Bismarck State College celebrated a major milestone Friday, June 6, with the official ribbon cutting and opening of Mystic Smiles Dental Clinic, the first pediatric dental clinic of its kind in North Dakota.

Housed in the former SDY Dental location, at 210 W. Century Avenue in Bismarck, the college-owned and operated non-profit clinic is designed to meet the pressing need for accessible pediatric dental care while also serving as a future training facility for the new BSC dental programs.

“Mystic Smiles represents the best of our polytechnic mission,” said BSC Interim President Dan Leingang in his opening remarks. “It expands access to care for children in our community, responds directly to workforce shortages and gives our students meaningful, applied learning opportunities that will benefit North Dakota for generations to come.”

Mystic Smiles provides a dental home for children from birth through age 13, welcoming patients with special needs and from all backgrounds. The clinic accepts Medicaid and a variety of insurance providers. For uninsured families, an income-based sliding fee scale ensures that no child is turned away due to cost.

Community dental providers had previously shared that navigating Medicaid billing was a significant challenge and, in many cases, a barrier to serving the families who need dental care the most. BSC took that message to heart. As Leingang explained, “Mystic Smiles was built to meet that challenge head-on. We are intentionally equipped to handle Medicaid billing so that children covered under those plans are not left behind.”

Dr. Tegwyn (Teg) Brickhouse is the Mystic Smiles in-house pediatric dentist and brings a wealth of experience in pediatric dentistry and education to the new clinic.

“In my work, I’ve seen how preventable dental problems, left untreated, grow to become serious barriers to a child’s well-being and confidence,” said Brickhouse, emphasizing the deeper impact of preventive care. “I became a pediatric dentist not just to fix teeth, but to build trust, to empower families, and to help children thrive. Mystic Smiles represents everything I believe in: prevention, education, and a deep commitment to meeting families where they are.”

Mystic Smiles is more than a clinic. What started as a vision to combine service and education was brought to life through forward-thinking partnerships. The idea for Mystic Smiles took root in early conversations with Dr. Katie Stewart from SDY Dental, who brought forward to BSC the critical need for dental professionals in the state. Citing a recent North Dakota Dental Association survey, Stewart noted that 98% of North Dakota dentists believe there is a workforce shortage in dental professionals.

“More than 80% of dentists in the state tried to hire someone in the last year, and most weren’t successful. That’s why I reached out to BSC,” she said. “To my delight, they were already strategizing how to start a program and were incredibly welcoming to discussions about partnering. I was immediately impressed with BSC’s willingness to think outside the box while brainstorming strategies to create opportunities for future students, fill a need within the community of Bismarck-Mandan and partner with the dental industry.”

Building an academic program for dental assistants and hygienists was no small feat, but finding space to train this future workforce was an even greater challenge. Fortunately, just as BSC stepped up to meet an industry need, Stewart and her team met the college’s.

“When my partners Steve Deisz and Jordan York and I began planning to build a new clinic in north Bismarck, I started thinking about how we could honor our late partner, Dr. Bob Schindler, who gave so much to this community, and re-invent our current clinic space at the same time,” Stewart said. “I saw an opportunity—not only to pay tribute to his legacy, but also to help address a critical workforce need in our state.”

Over the next year, Mystic Smiles will evolve into a teaching dental practice, providing hands-on training for students in BSC’s dental pathway programs, delivering on the college’s promise of hands-on learning while giving students the chance to serve their community in meaningful ways.

“We are proud to stand beside you as partners and fellow champions of access and equity,” said Tammy King, executive director of Bridging the Dental Gap. “This clinic is more than just a building; it stands for compassion and a commitment to serving those who might otherwise go without care. Every child served here will leave healthier than they came, and that ripples out into families, schools, workplaces and neighborhoods.”

Bridging the Dental Gap is a public health dental clinic in the Bismarck-Mandan area and a key referral partner for Mystic Smiles.

In his closing remarks, Interim President Leingang recognized two alums of the BSC Graphic Design and Communications program, Emily Davidson and Alexandra Lund of Bismarck Sign Co., for their donation of the clinic lobby artwork and installation; and by thanking SDY Dental, the North Dakota Dental Association and Foundation, Bridging the Dental Gap, BSC’s Dental Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT), and the industry professionals who wrote letters of support for this initiative.

“We’re proud of what Mystic Smiles stands for. It’s something pretty special.” Leingang said. “It is a true testament to what can happen when education, workforce needs and community care come together with purpose.”

The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber EDC and its members closed the ceremony with a ribbon-cutting to officially mark the clinic's addition to the community.

For more information about Mystic Smiles Dental Clinic, visit bismarckstate.edu/MysticSmiles.