By Emily Boge, RDH, BS
October 15, 2013
Some of you may not be aware of the designation of October as National Dental Hygiene Month, but it is true! Nationwide, dental hygienists use October as the month to celebrate our mission to decrease the occurrence and manifestation of oral disease in the body. And yes, we need an entire month to rejoice because many use this opportunity to increase community awareness of dental hygienists. The public needs to know who we are and what we do, and the best way to make this known is by completing activities and programs that promote our profession.
Dental hygienist, consultant detects own oral cancer
Be a trendsetter for oral cancer screenings
Across the country dental hygienists are attending public health fairs at universities and local schools. They are also holding continuing education meetings and annual business sessions on the state and local levels. Public service announcement times have also been purchased in certain areas to inform listeners of the importance of daily home care and routine professional dental care. Libraries welcome new story hour readers – and there are some fantastic books about dentistry for kids – so get out there are read!
Some larger corporations have offered civic service grants to dental hygienists who wish to improve the oral health of their community. The theme for 2013 is “Healthy habits are easier than you think” – use this theme to create your own celebration for the month of October. Gather a few colleagues and plan a day together. One small step can turn into a great journey together – it’s easier than you think.
Fall is a time for changes. The leaves change colors, the weather changes temperature, and the opportunity presents for personal change. Many citizens cannot differentiate between a dental hygienist and a dental assistant. They view us as an auxiliary to the dentist, but are unsure of what exactly it is that we do in addition to “cleaning the teeth.”
I challenge you during National Dental Hygiene Month 2013 to make some step, large or small, to increase the public awareness that we are not “just” an auxiliary to the dentist. We are our own profession that compliments dentistry, dental assisting, dental administration, and dental lab technology in so many ways. Now is the time to reach out to your fellow hygienists – shake hands in pleasant introductions, pat each other on the back, and celebrate this October, because we get an entire month!
Emily Boge, RDH, BS has practiced as a clinical dental hygienist in Iowa since 2003. She is currently pursuing her Master's Degree at Upper Iowa University in Health Sciences Public Administration and plans to graduate next year. She has been an active member of her professional associations, ADHA, IDHA, and AADH, and has done research on whitening, desensitization, and the psychological ramifications of missing teeth for the dental industry. She has also served two terms on the Colgate Oral Health Advisory Board. She can be contacted at [email protected] or www.manchestersmiles.com.
