Sara Brooks lives in rural Missouri and continues to work as a clinical Dental Hygienist. She graduated from Carl Sandburg College with an Associate’s of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene in 2006. In 2018, she received her Bachelor’s degree in Oral Health Promotion from O’Hehir University. Sara is married and has two young daughters that keep her busy. Sara knew she wanted to be a Dental Hygienist when she was 8 years old. Her passion for the dental field started at such a young age because her mom was a Dental Hygienist and Sara wanted to follow in her footsteps.
5 Tips on Becoming a Dental Hygienist
By: Sara Brooks RDH, BS Congratulations! You decided you want to become a Dental Hygienist! So now what?…
5 Reasons to Become a Dental Hygienist
By: Sara Brooks RDH, BS Here are 5 reasons to become a Dental Hygienist: Pay: You get paid well…
Dentistry as Public Health
By: Mohammed Hammoud I’m Mohammed Hammoud, a third-year student at the LECOM School of Dentistry with a passion for dentistry as an issue of public health and social well-being. Before Dental School Before dental school, I worked with a public health organization and shadowed a dentist running a clinic in South Africa. It was a…
Geographic Success and the Transition to the Real World of Dentistry
By: Cory Ball You just got your final faculty check for a restorative appointment in the clinic. Your patient is thrilled to finally leave the dental school after a three-hour appointment to fix a cavity. Yes, that’s right. One filling. 4DO. You’re an early D3 dental student and this is among the first dozen or…
Communicating in Difficult Situations: Part 1
By: Savanah Craig If you work in the dental profession long enough, you’ll encounter patients who might get labeled as difficult for some of their requests in a dental chair. These annoyances range from refusing to swallow their own saliva, questioning the need for radiographs, or refusing fluoride treatment. Many dentists, hygienist, and dental assistants…
General Dentist vs. Dental Specialist
By: Dr. Cory Ball 12 years of grade school, 4 years of undergraduate studies, maybe a master’s program, and 4 years of dental school. Now you are debating on doing more school? Do you want to be a general dentist or go on to do a specialty in orthodontics, oral surgery, pediatrics, endodontics, periodontics, etc?…
New Dentist: Your First Paycheck Arrives, Now What?
By: Dr. Cory Ball Dental school is a busy time for most aspiring clinicians. Between studying for courses, practicing in preclinic, then managing the patient pool in the final years, most students have a tough time finding additional hours in a day to have a part-time job to make money. And those students who do have…
Don’t Look Back, Look Forward to Paying Off Dental School Student Loans
By: Dr. Cory Ball The average student loan debt for a graduating dental student in 2020 was over $300,000. During school, students can easily fall into a mindset of forgetting about the loans and focusing on other things. The problem with that is when the time comes to start making payments, it can be overwhelming…
The Transition to a Dental Faculty Position
By: Tanya Sue Maestas Hi, I’m Tanya Sue Maestas. I’ve recently taken up a faculty position at the new dental school in El Paso, Texas – Woody L Hunt School of Dental Medicine. Alongside being a clinician in a public health setting, I have found being a faculty member to be incredibly rewarding — so…
Choice of Operating Entity: Which is Best for You?
By: Bruce Bryen What is the choice of operating entity for the dentist ready to go out on his or her own to acquire or start up his or her own practice? There are many different types of organizational structures for young dentists to consider when they are ready to go out and acquire or…
You Dreamed of Being Where You Are Now
By: Savanah Craig I was inspired by the latest Instagram trend showing a thought or doubt you have about yourself, followed by a photo of your younger self who could only dream of being in your shoes today. I think this trend is really powerful because it is so easy to look ahead and keep…
Technology Investments
By: Ann-Marie DePalma, CDA, RDH, MEd, CDIPC, FADIA, FAADH Technology is around us 24/7. Whether in our everyday lives or in our practices, technology is an essential part of today’s society. As the old saying goes “we can’t live with it, and we can’t live without it”, technology has changed the way teams interact with…