MOMgienist Passion: Live in Your Truth

I remember the day that I graduated very clearly, surrounded by my classmates, professors, family and friends. As classmates we had spent at least 2 years together, laughing, crying, studying, learning, thinking, planning, dreaming. We all had our own ideas of what our profession would hold for us. We were all passionate about what we were going to accomplish, the lives we would touch, the differences that we would make.

Fast forward more than 6 years and I have again discovered that passion, the idea that I can make a difference, the knowledge that I will touch lives. It saddens me that, for a time, that passion was buried. Buried under the complacency of no longer studying day in and day out. Buried under stressful working environments that focus less and less on the value of care and individual treatment, and focus more and more on the money coming in. Buried under family and life in general. I am excited to say that I have that passion back, it is alive and well and broadly focused in opportunities for our profession that will open doors.

I live in South Dakota, and while we are moving ahead with the expansion of the dental hygienist's role, there are other states that have embraced that potential in more progressive ways. We will get there, I have faith. I believe that as more and more evidence comes to light regarding the oral systemic connection, we will gain a broader role.

Currently, I am part of a collaborative agreement that is allowing me to treat patients within a nursing home, a relatively new expansion for access to care for South Dakota, within the last 10 years. Something draws me to the elderly and their need for this care, so this is where I am starting my journey. This will allow me several invaluable experiences. I have experienced rejection, acceptance, failure and success. I am also learning how to be more patient in this process, I want things to happen today, but the reality is that this will take time.

I am most astounded by the camaraderie within our profession as I reach out to those with wisdom, experience and expertise. I have received so much encouragement, advice, honest truth, and guidance that I can’t help but pursue this. I urge you all to find that passion again, what do you want from this profession? What do you envision as your role in dental hygiene 10 years from now? 

Have an idea? Pursue it! Please get involved in your states dental hygiene association, without our individual support this process and growth will take much longer.

Follow my nursing home journey at DentistryIQ. I hope to encourage and inspire others to follow their dreams, it is so rewarding.

About the Author:

 Hello, Amy here, fellow mom and hygienist. I have an amazing family that supports me in all my adventures. I’m a wife of 13 years, a mom of 10 years plus 4 years (because let’s face it, each child is different and my parenting for the first doesn’t work for the second, so I add them together for collective parenting experience!), hygienist for 6, dental field for 11. We make our home in South Dakota where we enjoy camping, hunting, 4-wheeling, going to the park, walking the dogs,

soaking up the sun. The rest of the year I grudgingly wear layers to shovel the driveway and stare out the window dreaming of summer! I currently practice clinically part time, am starting a preventive dental hygiene care service in a local long term care facility (read about my adventures here at DentistryIQ), and parent the rest of the time.

I hope to inspire, encourage, entertain, and help grow people through any of my insights. I look forward to letting you peek inside my days.