Olympic Community Action Programs

Oral Health Services

The OlyCAP Oral Health Center provides dental care, hygiene services and dental education to low-income, uninsured people. The Center's dedicated staff covers the full scope of primary dentistry. Many local dentists volunteer at the clinic and several times a year the Olympic Peninsula Dental Society partners with OlyCAP to sponsor "Give a Kid a Smile" programs. OlyCAP also operates a mobile dental service regularly visiting Forks, Port Townsend, Clallam Bay and Brinnon. Every year, OlyCAP provides dental services to over 1500 low-income, uninsured people in nearly 4000 appointments. Our services extend across the peninsula.

The Center is also the site of clinical education for students in a fully accredited dental hygiene program offered through Pierce and Peninsula Colleges. Pierce College provides the dental hygiene curriculum and training through distance learning. Peninsula College provides core instruction and the physical locus to receive the training. OlyCAP supported the construction and buildout of the clinic and manages the patient load. Dr. Walsh provides clinical oversight for the dental hygiene students at the OlyCAP clinic.

The Oral Health Center and the associated dental hygiene training program is a tangible expression of the power of community action. The coupling of a community supported clinic with area colleges has drawn the attention of the dental community and local, state and national political figures.

The OlyCAP clinic hosts dental hygiene students for the clinical portion of their two-year program
The students are predominately from the Peninsula area

OlyCAP helps graduate as many as five dental hygienists a year - many remain in our community to work.

Dental hygiene is a high-wage/high-demand occupation in Washington State. The projected number of graduates through the program will help satisfy the expanding need for dental professionals on the Olympic Peninsula for years to come.

For information about this professional opportunity: http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/Denthyg/