Cortez Dental Hygienists Attend Western Regional Dental Convention

Contributed by Sierra Schaak:

In the early spring, fellow hygienist, Kenzie White, and I were given the opportunity to head for warmer weather in Phoenix, AZ to attend the Western Regional Dental Convention.  The convention consisted of two full days of classes that would not only better our skills but gave us knowledge to bring back to Cortez to share with our fellow coworkers.  The classes were very beneficial to us and covered issues such as “Are You Treating Enough?”The class took us back to the basics of periodontics.  We were able to look more in depth into where disease starts, as well as the correct and proper way for billing our services.

We also attended “Oral and Systemic Health of the Periodontal Patient.” We learned that sometimes in our careers as hygienists, we are not limited only to caring for teeth.  The oldest term in the book that every dentist and every hygienist will tell most patients is that you need to floss more.  That direction is not always the answer.  Sometimes risk factors for disease can come from other areas within the body. For example, diabetes can cause further problems if perio issues are not addressed early.

We were also able to become more educated on anesthetic techniques and calming procedures.  These skills will help us in all areas but the focus was making the numbing process more comfortable for our patients.  Overall, this was a great experience and gave us both more knowledge so we can continue to make improvements at the dentist office, here in Cortez.  Once the classroom work was completed, Dr. Walker capped off the weekend with a treat to the Cubs vs Diamondbacks game!  Although Dr. Walker wasn’t pleased with the outcome of the game.  The Diamondbacks took the win in the final inning. He is a diehard Cubs fan.  We are very grateful to Dr. Walker and Errin for sending us to the convention to further our education so we can better serve the patients of Cortez and surrounding area.

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