Accredited dental hygiene program
Carrington College of Boise
1112 N. Liberty Street, Boise, ID 83704
Carrington College of Boise runs an accredited dental hygiene program in Boise, ID. Students train by working on real patients, which is why programs like this often run a low-cost clinic that anyone can book into.
What matters most before you make the trip is scope. Dental hygienists are trained in preventive and gum care, so a hygiene clinic can clean your teeth thoroughly and treat gum disease, but it cannot fill a cavity, pull a tooth, or fit a crown. If something hurts, this is not the place to start.
What a Hygiene Clinic Can and Cannot Do
Hygiene students are trained in preventive and gum care, so a teaching clinic covers cleanings, deep cleaning for gum disease, X-rays, gum assessments, fluoride, sealants, and technique coaching.
What it does not offer is anything a dentist must do: fillings, crowns, root canals, extractions, dentures, implants, or emergency treatment. If the examination finds a cavity or a broken tooth, the clinic will tell you and refer you on, but the treatment happens elsewhere. If a tooth hurts now, start somewhere else.
Prices vary program by program but sit well below private practice, and a flat fee covering every appointment is common. X-rays may or may not be included — worth asking. Appointments run long, two to three hours is normal, and clinics follow the academic year, so many close over the summer and between terms.
Other Accredited Hygiene Programs in Idaho
Idaho has 5 accredited dental hygiene programs altogether. If this one is full or the wait is too long, the others are separate institutions with separate lists:
- North Idaho College — Coeur d’Alene
- College of Eastern Idaho — Idaho Falls
- Idaho State University College of Health — Pocatello
- College of Southern Idaho — Twin Falls
Before You Call
Expect the clinic to have its own entrance, its own number and its own timetable, none of which match the college switchboard. Worth settling on the phone: whether they can treat you if you have not seen a dentist in years, how long one appointment runs, and how many the treatment will take, whether the fee covers a course of treatment or each visit separately, whether the clinic is open to the public this term, and taking new patients, and which payment methods are accepted, and whether insurance can be billed.
Hours and fees change from one term to the next, so confirm shortly before you go rather than relying on a page read weeks earlier.
Common Questions
Do they take Medicaid?
Sometimes, but college clinics bill insurance less often than health centers do. Adult dental coverage under Idaho Medicaid is set at state level and varies widely; children’s dental coverage is a required benefit everywhere. Our Medicaid dental page covers how to check yours.
How long will the appointment take?
Two to three hours is normal, and some programs split what a private hygienist would finish in one visit across two. The student works carefully and stops for an instructor to check the work, often more than once. Allow the whole morning or afternoon.
What should I bring?
Photo identification, a list of your current medications, your dentist’s details if you have one, and a means of payment that is not a card unless you have checked they take one. Some college clinics still do not.
Is the clinic open all year?
Usually not. Teaching clinics follow the academic calendar, so many close over the summer and between terms, and appointments are scarce early in the year while students are still building up their skills. Booking several weeks ahead is normal.
Do I need insurance?
Generally not. These clinics are set up for people paying out of pocket, and the fee is usually low enough to pay directly. Insurance billing is the exception rather than the rule at a college clinic, so ask rather than assume.
Do I need a referral?
Usually not — most programs take patients directly. What they do commonly ask for is a health history and a list of current medications, and a few need clearance from your physician for particular conditions before treatment.
Accreditation
Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements, next reviewed in 2030. For a patient it is reasonable assurance that the supervision behind the clinic is held to a national standard. It is not a statement that the clinic is open.
Other Low-Cost Options in Idaho
- Community health center dental clinics in Idaho — full dental care including fillings and extractions, with fees discounted by household income.
- Free and charitable dental care in Idaho — volunteer and donated-care programs, with eligibility rules and limited places.
- Idaho state oral health program — the health department office behind school sealant programs and safety-net dental services in the state.
- How sliding-scale clinics work — who qualifies for an income-based discount and how to apply for one.
Other Dental Hygiene Programs Nearby
- College of Eastern Idaho — Idaho Falls, ID
- College of Southern Idaho — Twin Falls, ID
- Idaho State University College of Health — Pocatello, ID
- North Idaho College — Coeur d’Alene, ID
- Albany State University — Albany, GA