Ideas to Inspiration: Collaborations at RDH Under One Roof
RDH Under One Roof attendees gather for a hands-on demonstration.
By Jackie Sanders, RDH, MBA
RDH Under One Roof has come and gone, yet the friendships and collaborative ideas will progress throughout the year until we all meet again. The event continues to thrive with over 600 new attendees this year and over 40 new exhibitors. The attendance numbers are a true testimony to the career development and growth that so many dental hygienists are seeking. Whether you are reaching for advanced clinical skills, desiring additional research and knowledge, or are looking for a new path, you will find your answers amongst your colleagues.
RDH Under One Roof is aware of your desires and has created a program to fulfill those requests. Networking opportunities are abundant, whether at a dance party, a round table discussion, or an opportunity to meet the Sunstar Award of Distinction recipients who may inspire you. The exhibits were busy with new products, information to assist with patient treatment, and numerous samples to take home and use.
Facebook is filled with smiling faces and testimonials of an experience that has changed lives. Now is the time to start saving, planning and preparing for 2018. Start taking those small steps required to make the big leap you are seeking. As long as you are taking the initiative to move forward, those rough patches won’t seem as traumatic.
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Other articles by Sanders
- Ideas to Inspiration: Maintaining the energy that propels your dental hygiene career
- Ideas to Inspiration: Three tips for the new graduate
- Ideas to Inspiration: A job vs. your dental hygiene career
- Ideas to Inspiration: Easy steps to take in dental hygiene career development
- Ideas to Inspiration: Finding your 'why' about becoming a dental hygienist
- Ideas to Inspiration: Answering four questions about dental hygiene careers
- Ideas to Inspiration: Is the story grim, or is it all about attitude?
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This year I took the opportunity to schedule numerous appointments with my colleagues, people I wanted to get to know better, and numerous acquaintances I can now call friends. We created platforms for new programs, content for new presentations, supported each other with positive thoughts and motivational solutions while continuing to drive the dental hygiene profession forward.
Until next year? Take a leap of faith and reach out to the individual who inspires you. Ask them to lunch, or schedule a phone call, and prepare a few questions that could provide you direction or insight. Collaboration can happen in so many different ways, and at times when you least expect it. Have faith in yourself and open that door. There’s no telling who may walk in and change your path. Make the effort and take the initiative to work with someone to produce or create a great idea!
“We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.”—Luciano De Crescenzo
Jackie Sanders is Manager of Professional Relations & Communications for SUNSTAR. She serves as a liaison responsible for communications with professional and industry associations, educational institutions and the dental professional community. She is a recognized and active opinion leader within the dental hygiene community and associated social networking programs. She serves on the ADEA Legislative Advisory Council, is a member of ADHA IOH Advisory Committee, and serves on several Editorial Advisory Boards.
