Service that benefits students and the public

The dental clinic at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Iceland, located at Vatnsmýrarvegur 16, has been operating since the 1980s. People can book appointments and receive dental services from University of Iceland students under the guidance of instructors. According to Svanhildur Ólafsdóttir, who started working as a teacher at the Faculty of Dentistry in 2008 and became the administrative officer in 2016, the service is considerably cheaper than regular dental services. She describes the clinic as an important institution serving a twofold purpose.

 “The clinic is good for the community, both as a teaching institution and for individuals seeking our services,” says Svanhildur about the clinic, noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of dental education at the University of Iceland.

Svanhildur says that student services charge about one-third of what it costs to go to a regular dental clinic.  However, the cost of dental technician services is not included, as they set their own fees.  

Anyone can request the service, but not everyone can receive assistance at the clinic.  This is because students seek individuals who align with the tasks they are learning at any given time. The service is available while teaching is ongoing at the faculty, so it is not possible to apply year-round.

Opportunity for students

Svanhildur says that only eight students are admitted to the Faculty of Odontology each year, and there are currently 26 students enrolled. This is partly due to the limited space, as the faculty has only 25 dental chairs. Dental technician students also intern there and graduate as dental technicians from the Ármúli Upper Secondary School. 

"It would be ideal if everyone working on dental health were in the same place to engage in interdisciplinary teamwork. Dental technician students are learning on the floor above us, but dental hygienists have to pursue their education abroad as things stand today. Thus, an important link is missing in the chain at the Faculty of Dentistry," she says.

Students who are admitted gain access to various equipment and spaces. The clinic, for example, features a waiting room that receives patients, a computer room that manages patient records, various dental chairs, sterilisation areas, nitrous oxide equipment, and X-ray machines. In the sterilisation area, two large sterilisers are used to clean instruments. The machine cleans instruments by heating them to 132°C for 3 minutes, destroying all germs. Svanhildur says these machines are heavily used and larger than in regular clinics. There is a strong emphasis on maintaining a clean clinic, as in all regular dental clinics.

Modern equipment and safe working conditions

Each dental chair in the clinic has three lights. A yellow light indicates a call for a teacher, a green light indicates staff assistance is needed, and a red light signifies an emergency. If a student presses the red light, a specific sound goes off to alert the staff. This prevention system ensures that teachers know whom to help. "It has rarely happened that something goes wrong in the faculty," says Svanhildur, recalling that she has only witnessed one person experiencing a blood sugar drop since she started working there. Apart from that, the work at the clinic has gone very well. 

The dental clinic at the University of Iceland combines education and community service.  It is not only a venue for students to train but also offers the public access to professional dental services at an affordable price. Those interested in learning more or booking an appointment can visit the dental service website on the University of Iceland's website 

Author of the article: Alma Sól Pétursdóttir, student in journalism.