Corina Hartley, RDH
Corina Hartley, RDH, is a Canadian, Registered Dental Hygienist who lives in Edmonton, Alberta, which lies beside the North Saskatchewan River, the longest stretch of connected urban parkland in North America. She is supported and loved by her husband, four children, three grandchildren, and two fur babies. Graduating from Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario, in 2006, she has experienced the challenges of commuting to big cities, working in more remote areas, and also temping at various offices with differing ethnic backgrounds. While her family will always be her first love, the dental world is certainly the field she is passionate about, and writing about it brings her immense joy. Corina has a unique ability to relax the most phobic patient and calm an irate one with a smile, understanding attitude, and a special sense of humour. She enjoys really getting to the heart of the matter with everything she does in life, and this is demonstrated with her witty writing abilities as well. Corina’s biggest desire is to share life with as many people as possible through close-up experiences, story-telling, and simply just being present.
Wanted: Unicorn Dental Office. Dental Hygienists’ Dream or Reality?
Tingles race up and down my spine as my feather-light body levitates seemingly by its own volition, high into the cottony clouds. I feel so free, so giddy with joy, and I giggle into the sky as I ride the azure expanse. The heavens above me breathe a gentle breeze as they invite me higher to the majestic space...
Temping: 10 Things Dental Hygienists Should Not Do during Temporary Jobs
Dental hygienists who work on a temporary basis are becoming even more mainstream since the world changed so significantly during the first year of the pandemic. Many hygienists turn to temping as a way to feel empowered with the how, when, and where to work. They can choose the days and times we work due to the high demand...
“Wanted: Rock Star Dental Hygienist!” Red Flag or Unicorn Office?
The crowd goes wild, and the chanting begins; the stadium hums with electric anticipation of the show of their lives about to take them to another world for a few hours of their hum-drum day-to-day. Smoke billows from the stage and vintage guitars can be heard tuning one last time before the lead singer heroically appears and belts out...
Workplace Conflict: 5 Steps Facilitate Difficult Conversations between Dental Professionals
"I can't keep it to myself any longer! I have stress ulcers. I am losing sleep! My partner and I are endlessly fighting! Today is the day I'm going to confront her. I can do this. After all, I am right, and she is wrong! I think?"
Sound familiar? Is this internal voice becoming a constant nightmare while you commute...
Workplace Conflict: Acknowledging Conflict Styles within the Dental Office Workplace
Ugh, it’s Monday. While you are usually a very happy and upbeat morning person who can be a tad bit annoying to the masses of dental patients who still need toothpicks to keep their eyes open over their 7 a.m. coffee, you are feeling unusually discontented. It started a few months ago when you found yourself the focus of...
Workplace Conflict: Impact of Friction within Dental Teams
Pulse quickening, vision blurring, heart racing, head pounding, labored breathing… What is happening to me, and why can’t I stop it? I’m sweating now, and it feels like the world is caving in on me. Why are my hands shaking? I can’t work like this. I want to curl up into a ball and hide in the stock room...
Dental Workplace Stress: How to Support Each Other During Tough Times
Stress brings out the best and worst in people, and it needs to be addressed in a careful but meaningful way. We need to be there for one another and come together like we never have.
Times are definitely tough, and everyone seems to be handling it at their own pace and in their own way. Let's discuss the nuances...
Tempted to Temp? 10 Ways to Prepare Yourself for the Best Day Possible
Like life, temping is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get. Well said, Forrest! At one point or another, you may consider taking on the challenge of temping for an office you’ve never been to, or maybe returning to one you’ve already graced with your awesome presence.
So, just how prepared are you? Do...
Top 30 Things Dental Hygienists Can Do During Self-Isolation
Twiddling your thumbs, strangling your significant other if they even look at you the wrong way, and changing from day pajamas into nighttime ones by 7 p.m.? Stuck in a rut and not sure what to do next with yourself or your beloved children who are so bored you’d do anything at this point to keep them busy even...
Dental Nerves of Steel: Passing My Anesthetic Certification Exam
Sweaty palms, right armpit smelling as per its now-normal state thanks to menopause, light-headedness from lack of sleep thanks to anxiety over the exam, and again, hormonal insomnia. Nausea so bad I thought I might vomit right on my partner… who lay there trusting me with her life.
She gagged so hard, sitting up, coughing from all the extra anesthetic...