Hello everyone, I am currently a part-time student in the dental hygiene degree completion program. I graduated from the Algonquin College dental hygiene diploma program in Ottawa, Ontario in August of 2010. Upon graduation, I was offered a full-time position in a small dental office in Tofino, B.C. where I am still currently practicing dental hygiene. After a year of practicing in B.C., I became aware of the oral health disparities amongst the many First Nations communities in the surrounding Tofino area.
Access to care is one of the most commonly cited reasons for not seeking care. I came to understand that in order to try to bridge these gaps in oral health disparities that obtaining a degree in dental hygiene would allow me greater autonomy in providing dental hygiene services. I was thrilled to be accepted to the dental hygiene degree completion program at the University of British Columbia and started the long process in the Fall of 2013. I am happy to be graduating in the spring of 2018.
There has been talk within the dental hygiene profession, that the restrictions in providing care will be changed within the next six months, with the mandate of improving access to care. I felt a little deflated learning that all those late nights and weekends of studying were all for nothing, it seemed. All dental hygienists, whether a diploma or degree level of education, will soon have the ability to render the same treatment, without restrictions.
With this new information presented, I started to think about alternative career plans. After graduation, I’m considering pursuing a master’s degree in education or public health focusing on policy development.
In my spare time, I enjoy hiking and canoeing.