This week on Protecting our Public Health Podcast Sharity is joined by Deb Olsen, a practicing dental hygienist who provides care in alternative settings with a focus on special needs.
Episode Highlights
- Deb’s Professional History
- A challenge Deb sees and how to overcome it
- Rewarding experiences
- How to adapt
- Tips from Debs experience
Quotes
“As far as I know every single special needs patient I have is on medical assistance”
“Doing anything is better than doing nothing”
“I started treating them as if they were my family”
“You just have to have an assistant there to help you with the suction, and the body movements”
“By the third appointment, they’ve come to trust you … and they get in the chair… and its really rewarding”
“From the parents they are just so happy that there child is able to have their teeth cleaned like everyone else”
“You have to let go of what you expeditions are, are go with the patients, and where they are going to lead you that day”
“The needs are basically the same, but sometimes how your meet those needs is different”
“The assistants really just anticipate your needs”
“ You really need to listen to the caregivers because they know the patients better than you… if they say they’re done, we’re done”
Links
Sharitys Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sharetherdhlove/
National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center Website:
The Dental Podcast Network Channel One homepage: http://dentalpodcastnetworkchannelone.otcpn.libsynpro.com/
The Dental Podcast Network Channel Two homepage:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dental-podcast-networks-channel-two/id1478530429
More from Protecting our Public Health Podcast: https://ataleoftwohygienists.com/protectingourpublichealth/