Appointment length
Your first appointment lasts about 3.5 hours. We typically try to complete your treatment in 1–2 visits, but depending on your individual needs, more appointments might be required, each about 3.5 hours long.
Southern Illinois University · Dental Hygiene Clinic
Gentle, affordable dental care in Carbondale.
I'm Macey — a dental hygiene student at SIU. Book with me for a cleaning, exam, or X-rays at a fraction of what a private practice charges, with every step of your care reviewed by clinic faculty.
- $15 adult cleaning
- $115 maximum total
- Mon & Wed 1:00–4:15 PM
Macey Purcell
Our Services & Pricing
Straightforward prices, no insurance needed
We're a self-pay clinic. Your treatment plan is decided at your appointment based on what you actually need — so these are the individual service prices, not a bundle.
- Comprehensive Exam $35
- Full Mouth X-Rays (FMX) $30
- Panoramic X-Ray $30
- Bite Wing X-Rays $20
- Adult Cleaning $15
- Child Cleaning $10
- Fluoride $5
No insurance accepted
We're a self-pay clinic and do not bill or accept any insurance plans.
No quotes beforehand
Pricing depends on the treatment plan created at your visit, so we can't provide an estimate in advance. Every appointment is tentatively scheduled for an exam, X-rays, and a cleaning.
Payment is due at your visit
We accept cash, check, and credit card. Unpaid balances may result in permanent dismissal from future treatment at the clinic.
Bring exact change
We cannot make change for $50 and $100 bills — please come prepared with the exact amount if you're paying in cash.
What to Expect
Your visit, start to finish
Our clinic works differently from a traditional dental office. Students are actively learning and being evaluated throughout your treatment, so appointments run longer and usually take more than one visit.
3.5hrs
Each appointment
1-2*visits
To complete your care
30min
Arrive before your time
*Some work may take more.
Arrive 30 minutes early
Please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled time so there's enough room for parking and the required paperwork.
You can save a big chunk of that paperwork time by filling out the health history form at home — download it here and bring it with you.
Why attendance matters
By scheduling with me, you're partnering with a dental hygiene student through your whole course of treatment. Students have limited clinic chair-time to complete required assessments and patient care, so consistent attendance is essential.
Missed appointments can significantly affect a student's ability to meet program requirements and may hurt their course grade.
Cancelling or rescheduling
If you need to cancel or reschedule — or you feel our clinic isn't the best fit for your needs — please call (618) 453-8826 at least 24 hours in advance. Timely notice lets a student fill their chair and helps us see other patients waiting for care.
Repeated late cancellations, no call / no shows, or failure to give adequate notice may result in permanent dismissal from future treatment.
We'll call you on the business day before your appointment to confirm. Our clinic is committed to a welcoming, professional, and respectful environment for patients, students, faculty, and staff — thank you for helping us keep it that way.
Before You Come
Two questions to answer ahead of time
Handling these before your appointment keeps your visit efficient and can save you both time and money.
Have you had dental X-rays taken in the last 3 years?
No
We'll likely take new X-rays during your visit. Nothing to do in advance.
Yes
Please contact your previous dental office as soon as possible and ask them to email your X-rays to SIUDHCLINIC@siu.edu.
Give that office your own email address too, so you can follow up and confirm the images actually arrived before your appointment. Having your records on hand ahead of time means faster, more efficient care — and may save you the cost of retaking them.
Have you ever had a heart condition or a joint replacement?
No
Great — no further action is needed.
Yes
Some medical conditions require an antibiotic before a dental cleaning. During treatment, bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream, and pre-medication (antibiotic prophylaxis) may be recommended to protect patients at higher risk of infection.
Please tell your student hygienist or the front desk about your condition, and talk with your physician as soon as possible about whether an antibiotic is needed.
- If pre-medication isn't required: we may still need written documentation that you are medically cleared for a dental cleaning and that we have permission to proceed. Bring that clearance letter with you, or email it ahead to SIUDHCLINIC@siu.edu to avoid delays.
- If pre-medication is required: your physician will send a prescription to your pharmacy. Follow their instructions on timing — it's typically taken one hour before your appointment.
Finding Us
Directions & parking
Use Google Maps to navigate. Apple Maps may not direct you accurately to our location.
The clinic sits across from the Banterra Center on the SIU campus, near the one-way circular drive, six large flowerpots, and a maroon Dental Clinics sign. You'll know the entrance by the two Saluki dog images on the front doors.
Where to park
- Park only in designated Patient Parking spaces (marked with black-and-white signs) or Meter Parking, just beyond the blue dumpster.
- Backing into spaces is not permitted.
- Students with a red commuter decal must park in the designated red lot across the street.
- Handicap parking: patients with a valid placard or plate may use the accessible spaces located just before the Patient Parking area. No SIU parking pass is required.
Your parking pass
- After parking, check in at the Dental Hygiene Clinic — the first desk as you walk in — to get your SIU Patient Parking Pass.
- Place the pass face up on your dashboard, clearly visible, to avoid a citation.
- Parking is covered in designated spaces only when a valid pass is displayed. Do not pay for meter parking — fees paid in error cannot be refunded.
- The pass must show the correct appointment date. An incorrect, missing, or altered date may result in a citation.
- Have a future appointment? Ask the front desk for a post-dated pass while you're there.
Let's Get You Scheduled
Request an appointment
Send me a few details and I'll reach out to find a time that works. Appointments are Monday and Wednesday afternoons, 1:00–4:15 PM.
Please get in touch directly
This form needs JavaScript to send your request safely. It looks like it's turned off, so please email me at macey.purcell@siu.edu — and let me know your name, date of birth, roughly when your last cleaning was, and how you'd like me to reach you.
Thank you — your request is on its way.
I'll be in touch soon using the contact method you chose. If you need something sooner, email me at macey.purcell@siu.edu.
Prefer to skip the form? Email macey.purcell@siu.edu.