Resource Highlight: Bismarck State College Mystic Smiles
New nonprofit clinic is working to close the dental care gap in North Dakota
Dr. Tegwyn Brickhouse, Mystic Smiles
The biggest predictor of dental health in adulthood is the quality of care a person receives as a child. This is something the team at the new Bismarck State College (BSC) Mystic Smiles non-profit dental clinic knows well, and it’s also the very reason why the clinic exists.
“It started out as a gap in the industry,” Dr. Tegwyn Brickhouse, Mystic Smiles’ in-house pediatric dentist, told us.
The problem was twofold: Dental offices and providers weren’t able to care for all patients due to a shortage of assistants and hygienists in the state, and families without dental insurance couldn’t afford care out of pocket. When Dr. Katie Stewart of SDY Dental began construction on a new office for her clinic, she saw an opportunity for her former facility to become a site for dental training programs and reached out to BSC. Together, the college and Dr. Stewart created a dental Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) of dentists, hygienists, assistants, and public health leaders to provide guidance in addressing the community’s unmet needs.
Mystic Smiles, which opened in June 2025, provides specialized pediatric dental care to patients 13 years of age and younger. They do everything from preventive care and cleanings to pediatric fillings, crowns and extractions. It’s currently the only clinic in North Dakota that has specialty pediatric dental services provided by pediatric dental specialists for folks with limited resources for dental care.
“We can prevent, maintain, and restore optimal oral health for children,” Dr. Brickhouse said.
At the clinic, providers use kid-friendly behavior management techniques and terminology to help the child understand what’s going on in a way that’s informational but not scary. Their colorful waiting room is filled with interactive toys to keep kids entertained and foster a welcoming environment, just like what you’d find at a private clinic. “We want children to have a dental home where they can learn about oral health and have the potential to have a cavity-free life.”
Perhaps most importantly, Mystic Smiles accepts Medicaid and also offers a sliding scale fee, two things that are difficult to find in most communities. “Many individuals may have health insurance and are fully employed but don’t have dental coverage,” Dr. Brickhouse said. “We’re able to meet families where they are.”
In addition to Mystic Smiles, BSC has launched a dental assisting program and a dental hygiene program to help combat the ongoing dental provider gap.
“Right now, Bismarck State College has a qualified dental assisting program up and running,” Dr. Brickhouse shared with us. “It’s an online certificate program to be a dental assistant in
North Dakota, and we help give scholarships for that program in addition to helping them find a sponsor dentist to get their clinical hours in a dental office.”
The BSC dental hygiene program is in the process of undergoing accreditation. Once the program is accredited, students will undergo hands-on training at the Mystic Smiles clinic, which will then begin offering preventative services such as cleanings to adult patients, not just pediatric.
Initiatives like BSC Mystic Smiles are gamechangers in terms of public health impact, and we’re thrilled to have a clinic like theirs operating in our state.
“Kids cannot eat, sleep, or learn unless their mouth feels good,” Dr. Brickhouse shared. “Putting things in the community and having them work in the same way that the other entities work — in terms of not isolating people and making them feel like they’re different, but instead giving them a beautiful space to come to — has always been really important to me.”
Clients can currently receive care by appointment and can either call Mystic Smiles to schedule or visit their website for additional contact information.
BSC Mystic Smiles
Address: 210 W. Century Ave. Bismarck, ND 58503
Phone: 701-224-2553
Email: bsc.mysticsmiles@bismarckstate.edu
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
Patient care is available by appointment only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and some Thursdays. No walk-ins. No weekend hours.