ADHA Access July 2012 : Page 30

“ Local ADHA meetings have provided me access to those in my community whom I can look up to. My membership with ADHA has been priceless.” hygiene profession as a hygiene professor. I have had the opportunity to learn from some amazing professors. I want to take these les-sons and my experiences to inspire the next crop of hygienists. I want to make sure they are well-versed in understanding research and also in creating rapport with patients. I think these two concepts are important in battling the access to care issue. My mentor: Kristyn Quimby, LDH, MLS, our program director. Her career path is one to admired. She works tirelessly to be the —Mallory Edmondson, LDH be most helpful resource to students, alumni and the community. She even created a capstone course for IUSB that allows students to travel I live in: LaPorte, Indiana. to Costa Rica to gain invaluable knowledge about health care. She is truly an inspiration. I attended dental hygiene school at: Indiana University South Bend (IUSB). I believe the profession should concentrate the big-gest part of its resources on: increasing access to care I became a dental hygienist because: I have an unwav-and improving the relationship between the dental and ering need to provide patient care. The patient-clinician re-medical communities. The medical community can be a lationship is a extraordinary bond that can only be created valuable liaison to increase access to dental care. As an by unique interpersonal relationships. The hygiene field is aide, I see a separation in the minds of some professionals undergoing some exciting and important changes that fit between oral and systemic health. As we all know, there perfectly with my life goals to provide excellent patient care is no such separation. The high occurrence of oral disease and promote prevention. The pluralistic nature of dental in our patients can no longer be ignored when treating hygiene is enticing to me as an ever-evolving professional. systemic disease; a war cannot be fought successfully on two separate fronts. An improved relationship can also help My current position as a dental hygienist: As a recent improve access simply by making patients aware of the graduate, I have not had the opportunity to obtain a paying importance of oral health along with cardiovascular health, position at a dental office. During this time, I am volunteer -etc. The more the health communities talk about oral health ing at Sister Maura Brannick Health clinic, where I have the and pool resources, the more we will see increased access. opportunity to provide care to an underserved population in South Bend. Along with patient care, I am able to provide The current trend most affecting the practice of den-education to patients that were previously unaware of the tal hygiene : The buzz about mid-level providers is audible; role their oral health plays on their systemic health. I work the need can no longer be ignored. This is a very excit-alongside local dentists to provide dentures/partials/resto-ing time for those who want to step up to the plate of oral rations to people who previously could not afford to have a health need. Mid-levels can increase access to care in ways “beautiful smile.” I feel as though I am on the front lines of previously thought “impossible.” the access to care battle, armed with all of the resources my education has provided. In addition to patient educa-The top three keys to increasing access to care in tion, I educate nurses and doctors on the role of oral health America are: mid-level providers, increasing public aware-in patients’ well-being. The entire experience is amazing. ness of the role of systemic health and oral health, and improving the relationship between health care providers The thing I enjoy the most about being a dental and dental professionals. Mid-level providers can establish hygienist is: the ability to establish trust and rapport themselves in communities that previously were void of with patients. I love the challenge of using evidence-based dental services in general. Part of the issue is patients are preventive concepts to create an individualized care plan not fully aware of the relationship between oral and system-for patients. I thrive on the ability to present information to ic health. Americans are intelligent. Once we understand patients in a manner that they can understand and utilize. and are aware of a problem, we demand resolution. I once explained to an eight-year-old boy that plaque is like one group of professional wrestlers, his gingival sulcus The most important thing ADHA membership has the ring, and the bristles on his brush the “good wrestlers.” given me is: up-to-date information on the dental hygiene That boy walked out of my dental chair and explained cor-profession. Membership has provided key inspirational mo-rectly in detail to his mom why he had to and how to brush. tivation for my career as a dental hygienist through articles, standards and career role information. Often, membership The most gratifying thing I have accomplished as a has provided the avenue to key health care issues to which dental hygienist: Since my career is in its infancy, just the my eyes were previously closed. Local ADHA meetings have obtainment of my bachelor of science in dental hygiene and provided me access to those in my community whom I can my license to practice in Indiana has been the most gratify-look up to. My membership with ADHA has been priceless. ing experience. I expect the next few decades will provide many fulfilling experiences. I plan to continue my work with If someone is interested in finding out more about Sister Maura Brannick Clinic throughout my career. I have me, please contact: malloryedmondsonldh@aol.com. been in contact with many local organizations so that I am on the list to participate in various opportunities that pro-vide access to dental care to underserved populations. Profile is prepared by ADHA communications staff. If you know The thing I would most like to accomplish as a dental hygienist in the future is: to influence the future of the an ADHA member who would make an interesting candidate, send us her or his contact information. Attn: communications@ adha.net. n 30 JUL 2012 access

Profile

Mallory Edmondson

I live in: LaPorte, Indiana. I attended dental hygiene school at: Indiana University South Bend (IUSB). I became a dental hygienist because: I have an unwavering need to provide patient care. The patient-clinician relationship is a extraordinary bond that can only be created by unique interpersonal relationships. The hygiene field is undergoing some exciting and important changes that fit perfectly with my life goals to provide excellent patient care and promote prevention. The pluralistic nature of dental hygiene is enticing to me as an ever-evolving professional. My current position as a dental hygienist: As a recent graduate, I have not had the opportunity to obtain a paying position at a dental office. During this time, I am volunteering at Sister Maura Brannick Health clinic, where I have the opportunity to provide care to an underserved population in South Bend. Along with patient care, I am able to provide education to patients that were previously unaware of the role their oral health plays on their systemic health. I work alongside local dentists to provide dentures/partials/restorations to people who previously could not afford to have a “beautiful smile.” I feel as though I am on the front lines of the access to care battle, armed with all of the resources my education has provided. In addition to patient education, I educate nurses and doctors on the role of oral health in patients’ well-being. The entire experience is amazing. The thing I enjoy the most about being a dental hygienist is: the ability to establish trust and rapport with patients. I love the challenge of using evidence-based preventive concepts to create an individualized care plan for patients. I thrive on the ability to present information to patients in a manner that they can understand and utilize. I once explained to an eight-year-old boy that plaque is like one group of professional wrestlers, his gingival sulcus the ring, and the bristles on his brush the “good wrestlers.” That boy walked out of my dental chair and explained correctly in detail to his mom why he had to and how to brush. The most gratifying thing I have accomplished as a dental hygienist: Since my career is in its infancy, just the obtainment of my bachelor of science in dental hygiene and my license to practice in Indiana has been the most gratifying experience. I expect the next few decades will provide many fulfilling experiences. I plan to continue my work with Sister Maura Brannick Clinic throughout my career. I have been in contact with many local organizations so that I am on the list to participate in various opportunities that provide access to dental care to underserved populations. The thing I would most like to accomplish as a dental hygienist in the future is: to influence the future of the hygiene profession as a hygiene professor. I have had the opportunity to learn from some amazing professors. I want to take these lessons and my experiences to inspire the next crop of hygienists. I want to make sure they are well-versed in understanding research and also in creating rapport with patients. I think these two concepts are important in battling the access to care issue. My mentor: Kristyn Quimby, LDH, MLS, our program director. Her career path is one to be admired. She works tirelessly to be the most helpful resource to students, alumni and the community. She even created a capstone course for IUSB that allows students to travel to Costa Rica to gain invaluable knowledge about health care. She is truly an inspiration. I believe the profession should concentrate the biggest part of its resources on: increasing access to care and improving the relationship between the dental and medical communities. The medical community can be a valuable liaison to increase access to dental care. As an aide, I see a separation in the minds of some professionals between oral and systemic health. As we all know, there is no such separation. The high occurrence of oral disease in our patients can no longer be ignored when treating systemic disease; a war cannot be fought successfully on two separate fronts. An improved relationship can also help improve access simply by making patients aware of the importance of oral health along with cardiovascular health, etc. The more the health communities talk about oral health and pool resources, the more we will see increased access. The current trend most affecting the practice of dental hygiene: The buzz about mid-level providers is audible; the need can no longer be ignored. This is a very exciting time for those who want to step up to the plate of oral health need. Mid-levels can increase access to care in ways previously thought “impossible.” The top three keys to increasing access to care in America are: mid-level providers, increasing public awareness of the role of systemic health and oral health, and improving the relationship between health care providers and dental professionals. Mid-level providers can establish themselves in communities that previously were void of dental services in general. Part of the issue is patients are not fully aware of the relationship between oral and systemic health. Americans are intelligent. Once we understand and are aware of a problem, we demand resolution. The most important thing ADHA membership has given me is: up-to-date information on the dental hygiene profession. Membership has provided key inspirational motivation for my career as a dental hygienist through articles, standards and career role information. Often, membership has provided the avenue to key health care issues to which my eyes were previously closed. Local ADHA meetings have provided me access to those in my community whom I can look up to. My membership with ADHA has been priceless. If someone is interested in finding out more about me, please contact: malloryedmondsonldh@aol.com. Profile is prepared by ADHA communications staff. If you know an ADHA member who would make an interesting candidate, send us her or his contact information. Attn: communications@ adha.net.

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