Valerie Long, DM, PMC, MSDH, RDH , BSDH, CDA

What has made me love dental hygiene for the past 33 years as a professional Navajo RDH? Of those years, 11 were in private practice, and 22 years I have been serving the Navajo (Dine') community through Tsehootsooi Medical Center Dental Clinic on the Navajo (Dine`) Nation Reservation.

As a clinical RDH for 100% of my professional career, I have had multiple community outreach opportunities, serving as a coordinator for Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) events over the past 5 years while working with the local Navajo Nation Elementary & Middle School community. Second, there have been numerous times I had the privilege of speaking on the Navajo Nation KTNN radio station, putting out dental health/diabetes infomercials for our (Dine') population, along with 1-minute oral health dental messages on our own "TMC Health Minute" and a "Live" Diabetes Forum. Third, in 2025, a new video series called The Oral Health Series, showcasing five oral health topics, was launched and is featured on Facebook and YouTube under our TMC marketing department. Fourth, another project I am in charge of is the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI), which the dental clinic is directly involved in from grant money. Fifth, TMC held a "Facebook Live Event" in which I presented on Oral Systemic Health, and I was an oral health diabetes presenter at the ADCES event in Houston, TX, "Diabetes Care: The Oral-Systemic Connection."

 I also brought on the Florida Probe voice-work software for use with the RDH providers. Another initiative was Get Back on Track (GBOT), which provided presentations to educate patients with T1 or T2 diabetes on managing their diabetes and dental care. On occasion, I took part in TMC Lunch and Learn presentations on dental health care. Being a member of the Southwest Dental Support Center Regional Advisory Committee (SWDSCRAC) has allowed me to advocate for the TMC dental clinic and its needs. Recipient of the RDH Magazine PIRA (Patient Impact Rise Above) Award (2022-2023), and featured in the professional RDH Magazine for "Serving the Oral Health Needs of the Navajo Nation." Health Fairs for the Dental Clinic: Organized health fairs to promote dental health services. RDH Monthly Meetings– Initiated in 2022 to advocate for recognition as dental providers. I recently earned a (Ph.D.) doctorate in Management (DM) from the University of Phoenix while still working full-time and managing projects and timelines.

Amongst all these other roles, I am privileged to be a part of one memorable moment providing dental hygiene care to a patient, she mentioned "not once did a RDH provider take the time to go over my gum measurements and tell me how involved my periodontal disease is and the impact the oral systemic connection has on my overall health." What keeps me inspired and excited about my career is thinking outside the box of dental hygiene care and getting out to the community as an advocate and bringing awareness of the oral systemic connection to each patient.