Dental Hygienist Spotlight: Patricia Blundon
We love learning about dental hygienists and how they can fix a problem! Dental hygienists are definitely some of the smartest people we know, and Patricia is no exception. She noticed a problem of the difficulties of seeing while using a mirror and suction, and decided to combine them with the Clip Mirror. Learn more about Patricia in our interview below!
Where did you go to hygiene school? I graduated from the Dental Hygiene Program at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada in 1992 and previously from the dental assisting program at the same college in 1988 so I am almost 30 years in the dental field.
What inspired you to go into dentistry? I decided on the Dental Hygiene program in my last year of high school and dentistry has been my passion now for almost three decades.
Why did you decide on developing the Clip Mirror? The Clip Mirror idea came to me about ten years into my career. I was working on a patient with a super strong lower lip and a protruding tongue. With the Cavitron in one hand and mirror in the other and the patients tongue pushing out the saliva ejector, I thought to myself “why did this need to be so hard?”. I then imagined having a mirror clipped directly onto the saliva ejector to free up a hand. The usual question is “So why doesn’t someone invent this?” then I thought to myself, who better to invent a dental tool than a dental hygienist? So then it began, I decided I would learn everything I needed to know to become an inventor. I went to the library and gathered and read all the books I could find on inventing, patents, licensing and intellectual property. I started by searching for prior art which is just a fancy term for has anyone else made something like this. I learned to navigate the USPTO (patent and trade office) and read and researched every patent possibly similar to my own invention. I had binders of patents printed off, progress notes and alike and read so many patents that I actually learned to proficiently write my patent application for the Clip Mirror. So after more reading I did just that and with a few hundred dollars for drawings and a reduced small entity filing fee, I was on my way. I then decided to put to use the information I learned on licensing and royalties and tried to find a partner to co-create the Clip Mirror. I hit one road block after another. One company would not sign a confidentiality agreement thus protecting my intellectual property while others were not willing to invest or take a chance on me. I became discouraged until one day out of the blue, I received a phone call from a dental hygienist who told me that I needed to just go ahead and start manufacturing because the larger manufacturers in her experience did not want to fairly compensate independent inventors. This one phone call changed everything and I began to delve into manufacturing mode. I knew the design I wanted and began to phone anyone and everyone who would talk to me about dental mirror manufacturing. The steel for the clip had to be medical grade 400 series so it would not rust and the clip itself would be designed to snap securely to the saliva ejector while still allowing a clinician to rotate it if they needed. The rolled clip ends would allow a line of floss to be secured as an added precaution. I began the manufacturing process, building my website and all the small business essentials including a Medical Device Establishment License with Health Canada. I then began market testing and research for a few years until introducing the Clip Mirror by DH Essentials at home and across the globe in January of 2017. Then 2020 and Covid-19 changed the face of dentistry forever. So much uncertainty and the realization that dental aerosols were more dangerous than we could ever have imagined, I was thinking of redesigning the Clip Mirror for the HVE but with my clinical work shutdown and a huge financial investment required, I was nervous. So, I did nothing until one day I received a call from a fellow RDH and educator who loved The Clip Mirror for SE and had been using it with her students. She said “the Clip Mirror is amazing and you need to make it to fit the HVE. Once again, I jumped back in to full production mode, thanks to Marcy.
What is the role of ergonomics for dental hygienists? Since I myself struggled to provide treatment for some patients, I designed the Clip Mirror to make the job of the Dental Hygienist/Clinician easier on the body and with greater ease and efficiency. As the population ages, a dental clinician may find oneself using less than ideal posture while craning their necks and contorting their bodies to complete necessary treatment. I would encourage dental care providers to try all available ergonomic products to find what works best for them to help maintain proper posture. As we all know dentistry takes a huge toll on your body. For those who have struggled in the past like I have, the Clip Mirror has been a great body and time saver. Many comment on the brightness and clarity of the Ultravision mirror from Germany and users report they find it very helpful when they have a patient who cannot recline and need to Cavitron the maxillary lingual.
What are the pro/cons of owning your own business? User feedback has been great with the Clip Mirrors and I love corresponding and meeting Dental Professionals from all around the world. I enjoy reading and analyzing all the information available and there is plenty to decipher. For example, there are many products that claim to reduce aerosols but lack the requirements that science has shown to be effective like a large 8mm open ended HVE must be used and it must be used close to the area generating the aerosols, not stationary.
What advice do you have for others who are interested in inventing? I have to admit it is super exciting when one dreams of something and then through hard work and dedication it actually comes to life. I would love to help others attain their dream and know this excitement. It is so important to believe in yourself and that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. I totally believe in paying it forward and helping others. I would not be where I am today without the help of others and kindness of strangers.
A huge congratulations to Patricia for all her hard work and dedication to helping dental hygienists! Check out the Mirror Clip today!
