Hygienist Spotlight

The Today’s RDH Hygienist Profile is an ongoing series that features dental hygienists who have expanded their career beyond clinical work, are putting a unique spin on dental hygiene, or have gone above and beyond as a preventive specialist. To kick off the Today’s RDH Hygienist Profile series, we interview Whitney, RDH, BS, also known as Teeth Talk Girl!...

Dental hygiene comes to each of us in a unique way. This is a description of the journey by Candy Malone, BSDH, a 2003 graduate of Marquette University. As a nine-year-old, Candy was an orthodontic patient of Dr. Gregory Kubik. She had the most positive, wonderful experience as he worked his miracle, creating her now infectious smile. Candy also had...

Switching settings now, we enter the public health sector, which includes the school-based community. According to the American Dental Association, dental public health is defined as "that part of dentistry providing leadership and expertise in population-based dentistry, oral health surveillance, policy development, community-based disease prevention and health promotion, and the maintenance of the dental safety net.”1 I asked Paula Morrison,...

Over the past three years of clinical experience, I have been introduced to many different dental professionals, especially hygienists. Everyone possesses their own opinions, perspectives, and experiences about the profession. My goal here is to have hygienists reflect on their dental hygiene career based on their experience − a new graduate, a hygienist with a few years under her...

A special thank you to Dentsply Sirona for sponsoring the Today's RDH Honor Awards and for their unwavering commitment in supporting the profession of dental hygiene. Gauri Mona Patel and Aaron Seubert are the dentists at Bayshore Dental, which is in a north Milwaukee neighborhood known as Whitefish Bay. Whitefish Bay is a very family-oriented community, with a diverse demographic....

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...

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...

If you have ever been interested in getting more involved as a dental hygienist or if you’ve been looking for an opportunity to volunteer, Happy Teeth presents feel-good gear for health-care professionals. Happy Teeth is not only a super cute purse in the shape of a tooth, but it is part of a whole collection of bags designed by health-care...

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...

Lori Cackovic, RDH, BS, is a 35-year-old dental hygienist who has overcome many battles with being severely dyslexic. In recent months, Decades of Dental Hygiene has interviewed Fran Tourdot, Barb Orth, Renee Ahlf, Kelli Dash, and Kym Dallstream about a wide variety of career experiences in dental hygiene. Jensen: Lori, tell me a little about your family background? Cackovic: I was born...