December 11, 2006
Extra Credit (Linnea Tyler)
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend SADHA day due to financial difficulties. As I read the mixed emotions in regards to the experience, I can't wait until next yeat so that I can attend and develop my own opinion. What I observed about everyone's comments was the disappointment with the round table discussion on diversity. A number of my classmates explained how the speaker singled out one race. I agree that diversity is about mixed cultures and not just one. These comments made me wish I was there to witness what was exactly said.
Posted by linneact at 05:43 PM | Comments (0)
December 08, 2006
Extra Credit – Stephanie’s Response
I agree with Amanda’s Reflection on the Proctor & Gamble lunch and learn. To be honest, I was quite shocked when Gary told us that the whitening mouthwash his company produces really doesn’t do anything. I was shocked that he was so honest with us, and shocked that they label it a whitening mouthwash when it does not (especially because I had it!). Amanda made a good point in saying that everything else he said was very believable and I trusted what he said about the other products if he could be so honest in telling us something doesn’t work. It was useful to hear about company’s marketing strategies, and again showed the importance of trying many products so you can be honest with your patients as well.
Posted by skpierze at 02:56 PM | Comments (0)
SADHA Day Reflection – Stephanie’s Reflection
I am glad that I joined SADHA this year, I enjoy the lunch and learns and find them very useful, interesting, and fun. I intend to remain a SADHA member throughout my time here in the dental hygiene program. One of the biggest things associated with being a member of SADHA is SADHA Day, a day in which members from different schools in Michigan come together to hear about new and interesting things in the dental hygiene field. This day was built up to be a very big and exciting thing, and my honest opinion is that I was let down. It was nice to see people from different programs and visit booths to hear about and receive samples of new products, but the round table discussions and the keynote speaker were not particularly interesting to me. I felt as though the speaker ruined a lot of people’s SADHA Day experience, because I know she did mine. The speech to me was offensive and completely irrelevant to dental hygiene. I only went to one of the round table discussions, which was about some sort of a laser treatment. I was not very interested in this topic, and wish we had more freedom as to which tables we could have attended. There were many discussions I would have loved to attended, that I was actually interested in, and felt it was unfair that we were forced into ones that we may not have selected on our preference lists. I think we should have got at least one of the choices from our list. Overall I do not think I will attend SADHA Day again, except for maybe my senior year but I do not think it is really worth it. I enjoyed spending time with my class in a setting outside of the dental school for once (even though it was still semi school related).
Posted by skpierze at 02:56 PM | Comments (0)
Sonicare Lunch and Learn – Stephanie’s Reflection
The Sonicare lunch and learn was my personal favorite of the lunch and learns. Stacy, the representative, was very knowledgeable and related to us in a friendly, yet professional way. Stacy made it very convincing that the Sonicare toothbrush was by far the best, and this was evident by explaining to us that she herself uses it, and encouraged us to use ours as well as opposed to giving it away. This really showed that you will be more convincing and reliable in recommending a product to a patient when you use it yourself. The experience with the product shows.
Also, I enjoyed the story she told about the man on the bus who spoke highly of his Sonicare toothbrush to a colleague of his, and as she let him explain in his own words how it works, he was using it incorrectly. This is an important thing to realize about patients, in that many people don’t take the time to read instructions on products, and it is your responsibility to show your patients how to use these items.
Personally I am excited to get my Sonicare toothbrush and begin using it. After seeing all the competitors’ products, I feel strongly that the Sonicare is one of the better ones, and I can’t wait to see for myself.
Posted by skpierze at 02:55 PM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2006
SADHA Day Reflection-Elizabeth
Overall I enjoyed SADHA day, and would consider going next year. I was happy to receive all the free samples from the booths. I even won a big box of Crest whitening strips in a raffle. I learned a lot of new information about different products, and feel confident about recommending the various brands/products to patients. I even enjoyed the presentations by the hygiene schools about their programs and how they help the community. I did not however enjoy the keynote speaker; her topic was inflammatory and not relevant to SADHA day.
The hotel was also very nice, and I appreciated all the hard work of the employees for the food and accommodating us. I was a little confused how I was chosen for the round table discussions. I had submitted a list of topics I was interested in just like everybody else however, both of my round table discussions I did not select. Even though there was a coulple things I wasnt happy with, I am still glad I atteded SADHA Day.
Elizabeth
Posted by emprit at 11:52 PM | Comments (0)
Reflection extra credit
In response to all the postings, of all those that I read, so many of us have such great things to say! It sounds like the march of dimes was a great experience. Just from what others have said, I think I will try that next year. Learning many new and relevant things and being able to help and educate people is what it is all about! I also think that maria put it best, in regards to sadha day, that the guest speaker used the resources she had, but she just could have gone about it better. Sounds like everyone has gained a lot of new experiences all because of dental hygiene!!
Posted by kuhlmak at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)
SADHA day
Joining sadha was a very good decision. I found the lunch and learns to be insightful and fun. I also had heard a lot about sadha day. There was a lot of excitement built up for it and most people raved about it. But my honest opinion is that I was a little disappointed. A bunch of us girls went out the night before and it was so much fun to bond with my classmates outside of school. I think many of us got closer and we learned some valuable lessons (like separate checks!!) The events started a little bit to early for my liking, but it was fun to get some free stuff. The guest speaker really put a damper on the whole thing. I felt that her speech was completely irrelevant to dental hygiene and it obviously offended a lot of people which she clearly knew that she was going to do. We are all in college so we have obviously made it through middle school and high school where we already learned about racism and to see so many people obviously hurt by what she was saying made it clear to me that she was kind of irresponsible when putting together her speech. That alone makes me not want to attend next year. The round table discussion were educating. I learned about females with blood disorders which was very interesting and tongue thrusts which wasnt! I got to meet other girls from different schools and I loved hearing about how other schools operate. However, another sad note was that some of the girls would whisper and give us dirty looks during our upperclassmen's presentation. I felt that was very immature and not inviting at all. I was not really quite sure why they did this but overall it just wasn't the experience I was hoping for. Maybe I will try again next year and it might be a little different.
Posted by kuhlmak at 10:47 PM | Comments (0)
Sonicare Lunch and Learn - Bethany's Reflection
I was very excited to go to the sonicare lunch and learn. Stacey was very knowledgeable about dental hygiene as a whole and explained everything to our class based on our level of knowledge. I thought it was very interesting when Stacey asked how many of us were in compliance with what we promote. It demonstrated how there much less compliance in the general public and gave necessity for a sonicare toothbrush. She went on to explain all the benefits of a sonicare toothbrush and what a positive impact it can have on a patients oral health.
I understand the reason why we were all given a very expensive toothbrush and the need for our own personal experience of using the sonicare so we can fully understand how it works. I think that the company backs up their product 100% and knows that if it gives one of their brushes to future dental hygienists then their product will practically sell itself. I had actually heard of the sonicare toothbrush a couple of years ago from my mom. Her hygienist had suggested it and now my mom swears by it and tells many of her friends and family about it. I wasn’t able to afford it so I feel blessed to be gifted one from the company!
Overall I am still excited about receiving the sonicare toothbrush and feel that I can better promote it ethically because I will have used it and can stand behind what I am promoting. I think my colleagues are also very excited about receiving such a nice toothbrush and are also looking forward to promoting such a wonderful product that can have such a positive impact.
Posted by berulu at 08:58 PM | Comments (0)
March of Dimes Health Walk - Bethany's Reflection
The Health Walk was fun and informative. As a DH2 it was informative because we were able to be side by side with colleagues and benefit from their knowledge as well as pass it along to others. I was happy to have an opportunity to discuss key points with health walk participants with the support of instructors and classmates. Participants seemed interested in learning about simple ways to reduce low-birth weight babies and the positive impact that folic acid and good oral health habits can have during a pregnancy.
As a DH2 I was trying to inform participants about simple ways to improve the oral health of not only the people I came in contact with but also their friends and families. Because time was limited with each participant I would ask simple questions which would give me an idea about a good oral habit to promote to each participant individually. Some examples of questions I asked were “Do you have any children? Do you encourage them to brush twice daily? - once in the morning and once in the evening?” I tried to give them informed suggestions while only having just a few minutes with some people. I also asked some people if they sipped on coffee or soda throughout the day and suggested chewing gum with xylitol and gave them sample packs of gum. I also explained how xylitol works and the benefits of chewing throughout the day if you don’t have a chance to brush.
Overall I felt like it was a really good experience, although rushed at times. My colleagues also felt a bit rushed because participants only had a short time at each booth. It could have been the time slot I was able to participate in and next year I would like to come at a time that would possibly allow more time for discussion with each individual. I know that next year I will be even more prepared to participate at the health walk having been through it once and now having a better feel for how it progresses.
Posted by berulu at 08:44 PM | Comments (0)
Linnea Tyler's Reflection of March of Dimes Health Walk
SADHA
March of Dimes Health Walk
I decided at the last minute to attend the March of Dimes Health Walk and due to the wonderful experience I had, I am pleased with my decision. I was very nervous about attending the health walk because I didn't know what to expect. My class mates informed me that we must talk to our audience about the importance of oral health care. This was the first time in my life that I've ever participated in an event such as this. I get nervous about public speaking. Attending this activity helped me release my fears. As I arrived at U of M's SADAH educational table there was no time for nervousness. Upon greeting the rush of people I had to immediately engage in oral health care conversations, pass out tooth brushes, tooth paste, and trident chewing gum with xylitol. The majority of my conversations with people derived from the trident gum. They were curious about what xylitol was. I really enjoyed educating people about xylitol and how it helps prevent dental caries.
Attending this activity made me feel important. It made me recognize the significance of my position as an oral health care professional. I was so elated about my deliverance at the health walk that I told my family members about my excitement. This is one event that I will always remember.
Posted by linneact at 08:17 PM | Comments (0)
Sonicare Lunch and Learn
I found the Sonicare Lunch and Learn presentation informative and helpful. Our presenter Stacy, was very thoughtful by bringing different brands and types of electric toothbrush models to compare and contrast. I liked the fact that she wasnt trying to showcase the Sonicare brand and make everybody buy a toothbrush, but rather wanted us to be informed about the different models so we can make educated recommendations to our patients.
Continue reading "Sonicare Lunch and Learn"
Posted by emprit at 08:11 AM | Comments (0)
December 05, 2006
Response (extra credit) - Amanda Regulski
I also loved the sonicare lunch and learn, and agree that it was one of the best ones that I had attended. I really feel that Stacy McCauley was able to relate to us since she, herself was a dental hygienist. She was able to give us a lot of information about the products that we will be able to pass onto our patients. She also gave us an opportunity to get excited about using our sonicare toothbrushes. I agree with Kelly, getting a free sonicare toothbrush does make up for having to bring our own lunch.
Posted by aregulsk at 06:36 PM | Comments (0)
SADHA day! - Amanda Regulski
This year I was very privileged to attend SADHA day. This event, which took place on November 17th, was a day in which I gained a lot of knowledge. Unfortunately I was unable to sit through both of my round tables, because I was sick, I did enjoy the first table I was at. The round table was the whitening table.
I thought SADHA day was a great opportunity to meet different vendors and see new products that will be hitting the shelves, or are already out. This will be helpful when we start doing patient self-care, because we will have a variety of products to suggest to our patients.
Although, I enjoyed the majority of SADHA day, I did not really enjoy the “keynote speaker”. I found her speech and pictures rather offensive. I am not going to judge SADHA day solely upon this, but it does make me think about attending SADHA day next year.
SADHA day was a very good and positive experience that I was able to enjoy and I will be able to keep this knowledge with me throughout my dental hygiene career.
Posted by aregulsk at 06:34 PM | Comments (1)
Proctor & Gamble Lunch & Learn - Amanda Regulski
This Lunch and Learn opened my eyes up to many different things that I never thought about. It also taught me new things that I have already passed onto my family and friends, but also, when I have my own patients I will be able to share this information with them.
I found that when Gary Carpenter was speaking about the whitening mouthwash, it was truly interesting. The fact that he was so honest about the whitening mouthwash really not making a difference, it just being a competing factor really allowed me to believe what he had to say about the rest of the products. Also, learning about what products sell the best, and about the new products that are out, such as “Pro-Health” was very helpful. And given the opportunity to be able to try these products allows for me to be able to relate to my patients. I am able to tell them how it works on a more personal level.
The Proctor and Gamble Lunch and Learn allowed me to have an insight on the new products they have to offer and I was able to know what products work better, and what products are “marketing products”. I was fortunate to be able to have this experience.
Posted by aregulsk at 06:33 PM | Comments (0)
Danielle's reflection on the March of Dimes
On November 14, 2006 I participated in the March of Dimes at the Children's Hospital. As I was getting ready to head over to the building, I made sure to bundle up not knowing how cold I would get walking. When we got to the hospital, and followed all the signs to where the walk started, I realized the walk was inside. I thought it was like the cancer walks where you walk around the track for a period of time, so I was really eager to see what this was going to be like.
We started off with an empty bag and went around to the different stations to see what type of information they had. The second room was really interesting because they had out different machines that helped premature babies and different facts about them as well. In the auditorium, they had a projection of an ultrasound on the wall and they were giving away sheets of paper with great facts for pregnant women and you could plant the paper because it had wildflower seeds inbedded in it. I thought that was a really neat touch. When we entered the last room there were a ton of different stands with people that had all sorts of information and were ready to teach us what we knew. Some of the stands had information about depression, breastfeeding, childbearing services, the Kellogg Eye Center, and safe sleep for your baby.
Of course, my favorite stand was with all the lovely hygienist!! I especially loved the tooth fairy and the free samples! A lot of the people coming by were suprised to find out that periodontal disease could cause low weight babies, so I loved being able to provide knowledge to them and help spread the word!
I cant wait to help voulnteer again next year and see what new information I will learn.
Posted by dmjanuz at 05:57 PM | Comments (0)
December 03, 2006
Comments for Final Exam Credit
Dear DH 220 Learning Community Members,
For your "comment posting" related to the five points toward your final exam, this may be posted as a general posting or as a "comment" to one specific reflection. Either is acceptable.
I would also like to provide you with additional insight to SADHA Day. SADHA Day is a unique event and each year is uniquely different. It is hosted by a different MI Dental Hygiene Program each year and there are 12 programs in Michigan! Each DH program can choose the format, speakers, and events of the day. Please remain "open" to this event in upcoming years and await the "agenda" before making your (evidence-based) decision about attending.
Thank you for your thoughtful reflections including your "mixed emotions" related to the 2006 keynote speaker, etc. From a discussion perspective, it achieved a goal to "get us talking!"
Regards,
Mrs. G.
Posted by agwozdek at 05:46 PM | Comments (0)
SADHA Day Reflection: Extra Credit - Mallory Sherwood
I am not entirely sure if I was just supposed to leave a comment on just one person's entry or group all of them into one. So, I will follow Michelle's trend and reflect on a group of them.
I was not able to attend SADHA day and I know there were mixed feelings about the day from everyone. I was debating the idea of going for a few different reasons: I wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen and how everything was going to work out. So, ultimately I did not attend. After reading other's reflections, like Michelle, I am not so sure if I will be attending in years to come. Many reflections had a negative view about the speakers and just the day in general. I'm sure this is something that you have to experience for yourself and decide if it's something you really like, which is why all the reflections have their high points and low points. Overall, I enjoyed everyone's opinions and they are nice to have to take into account for next year.
Posted by maldawn at 03:09 PM | Comments (0)
December 02, 2006
SADHA Day Reflection: Extra Credit -Michelle Uhlig
After reading through the SADHA Day experiences, I was disappointed to hear that the much anticipated day was a let down. This makes me question if I will attend the event in the following years I have here at the University. I was however; glad to hear that the round table events were informative. I am glad they were educational and gave the participants an idea of the amount of responsibility a dental hygienist has with a patient. As I have said before, the additional learning experiences have made me feel like a real professional. SADHA Day seemed to have its positive and negatives, but overall it seemed like everyone learned a little something from the day.
Posted by muhlig at 03:00 PM | Comments (0)
SADHA Day 2006 - Meggan
On November 27, I attended SADHA Day in Lansing MI. It was very interesting and fun to see all of the other hygiene students from other schools. While there was great diversity, it was very clear to me that there are more similarities than differences in the people that choose this line of work. I skipped the breakfast because I am not a bread eater in the morning. However, I did partake in the table presentations and registration. As most of my fellow classmates have expressed, I too was confused and disillusioned by the presentation that Ms. Burns gave as the keynote speaker. The upbeat, moral boosting talk I was expecting was a disappointing rant and promotion of a museum. While I am sure this museum has it's place in regards to history and it's effect on today, I'm not sure how it had any relevance to the purpose of our conference. Maybe if it would have been wrapped up in a different way, or touched on and then used as an example it would have made more sense. I find it sad that this is what set the tone for our day.
The round tables were very interesting. My first round table was with Mrs. Ridley and was on the topic of "the Female Patient with a Bleeding Disorder". It was very interesting and gave me even more of a sense of the responsibility we take on in the care of our patients. There are so many things that we can do to change lives. With our education and awareness we can save lives. That is powerful.
My second round table was with a women that is hired by dental offices to help create better communication in the work place. Unfortunately, her husband took the handouts she was going to give us to his work in his trunk that morning. We all laughed about how even an "expert" on the subject has run ins. While this table was pretty informative, it was pretty obvious that because her day was altered her presentation wasn't all it would have been.
The day seemed very long. It had it's highs and lows. All in all, it was good and I will more than likely give it a try again next year.
Posted by megganj at 01:03 PM | Comments (1)
November 29, 2006
Danielle's reflection on the Procter and Gamble Lunch and Learn
I really enjoyed Gary Carpenter's presentation on behalf of Procter and Gamble. Not only did he provide us with free samples of toothbrushes and toothpaste, but he also provided us with free lunch! Nothing gets much better then that! It was really interesting to be able to hear from an employee about the products instead of an advertisement on t.v. The information that he was telling us about the whitening mouth wash and how he feels about it was really cool because he was real with us and not trying to have us buy into it just because its a product that he sells. To me, it showed that we could really trust what he had to say. I was also really excited about the free samples of the Crest Pro Health toothpaste. I use it every morning and when we start seeing patients, it'll be nice to give them my opinion of the product. I even noticed myself talking about the products that he informed us of to my family and friends, almost to the point where they felt they were at a lunch and learn.
Another product that I was really impressed with, was the new line of Oral Vitality. Finally, a power tooth brush that everyone can afford that is not batter operated! I really liked how there is more then one option with the toothbrush that the consumers can choose from as well.
All in all I really enjoyed Mr. Carpenters presentation! I loved how he made it personal (showing us his family) to the fun trivia questions in between the slides, and of course the free lunch! It was a great start to the many lunch and learns!
Posted by dmjanuz at 04:25 PM | Comments (1)
November 28, 2006
SADHA Day!
I like many of the girls was really looking forward to SADHA Day and while I did enjoy myself I found it to be nothing like what I expected! I went up the night before and stayed at the hotel which was beautiful. We all went out for dinner together and had a blast. The next morning we all went down stairs for breakfast which was pretty close to what I expected, and since I love danishes I really like the breakfast, while other found it lacking. I will be honest when I say that the speech to start the day about "Diversity" fell short of expectation. I thought it was going to be inspiring but instead I found it depressing and sad. I understand that the information given in the speech has a significant meaning, however I failed to see how it was relevant to that particular moment of our dental hygiene careers. I thought the information on Diversity was not really that diverse and it hurt the excitement of SADHA Day!
Posted by fisettco at 07:30 PM | Comments (0)
Sonicare Lunch and Learn
I really enjoyed the Sonicare Lunch and learn presented to us by Stacy McCauley. I think that the way she presented to us made us look forward to using the sonicare ourselves. I was really impressed with the fact that she told us about how the sonicare had 31,000 brush strokes per minute as opposed to the oral-B that only has 6,000 brush strokes per minute.
I really appreciated how Ms. McCauley talked to us as equals. I felt that this made her our best speaker yet! She really related to us and got us involved as an audience, this made the presentation interesting and fun.
I am looking forward to using the Sonicare that they are giving us, not only because I have to feel the 31,000 brush strokes for myself to fully grasp the effectiveness of this brush, but also to have a better perspective so that when people ask about the sonicare I will know the answers.
Courtney Fisette
Posted by fisettco at 07:12 PM | Comments (1)
November 27, 2006
Sonicare lunch and learn
The lunch and learn ( or the learn as I like to call it since lunch was not provided) I attended on Nov. 21 presented by Stacey Mccauley was by far one of the best lunch and learns ( of the 3 that I have been to!) The presentation was well presented and Stacey did a wonderful job of selling her product and informing us of the many benefits sonicare provides. She was extremely educated on her products, well organized and the atmosphere just seemed more personal.
As a dental hygienist, she was able to connect with us on why the products she represents are so beneficial rather than just trying to sell her product. She was very informative and convincing. I appreciated her personal experiences that she shared with us and when she called us out on our imperfections it made me want to run home and floss my teeth!
She explained the importance of the sonicare toothbrush and all its advantages. For example, 30,000 strokes to 5,000 strokes or longer lasting brush heads. She made me realize that I need to try out my toothbrush than make my sister think I spent $130 on a toothbrush for her christmas present! And getting a free sonicare toothbrush makes up for making me bring my own lunch!
Posted by kuhlmak at 10:32 PM | Comments (1)
November 26, 2006
Sonicare Lunch and Learn (Stacy)
Sonicare representative Stacy McCauley presented at the DH2 lunch and learn on November 21, 2006. I found her presentation to be very informative and encouraging. Not only was Stacy very educated about the products she was promoting, she was also a dental hygienist and was able to empathize with us as dental hygiene students. I think that this allowed us to connect with her on more than just a presenter-observer level.
Stacy made some very interesting points during her presentation. First of all, she brought competing brands of toothbrushes, and explained to us the differences between these brushes and Sonicare brushes. For instance, Sonicare brushes operate at 30,000 strokes per minute, while others average about 5,000 strokes per minute. Also, Sonicare brush heads only need to be changed every six months rather than every three months.
Stacy also explained why it is important to try products before recommending them to patients so that you can give an honest impression of products’ operation and usage. To further demonstrate this idea, Sonicare gave all of us a free Sonicare Elite toothbrush to try. They also offered hugely discounted additional toothbrushes that we could order for friends family members. I saw this as a great opportunity for oral heath education and promotion, and ordered a Sonicare Elite for my boyfriend for Christmas.
I honestly loved this presentation (and not only because of our complimentary toothbrushes!). Stacy was a wonderful presenter and I left feeling more educated and capable of making oral health self care recommendations. I would definitely recommend having Stacy McCauley present to future dental hygiene classes as it is a very rewarding experience.
Posted by svelmer at 09:03 PM | Comments (1)
March of Dimes Health Walk (Stacy)
On November 14, 2006, I participated in the March of Dimes Health Walk at the Mott Children’s Hospital. This activity was a great way for people to acquire knowledge about different health conditions that they may encounter throughout life, whether it may happen to them, or to someone they know.
There were many booths informing women of pregnancy issues. The Dental Hygiene/Oral Health booth was informing women of factors that may influence their pregnancies, such as folic acid intake, and how periodontal disease may lead to premature or low birth weight babies. I thought these were very important topics to inform people about because there are many people who are either misinformed or not informed at all about oral health and pregnancy.
Not only did women attend the Health Walk, but men, children, and students were also there. The Dental Hygiene booth handed out sugarless gum containing xylitol and informed booth-viewers of its ability to aid in oral health. We also handed out toothbrushes and tooth paste, which seemed to be a big hit with passer-bys.
It was wonderful to be a part of such an educational booth and team. I don’t think many people realize how much oral health can affect a person’s quality of life. I am glad that I was able to help educate and influence people.
Posted by svelmer at 09:01 PM | Comments (1)
Omni Lunch and Learn - A Reflection
As dental hygienists, we have a professional obligation to maintain a commitment to life-long learning. At the University of Michigan, SADHA sponsors monthly Lunch and Learns where dental hygiene students can interact with sales representatives from various companies affiliated with the dental products we will be using everyday in practice. It is important as professionals to keep abreast of the current products on the market to best serve our patients' dental hygiene needs. This month Omnii Oral Pharmaceuticals sponsored a Lunch and Learn to acquaint us with some of their products, particularly xylitol products and fluoride varnishes.
I was eager to learn more about xylitol products as this is something we learned about in class as effective in caries prevention and because I consume this product everyday in my favorite chewing gum. Xylitol-containing mints and gum would be effective for patients with a high caries risk or xerostomia as it helps to lower bacteria levels in the mouth and promotes remineralizaton. However, to achieve the necessary amount of xylitol effective for caries prevention and reduction, one would have to chew twenty pieces of the store-bought gum containing xylitol! Omnii makes products containing 100% xylitol where one would be able to maintain an effective dosage by only chewing a few pieces of gum a day. Samples of the TheraGum and TheraMints manufactured by Omnii were passed out. The mint and fruity flavors tasted great and would definitely be something a patient would enjoy using. The only problem is the cost of these products. They are only available for sale by a dentist and pricing hikes prompted by packaging constraints can be a turn-off to patients, especially those patients on a fixed income. I spoke to the rep, Kevin Bourland, following his presentation on the effectiveness of store-bought gum versus the Omnii gum, and even he admitted that some xylitol was better than none. Therefore, if a patient cannot afford to purchase the professionally-sold xylitol products, I would still recommend the store-bought versions as having some benefits.
Fluoride varnish was something I had been introduced to while working in a practice as a dental assistant. My dentist was turned off from using varnishes due to the yellow hue the varnish leaves on the patient's teeth. Omnii now offers a new product called Vanish, a 5% NaF white varnish, which gives all of the benefits of using a varnish without leaving that yellow tinge. Varnishes are advantageous because it is a fluoride treatment that will remain on the patient's teeth long after he or she leaves the office, allowing the patients to receive fluoride for hours until he or she brushes. Vanish would be desirable because the patient can receive these benefits and still leave the appointment with a nice white smile. Mr. Bourland distributed samples, so we could all try Vanish. The taste is pleasant and it was easy to apply, however the feel of the product on my teeth as well as the noticeable white build-up was a turn-off. Following the presentation, I went home and brushed as soon as was possible. My reaction as a student in a dental health field makes me wonder how effective this treatment would be for the average patient. Mr. Bourland did suggest not applying the Vanish treatment to the upper anterior teeth to facilitate a higher rate of patient compliance, a tip that would be very helpful when I am a hygienist.
The Omnii presentation was very informational and the relaxed lunchtime setting allowed for an easy introduction to these beneficial products. I definitely appreciate SADHA and Omnii for sponsoring this event!
-Maria Alspaugh
Posted by malspaug at 01:13 PM | Comments (1)
SADHA day 2006 - A Reflection
After hearing about SADHA day all semester long, I was excited when the day of the event finally arrived. In class, we discussed the importance of interacting with our peers in our professional association and I was looking forward to getting to know some of my fellow dental hygiene students from other programs. After a night of bonding with some of the women in my program, we got up bright and early ready to attend the seminar.
We started off the morning by visiting various vendor tables. We received samples of different products that will be important to us as dental hygienists, such as polishing paste, disposable prophy angles, disclosing agents, et cetera. These tables are important because as hygienists we will need to stay abreast of all of the products available to us in the market, so as we can best serve our patients' dental needs.
As we congregated into the main ballroom with our goodies, we sat down to listen to number of speakers, including the day's keynote speaker Sandra Burns. Ms. Burns' lecture, Images to Teach Diversity, brought mixed reactions from the audience. Ms. Burns is affiliated with the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University and accordingly focused her lecture on the resources available to her from this museum. Her focus on racist memorabilia from the Jim Crow era did not coincide with the diverse message the title of her lecture inspired. I understand the point of her lecture was to use those hateful images to educate us on the obstacles the African American culture still faces as a result of their tumultuous history, which she did attempt to convey by showing us slides of racist memorabilia available in today's market. The problem with Ms. Burns' lecture though was that she failed to qualify her presentation's limitations within her own expertise which then alienated the audience with its implications that all racism is directed toward African Americans. Also, although she started her lecture by citing the importance for dental hygienists to gain competency in other arenas applicable to our patients besides their dental health, she failed to tie this to the broad scope of her lecture, which ultimately left us as the audience wondering how this topic was pertinent to our profession. The most irresponsible, however, was the failure of the event makers to then allow us the opportunity to discuss the theme of the lecture in a structured setting. As the keynote speaker, Ms. Burns' lecture was to set the tone for the day and without an opportunity to bounce our opinions off our peers in our profession, we were left either dazed or angry, which only succeeded in leaving a bad taste in our mouths.
Following our short break, we then ventured back into the ballroom for our round table "discussions." I put discussions in quotation marks because I think presentations would more aptly describe these sessions as we were not so much discussing with our peers but listening to a presenter communicate to us an overview of their topic of expertise. My first table focused on the dental appliances available to correct snoring and sleep apnea. Our presenter, Dr. David Heeke, is a dentist who practices once a week, leaving him the rest of his time to devote to the treatment of sleep disorders. Dr. Heeke stressed that although dentists are licensed to treat sleep disorders with the appropriate appliance, they are not licensed to diagnose sleep disorders. The dentist refers the patient to a sleep specialist for diagnosis if a problem is suspected. This is important because the patient will most likely see his dentist and hygienist more regularly than his physician and we can then direct the patient towards a path for treatment. Dr. Heeke is the inventor of the appliance DeSRA, although he did not use this presentation as a platform to promote his product, but went through the benefits and disadvantages of various appliances. Most important is comfort as this will best motivate patient compliance.
My next round table was a presentation on the Sonicare by Jennifer Christensen. Ms. Christensen used competitors' brushes and the company's gimmicks to point out the benefits of the Sonicare. She explained the technology of the Sonicare and how this enables the Sonicare to most effectively remove plaque making it the best powerbrush on the market. I admit I am skeptical of salesmen, even when they cite studies on their product. I would have liked Ms. Christensen to have supplied us with at least one study she cited to corroborate Sonicare's claims of superiority. What Ms. Christensen did though was to supply us each with a sample Sonicare charged for 2 weeks worth of brushing. Now this generosity on the part of Philips is what sold me because even after one use I was ready to recommend this brush to a patient! With the information Ms. Christensen supplied to me at her presentation, I can explain to a patient how the technology of the Sonicare powerbrush can best facilitate their dental health care needs and effectively remove plaque. And since I have used this brush myself, I can personally recommend the brush giving pros and cons from my own experience as opposed to spouting off some company jargon I picked up from a salesman on an expensive brush I've never even tried.
Following a generous lunch, the day's events concluded with presentations from each of the participating dental hygiene programs. It was nice to see how the other programs compare to ours and see a little school pride too. All in all, I have mixed feelings about SADHA day. I learned a lot, but feel as an event sponsored by our professional association I would have appreciated more interaction between schools and students. That way we can learn new things and get feedback from the individuals most affected by them - us!
-Maria Alspaugh
Posted by malspaug at 11:49 AM | Comments (2)
November 25, 2006
Maxie's OMNII Lunch and Learn Reflection
Being a first year dental hygiene student I come into all the lunch in learns extra excited to learn about dental products that I could potentially recommend to my patients. Walking into the OMNII care presentation I knew I was going to learn about Xylitol, a product that is present in the Orbit and Trident gum that I chew daily. I knew that it reduced bacterial levels in the mouth and helped to prevent caries this is why I chewed two pieces daily. To much of my surprise the presenter at the OMNII lunch informed me that those two pieces of gum with Xylitol really have no effect. He said that in order for Xylitol to have an effect on bacterial levels in the mouth one needs to chew 6-10 g of Xylitol a day. Of course I thought 6-10g sounded like a lot and asked the presenter how many pieces of gum I needed to have for the Xylitol to have an effect. He stated that I needed to have 6 pieces of Xylitol gum or mints a day. At first it sounded unrealistic to me that a child would even like Xylitol mints and would chew so many a day, but I realized with the assistance of their parents this truly is a realistic goal. Maria poured a handful of Xylitol mints and gums on my plate next to my potbelly’s and to my surprise I ate them all by the end of the day.
The OMNII lunch and learn did not end with Xylitol information. We also learned about their new product called Vanish. Vanish is a “5% neutral sodium fluoride unit-dosed white varnish”. When the presenter quoted this to us I was confused and embarrassed because I didn’t even know what varnish was. I had no idea that it left a yellow color on the teeth after it was applied. Thus, I was confused when he was trying to promote the product Vanish. I was surprised when he gave us all a package of Vanish and asked us to apply it on our teeth. When I applied this cinnamon flavor fluoride varnish therapy I felt like I had plaque on my teeth and was tempted to scratch it off until the presenter stated that the longer you leave the vanish on your teeth the better the effect the fluoride will have. This is why I left it on as long as I could, but when I stepped out into the sunlight and clearly saw it on my classmates’ teeth I felt uncomfortable smiling in public. The Vanish didn’t leave a yellow stain, but it did leave a layer that felt like plaque and a clearly distinguishable white layer.
I learned a lot at this lunch and learn and I appreciate that the OMNII Oral Pharmaceuticals took the time to come to our school to educate us about these products. I am excited to soon recommend my patients to use gum with Xylitol and recommend Vanish instead of the regular Varnish.
Posted by mroumani at 12:19 AM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2006
Maxie's SADHA Day Reflection
Waking up after a long night of bonding with my fellow classmates, getting to know them outside of classes and realizing how grateful I am to have so many friends supporting me throughout the Dental Hygiene Program, I was eager to meet the other women in my profession. I received my University of Michigan nametag and wore it with pride as I met the other Dental Hygiene students early in the morning at SADHA Day. The LCC students hosting this event were very welcoming and excited to share news about their new facility while I informed them of our programs accomplishments. I was hoping to do this with many of the schools, but to my disappointment there wasn’t much of a chance to get to know the other hygiene students. In reality, I only got to meet two or three other students and it was only when they presented about their schools when I really was able to learn about their programs.
I was hoping to meet more people at the roundtable discussions, but to my surprise there was no discussion or communicating with the other women at all. Instead I was lectured for forty-five minutes and had no opportunity to ask questions or make any discussion. Although disappointed with the lack of discussion, I was very pleased with the roundtables that I was placed at. To my surprise I was given my top two choices that reflect both my personality and my interests. The first roundtable discussion I participated in was about the Special Olympics. As someone who has volunteered her whole life and active in all kinds of philanthropic organizations I was very interested in being a part of the Special Olympics. The speaker gave me all the information necessary to sign up for the event and informed me of organizations such as Special Smile that I was not aware of. She described a dental hygienists role at the Special Olympics and she encouraged me to volunteer. The speaker told us how happy it makes the athletes when they receive a bag full of dental goodies and that there is a long line of athletes just waiting to receive their free toothbrushes. The way she described the happiness that the athletes felt when they approached the Special Smile table inspired me to participate in this Special Olympics event.
When it was time to get seated for the next roundtable I was hoping it would be about test anxiety because that is something that I have been struggling with since first grade and amazingly it was! At this table she had a power point and informed us with strategies to help us take exams. After she lectured she made us take a deep breath because she stressed that if we don’t breath then we wont do well on an exam. I have yet to try this, but hopefully allowing oxygen to fuel my brain will assist me on relaxing while taking an exam and relieving this feeling of stress.
Overall, SADHA day was exciting because I was able to learn about the other Dental Hygiene programs through their presentations, I was given both the round tables that I desired and the most exciting part of it all was that I won a door prize! I was surprised that we didn’t discuss much about dental hygiene, new products and other hygiene issues. I didn’t know what to expect when coming to this event and was surprised that we were lectured on diversity. At first I wasn’t impressed, but half way through the presentation I realized that diversity is a very important part of our profession and what she had to say was both important and very informative. I realize that some took offense to the presentation, but she specialized in Jim Crow and thought that if she focused on what she knew best she would get her point across the strongest. Throughout the presentation, I too was shocked that she focused on African Americans, but in the end she used examples from several other cultures and I realized she did not mean to offend anybody. If only everybody could have realized this. Even though SADHA day was not exactly what I expected I did enjoy it and it was a great experience.
Posted by mroumani at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2006
Meghan's Reflection #2
Yesterday I attended the Phillips-Sonicare presentation put on by Sonicare represenative Stacy McCauley. It was a really great presentation. Stacy really made some great points, and really knew the product very well. It really struck me that she brought along with her examples of competitor's power brushes so that we could compare them to the Sonicare. That shows that she is very confident in her brush and it's abilities. I am looking forward to recieving my complementary brush to try it out for myself and determine whether or not I will be recommending it to patients. One key factor that really impressed me about the brush,is that the head only needs to be changed ever six months, instead of three like a lot of the other brushes on the market. I can see that a lot of patients will respond well to that. It would be easy then if they did buy the brush to simply remind the patient at their six-month cleanings that they should replace the head of their brush.
Though the presentation itself was really great, I think my general impression of Stacy herself, and the information she was presenting to us was really heightened by the fact that she is a Dental Hygienist. It gave me a great deal of respect for her, and I felt like she, more than any of the other presenters we've had, knew what it is like to be in Hygiene school, and knew what our lives are like right now. I also really liked how she threw in her own story, and told us about how she came to do what she does now. It's great to hear encouragment from a Dental Hygienist, and to see what other options are out there besides working in an office.
Posted by cormierm at 12:57 PM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2006
Cheryl's reflections on Philips/ Sonicare
Today, Stacy McCauley gave the Sonicare presentation: Enhancing Patient Compliance through Education. I think she has to be the best speaker, so far. I appreciated the way she related to us, and knows what we are going through(with school that is). Also, she gave us some oral education tips to give to our patients i.e the effectiveness of the power toothbrush v.s. the manual brush and in the long run, research shows that powerbrushs are more effective than manual. On a personal level, I love the sonicare. I have been using it for years. I am at risk for caries. I have a restorative past, and overlapping teeth. Before the sonicare, I was missing a lot of areas. My plaque scores were not so good. I found the brush was easy to use. All I had to do was put the brush at a 45 degree angle and wait for the timer. I will recommend to everyone a sonicare product.
Posted by chewison at 09:39 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2006
Procter and Gamble Reflection: Michelle Uhlig
I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation by Gary Carpenter, the representative for Proctor and Gamble. The presentation was very informative. He told us how to receive the latest products, what the leading selling products for proctor and gamble are and some of the latest products that are being heavily advertised.
I really enjoyed learning about the Crest Pro-Health toothpaste. Mr. Carpenter was very persuasive in telling us all the aspects that the toothpaste is used to protect. This kind of toothpaste is also ADA accepted, which gives it great credibility. It was very interesting to learn about the process this toothpaste had to go through in order to be put on the market and be ADA accepted. Mr. Carpenter was also very persuasive in promoting the Vitality toothbrush. This is a power brush for only twenty dollars versus other power brushes which can run up to be more than one hundred dollars.
Mr. Carpenter encouraged us to use various products so that we could use our own personal input to tell patients about the products we are promoting. He spoke to us as if we were professionals. It was very encouraging to hear him speak about the new products that we will be promoting now and in the future. I found myself telling my friends and family about the presentation and persuading them to try the latest products. It was very interesting to hear about how some products are used just to compete with other companies products, such as the whitening mouthwash. The presentation was very educational. It gave me a new perspective and more knowledge towards becoming a highly looked upon professional.
Posted by muhlig at 09:28 PM | Comments (0)
Match of Dimes Reflection: Michelle Uhlig
The Match of Dimes was an uplifting experience for me. I was able to volunteer for the event as well as participate in it. I went into the event not knowing what to expect. I left with knowledge on various subjects as well as pamphlets and product samples. It was fulfilling to know that I helped teach people who were participating in the event about how it is important to have good oral health and what are some ways to obtain that health.
I really enjoyed my experience at the March of Dimes. When I was volunteering, I stood at the dental hygiene station and spoke with people as they passed by. Our table had many different samples to give out. I was near an assortment of toothpastes and Trident gum with xylitol in it. Many people were unaware of what xylitol was, so I informed them that it is a helpful product in gum that helps prevent cavities. I also tried to inform people as they passed by that when they are choosing a gum, they should always buy sugar free. Some other interesting questions that I was asking was to see how often they visit there dental hygienist. I tried to encourage people to visit at least every 6 months for a check-up. I felt as though I was a real professional in this setting. The people passing by treated me with respect and listened to what I had to say.
I was very fortunate to be able to see what the other stations had to offer. There were many interesting article on breastfeeding, depression, exercise during pregnancy and abuse. This was a very fascinating event and I feel very privileged I was able to attend it. I hope my experience continue to be as positive. Each event I attend, I feel more like a professional dental hygienist.
Posted by muhlig at 09:27 PM | Comments (1)
Renee's SADHA Day Reflection
I have to say I was not impressed with the whole thing. I drove up Friday morning, so I had to leave my house at 6am. When I got there I too was disappointed with the "breakfast". I would rather have had something less sweet. The hotel was beautiful, and there were so many people there from all over. Once the "Images of Diversity" speech began, I could not believe it. I was terribly offended by a lot of things she said. And I had no idea why she was even giving this particular speech, I felt it had no relevance. And to call a speech "Images of Diversity" I expected diversity, there was none. A better title would have been "Discrimination against African Americans through history". The round table discussion were what I expected, but I did not get anything that I was interested in. The rest sort of just blended together. I have to say that, sadly, I do not think I will attend next year.
Posted by reneely at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2006
Jenny's SADHA Day Reflection
On Friday, November 17th, I attended SADHA day hosted by LCC. It was completely different than what I expected – in a good and bad way. Most of the girls in my class started off the event by driving up Thursday and staying the night. Just being with the girls out of school was great, we got to know each a lot better. I’d say Applebee’s was the most fun out of the two days!
Now onto SADHA day itself, I was kind of disappointed when I seen what our breakfast was. When I found out we were getting a “continental” breakfast, I was expecting something totally different. Soon after, I was really excited to see so many different students all there for the same reason we were! It was interesting going around to all the different vendors and listening to them talk about all the different products (plus we received some free stuff, so that was a plus!).
One thing that really bothered me was Sandra Burn’s speech, “Images to teach diversity”; I don’t understand what she was trying to teach?!? The only thing I got out of it was the bad things that have been said about African American’s throughout history. I felt very uncomfortable even listening to what she was saying. There were people getting up and walking out. Most of them were African American’s and I think it’s because they were offended. She didn’t really sum it up at the end either to kind of reiterate what she was teaching us or trying to prove! I know diversity is very important but I think she came about it the wrong way or maybe I just took it the wrong way? I wish I could have heard a speech about something that related more to dental hygiene itself.
My first round table was research. I was actually more interested in it than I thought I’d be! We talked about all the different kinds of research you could do and the reasons for it. My second round table was charting. Important but boring! I thought all the round tables would be fun stuff and things like charting we’d learn in school. Then again, some people might think that’s interesting, so it goes both ways. We talked about the importance of charting and legally what can happen if you falsify any information.
Last but not least was the ending! I really liked how people from different school’s got up in front of everyone and told us a little bit about their school and different way’s they help the community. I had no idea there were so many dental hygiene programs in Michigan! I love Michigan and I wouldn’t want to do my schooling anywhere else but I wish I would have known right out of high school, all the different school’s that have hygiene programs.
Overall, I did have fun. I knew a girl from Detroit Mercy and another from LCC so I also enjoyed seeing them! I enjoy being a SADHA member but as far as SADHA day, I’m kind of questioning whether or not it’s worth it to go next year.
Posted by jebrodie at 09:38 PM | Comments (0)
Autumn's reflection paper for Sadha Day!!!
Sadha day was a great experience that was very educational. Being able to be around all those girls that are pursuing the same career as I am was awsome to see. It was good to have all the different booths set up outside to see the new things that are coming about in the dental field. I was surprised to see how many schools were there that had dental hygiene programs. My first table I learned about people of low income that could not afford dental treatment for them and there families so they were finding ways to set up free clinics. It was really interesting and that is something I am going to consider when I am working after school. The second table was about different ways to whiten your teeth. I thought that was very interesting because I whiten my teeth sometimes. The man that was giving the presentation even gave a few free samples of his product. Overall I enjoyed this a great deal and thought it was a good bonding experience for all of us girls as a class. This experience is definatly something that I would love to attend next year.
Autumn
Posted by adeley at 09:23 PM | Comments (0)
Crystal's Omni Lunch and Learn
On November 15th I attended the Omnii Lunch and Learn. I will start with saying excellent choice with the lunch. It was delicious and since I had never had Potbelly's before and have been wanting to try it, it just put the icing on the cake!
Besides all that good stuff I also got to hear from Kevin Bourland on Xylitol. It was really cool and interesting to hear what he had to say about the product and how it can help you. I mean whoever thought chewing a piece of gum was beneficial? I never did, and now Orbit for example is all I will buy. There were a few cool things I learned while I was there such as, Finland is the largest producer of Xylitol, Xylitol plays a big part in childrens' lives with things such as reducing caries but also reducing ear infections. Also, by getting 6-10g of Xylitol a day it will reduce bacterial levels in your mouth tremendously. I think this product is great and very helpful to kids and ourselves nowadays.
We also got to try something called VARNISH which is a fluoride treatment that you paint onto your teeth and it shows up clear which is a big plus. It did feel funny but it is a very beneficial product and works well with your eating schedule because you can eat or drink immediately after applying the product with no interruptions. It comes from tree sap and penetrates deeper into the enamel and it spreads througout the mouth even if you only do 2 teeth because of the saliva in your mouth. This is also a very helpful product and I hope is offered to more people because it really will work.
I love going to lunch and learns because they are a great experience for us especially to gain free knowledge. I really appreciate the presenters coming out to enlighten us with their knowledge of their great products.
Posted by cryslynn at 06:39 PM | Comments (2)
Crystal's SADHA Day!
First of all I am going to go ahead and say that SADHA day was not what I really expected but turned out to be pretty fun. I went up the night before and stayed with a majority of the girls at the hotel. We got to bond on levels outside of the classroom and I got to know some of the girls alot better! It was really a fun time and I am glad I made the choice to go up there a night early.
The actual SADHA day started off a little bumpy. I woke up starving and excited for a "continental" breakfast but then only got some muffins and other pasteries served to us, I was a little disappointed (I am a huge breakfast person). Although, I did get alot of stuff before the actual presentations started and that was fun getting to talk to the different vendors and seeing what they had to say about their products. I definately think that the marketing aspect of dental hygiene is something I am going to strongly consider when I finish up the program at U of M.
Once the presentations started I was really excited to hear what others had to say about the program and dental hygiene as a whole and then Sandra Burns started with her presentation. I am going to say right now that I was completely taken back by what she was saying while TRYING to talk on the topic of diversity I think? I am still not quite sure but I know me and alot of others were very offended and almost embarassed by the presentation.
On a better note, my first round table was Listerine which was really cool. The same man and woman were at our school a few weeks back so it was kind of a review about their products but it was nice to recap and maybe hear a little more about stuff they didn't touch on during the Lunch and Learn. My second round table was with Sue Matteson from LCC and she talked about the Do's and Dont's of subbing. I thought it was really interesting and something I am going to look into in the future because it works with a variety of schedules and family situations.
I did enjoy SADHA day come lunch and then at the end because I thought the powerpoint and video presentations from the other schools were really creative and interesting. I liked seeing what the other schools had and how they used their equipment. I am going to give SADHA day another try next year and see if the outcome is as enjoyable as it was this year.
Posted by cryslynn at 06:25 PM | Comments (0)
Jessica's SADHA Day Reflection ( #2)
I always look forward to attending SADHA activities; from attending the House Of Delegates in October to the Lunch and Learns, I really enjoy the feeling of "being actively involved" my my professional organization. This time, I attended the 2006 SADHA Day convention in Lansing Michigan. I was really looking forward to this day--not only becuase of the opportunity to network and really 'feel' like I was an actual hygienist, but also for the chance to bond with my fellow classmates :) !
A group of my classmates and I left Thursday, after school; we had reserved a few hotel rooms and had planned on having a fun overnight! Once we arrived, we were excited because there were SO MANY girls there already, and we knew we all had something in common. Thursday night was fun becuase we all got to bond in ways that we cannot in the classroom, and these types of things are important. It's nice to find a group of young women who are so supportive of eachother (and get along with eachother) because we are all in this together, and it just makes us stronger!
On to Friday morning... Cheryl and I went down to the convention early to sign in and help get our booth organized. It was great to see some familiar faces from the House of Delegates that we attended a month prior! There were loads and loads of hygienists coming in by the bus load-- how funny it was to see everyone line up at the coffee table for their daily dose of caffeine! After everyone was checked-in and our continental breakfasts were consumed, we sat to listening to the opening speech. I will admit, I was a little surprised with the introduction. I understood the message, and I did learn some things I was unawarre of, but I thouhgt it might have been a little extreme for those of us who have never attended anything like this before!
After the intro it was time for us to attend the roundtable discussions. Prior to SADHA day, I remember choosing from a list of about 40 topics; I chose 10 that REALLY interested me, and I was excited to be attending them! Well, I was a little upset becuase I did not attend any of the discussions I had chosen. :( ( But this was my ONLY disappointment!) However, My discussions were interesting...
The first roundtable was an Introduction to the use of intraoral cameras. I was quite interested in this because of it's advantages of use in the office. Both patients, dentists, and hygienists can benefit from the use of this technology. The way it works is by taking digital pictures (with an intraoral camera) upon the first inital assesment with the patient. You could start off simple by taking 4 pictures, (headshot, maxillary arch, mandibular arch, and occlusion) or you could take as many pictures as you'd like. This is especially helpful for diagnosis, and also patient education. I think it allows for another mode of documenting, education and communication with the clinitian and patient! I realize that not all offices have upgraded to the use of this technology, but what a great thingt to look forward to in the future!
The second rountable discussion I attended was about Loupes! I remember thinking to myself, "I've never seen a hygienist use these!" but once we discussed them a little more, and we actually got to try them on, I wanted a pair! As a hygienist, we are vulnerable to back and neck problems, and this is something i worry about and try my best to avoid. I realize the importance of good posture and the Loupes are such a great supplement to that, not to mention the view was amazing; I could sit normally and see the tooth magnified clearly! If i had these, ther were be no chance I could miss any calculus or plaque!
After the roundtables, and our wonderful lunch, we met once more for the closing and also a little speech from each school attending.(I must say, I am SO PROUD to be a Michigan Wolverine!)
Overall, SADHA Day was a good experience; I felt important, and I also felt like a professional. I really enjoy learning about new products new techniques and new ideas, and interacting with hygienists as well. I would have to be honest and say that my favorite part of SADHA Day was to be able to spend time with my classmates outside of school and bond in a different, more professional (but not all the time!) way. Experiences like these pull us all together, and I look forward to sharing more times like this in the future! I am happy I had the opportunity to go!
Posted by novakjes at 03:15 PM | Comments (0)
Dita's Reflection on the Xylitol Lunch and Learn
On November 15, 2006 I attended a lunch and learn from OMNII Pharmaceutials. The presentation was about Xylitol gum and other products by OMNII Pharmaceutials. The presentation was very interesting. He told me how the Xylitol gum and mints can help prevent dental caries, and all you need to do is chew on the gum for only 5 mins. I think this product is very valuable because it can help many kinds of people; it is not for one certain age group, etc. The best part of the presentation was when he let us try the white varnish called Vanish. It is the new standard in fluoride varnish therapy, it was very easy to apply onto your teeth and it didn't taste bad at all.
What I did not like about the product was the feeling of the Vanish on your teeth; it felt like a big build up of plaque. The presenter said that "Vanish provides optimal protection releasing 23% more fluoride over a 24 hour period than the nearest competitor". He also stated that fluoride Vanish can prevent or reverse enamel demineralization. Learning about those facts, made me realize that even if it feels like plaque on my teeth, who cares it's really helping prevent dental caries and is an extra protection on my teeth surfaces. Overall, I love attending the lunch and learns because it is nice to sit there enjoy a nice lunch and learn about what's new in the dental product world.
Posted by adauti at 02:58 PM | Comments (0)
Amber's SADHA Day Reflection
My first "big" SADHA day and it was interesting! It remeinded me of a previous "dental show" that I attended about a year ago. One of the only differences was that the two events were targeted towards two different topics. One similarity was the multiple vendors using the event for advertising and the "future of hygiene" eating it up!
The first segment of the event was presented by, Sandra Burns, whom I believe was trying to focus on the topic of diversity. As I sat and listenined with the class, I began to notice a tense and uncomfortable presence. As she continued with her slides from the "Jim Crowe" museum, the uncomfortable presence became stronger. In my opinion, she did a poor job in balancing the topic between ALL races. At this point I decided to excuse myself from the table to take a breather, it was at this point that I realized the I was not alone. I began to speak with some fellow U of D Mercy students and they shared with us that even their instructors were offeneded and disagreed with the choices of Mrs. Burn's presentation. Though this was dissappointing, we will try again next year.
One of my round table discussions was presented by Diane Hanger, RDH, from the Michigan Department of Corrections. She was very honest in sharing with us what it was like to provide care for the prisoners in Jackson, MI. She explained that some are grateful for her work while others can be quiet disrespectful(spit, swear, sexual comments). When all said and done I will be honest, I do not not believe that i am mentally equipt to work in this type of environment.
Keeping it honest, my favorite part of the trip was getting the opportunity to hang out and bond with my new friends/classmates. It was a great time and looking forward to doing it again soon!
Posted by ambemari at 01:51 PM | Comments (2)
November 18, 2006
Procter & Gamble Lunch and Learn ~ Jaclyn
I really enjoyed the Procter and Gamble Lunch and Learn that I attended October 25. Representatives from the company presented various Crest and Oral-B products to the dental hygiene students.
For the first time I actually felt as though I was becoming a real dental hygienist. The representative spoke to us as if we were dental professionals, giving us inside tips on products and how to obtain free product samples. We learned that some products are sold just to be competitive, not because they are great products. For example, Crest recently came out with a Pro-Health mouthwash with whitening just to compete with Listerine's whitening mouthwash. He explained that these products are said to "whiten" because they contain hydrogen peroxide, however, they do not contain antimicrobial agents. In addition, the rep admitted that it is unlikely to see good whitening results from using a mouthwash for 30 seconds. He also stressed to us how important it is for us to try out as many products as possible so that we will be able to make accurate product reccomendations to our patients. This presentation was a great experience and I look forward to attending more Lunch and Learn activities.
Posted by jactinsl at 11:05 PM | Comments (2)
Dita's SADHA Day Reflection
On November 17, 2006 I attended SADHA day in Lansing, MI, which was pretty fun. I enjoyed spending time with my classmates, and bonding with them, we had fun, and got to know each other even better. It was nice to be one of the schools who have a baccalaureate program. I enjoyed the vendors in the morning, and learned a lot about how many different products are out there. I also enjoyed meeting new potential dental hygienists. I loved the location, the hotel was so nice and the service was excellent we had a wonderful lunch, and the banquet hall was very pleasant to be in and have the presentations and roundtable discussions.
The presentation by Sandra Burns on “Images to Teach Diversity” made me feel very uncomfortable. I did not like how she singled out one race and kept talking about what happened in the past. I understand that people once lived in a time where they treated people harshly and that even today it happens, but I did not see how this presentation was linked to the dental hygiene profession. It would have been different if she taught us how we would handle it today if that kind of behavior were to happen to one another or a patient. Another way she could have linked dental hygiene to diversity was to give us statistics on how diverse the dental hygiene profession is today, and that as dental hygienists we are here for one another and our patients. I know there are statistics on how diverse the dental hygiene profession is, because of the different kinds of people that attended SADHA day and the presentation UofD Mercy gave us, I think UofD Mercy did a wonderful job on teaching us the diversity in the dental hygiene profession, with the way they told us the percentage of people who are American, African American, Chaldean, Albanian, Macedonian, etc, at there school, and the activities they do as a group TOGETHER, even though they all come from different backgrounds.
My first table roundtable discussion was on teeth whitening, and the speaker I had was very outgoing, and very nice. He told us that “Patients are going to respect what the RDH says more that the D.D.S. because they have that stigma that the D.D.S. is always after their money and that the RDH is there for them”. So when they ask for your opinion on procedures, products, and certain techniques, they are more likely to listen to what a RDH says then a D.D.S. What he said may and may not be true but it was another red flag to me that patients are really depending on us, and that we REALLY are not only cleaning their teeth. So that made me feel good, and he also gave us some samples, which was very nice of him.
My second roundtable discussion was “To premedicate or not that is the question” the speaker was Mary Burns-Coral, a registered nurse from LCC. She taught us on how important it is to know which patients need premedication, and how the medical history has a major role in telling us, just how we are learning right now in class. What made this discussion even more interesting was that she added jokes related to the dental field, in it.
After we had the delicious lunch, we got a chance to see how the different schools run their dental hygiene programs, which was nice to see, and made me realize that we have an awesome dental hygiene program at UofM. Some of the schools don’t get a chance to interact with dentists/dental students like we do in the clinic and classrooms.
Overall, I had a pretty good time at SADHA day and I will probably attend next year as well.
Posted by adauti at 11:00 PM | Comments (1)
Reflection Activity #2 Kelly Hite
SADHA Day as a whole was a pretty enjoyable event! Being able to take a day off from school and spend time with your classmates and meet other dental hygiene students from different schools is great. We started off the day with a nice continental breakfast followed by a few speakers. The only complaint I had was with Sandra Burn’s speech, I was a little confused with the topic and how is related to dental hygiene students, but I guess I was not alone on that one. I went and had a round table discussion with Lori Centa who is the territory Manager with Sultan Heath Care Inc. This was an interesting discussion I was able to taste test all kinds of knew flavors of there fluoride. Some benefits of there fluoride includes the thickness, light & airy consistency, remains in tray under bite pressure, eliminates gagging and ingestion. My favorite flavor was the orange dream!! We also got to hear a brief summary of what the other schools had to offer. It’s a good feeling to see and talk to girls from all over Michigan going through the same situation I’m going through. Another benefit of this day was visiting each of the vendor’s station and seeing there products and getting all kinds of fun free stuff. This was a good experience and I was getting educated while have a great time!
Posted by klhite at 10:59 PM | Comments (0)
March of Dimes Health Walk - Jaclyn
Last Tuesday, I attended the March of Dimes Health Walk that was held at Mott Children's Hospital. Before going to our booth we visited all of the other organizations. There was so much information on so many different topics on the overall health and well-being of a pregnancy, mothers, and their babies. This being my first semester in the program, I wasn't sure if I would be ready to answer everyone's questions about oral health but I think we all realized that we know more than we give ourselves credit for.
I have to admit, the Dental Hygiene booth was one of the most impressive that I saw. A lot of people commented that they had never heard of the adverse effects that periodontal disease can have on a baby and seemed very interested in learning more. It was good that we had products to hand out, including the gum - I think people were also surprised to learn that sugarless gum containing Xylitol can improve oral health.
This was a good experience overall, but I felt that our class didn't get very much time at the booth. This was due to a large number of us being there at the same time and also that only one time slot worked for the class. I would like to participate in the health walk again next year, and I'm sure that we will all feel a little more confident in our knowledge and more prepared to help educate the public.
Posted by jactinsl at 10:41 PM | Comments (1)
Jestine's Reflection of SADHA Day
When I first heard of SADHA day I didn't really think that I was going to go because of the cost and drive time. After talking to some of the upper classman I decided to go. Since alot of our class was going I was excited to go, but I guess that SADHA day was not at all what I was expecting.
I was really disappointed with the guest speaker, Sandra Burns whose topic was about racial diversity. I understand that we all need to be aware of this, but how it came across it really felt like she was protesting to us. The information she gave to us would have been great if we were there to talk about racisim. She was very opinionated and really wanted us to believe a certain way. It should have included all ethnic groups and not singled out one. I respect her for fighting for her cause, but to us as future dental hygienist it would have been nice to have been informed on how to correlate racial diversity in our practice.
On a lighter note! I did enjoy the round tables. Eventhough I did not pick the ones I went to I did get a free sonicare toothbrush!! My first round table was Sonicare. The reason I did not pick this was because I already have one of these and I have sat through at least 2 lunch and learns through work. On the other hand I did learn a few interesting facts that I didn't know before about the toothbrush. This fact I thought was pretty amazing! When brushing w/ the sonicare for 2 minutes this equals 31,000 brush strokes whereas brushing with a regular toothbrush for 2 minutes only equals 200 brush strokes. NO WONDER why periodontal patients benefit from these!!!
My second round table was working for the Michigan Corrections Dept. Basically the lady that was representing the Dept had been working there for 16 years. I thought to myself wow this must be a good place to work until I heard what she was making! Only $22.50/ hour. I as an Office Manager was almost making more then her and I had only been with my company for 4 years. Don't get me wrong I respect her for what she does and she loves her job. Not many people can say that. The one appealing part of the job were the benefits they offered. 14 paid holidays, full benefits; medical, dental, and life insurance. For a single mom like herself I can see why she would have takin the job.
I am sad that our booth ran out of small and medium t-shirts before I could get one. :( I am even more sad that my phone doesn't have an antenna to put a tooth charm on!!! They were adorable. As far as SADHA day next year I am undecided if I will attend. Time will tell.
Posted by jdelynwa at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)
Lunch and Learn w/ Crest- Jestine
I was excited to go to my first lunch and learn on October 25th, 2006. The topic was Crest and Oral B products. Gary Carpenter, who was from Louisville, KY was the guest speaker. His personality keep us entertained throughout the entire session. He started out by showing us pictures of his family which I thought made it very personal and interesting.
I was very appreciative of the free tubes of Pro-Health toothpaste! It was amazing to me that this toothpaste took 6 years to make before being released to the public. With the approval of the ADA it will help reduce tooth decay, gingivitis, plaque, and sensitivity. It also helps whiten the teeth. I am glad that we will get to try it out before we recommend it to our patients.
Another thing I found interesting was the promotion on the Crest Pro-Health rinse. Compared to the sting of Listerine I am a big fan of the Crest rinse. He stated that eventhough this does not have that stinging affect it still works just as well. One thing I felt was a little disturbing was the information about the Whitening Crest Pro-Health rinse. Basically Proctor & Gamble came out with this product because Listerine had one. He confirmed that swishing with this product for the alloted time would NOT whiten teeth!! I guess it is scary how products can claim something, but not actually live up to their claims.
I felt like this was a great way to spend my lunch hour. I really did learn alot about these products and who to recommend them to.
Posted by jdelynwa at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)
Cheryl's SADHA Day Reflections
Yesterday, I attended my first SADHA day. I have been looking forward to this day,since I attended the House of Delegates in October. I wanted to see the people I met, and strengthen my frienships with my classmates. It was fun to hang out with my classmates outside of school. SADHA Day was mixed for me, however I will still attend next year's event.
I did not like the keynote speaker Sandra Burns and her lecture on Images to Teach Diversity. It was not what I expected. My vision of diversity is all ethnic groups and races represented. There are different types of diversities: Latino, People of Color, Disabled, and Arab-Americans. What I thought this lecture was going to be was how Diversity effects dental health and how we should have understanding and knowlege. I was disappointed that Sandra Burns focused on one race, and that she did not tie this with dental hygiene. I felt uncomfortable and I felt for The University of Detroit students. I choose to leave the lecture, but the day did get better.
I liked my First Roundtable discuss. It was put on by Bonnie Nothoff, RDH. She lead the discuss: Legislative Aspects of Dental Hygiene . Bonnie works for the MDHA and she is involed with govermental affairs and dental hygiene. I had the pleasure to meet her at the MDHA's HOD. Also, the MDHA's president Sandra Franklin was present at the roundtable. Bonnie's lecture was educating because she taught how bills get passed in Lansing and how as RDH's and dental hygiene students can influence legislation. For example, she discussed the bill that is trying to be passed that Dental Assistances can polish patients, and why this is a bad idea. I wish I could have stayed there for two hours, but I had to leave.
My second roundtable was interesting because I didn't sign up for it. It was suppose to be Plaque Check Detection System by Butler, but instead it was Young Dental and their products. I was confused for a few minutes, and I went with it. I got the history of Young Dental and how the founder developed the first prophy tip. We got sample of the different disposable tips and polish. I was most excited to get disclosing tabs and liquid. I liked the two toned liquid because when disclosed, the pink color detects new plaque and purple detects old plaque. I did an experiment and didn't brush my teeth last night. This morning I used the two toned disclosing agent and mostly, it was pink.
Overall, I had fun with a few low points, but this is life. You take the ups with the downs and you move on. I look forward in attending next year's events, and use the knowlegde that I have learned today in applying it to my dental hygiene career.
Posted by chewison at 01:04 PM | Comments (3)
Meghan's SAHDA Day reflection
Yesterday I attended the annual "SAHDA Day" at the Sheraton hotel in Lansing. Though I was quite happy that the event was very close to my home, I was quite dissapointed in the event itself. When I first arrived, I recieved my name tag at the registration table, where everyone was VERY oraginized and helpful, I became excited about what the day had in store. I was really looking forward to hearing about the progress the profession of Dental Hygiene has made, and where the profession is going in the future, especially with the ADHP. I felt that neither one of these things was covered, or really mentioned at all.
It was very discouraging when the opening speaker was talking about the lack of jobs that are out there for Dental Hygienists. She suggested that instead of working after graduation, we travel. With looming student loans, I beleive that that is a luxury most of us in the room just can't afford. She also recommended that we become RDA's to "explore" other options. After being in college for five years, thats something I just can't see myself doing.
The second speaker titled her speech, "Images to Teach Diversity." Though I can see why it is important in our profession to understand the poitical and societal injustices that have affected this country in the past, I was shocked to realize that in no way was she going to tie this into what we do today with patients. Her speech, or at least the way she presented it held little to no relevence to Dental Hygiene.
Once it was time for the roundtable discussions, it was a ton of fun to talk with the other students about their programs, and their lives in general while in a hygiene program. I was really proud to say that I was from the University of Michigan, and really astounded to hear how different things are at their schools. The fact that our program is three years, and theirs is only two makes us really unique.
The round table discussions themselves were not very helpful to me. My first one was "Baccalaurate Completion." It was all about how, after graduating with an Associates in Dental Hygiene, one can go back to school to attain a Bachlors degree. I'm already going to graduate with a Bachlors degree! It would have been very intereting to me if it were about achieving a Masters, or going on to Dental school after achieving a Bachlors.
My second table was Gary Carpenter and Oral-B. It was the same presentation as at the Lunch and Learn. Only this time I knew the answers to the "Who want's to be an Oral-B Millionare" questions, so I won a bag:)
Although I can see that the students and staff at LCC worked hard to put on a great day for us, I don't think that I will attend SAHDA day next year.
Posted by cormierm at 09:26 AM | Comments (1)
November 17, 2006
Amber's Lunch & Learn
Last week I attended the lunch and learn provided by Omni. The consultant filled us in on the preventative care product, Xylitol. He shared a few facts with us about, Xylitol's history and what it is currently being used for today. My feelings of the product are positive and I think it has a great purpose. In the meantime, I question my knowledge base of this product and whether or notI feel that this particular lunch and learn was highly beneficial to me. Unfortunately, I had an extremely hard time following along with Mr. Bourland's presentation, he seemed to hop around a bit. BUT, I did grab some literature and am currently reading up on it! Though he did not stimulate my mind much with facts, he did get my attention with the samples of "Vanish." It was great to test it out and get some feedback from the girls about it! I love the idea of the lunch and learns and look forward to attending another again soon!
Posted by ambemari at 06:19 PM | Comments (0)
Reflection Activity #1 Kelly Hite
On Wednesday November 15, 2006 I attended my first Lunch & Learn, which was brought to us by Omnii Oral Pharmaceuticals. The presenter spoke to us about the benefits of using Xylitol in our chewing gum. Studies show that patients who chew 100% Xylitol-sweetened gum have a greater reduction in caries than patients who chew gums containing other sugar substitutes. Studies show that other brands of gum who say Xylitol is present maybe true, but you may need approximately 10 pieces for it to be a benefit for you. The product he brought for us to try out was called TheraGum, which is 100% Xylitol dietary carbohydrate gum and also it came in a mint form. I really enjoyed the mints, they had a great flavor to them but the gum would take me some time getting use to! This gum has several positives for young children, patients with high sugar diets, recent or expecting mothers, and patients who have xerostomia. The presentation as a whole was kind of hard to follow due to the lack of time and the detail in each power point slide. If we had more time the presentation would have been extremely beneficial and not as confusing. In the end I got a better idea of the other types of gums out on the market that can be beneficial to all ages.
Posted by klhite at 05:10 PM | Comments (0)
Activity Reflection #2- Diane Murray
I attended my first Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, October 25th. Proctor & Gamble, who are responsible for marketing Crest and Oral B products, came to visit the School of Dentistry to promote their products to us, as future dental hygienists. Gary Carpenter, head of their Professional and Academic Relations Department shared with us a wealth of information! I thought it was a great experience to hear about the latest products- with all their advantages and disadvantages. It will be important for us as hygienists to keep up with what's available on the market for our patients to use in their own self-care! And especially important to know what is best to recommend to them for their individual needs!
Gary Carpenter began my introducing Proctor & Gamble as a company and sharing about the wide range of products that they cover! I was amazed at how many products fall under Proctor & Gamble, such as Braun, Dawn, Folgers, Duracell, Tide, Pampers, Iams, and Olay (to name a few). More importantly, he then went over several Oral B and Crest products that we might have interest in.
One survey result he informed us about was that Proctor & Gamble, competing in 8 different categories (paste, power brush, manual brush, whitening, floss, fluoride, dentures, and rinse) shared #1 leadership in 7 of those categories. The 8th (rinse category) they shared 2nd place. From those results we can conclude that Crest and Oral B are leading the way in oral health care products and come highly recommended at large.
He then went into promoting Crest toothpastes, particularly the new "Crest Pro-Health" toothpaste. It is newly available in retail after 6 years in the making. It's been launched with an ADA seal of approval and the ADA accepts their claims to reducing tooth decay, gingivitis, plaque, and sensitivity (44% thermal, 71% tactile), and also contributing to teeth whitening. Crest advertises their Pro-Health paste as being an all in 1 combination, providing cavity protection, whitening, sensitivity, and gingivitis prevention. Crest also holds the landmark for coming out with the 1st anti-caries and tartar control tooth pastes! Crest has long been a leading competitor in these areas.
Gary took the opportunity to also promote Oral B's latest power brushes: the Oral B Triumph and the Oral B Vitality. I was especially interested to hear about the Vitality, as it is a more affordable option for a power brush, retailing at about $20 on the shelves. This will be important to remember when recommending a power brush to a patient that has financial limitations.
The new Pro-Health rinse was also introduced and its anti-plaque, anti-gingivitis, 12 hour protection, and malodor prevention qualities were advertised! Its selling point is the fact that it's alcohol free and has a reduced burning intensity, and yet provides all the benefits of other rinses!
I enjoyed and felt that I benefited from attending this Lunch and Learn. I look forward to future presentations so I can increase my knowledge base on available products. As many will attest to, the free products and lunch were definitely an extra benefit!
Posted by dfazio at 12:34 PM | Comments (1)
Activity Reflection #1- Diane Murray
On Saturday, September 30th I participated in a SADHA Outreach Activity, their annual involvement at the Head-To-Toe Women's Expo, held at the Eastern Michigan Convocation Center in Ypsilanti. Myself, Jenny Brodie, and other dental hygiene students from U of M had the privilege in joining the president of the Washtenaw District Dental Hygienist's Society, in hosting an oral health education booth. It was a great experience and it was encouraging to see the interest for oral health that visiting women demonstrated at our booth. The Women's Expo seemed to be a great venue for sharing information relative to dental hygiene. There was a large crowd and a pretty steady flow of women to our education table. There were many women of all different ages and many accompanied by their children.
At our booth we did have several sample products and education materials that we could distribute. Travel size toothpaste was given as a free sample as well as Trident sugar-free gum. It was funny to see people's interest in FREE stuff! Many came and left quickly after receiving their samples; however, it was encouraging to see that some people did stick around to collect brochures and information booklets to learn more, or to pass along to their loved ones. Some of the education materials included information about the acidity in carbonated beverages, dry mouth (as a medication side effect), smoking cessation, second-hand smoke effects, teeth sensitivity, and general handouts related to oral health care for infants through adolescents. There was a great amount of interest in childhood oral health, shown by mothers, and friends & relatives of mothers. There was a lot of excitement about teeth wipes that are now on the market for cleaning infant's teeth after feeding; the free sample wipes were being taken up quickly! Also, a booklet containing the eruption sequence of primary and permanent teeth, plus a dental visit log sheet, was of special interest to mothers with young children.
I found that it was a fun and rewarding experience to share with others who were interested in dental hygiene. It really encouraged me and made me realize how important patient education will be when I become a practicing hygienist. We have the unique opportunity as hygienists to share with our patients about oral health and its effect on overall health outcomes. Upon establishing rapport with our patients we will be able to encourage them to share in a mutual interest concerning their own oral health and that of their family’s!
Posted by dfazio at 12:03 PM | Comments (3)
November 15, 2006
The March of Dimes Health Walk-Emily
On Tuesday, November 14th the March of Dimes Health Walk was held at the Mott Children's hospital and I was fortunate enough to take part in this activity. Last year I participated in another event benefiting the March of Dimes, the March of Dimes Walk America at Hines Park, but I had never been to an event like this before. When we arrived at the hospital and figured out where we needed to be we registered for the walk. The woman at the registration desk gave us large shopping bags, a map and a cute little wrist band with the March of Dimes logo on it. I wasn't too sure why we needed the map and the bag but I soon found out. The lady sent us on our way and we arrived at the first room. It had several tables set up that had information about various things that effect pre-mature babies. At each booth we got our map punched, picked up information and goodies from the booth and then went on to the next booth. While walking around and getting my map punched I picked up a lot of information on many different subjects that effect pre-mature babies. There was information about prenatal care, drugs and pregnancy, a program called Doulas Care that supports expected mothers, and of course the Dental Hygiene booth. After walking through the building and visiting every table we got to the end and had lunch. After lunch we had the opportunity to work at the booth and talk to expectant mothers, grandmothers and many different kinds of people about the effects of oral health on pregnant women. A lot of people had questions and seemed very interested in our booth. I think that our booth was one of the best. It had a great display and also great giveaways that helped premote good oral health. I think that the Dental Hygiene booth helped to educate a lot of people about oral health and why it is so important in maintaining a health body, especially for expectant mothers. I am glad that I had the opportunity to attend the walk and help educate the public. I know that when I walked around I learned a lot about many different things that can effect the life of a child. I know that if I learned a lot then other people learned a lot too and I'm sure that now more people know about the importance of proper oral hygiene during pregnancy. This was a great expierence and I hope to participate next year and hopefully we will have more time to spend there.
Posted by ecomito at 06:19 PM | Comments (1)
Mallory's 2nd Reflection: March of Dimes (Health Walk)
So yesterday was the Health Walk for March of Dimes. I have to admit I was kind of intimidated at first because I thought someone was going to constantly be drilling me with questions I had no idea the answer to. But, it actually turned out that I didn't even get that much time at the Dental Hygiene Booth. I must say, a little disappointing, but it was a very hectic situation.
We left a little early from Oral Anatomy Lab, but it still didn't seem like enough time there. When we first got there, I kind of felt like a chicken with the head cut off. We were being told a million different things, then finally sorted it out that we had to get a bunch of punches on our paper to get our free t-shirt and boxed lunched. (Yet, another bribe of food... and even clothing this time!) But it only seemed as if everyone was trying to get the punches, everything was crazy and I don't think I learned as much as I wanted to from some booths. There were many interesting booths such as the Dulas booth, breastfeeding booth, and many others. Among the rest though, ours was the best - complete with samples!
Overall, it was a great experience to attempt to participate in. I know next year our schedules will be different and we will have had the experience from this year. So hopefully we will get a ton more out of it next year, but I definitely did enjoy myself!
Posted by maldawn at 06:04 PM | Comments (1)
Renee's reflection about March of Dimes
The March of Dimes Health Walk was yesterday. It was a neat experience, but I wish I was not so rushed. A group of us walked over after Dental Anatomy lab. We got to the Mott Children's hospital and were told we had to go to all the booths and get a stamp so we would get a box lunch. This was a surprise to us, we thought we could just help out at the dental booth. As we are going from booth to booth everything was so chaotic. People were pushing and cutting to get their paper punched first. And things did not seem very organized. After we fought our way through the obstacle course, we got our free t-shirt and box lunch and went to work at the dental booth. It was a little imtimidating to me, since I was new at this and was not real sure what I was supposed to be telling the people who came to see the booth. I really only knew the speech about what xylitol is and how it helps. So I just helped restock the table, and before I knwe it, it was time to leave so we could get back to Histology. Next time I would like to plan better so I am not as rushed trying to get there, help, and get back on time. Hopefully next year goes more smoothly.
Renee Shaffer
Posted by reneely at 11:01 AM | Comments (1)
