The community of Tarniet is important to us. That’s why, at Wyndham Dental, we show you how important you are to us, by providing the community of Tarniet with family oriented dental services you can trust. We even have a husband and wife team of dentists here, how much more family oriented does it get? Our dental practice located in Werribee is locally owned and operated and have been serving Tarniet for over 30 years. The team here at Wyndham Dental are professionally licensed and accredited by the ADA earning the Quality Innovation Performance (QIP) accreditation indicating our commitment to the quality and professionalism we provide our customers. From the start of your appointment until the end of your visit our staff will set you at
Dental hygiene is amongst many professions that come with an increased risk of injury. In fact, evidence suggests that the incidence of dental professionals acquiring musculoskeletal disorders is reaching 96%. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), these complications are a result of “repetitive motion or awkward posture for more than 2 hours at a time, unassisted frequent manual handling (eg, scaling an area using the same strokes), and unassisted forced manual handling (eg, heavy calculus removal using hand-activated instruments)”. These complications not only affect the quality of life for the
Dr. Melissa N. Nitta loves the art of dentistry and working with her hands. As the owner of Tropical Smiles Dental in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, she performs a variety of services, including root canals, tooth extractions and dental cleanings. She enjoys creating beautiful teeth, but says the best part of her job is interacting with patients.
As I started my new journey of becoming a dental hygienist, I came into the program with no background of dental. I came into this program with an open mind and willing to embrace new concepts as well as develop new skills. During my time at the Canadian Academy of Dental Hygiene (CADH), I learned that as a dental hygienist that I am committed to promoting and helping each individual achieve their optimal oral health goals. In support of my client’s goals, I may assume any or all of the roles included in the dental hygiene scope of practice. My goal throughout this program was to help my clients achieve their optimal oral health goals through education, health promotion and providing preventive and clinical therapy.
Professionalism in the dental profession refers to our responsibilities and obligations that exists throughout our entire dental career. “Professional competence is the habitual and judicious use of communication, knowledge, technical skills, clinical reasoning, emotions, values and reflection in daily practice for the benefit of the individual and community being served (Kirk, 2007).” A health professional must be able to regulate their own behavior and comply with a code of ethics in professional practice. Fundamental principles of professionalism include primacy of patient welfare, social justice and patient autonomy (Kirk, 2007).
Dentistry is a health science that includes the study and application of measures designed to prevent damage of the oral structures and the use of clinical procedures that that restore the normal masticatory function of teeth and esthetics, correction of speech resulting from loss of natural teeth, satisfaction and comfort of the patient, preservation of alveolar bone and tempromandibular joints. Other goals are to relief pain, treatment of a disease and maintaining the restoration for a long time in the denture without distortion or fracture.
I am fortunate that my experiences have made me aware of these things so that when I do return to these communities as a dentist, I can not only better serve my patients as a provider, but I can also be a leading advocate for the change that is so desperately needed by the individuals in these communities. As I continue along my career path in dentistry, I intend to keep volunteering in dental clinics in underserved communities as well as participating in formal organizations such as Saving Smiles to more effectively address these issues as well as enhance my understanding of the dental field. Perhaps while I serve in these communities, I can inspire and support future health professionals that will continue to advance the incredible changes that our health fields are currently
Disease Incidence: The number of decayed, missing, and filled surfaces that occur over a given period of time. Two different examinations are required to determine incidence- one before, and one at the end of a selected time period.
As a child growing up with seven of my siblings, we didn’t have every and anything. We seen a lot of things that couldn’t be changed like a person who lost their legs or somebody with unhealthy teeth. Everything wasn’t easy, and I believed nothing came easy out of all the things I saw, but something that I truly wanted to do and make a difference in was becoming a dental hygienist. I asked myself why I picked this career and major, and after answering my own questions I thought hard about it and said this is what I’m doing.
Medical practice interviews and site visits included a rehabilitation facility, an out-patient dialysis clinic, a dental practice office, and a site visit to a men’s shelter for free dental services by the above dental staff. These practices all provided diet, health, and wellness education for
I can remember being a little boy sitting at the piano in church, listening to the preacher talk of how Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, which symbolizes the idea that we are here to serve. That message profoundly resonated with me throughout life. It was not until I began accompanying my grandmother to her multiple dental visits that I was able to see how I could put this calling of service into action. I saw firsthand the significant positive impact my grandmother’s dentist was able to make in her life, which encouraged me to want to learn about the field of dentistry. I then started researching dental health and learning of the importance of oral healthcare and how it affects the entire body. I then began to learn of how patient access to proper dental care was limited because of several factors such as, financial barriers, transportation, and dental fear, especially in the underserved minority communities. Given the shortage of black dentists, I realized I could make a positive difference by being an inspiration to those in the community, as well as serve in a professional career that would provide needed healthcare to the community. This is when I began to develop such a strong passion for
Picture yourself with a toothache or someone with poor hygiene and knowing you cannot do anything to change it without a dentist. A dentist is specialized individual that treats the diseases and conditions that affect the oral cavity.
o Please describe a time when you performed a thorough head, neck and oral exam and the findings had a significant impact on how you proceeded with the dental hygiene process of care. Annette was performing her usual head, neck, and oral exam on a patient and found an enlarged thyroid. She recommended to the patient that she go see her primary care physician to get a better diagnosis. The patient went to her primary care physician and was told there was probably nothing. Later, the patient returned to the dental office and saw Annette and told her what the physician said.
In the Dental Hygiene field, many challenges come about every day and during different situations. Every day there are new challenges and unusual situations that occur in the dental field, but one challenge that continues to come about and has been a big dispute over the years is the ability to provide beneficial information about oral health care for the underprivileged. For the individuals that are not fortunate enough to pay to have services done in the dental office, lack the knowledge of how important good oral health care is. They do not receive the one on one conversations explaining the significance of taking care of your teeth and gums that the patients who can afford to make appointments and receive essential services do. That
Dental Hygienist: Have you been flossing? If not, the Dental Hygienist will know. A Dental Hygienist examines and makes sure that you have been flossing, brushing, and much more on your teeth. You really should make sure that you schedule cleanings every couple months or so. Your teeth are a big part of your health, and if you don’t take care of them, you will eventually end up with fake teeth, or the proper name would be Dentures.
... three quarters of all public expenditures for dental care in Canada is associated with treatment in a private dental facilities, where public insurance is billed as a third-party payer (9). However, only 30% of dentists deal with public insurance (8). The delivery method causes problems between dental service providers and public insurance. Public vs. private setting for dental care is also important to consider due to the disparity that exist with oral health and its access. Low-income and high-risk children (i.e. Aboriginal children) are unable to acquire dental care suffering medically and socially since they cannot afford the cost. Additionally seniors, individuals in long-term care, the homeless etc. are also in this category. Thus, sometimes delivering would be more appropriate in private dental setting, while in others, a public setting would be more ideal.