Hygienist Spotlight

The work environments of dental hygienists are not all the same; some are private practices, while some are group practices (DSO) or public clinics. Dental hygienists also treat patients in different ways, depending on allowable duties and/or equipment available in the office ‒ all according to the individual patient's needs. Many dental providers understand the "traditional" way of dental hygiene...

An executive director of an agency providing dental care to uninsured adults in North Carolina is one of three recipients of the 2021 Today’s RDH Honor Awards. Sommer Wisher, RDH, BS, leads the Wake Smiles Program in Raleigh, the county seat. Karyn Bragman, RDH, BS, nominated Wisher. She wrote, “Wake Smiles is the only dental clinic in Wake County that...

An independent California hygienist who treats special needs patients in her private practice is one of three recipients of the 2021 Today’s RDH Honor Awards. Darla Dale, BSDH, RDHAP, is a 36-year veteran in the profession who opened a dental hygiene practice in Eureka (approximately 100 miles from the Oregon border). She was also the state dental hygiene association’s president...

A Utah hygienist who creates educational content for dental hygiene educators and students, as well as reaches out in her community by volunteering annually, is one of three recipients for the 2021 Today's RDH Honor Awards. Shelley Brown, MEd, RDH, also has developed a sideline business for treating homebound patients in her state. Melia Lewis, MEd, BSDH, RDH, who nominated Brown...

Yes, this article will focus on my own personal experiences doing some good in the community. My story could show some insight on how to find what you are passionate about in your own community. Sometimes opportunities such as this are unexpected, and they present themselves to you when you aren't even looking. In my case, I was attending a...

WARNING: Graphic images contained in this thyroid cancer article. With limited appointment times and an increasing number of tasks to accomplish, dental hygienists may be tempted to skip the head and neck examination. Every dental hygiene procedure and treatment protocol seems necessary, and yet we still need to disinfect the operatory and prepare for the next patient. The lack of time...

So many dental hygienists aspire to leave the operatory. The why doesn’t matter. It is just their time to transition out of clinical care. As it happens, the road isn’t necessarily quick and easy, and you do need to do a little planning. I decided to interview my good friend Maria Smith who has done just that. She moved very...

Dental hygienists who are lifelong learners, science nerds, and thrive on changes and challenges are amazed at what can be accomplished. Courtney Beth Anderson, RDH, a 2009 AAS graduate of Harper Community College in Palatine, Illinois, believes in going the distance with her career, and she is frequently undertaking new challenges. As a child with "bucky teeth," Courtney didn't smile...

"We can do hard things" is a mantra that seems to be everywhere. Authors Glennon Doyle and Alan Packer wrote of the challenge. This isn't a new idea. President John F. Kennedy's "moon" speech in 1962 proclaimed, " We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but...

Learn more about Ingrid's eco-friendly, dental products company, PANGA, at https://www.wearepanga.com/ Has the amount of garbage, especially plastics, used in dentistry ever crossed your mind? Though one-time use items such as plastic barriers, air/water syringe tips, prophy angles, sterilization pouches, and everything in between are imperative for infection control and keeping our patients as safe as possible, dentistry certainly creates...