Syeda Ijaz, RDH, BDS
Syeda Ijaz, RDH, BDS, moved to the U.S with her husband in 2004 from her native country of Pakistan. A dentist back in her country, she had to put a pause on pursuing her career in the U.S because she wanted to focus on the proper upbringing of her children. Once her youngest started going to school, she wanted to be connected to dentistry again. Dental hygiene appealed to her as it gave her a perfect balance between work and home. She is a graduate of the Collin College Dental Hygiene program. For Syeda, providing dental hygiene is a form of service that improves the lives of people. Coming from another country, she understands the hurdles and hesitations immigrants might feel in seeking dental help. Her passion is to help the underserved communities understand the dental system and educate them about oral hygiene.
Khat Leaves: Regional Chewing Habit Could Lead to Oral Lesions
Decades ago, I watched a documentary on Yemen that showed how in Yemeni culture, people habitually chewed some sort of leaves, especially during social gatherings. Since I did not know many cultures had the habit of chewing leaves, this memory stayed with me.
Fast forward to dental hygiene school, and during my third semester, I treated a patient who was...
Hygiene School During COVID: How My Class Braved Through It
The sun is barely out this morning, and my six clinic buddies and I wait in our cars in the campus parking lot. When the clock hits seven, our dental hygiene instructors emerge from the building holding baskets that contain thermometers, masks, and sanitizers.
We wear our masks and lower the windows. They greet us and take our temperatures, ask...
Refugee Children: How Dental Hygienists Help Welcome Them to New Country
When families are severed from the land of their origin and placed in another country, living conditions are anything but ideal. Refugees face many problems when settling in new surroundings. Money is tight, there is a cultural shock, and there is often discrimination and xenophobia based on race or religion.13
Under all these conditions, thinking about oral health, especially...