Florie Mancilla, BS, RDH, RDA

Esteemed heart to hands submission committee members:

Hello, I’m  Florie Mancilla a diverse dental hygienist entering my 15^th year journey into hygiene. When I saw the message in my inbox about entering the heart to hands submission, I thought ME?? So before I cut myself short, I thought about the robust experiences I have taken part in throughout my career. What initially led me to dentistry was my mother’s fear of the dentist, she made my visits pleasant and I wanted to pay it forward and make my patients visits less fearful and more calming.

I have been able to wear many hats while in the hygiene space; as a clinician in private practice as well as specialty practices such as prosthodontics ,pediatrics and periodontal practices, public health, academia, corporate laser trainer as well as an educator for continuing ed courses.

I discovered my passion in public health while taking part in two pilot programs in support of teledentistry, or a virtual dental home, which provided full comprehensive care and access to a community which otherwise would not have received dental care.While working in WIC centers and mobile units which provided fluoride varnish treatments as well as sealants,  and providing dental education for school- aged children, I came to the realization that when given the opportunities, RDHs and RDHAPs can provide equitable access to care for our communities in need. We can provide quality care that can impact the dental trajectory of a child’s dental experience.

What I have loved most about hygiene is giving my patients the ability to change their own oral care trajectory, to impact their health in a positive manner, to educate them so they are empowered to be the stewards of their own health care. When working at an FQHC, I provided care to migrant workers who would avoid drinking water due to lack of access to facilities, causing dry mouth. Working with them to connect the dots on low cost ways to improve their day-today-habits was very fulfilling.

When I worked near the School for the deaf, I took up sign language courses to help me with interpretation for our deaf families. Though my signing was broken, they appreciated any time a clinician attempted to bridge the language barrier and meet their needs.

Lastly, working with the special needs and autistic population, I helped a young man over the course of 4 years, gain confidence in me as a clinician. We worked together on his consumption of heavy soda drinking. We got him down to two cans per day and what motivated him to keep going was his drastic weight loss. He not only improved his oral health but his overall health as well.

Continuing to focus on my why, the core of my choices in hygiene has been focusing on community work and volunteer opportunities such as earlier this year delivering hygiene care packages or toothbrush kits to LA fire survivors. What started out as a small project, became a 2 month long drop off at various site locations throughout LA. Volunteering has also led me to overseeing dental students through the Flying Samaritans in Tijuana, Baja CA as we set up a dental mission trip for the day.

I have been a member in my professional organization for ADHA and CDHA concurrently. While I have mostly taken a back seat and ensured to maintain my much needed membership, the current state of dental hygiene has encouraged me to speak up and advocate for my profession, my patients and the level of care that we provide as health care providers. Social media has helped me connect with my colleagues and be a voice for change.

These are some of the moments that have kept me inspired throughout my career. At a time when so many people are leaving the profession, focusing on my why, seeking diverse opportunities and connecting with colleagues has kept me inspired to level-up the hygiene space. Thank you for your consideration and time!