Dorothy in Dentistry

I often claim that I became a dental hygienist as a fetus.  How else can I explain that I have been a hygienist for over 35 years?  It must be true that ‘time flies when you are having fun’ because it only seems a short while ago that I graduated from Western Kentucky University.  In fact, it was 1975 when I began my professional career.  Two years later, I wrote the Canadian and Ontario Dental Hygiene boards and obtained my license to practice in Ontario.

One of my first impressions of Canadian youths was that it was common for teenage boys to have no incisors.   What was that about?  Was it genetic?  Was it something in the water?  Was it Canadian? I came to understand that it was indeed Canadian: the result of the great Canadian passion and past time, hockey!  This rough, tough, body contact sport has claimed not only the hearts of Canadians but also their teeth.

Dentistry has come a long way since that time.  Not only are mouth guards mandatory in hockey but dental professionals wear gloves and masks!   Dentistry has expanded to include implants, lasers, microscopes, digital impressions and even hygienists opening their own practices.  The learning curve has been steep and the changes challenging, yet this is what has held my interest.  Dental personnel are more closely related to the medical field than ever before, and medical knowledge and dental skills enable us to give our patients the best possible care.  It is widely recognized today that the links associated with disease and the mouth are palatable (no pun intended).

Some of the rewarding aspects of practicing for a generation is to have watched kids grow up, to have earned the trust of my patients, to have offered intimate services (that doesn’t sound right),   and to  have honored patients’ passing.  I have made a connection.    I have shared in my patients’ lives, their ups, their downs, and their humanness.  I have cared for and about them.  This has cemented in my mind that dentistry is, indeed, a caring profession.

I want to emphasize however that I am not only a Dental Hygienist, but I am also a Master Photographer   as well as and an award winning speaker and yoga instructor.  As a clinician, I have gotten down and dirty and as a team player for 35 years, I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly.  As a photographer, I have birthed and nursed a studio for over 20 years, gleaning a keen sense of business.  I have taught repatterning courses, repattering my own brain along the way, and I am a destination and special interest speaker for multiple cruise lines.  My sweetie thinks he is with one driven woman but I think that I am one fortunate woman to have the energy, the creative spark, the opportunities and also the drive!

A quest that I am presently pursuing is a new chapter on Dorothy in Dentistry.   I have created a program whereby I can share my knowledge, passion, abilities and wisdom with other health professionals.  I have amalgamated (there I go again) all of my skills into inspiring, thought provoking and knowledge based presentations.  The wisdom of over a generation in dentistry, the knowhow of creating a success photography business from the ground up have culmanated in a focus of what it takes to elevate the dental profession to the highest level of integrity and creativity.  This project holds my interests, concentration, fervor and talents.  It has supercharged me and I look forward to supercharging you!

Testimonials:

I have worked with Dorothy for the past 11 years, and in that time have admired her ability to expand her horizons both personally and professionally.  She has creative drive and desire to accomplish her goals be it dental hygiene, photography, yoga or public speaking.  She successfully draws on this experience during her presentations and passes her knowledge on to her audiences in an informative and engaging way.

Dr. Ian Callow HBSc, MSc, DDS

Dorothy is an excellent and engaging speaker with a wealth of life and dental experience.  She has worked with me as a hygienist for 25 years.  As a superb professional photographer, she enhances her presentations with the use of her unique audio visuals.

Dr. Randy Whyte  DDS

Dorothy's committment and passion are infectious.  It is a joy and a privilege to hear her speak.

Dr. Domenika Kasper  HonBSc, DDS