What makes me love dental hygiene?
Knowing that I have over 20 opportunities in my work day to make a difference. From the moment I walk in the door I have the opportunity to contribute a mile and kind words to my colleagues. My first patient of the day, I am one of their first interactions and get to contribute to the tone of their morning. I get the chance to turn someone’s childhood trauma from poor dental visits to a positive experience and remind them of their strength just showing up to their appointment. I get to take our littlest patients for a joyful ride in the chair and show them their beautiful teeth in a little mirror while we talk about their favorite tv and movie characters. I have the opportunity to explain the appointment every step of the way so the patient feels informed and in control of their dental health. I especially love getting to come up with creative solutions for each patient to break down barriers that may be preventing them from achieving optimal home care. I could go on and on about why I love dental hygiene, but it really comes down to this: I am passionate about oral health, how it is connected to overall health and well-being, and I love the many opportunities I have to be a small light in someone’s day.
My dental office continually inspires me to be the best person I can be. The doctors I work with contribute frequently to our community. They put the patient first in every single situation and allow us to give back to the men and women that serve/have served our country. From mentorship during staff meetings and highlighting our strengths, I am inspired to learn new things and keep leaning into my strengths. I want to highlight the role of having such an amazing, inspiring team to work alongside. Without that, I would not be able to focus so freely on patient care. With each person in the office having the same goal of serving our community (in and outside of work) and being a light, it’s hard to not leave the morning huddle with a giant smile and sharing some great laughs. It directly impacts how we show up for our patients to deliver the highest standard of care.
One of the memorable patient interaction’s I have had was detecting skin cancer on a patient’s face. When I inform new patients that I am going to start with an oral cancer screening, I hear countless times that they have never had that done before (granted, some patients may just not be aware or informed that they have had it done and some probably genuinely have not had it done— something I hope changes in dentistry as a whole, as it is a standard of care). The overwhelming response from patients has been a “thank you for being so thorough” and “thank you for taking the time to do that for me.” This particular patient had a spot on his face that looked interesting. There is always the chance of inadvertently offending someone but as healthcare providers, it is our job to gather information and full histories on our patients, even if it is out of our comfort zone. This is where genuine care and compassion come in. I asked him when the last time he saw a dermatologist was and if he had ever had something removed in this area. The answer was never and no. I strongly recommended he see one and gave him a referral and a mirror to show him the spot. At his next visit he entered the op, removed his hat, and said “I owe you big time, you may have saved my life. The tiny spot you found was skin cancer and bigger than they thought under the skin. I NEVER would have noticed that until it was too late.” That moment highlighted how important my career is. It is not about cleaning teeth, it is about taking a genuine interest in the health and well-being of our patients in many different forms. Our profession is so important.