by Mark Hartley, Editor, RDH magazine
I hope I make it clear as possible that I absolutely, positively could not exist without writers. This is the time of year where I give thanks to the hours they spend at a keyboard, trying to think of what sentence to write next. Dental hygiene is a better profession due to their efforts.The picks below focus on the feature articles, which are typically written by authors who, at best, write for the magazine on a sporadic basis. Secondly, this article can be found at the top of the home page on RDHmag.com — the links are embedded for your expedited access if you want to read them too. Finally, the hardest part of writing this annual thank-you is deciding which ones to “pick.”January 2011 issueTitle: “Saving a life,” by Linda Blackiston, RDHNote: What can anyone say? It completely astounds most of us that human trafficking still exists in civilized countries.Quote: Most signs of abuse occur in the head and neck area, so the dental community is well-suited to recognize them ... Most abusers will not return to the same physician, but they will typically continue care with a dental practice.February 2011 issueTitle: “Authority issues,” by Dianne Glasscoe Watterson, RDHNote: Besides the monthly Staff Rx column, Watterson also writes feature articles. As the title implies, this one is about working on the same planet with the boss, making the quote below even more enjoyable.Quote: A union group launched the “My Bad Boss” contest to “expose what is a growing problem” and give workers an opportunity to vent their bad-boss experiences. In 2006, the winning entry was Dr. X, a dentist who took $100 out of each employee’s paycheck for every canceled appointment.Title: “Aboard the Truman,” by David WyscaverNote: Truman refers to an aircraft carrier, and the author is a public affairs officer writing about the hygienist on-board. I searched, and I discovered that the word billet has not been published in RDH since electronic archiving started in 1995.Quote: “Not only was I filling the billet of someone that typically has more years of experience than me, I had to adjust to all the different responsibilities and collateral duties of being a sailor in the Navy.”March 2011 issueTitle: “Aging RDH,” by Cathleen Terhune AltyNote: The author, a long-time contributor to RDH — hence not a fresh-faced rookie — started off with the below quote.Quote: Yes, the age number creeps higher each year, but the true reality of being older can smack like the business end of a baseball bat. Ouch! Which hill was it that put me “over the hill”? Suddenly more sage than vixen, a been-there-done-that in a land of the new and now, a road-weary skeptic when promised more, better, and thinner! Maybe what’s worse is the question, “Is this all there is?”April 2011 issueTitle: “A newfound respect,” by Colene House, RDHNote: The author switched to the dental office’s front desk due to occupational injuries. Is it just me, or does anyone else think she had a rough first day?Quote: At the end of the first day, my brain felt like it was sizzling ... I was not in the mood to talk on the cell to my sister. I had a crick in my neck that wouldn’t go away. When I arrived home, my husband looked at me and mentioned that my eyes didn’t look like they were focusing. Actually, he said that my eyes looked like they were looking in two different directions. At that moment, I think my head spun around on my shoulders about three times, which sent my normally patient husband running for cover!Title: “Mentor of the Year,” by Cathy Hester Seckman, RDHNote: This annual profile of the mentoring award recipient zeroed in on the top mentor in 2011, Eileen Cacioppo of Iowa. I thought the quote below from Eileen was cute.Quote: “You know that story about Milton Berle? He said if he opened the refrigerator and the light hit him in the face, he could do a 10-minute monologue on the spot. I’ve never been real good with the spotlight, but I have no trouble doing presentations.May 2011 issue
Title: “Mayberry RDH,” by Cheryl Ivy, RDHNote: The author’s hometown isn’t Mayberry, but it might as well be after you read her tribute to rural dentistry.Quote: There’s our cleaning lady who already has several jobs yet faithfully takes care of our office twice a week to help pay off her dental bill. She also spoils us with homemade sweets. The modern day cobbler who insists on making a custom pair of cowboy boots for the dentist in exchange for a crown proves bartering still exists ... There’s the bachelor who lives in the country, but always comes to town on Wednesday to bring us farm fresh eggs, tomato plants in May, and plum jam in August.Title: "'Yes' and 'And'," by Elizabeth Nies, RDH, EA, AS Note: The author, now based in Idaho, once tried to make it on Broadway. But she kept her day job.Quote: Fast forward to age 25. I was working clinically four days a week on Park Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I continued studying acting on the weekends and performing in some off-off-OFF Broadway productions. (I wanted to skip the starving actor part of acting.)June 2011 issue
Title: “Willing and compassionate,” by Kris Dowling, RDHAPNote: We publish many articles on charitable dentistry each year, but this was a nice wrapup of an event in Oakland, Calif.Quote: Immediately after my first patient, a team of two volunteers arrived to empty the collection container and refill the water bottle for the portable unit I was working at. It was a bit like a “pit stop” at a car race I imagined, but instead of changing my tires, my unit was being “rotated” by this amazingly fast team of two. I occasionally caught a glance at these volunteers as they cordially went around all day from unit to unit.July 2011 issue
Title: “It’s not all about me? Really?” by Judith Stein, RDHNote: If there was ever an excellent argument made that hygienists need to show a little more humility in the workplace, this is probably it. Quote: As I began to evaluate the effect I had on my coworkers, I realized I was projecting an attitude of superiority without meaning to. I wanted it all! I wanted to learn everything, practice everything, and suggest everything at every staff meeting. When I became crazy on fire for dentistry, I noticed fewer interactions with coworkers. Without meaning to, I felt isolated from my coworkers, and I was ultimately the one responsible for this.August 2011 issue
Title: “10th anniversary of 9/11,” by Winnie Furnari, RDHNote: She was at Ground Zero, assisting in the dental forensics. She wanted to write this. So I just stood aside and let her. I was a little uncomfortable with the hope that everyone would receive their copy of the issue by the anniversary, so we published it in August instead.Quote: Those of us who witnessed this event will remember the exact moment in time, where we were, and many things after that. This is called episodic memory, and is not fully developed until around four years of age. It is different from other types of memory because it is accompanied by a feeling of remembering and attachment, as opposed to factual remembering. Like many of you that morning, I was scaling teeth, a procedure integral to our existence and a familiar start to that horrific episodic memory.September 2011 issue
Title: “Mentor makeover,” by Janice Hurley-TrailorNote: The author transformed the appearance of the 2010 Mentor of the Year. I’m betting many of you would like to spend a weekend with the author.Quote: Pam flew in from Huntsville, Texas, and we hit the ground running with clothes shopping, shoe shopping, and pamper appointments for a new hairstyle, eyebrow shaping, and makeup. It was a 12-hour day, lasting well into the night, complete with a photo shoot to top off the whole experience.October 2011 issue
Title: “A bungalow in California,” by Noel Kelsch, RDHAP Note: If you recognize the author’s name, yes, she is another columnist (Infection Control) who writes feature articles from time to time. In this case, she’s describing a rather idyllic setting for an “independent” dental hygiene practice.Quote: When you walk into the California bungalow style building that houses Lisa Klockenteger’s dental hygiene practice, you cannot help but feel like you have just arrived at your favorite aunt’s home. The architecture of this green gabled building with a sloping roof takes you to another place and time. The front of the building is surrounded by a large porch that has wicker chairs for clients to relax in and enjoy the smell of lavender that fills the garden and the air. The ambiance is soft and clean with white and cream covering the walls; lace curtains and eclectic antiques surround you.November 2011 issue
Title: “Are you kidding me?” by Thomas ViolaNote: The author is a pharmacist who is somewhat skeptical about the deluge of pain medications prescribed by dental offices on Friday afternoons.Quote: Also, not every prescription we receive for opioid analgesics is questionable. I am just astounded by how many are. The sheer volume often leaves me feeling more like a goalie than a guardian of my patients’ health care.December 2011 issue
You’re holding the issue in your hands. What’s your pick?
I hope I make it clear as possible that I absolutely, positively could not exist without writers. This is the time of year where I give thanks to the hours they spend at a keyboard, trying to think of what sentence to write next. Dental hygiene is a better profession due to their efforts.The picks below focus on the feature articles, which are typically written by authors who, at best, write for the magazine on a sporadic basis. Secondly, this article can be found at the top of the home page on RDHmag.com — the links are embedded for your expedited access if you want to read them too. Finally, the hardest part of writing this annual thank-you is deciding which ones to “pick.”January 2011 issueTitle: “Saving a life,” by Linda Blackiston, RDHNote: What can anyone say? It completely astounds most of us that human trafficking still exists in civilized countries.Quote: Most signs of abuse occur in the head and neck area, so the dental community is well-suited to recognize them ... Most abusers will not return to the same physician, but they will typically continue care with a dental practice.February 2011 issueTitle: “Authority issues,” by Dianne Glasscoe Watterson, RDHNote: Besides the monthly Staff Rx column, Watterson also writes feature articles. As the title implies, this one is about working on the same planet with the boss, making the quote below even more enjoyable.Quote: A union group launched the “My Bad Boss” contest to “expose what is a growing problem” and give workers an opportunity to vent their bad-boss experiences. In 2006, the winning entry was Dr. X, a dentist who took $100 out of each employee’s paycheck for every canceled appointment.Title: “Aboard the Truman,” by David WyscaverNote: Truman refers to an aircraft carrier, and the author is a public affairs officer writing about the hygienist on-board. I searched, and I discovered that the word billet has not been published in RDH since electronic archiving started in 1995.Quote: “Not only was I filling the billet of someone that typically has more years of experience than me, I had to adjust to all the different responsibilities and collateral duties of being a sailor in the Navy.”March 2011 issueTitle: “Aging RDH,” by Cathleen Terhune AltyNote: The author, a long-time contributor to RDH — hence not a fresh-faced rookie — started off with the below quote.Quote: Yes, the age number creeps higher each year, but the true reality of being older can smack like the business end of a baseball bat. Ouch! Which hill was it that put me “over the hill”? Suddenly more sage than vixen, a been-there-done-that in a land of the new and now, a road-weary skeptic when promised more, better, and thinner! Maybe what’s worse is the question, “Is this all there is?”April 2011 issueTitle: “A newfound respect,” by Colene House, RDHNote: The author switched to the dental office’s front desk due to occupational injuries. Is it just me, or does anyone else think she had a rough first day?Quote: At the end of the first day, my brain felt like it was sizzling ... I was not in the mood to talk on the cell to my sister. I had a crick in my neck that wouldn’t go away. When I arrived home, my husband looked at me and mentioned that my eyes didn’t look like they were focusing. Actually, he said that my eyes looked like they were looking in two different directions. At that moment, I think my head spun around on my shoulders about three times, which sent my normally patient husband running for cover!Title: “Mentor of the Year,” by Cathy Hester Seckman, RDHNote: This annual profile of the mentoring award recipient zeroed in on the top mentor in 2011, Eileen Cacioppo of Iowa. I thought the quote below from Eileen was cute.Quote: “You know that story about Milton Berle? He said if he opened the refrigerator and the light hit him in the face, he could do a 10-minute monologue on the spot. I’ve never been real good with the spotlight, but I have no trouble doing presentations.May 2011 issue
Title: “Mayberry RDH,” by Cheryl Ivy, RDHNote: The author’s hometown isn’t Mayberry, but it might as well be after you read her tribute to rural dentistry.Quote: There’s our cleaning lady who already has several jobs yet faithfully takes care of our office twice a week to help pay off her dental bill. She also spoils us with homemade sweets. The modern day cobbler who insists on making a custom pair of cowboy boots for the dentist in exchange for a crown proves bartering still exists ... There’s the bachelor who lives in the country, but always comes to town on Wednesday to bring us farm fresh eggs, tomato plants in May, and plum jam in August.Title: "'Yes' and 'And'," by Elizabeth Nies, RDH, EA, AS Note: The author, now based in Idaho, once tried to make it on Broadway. But she kept her day job.Quote: Fast forward to age 25. I was working clinically four days a week on Park Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I continued studying acting on the weekends and performing in some off-off-OFF Broadway productions. (I wanted to skip the starving actor part of acting.)June 2011 issue
Title: “Willing and compassionate,” by Kris Dowling, RDHAPNote: We publish many articles on charitable dentistry each year, but this was a nice wrapup of an event in Oakland, Calif.Quote: Immediately after my first patient, a team of two volunteers arrived to empty the collection container and refill the water bottle for the portable unit I was working at. It was a bit like a “pit stop” at a car race I imagined, but instead of changing my tires, my unit was being “rotated” by this amazingly fast team of two. I occasionally caught a glance at these volunteers as they cordially went around all day from unit to unit.July 2011 issue
Title: “It’s not all about me? Really?” by Judith Stein, RDHNote: If there was ever an excellent argument made that hygienists need to show a little more humility in the workplace, this is probably it. Quote: As I began to evaluate the effect I had on my coworkers, I realized I was projecting an attitude of superiority without meaning to. I wanted it all! I wanted to learn everything, practice everything, and suggest everything at every staff meeting. When I became crazy on fire for dentistry, I noticed fewer interactions with coworkers. Without meaning to, I felt isolated from my coworkers, and I was ultimately the one responsible for this.August 2011 issue
Title: “10th anniversary of 9/11,” by Winnie Furnari, RDHNote: She was at Ground Zero, assisting in the dental forensics. She wanted to write this. So I just stood aside and let her. I was a little uncomfortable with the hope that everyone would receive their copy of the issue by the anniversary, so we published it in August instead.Quote: Those of us who witnessed this event will remember the exact moment in time, where we were, and many things after that. This is called episodic memory, and is not fully developed until around four years of age. It is different from other types of memory because it is accompanied by a feeling of remembering and attachment, as opposed to factual remembering. Like many of you that morning, I was scaling teeth, a procedure integral to our existence and a familiar start to that horrific episodic memory.September 2011 issue
Title: “Mentor makeover,” by Janice Hurley-TrailorNote: The author transformed the appearance of the 2010 Mentor of the Year. I’m betting many of you would like to spend a weekend with the author.Quote: Pam flew in from Huntsville, Texas, and we hit the ground running with clothes shopping, shoe shopping, and pamper appointments for a new hairstyle, eyebrow shaping, and makeup. It was a 12-hour day, lasting well into the night, complete with a photo shoot to top off the whole experience.October 2011 issue
Title: “A bungalow in California,” by Noel Kelsch, RDHAP Note: If you recognize the author’s name, yes, she is another columnist (Infection Control) who writes feature articles from time to time. In this case, she’s describing a rather idyllic setting for an “independent” dental hygiene practice.Quote: When you walk into the California bungalow style building that houses Lisa Klockenteger’s dental hygiene practice, you cannot help but feel like you have just arrived at your favorite aunt’s home. The architecture of this green gabled building with a sloping roof takes you to another place and time. The front of the building is surrounded by a large porch that has wicker chairs for clients to relax in and enjoy the smell of lavender that fills the garden and the air. The ambiance is soft and clean with white and cream covering the walls; lace curtains and eclectic antiques surround you.November 2011 issue
Title: “Are you kidding me?” by Thomas ViolaNote: The author is a pharmacist who is somewhat skeptical about the deluge of pain medications prescribed by dental offices on Friday afternoons.Quote: Also, not every prescription we receive for opioid analgesics is questionable. I am just astounded by how many are. The sheer volume often leaves me feeling more like a goalie than a guardian of my patients’ health care.December 2011 issue
You’re holding the issue in your hands. What’s your pick?
