Community and College Come Together

Ben Brick Presentation

On June 6, the Mystic Smiles Dental Clinic had its grand opening. Located at 210 W. Century Avenue in Bismarck, Mystic Smiles is a nonprofit clinic owned and operated by Bismarck State College. It serves as a dental clinic with the intention to one day be a training facility for BSC’s dental program. The goal of Mystic Smiles is to provide high quality dental care to children in the community through a compassionate and gentle approach. Mystic Smiles specializes in pediatric dentistry and is set to provide dental care to children ranging from infants to age 13. They are accessible to special needs patients and a variety of families. “I think it’s a great opportunity for … the school and the students and the community, because there’s such a big need …, especially for the underprivileged,” Heidi Kainoa, Dental Clinic Manager said. “We accept Medicaid, so we’ve actually had children come in all the way from Williston." In addition to Medicaid and other insurance choices, the clinic provides a sliding scale payment option for families without insurance. The idea for Mystic Smiles came from dentists in the Bismarck community who approached BSC to discuss workforce issues related to dental assisting and hygiene. At the same time, BSC was in the process of building a dental pathways program. A Dental Business Industry Leadership Team was established and met for over a year planning an application to the State Board of Higher Education. Dr. Tegwyn Brickhouse is the pediatric dentist at Mystic Smiles. Brickhouse works with a dental hygienist and two dental assistants at Mystic Smiles. The Mystic Smiles building is tucked away between other businesses but stands out with the BSC Mystic green and the smiley tooth caricature created by BSC graphic design students. Inside the building, parents and children are greeted by a bright and lively environment, which is friendly and welcoming. “I think after all the decorations and everything,” Kainoa said. “I like that the concept of it is towards the kids [and] focusing on the college.” While BSC provided the potential for workforce, the Dental BILT produced a building where the pediatric clinic could be housed. The dental community came together to join the Mystic Smiles staff and be part of the nonprofit clinic. “I previously worked at Bridging the Dental Gap, which was a similar nonprofit,” Kainoa said. “Then I went to private practice but wanted to get back into helping the underprivileged and [working] with children.” The clinic is open Monday-Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Appointments can be made via phone or email. They provide a multitude of services, giving families the opportunity to receive quality pediatric dental care while allowing different payment options. For more information go to the BSC Website.