ADHA Access — April 2012
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Working
Joanna Aalboe, RDH, BS, MPH, has occupied many roles in the oral health profession over the years, making use of her extensive education. Aalboe received an Associate of Applied Science degree in dental hygiene from Lexington Community College (LCC) in Lexington, Ky. In 2000, completed her Bachelor of Science in health education at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in 2006, and earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) in community health from EKU in 2009. At present, Aalboe is a doctoral student in the Doctor of Public Health program at the University of Kentucky (UK). She is currently an assistant professor and public health hygienist with the UK College of Dentistry, Division of Dental Public Health in Lexington. She works in outreach dental programs with children on a mobile dental unit, as well as a researcher engaging in health services research to define oral disease burdens, assess intervention strategies, and evaluate outcomes relatable to oral health disparities, oral health literacy, and oral health wellness.
Aalboe’s first dental appointment was when she was 12 years old. “It was a wonderful experience. I was fascinated with the equipment, people and atmosphere. At that moment, I decided I wanted a career in dentistry,” she said. Aalboe believes she learned compassion from her mother, who was a nurse’s aide in a convalescent hospital. “As a child, she would sometimes take me to work with her. I would ask if we could take cookies to the patients just to see them smile.”
In college, Aalboe worked as a dental assistant in a dental office; the dental hygienist in the office encouraged Aalboe to pursue a career in dental hygiene, explaining the benefits of the profession. Aalboe took the dental hygienist’s advice. After graduating from the dental hygiene program at LCC, Aalboe worked in private practice (general and pediatric offices) for a couple of years.
“At that point, I was very content with private practice, and I had not thought much about other possible avenues my profession might take me. I received a phone call one day that changed my life,” she explained. “The director of the dental hygiene program, whom I admired greatly, called and asked if I would be interested in a position as a clinical instructor. I was pleasantly surprised; I had not considered academia. Needless to say, I emphatically said yes! This opportunity opened many new doors for me. I absolutely loved working with the students in the clinic.”
“Next, I was offered the opportunity to try my hand at didactic teaching. I will be honest—it was rough at first. I was so nervous up in front of an ‘audience’ that I was not sure I was cut out for teaching,” Aalboe said. “The next year was better, and it kept getting better. I realized that I educated my patients daily, naturally passing on knowledge, and students were no different. Hygienists are so good at creating different, innovative methods to reach diverse populations of patients. It is almost innate; we instinctively persevere: ‘What I said or demonstrated last time didn’t work so I will Try this approach... .’ We never give up! It is our job and we are passionate about improving the oral health and overall health of our patients. I learned to channel that energy and inherent aptitude to my students. Plus, it never hurts to add a little humor.” However, Aalboe didn’t rest on her laurels; instead, she pushed herself to continue her education. “The key to opening doors for endless opportunities is education,” she said, adding that finding a mentor is also an important component.
“A mentor can be a good sounding board and they are great resources. I am forever grateful to two wonderful role models for their encouragement. I am forever indebted to my greatest champion and mentor, Janella Spencer, RDH, MSEd; also, to Judy Skelton, RDH, Med, PhD, who detected a little potential and decided to take me under her wing. I am grateful to them for their patience, direction and support. Both are registered dental hygienists with advanced degrees who encouraged me to continue my education and opened new doors of opportunity for me.”
As a graduate student in the MPH program, she completed a practicum with the UK Division of Dental Public Health and was offered and accepted a faculty position with a research title line. She describes her job as ‘invigorating,’ because there is no typical workday. “Part of the year, I work with a dental team on a mobile dental unit. This is one of the most rewarding aspects of my position. We provide comprehensive dental services to underserved elementary children in our area. A large majority of the children we care for have extensive dental needs that possibly would go untreated without our services,” Aalboe said. “Another aspect of my position is research. In addition to our commitment to reduce oral health disparities among children, we are also engaged in oral care delivery research for elders in nursing homes and workplace oral wellness programs for adults. Our outreach and research projects provide me the opportunity to attend and present findings at local and national conferences. My position has also permitted me to be a peer reviewer for professional journals.”
Aalboe doesn’t just use her knowledge and expertise in her position with UK. She has taken trips to “interesting places like Mexico, Honduras and Ecuador, where dental care is limited or unavailable. Serving these communities is both challenging and rewarding. It gives me a sense of purpose and connectedness,” she said.
Aalboe was also instrumental in the creation of another project, the Workplace Oral Wellness (WOW) program, which was developed with the intent of integrating an oral health component into an existing workplace wellness program. “The program caught the attention of our local Kentucky Educational Television (KET) station. This was my first television interview. The program was included in part of a series that discussed advances in oral health care. The WOW program was highlighted as a ‘promising community-based program.’”
At the core of Aalboe’s extensive education and list of accomplishments is the knowledge that the work she does is critical to people’s health. “I believe knowledge of the oral-systemic link is very important. People are beginning to understand that the mouth is not separate from the rest of the body and that oral health is important to your overall health. The vital component in maintaining health and oral health is prevention. Therefore, the preventive services that dental hygienists provide make them key players in the health care team.”
For more information on Aalboe or her career, please email her at joanna.aalboe@uky.edu.
This edition of Working was prepared by Mariam Pera.
Aalboe’s first dental appointment was when she was 12 years old. “It was a wonderful experience. I was fascinated with the equipment, people and atmosphere. At that moment, I decided I wanted a career in dentistry,” she said. Aalboe believes she learned compassion from her mother, who was a nurse’s aide in a convalescent hospital. “As a child, she would sometimes take me to work with her. I would ask if we could take cookies to the patients just to see them smile.”
In college, Aalboe worked as a dental assistant in a dental office; the dental hygienist in the office encouraged Aalboe to pursue a career in dental hygiene, explaining the benefits of the profession. Aalboe took the dental hygienist’s advice. After graduating from the dental hygiene program at LCC, Aalboe worked in private practice (general and pediatric offices) for a couple of years.
“At that point, I was very content with private practice, and I had not thought much about other possible avenues my profession might take me. I received a phone call one day that changed my life,” she explained. “The director of the dental hygiene program, whom I admired greatly, called and asked if I would be interested in a position as a clinical instructor. I was pleasantly surprised; I had not considered academia. Needless to say, I emphatically said yes! This opportunity opened many new doors for me. I absolutely loved working with the students in the clinic.”
“Next, I was offered the opportunity to try my hand at didactic teaching. I will be honest—it was rough at first. I was so nervous up in front of an ‘audience’ that I was not sure I was cut out for teaching,” Aalboe said. “The next year was better, and it kept getting better. I realized that I educated my patients daily, naturally passing on knowledge, and students were no different. Hygienists are so good at creating different, innovative methods to reach diverse populations of patients. It is almost innate; we instinctively persevere: ‘What I said or demonstrated last time didn’t work so I will Try this approach... .’ We never give up! It is our job and we are passionate about improving the oral health and overall health of our patients. I learned to channel that energy and inherent aptitude to my students. Plus, it never hurts to add a little humor.” However, Aalboe didn’t rest on her laurels; instead, she pushed herself to continue her education. “The key to opening doors for endless opportunities is education,” she said, adding that finding a mentor is also an important component.
“A mentor can be a good sounding board and they are great resources. I am forever grateful to two wonderful role models for their encouragement. I am forever indebted to my greatest champion and mentor, Janella Spencer, RDH, MSEd; also, to Judy Skelton, RDH, Med, PhD, who detected a little potential and decided to take me under her wing. I am grateful to them for their patience, direction and support. Both are registered dental hygienists with advanced degrees who encouraged me to continue my education and opened new doors of opportunity for me.”
As a graduate student in the MPH program, she completed a practicum with the UK Division of Dental Public Health and was offered and accepted a faculty position with a research title line. She describes her job as ‘invigorating,’ because there is no typical workday. “Part of the year, I work with a dental team on a mobile dental unit. This is one of the most rewarding aspects of my position. We provide comprehensive dental services to underserved elementary children in our area. A large majority of the children we care for have extensive dental needs that possibly would go untreated without our services,” Aalboe said. “Another aspect of my position is research. In addition to our commitment to reduce oral health disparities among children, we are also engaged in oral care delivery research for elders in nursing homes and workplace oral wellness programs for adults. Our outreach and research projects provide me the opportunity to attend and present findings at local and national conferences. My position has also permitted me to be a peer reviewer for professional journals.”
Aalboe doesn’t just use her knowledge and expertise in her position with UK. She has taken trips to “interesting places like Mexico, Honduras and Ecuador, where dental care is limited or unavailable. Serving these communities is both challenging and rewarding. It gives me a sense of purpose and connectedness,” she said.
Aalboe was also instrumental in the creation of another project, the Workplace Oral Wellness (WOW) program, which was developed with the intent of integrating an oral health component into an existing workplace wellness program. “The program caught the attention of our local Kentucky Educational Television (KET) station. This was my first television interview. The program was included in part of a series that discussed advances in oral health care. The WOW program was highlighted as a ‘promising community-based program.’”
At the core of Aalboe’s extensive education and list of accomplishments is the knowledge that the work she does is critical to people’s health. “I believe knowledge of the oral-systemic link is very important. People are beginning to understand that the mouth is not separate from the rest of the body and that oral health is important to your overall health. The vital component in maintaining health and oral health is prevention. Therefore, the preventive services that dental hygienists provide make them key players in the health care team.”
For more information on Aalboe or her career, please email her at joanna.aalboe@uky.edu.
This edition of Working was prepared by Mariam Pera.
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