Sherri Bush is a multi-talented and caring individual. I am honored to call her my friend. Sherri spends much of her free time devoted to improving the dental hygiene profession. Being a part of the ADHA is important to Sherri as she volunteers with both her state and local components. An important team member at Cleveland Dental Associates, she not only practices clinically four days a week, but also designed and maintains the office Web site.
She recently started a home business of dental related jewelry, novelties, and non-dental jewelry. If you are looking for the perfect dental related gift, you need to stop by both her RDH Novelties & Gifts Web site at www.rdhnovelties.com and Dental TZ at www.cafepress.com.
Please take some time to get to know this shining star of dental hygiene.
What made you decide to go into the profession of dental hygiene?
Sherri: Well, I started my career as a dental assistant and after a few years of assisting, my employer and a RDH at that time kept telling me I that should further my education. I decided, after going through a divorce, that in order to make a living on my own I needed to do something and I really enjoyed dentistry. So I took the advice and enrolled in college.
What school did you attend and when did you graduate?
Sherri: I graduated from Cuyahoga Community College in 1993.
What do you like most about your career in dental hygiene?
Sherri: I've always enjoyed helping others so I think working one on one with my patients is what I like most about hygiene. I get to help them understand that the mouth and teeth are part of the whole body and that if we work together we can change their oral health.
What is the best part of working at Cleveland Dental Associates?
Sherri: Working with dentists who actually have faith in you and value your expertise in the field of prevention. It really makes me feel great that they believe enough in me that they seek my opinions on subjects.
You should be applauded for the time you spend volunteering for your local and state components of the ADHA. What are your current positions? Why do you feel it is important to join the ADHA?
Sherri: Currently, I'm serving as TDHA Newsletter Editor (second term), Chairperson of the Council on Continuing Education (second term), and I am also TDHA's Web designer and administrator. (www.tndha.org) I also serve these same positions on a component level for Chattanooga Area Dental Hygienists' Society. I've also served as the President for CADHS from 2001-2003. I enjoy being active in my profession and feel it's very important that we support our professional organization, the ADHA, however we can. This doesn't mean that you have to hold an office — being a member is important. All of us working together and doing what we can is what counts.
What would you like to see for the future of dental hygiene?
Sherri: Personally, I would like to see self regulation for dental hygienists take place while I'm still breathing. :-)
Your hobbies include Web site designing and crafting. How did you become involved with Web site designing?
Sherri: My Web site designing interests were started by my husband back in 1997, just after we were married. As a side note, I met my husband while chatting on the Internet. :-) I started Web page designing by doing simple stuff like just a one-page site about myself. Then I decided to branch out and make Ms. Flossy's Dental Hygiene News. Back then, it was a much simpler website and has grown over the years. I continue to add to it but since I've started the RDH Novelties Web site, DHN has taken a back seat for now.
What sites are you currently maintaining?
Sherri: I maintain four other Web sites besides RDH Novelties & DHN, my office website www.cleveland-dental.com, my local ADHA component website Chattanooga Area Dental Hygienists' Society at www.cadhs.org, the TN Dental Hygienists' Association website at www.tndha.org and the TN Academy of Dental Hygiene website at tnacademy.tripod.com. Whew! That's a lot of htmling (laughs).
How much time weekly do you spend answering emails from people who are looking for advice?
Sherri: Actually, not as much as I would like. When I first started Dental Hygiene News I used to get a lot of emails. Most of them asked about licensure in other states so I decided to just add a page to the site that had a list of the Board of Dentistry or licensing information by state.
What do you enjoy most about having a dental related Web site?
Sherri: What I enjoy most is all the wonderful people that I've met and hopefully helped via my Web site. Some of the people I've met via the Internet are my closest friends.
You have started a business selling RDH novelties and non-dental jewelry. How did you become interested in crafting and what made you decide to offer these items for sale on the internet?
Sherri: I come from a long line of crafters and do-it-yourselfers. When I was growing up my parents where always hammering or fixing something around the house. Moving this wall or taking that wall down. Something was always going on. My mother and grandmother were very handy around the sewing machine and my mom would do flower arranging, tole paint and other crafty things around me. Her younger siblings were also very talented.
Tell us about your online stores.
Sherri: It always seems so hard to find dental related jewelry and other things. Nursing items you can find all day long, but dental you have to really hunt for. So a few years ago I started designing T-shirt logos and sayings and marketing them on a Cafepress Web site. It was slow going at first, but over the years things have picked up. Then I started designing lapel buttons and key chains that I sold off my Web site, Ms. Flossy's Dental Hygiene News at www.ms-flossy.com. I sold a few here and there. I started purchasing pre-made items to sell on my www.ms-flossy.com Web site. Just a bracelet here and there. Then I thought, why not branch out and just start an entire site for dental items, so I started RDH Novelties & Gifts at www.rdhnovelties.com. I began hunting for pre-made items, jewelry, brooches, key chains and anything that I could find that I could add to my online store that was dental related. Then I thought I'd branch out and add something new to RDH Novelties. So I thought about polymer clay items. I thought the ones I had seen and purchased at other craft events were cute and wanted to try my hand at making them and eventually selling them. Well, I found out that working with polymer clay can be tedious and time consuming, so I tossed it aside for a while. I need instant gratification I suppose :-) I haven't given up on polymer clay though. In fact, I got out my drawer full of clay and I made some dental related Christmas ornaments recently which you can order online.
Much of your jewelry is handmade. What is your favorite type of jewelry to make?
Sherri: I've only recently starting making jewelry so I'm still learning the ropes but I think I enjoy making bracelets the most, seeing what new creations I can come up with. The bad thing is that when you have a store you have to duplicate your items and I like to make different designs. The ironic thing is that I've never been much of a jewelry wearing person. My ears aren't even pierced but I do like my bracelets.
How did you become interested in making jewelry?
Sherri: To be quite honest, I can't remember what got me started making jewelry. I think it was that I purchased some pre-made bracelets for my RDH Novelties store and I decided to take some of them apart and make necklaces and earrings from the charms and beads. Now I'm addicted to making them. I have collected a lot of beading materials in the last few months since I began. I find that it's really relaxing after a day at the office. I've even gotten a few friends started beading now.
