What We Learned in 2020
Welp. Here we are. Into the New Year, full of hope for what’s to come. Even though 2020 didn’t turn out how we expected, we still had lots to be grateful for and learned so many things about ourselves and our profession that we may not have ever learned without the push to.
We weren’t doing enough for aerosol reduction before this pandemic. I’m not going to lie- I relayed a ton on PPE as a protection. But when really, PPE should be the last line of defense when it comes to protecting us from illness and aerosols. Anyone else think that anyone in dentistry has an amazing immune system for what we put our bodies through each day? Adding extra precautions for aerosol reduction, like an extra-oral suction device, will be something we carry on from last year.
Dental hygienists are pretty resilient. From being sent home from work without an end at sight, from being told offices are opening again just a few weeks later with a lot of fear around the pandemic still, makes RDHs so tough! They were able to grab the unknowns of working so close to patients and still keep themselves and, hopefully, their patients safe and cared for. They definitely showed how essential dental care is to the overall health of patients, and how important oral health is so many aspects of our communities.
Dental Hygiene School is not for the weak. Can you image going through dental hygiene school again, but in the middle of a pandemic!? You dental hygiene students are seriously amazing! From having clinic cancelled, from national boards being pushed back after months of studying, to patients cancelling left and right due to illness and exposures, to laying low during the fun years of college. I definitely admire and respect you!
Dental Hygienists can be utilized in new ways. Several states are allowing dental hygienists who are trained to give local anesthetic to be able to give vaccines. Many states allowed RDHs to work at the hospital to help with testing, sanitizing, and with triage. This totally makes sense! We are trained in all things infection control, know how to talk to patients in high stress situations, and can work quick on our feet. I loved seeing these areas for growth for dental hygienists in our country in a crazy time.
We are so lucky. Even though this year was TOUGH (with a capital T), we are lucky to be healthy, helping our communities and patients by improving their health and keeping their routine health visits and having a sense of normalcy in a world that is anything but normal.
So, we want to thank you and congratulate you for last year. We know we aren’t out the woods yet, and I honestly am going into this year with cautious hope, but definitely excited for what’s next for dental hygienists. Thank you for sticking around with us last year. This next year of 2021 will be amazing, and we’re excited for what we have planned!