Teaching at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Dental Clinic
17 June 2026
At the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Dental Clinic (GRHDC), University of Alberta instructors oversee third and fourth-year students from the dental hygiene or dentistry programs while they treat patients. While this clinic is open to everyone, its focus is on providing accessible oral health care to adults with complex medical needs, stroke rehabilitation inpatients, and seniors living with neurodegenerative conditions. Treating patients can be a bit more complex; however, the clinic culture is defined by patience, warmth, and collaboration.
The patient philosophy
The philosophy here is entirely different from that of a standard clinic: you take your time and focus on delivering care in a dedicated time to provide personalized treatment. Dentistry faculty member, Dr. Laura Hildebrandt, explains: "We're not trying to go through many patients in a day, as we want to make sure everybody has plenty of time to get the treatment that they need.” Each of the four students sees about one to four patients per day, depending on care needs. “It works a lot like a typical private practice with a little bit of a slower pace because every patient just needs a little bit more attention."
As many patients at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital may be recuperating for months, this clinic makes adjustments due to a multitude of reasons, including a patient’s comfort level, mobility level or history. Long-time dental hygiene faculty member, Alexandra Sheppard, notes that treating these patients requires a deeply human approach: "Every person is a person. They have parents, they might have a child, they're not a dollar sign, and they're not just a statistic. They are human. How do you make this experience for them to be a positive experience so that they'll come back and remember you as a person of kindness?"
Hildebrandt highlights the incredible transformations you get to witness first-hand: "You see these people that have such a drive to get better, and you do what you can to be there for them. Being able to take the time with them and help with their rehab journey is really fulfilling. Even if you're not the one helping them learn to talk again, you see them come back to life, and it's very inspiring."
The facility and team
The clinic features large operatories fully equipped with specialized overhead lifts, eliminating transfer risks for patients and staff. Sheppard states this clinic stands out within the local community, "We are so lucky to have this facility in Alberta." Lifts are unique, as this clinic is the only facility where students learn how to use patient lifts, as you rarely see them in private dental practices. Sheppard continues that she thinks “it is important that dentists and dental hygienists give back to society and help people who need access to oral health care” who may not otherwise have access to it.
New instructors often wonder if they have the skills and ability to manage patients in a hospital setting, but the existing support system ensures they are never practicing alone. The clinic boasts an exceptional team culture where no instructor works in isolation, as these operatories sit within the larger clinic.
Hildebrandt notes that the built-in collaboration makes managing complex cases incredibly straightforward: "The nice thing about being a dentist at the Glenrose is that there are lots of medical specialists that you can call or message on Connect Care to help you manage care, so doing medical consults is usually pretty straightforward.” Sheppard adds that they are always surrounded by GRHDC’s staff dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants.
Join this team
If you are looking for a change of pace, return to the reason you entered oral health care in the first place. The University of Alberta is hiring a DDS instructor for Thursdays and Fridays at the GHDRC. If you have at least five years of clinical experience and are ready to lend your expertise that truly changes lives, we want to hear from you.
Contact:
Dr. Zuzanna Apel
Associate Chair & Program Director, DDS
zuzanna@ualberta.ca
(780) 952-4429