Think Beyond the Prophy: Stephanie Amey, RDHAP, BS

The think beyond the prophy feature began August 2016 and I have had so much fun connecting with amazing professionals all over our country. My mission was to inspire and empower the readers of my blog but I often find myself feeling the same way after communicating with these professionals.

Think beyond the prophy is so much more than getting outside of the operatory. Thinking beyond the prophy is taking an out-of-the-box approach with providing care whether that be as a clinician or seeking alternative forms of practice such as entrepreneurship, academia, corporate sales, or research.

In our careers, we will have several transitions or chapters in our lives. The first transition in our professional career is the successful completion of dental hygiene school. What a sign of relief! It was one of the hardest periods of our lives but we made it through. Throughout your career you may find that you will go through varied transitions but never forget to explore your fullest potential. I enjoyed reading Stephanie's journey and I think she is a great inspiration to those who think beyond the prophy.

Meet Stephanie Amey, RDHAP, BS, a true inspiration for hygienists who think beyond the prophy!

​​What is your educational background?
I began working as a dental assistant after high school and through college.  I received my degree in Nutrition and Food from California State University, Sacramento in 2003. I earned my BS in dental hygiene at University of the Pacific, School of Dentistry in 2005. I returned to University of the Pacific, School of dentistry to become licensed as a Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice (RDHAP) in 2012.

What are key highlights or interesting facts about your career?
I worked full-time clinically for the first 10 years of my career and then cut back my hours to pursue alternative career paths in dental hygiene. I became licensed as a RDHAP because it allowed hygienists to work outside of the office and reach the underserved populations including the home-bound geriatric and special needs patients. I enjoy providing care for these target populations because they value their oral health and appreciate our services.  I have steadily provided care to this population once a month since 2013. To accomplish this, I have a designated area in my home to store all my supplies including my sterilizer and travel unit. I personally keep all patient records in secure files. I have a website where patients learn about the services I provide and can download all the necessary forms to get started.  To visit my site, go to, www.smilestou.com.

I later had a desire to explore another new career path as an entrepreneur. I decided to start a job search/temping website. I noticed the struggle for myself and other hygiene friends of mine to take a day off work, whether to care of a sick child, attend a field trip, take a vacation, etc. I observed that most dentists were reluctant to pay temp agencies and large staffing sites with high fees associated with their services. I finally decided to just step out on faith and start a website for California. 

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With much success, I developed the website and its very simple to use! At Dental Careers CA, Dentists can choose to post job openings or search resumes on file which is most useful when an office needs to find a temp quickly. After viewing resumes, they can contact the candidate directly.  Unlike staffing and temp agencies, using the website does not come along with any extra finder fees or fees to permanently hire someone.  The dentists pay a small fee to post the job or search resumes. They have the option to select the unlimited package which gives them access to resumes and job posts for one year.  

What are you currently up to?
I work 2 days a week in a private office, once a month in a nursing home (utilizing my RDHAP license) and I handle the business responsibilities of Dental Careers CA!

Why did you become a dental hygienist?
My interest in dentistry began at the age of 9 and I love the health field. After high school, I was trained as a dental assistant to be sure I liked the field. Where most people find working in someone’s mouth undesirable, I learned that I was fascinated by it! I continued working as a dental assistant through college and gained more knowledge and experiences to prepare me for becoming a dental hygienist.

As a young professional, how have you kept your momentum to reach your goals?
I have always been very driven and goal oriented. I can’t say that when I became a dental hygienist I envisioned going any further than clinical care in my career. Along the way something was sparked in me to do more. Taking that first step of action is HARD but once you take it you must keep going!

What mentoring moment help shape you to think beyond the prophy?
I have had several inspiring friends and teachers that encouraged me to do more.  One close friend became a RDHAP the year prior to my licensure and she inspired me to do the same. Another close friend began teaching at the local dental hygiene program and started a non-profit agency called Oral Health Awareness. Their example has led me to think beyond the prophy.

What tips do you have for other dental professionals who want to be entrepreneurs?
My advice would be to just go for it!  If you never try, you don’t know what you could be missing out on.  Even if it fails, my thoughts are, “I would rather fail knowing that I tried versus never trying and not knowing what could or would have happened.”  This way I have no regrets!  Don’t limit yourself and what you could be capable of.

How do you maintain the joy in your life?
Most definitely my faith! The joy of The Lord is my strength.  Life will always be full of struggles, but it should not be what you focus on. It’s all about remembering our purpose, focusing on the positive things, prioritizing and keeping balance.

Are you interested in contacting Stephanie? Reach her at [email protected].