoxville, Tennessee this spring. The effort was organized in partnership with Remote Area Medical (RAM), a nonprofit dedicated to offering medical, vision and dental care to communities in need.
Over $1,000,000 worth of services were provided for 1,220 patients. Patients received dental cleanings, periodontal treatments and oral cancer screenings.
“This trip always proves to be an affirming and enlightening trip for our students and is an invaluable experience to their clinical education,” Dental Hygiene Instructor Danielle Thompson said.
This is the 14th time CLC students have participated in the trip. The students who participated are all in their last semester of the program, just two months until they take their board exam.
Before sunrise, students arrived at the clinic site, ready to put their skills to the test. Working in pairs inside pop-up dental tents, they treated patients for up to several hours at a time, logging nearly 20 hours of hands-on care throughout the weekend.
“One of my future goals is to continue volunteering as a dental hygienist,” said student Karolina Dymek. “The experience with RAM has shown me how fulfilling it is to give back to the community, and I want to keep making a positive impact.”
One of the key aspects this trip provides students with is the chance to work independently. In the classroom, students have someone there checking each step of the process, but during the trip, they were on their own most of the time.
As important as the experience is, the most impactful part for the students is the help they’re able to give those in need.
“I felt incredibly fulfilled and proud of myself for being able to help so many individuals who were in desperate need of dental cleanings,” said student Raj Sarathy. “Seeing five to seven patients per day gave me so much hands-on experience, but more importantly, it allowed me to directly improve someone’s comfort, confidence and health.”
Another student, Eyerusalem Legesse, said, “Before volunteering, I assumed that people in the United States generally had access to dental care. However, I was shocked to see the long lines of patients waiting for hours, some even overnight, just to receive treatment. Many patients shared that they did not have insurance, could not afford out-of-pocket costs or lived in areas without nearby providers.”
Students contributed to the funding of the trip through bake sales, teeth-whitening services and selling spirit wear. If you are interested in financially helping to support this trip in the future, please contact Danielle Thompson at dthompson5@clcillinois.edu