Professional Growth and Development
As technology and the healthcare environment continue to evolve, a hygienist must gain the necessary knowledge to provide the best possible care for patients. A dental professional must obtain relevant skills, tools, and education to take advantage of opportunities to improve oral health.
PGD.1 Pursue career opportunities within health care, industry, education, research, and other roles as they evolve for the dental hygienist.
Cherokee Nation Vinita and Jay Clinics
During my time in clinical dental hygiene, I spent four days at the Sam Hider Health Center in Jay, OK or the Cherokee Nation Vinita Health Center in Vinita, OK. These experiences were great opportunities that allowed me to gain experience working with patients outside of a learning institution. My assigned days to work within these clinics were spread across the Fall semester of 2025 and the Spring semester of 2026. This allowed me to see my progress and development as a clinician. Time management is a key skill for a dental hygienist to learn, and through this experience, I saw my own time management develop into a schedule similar to what is used in a typical dental practice. Over time, I observed an increase in my calculus removal and patient skills as I gained more experience working with each individual patient. Working in these clinics allowed me to learn the procedures of a public health clinic and the different individuals they serve.
CE Certifications
Below, I have attached a few of the continuing education CE courses that I have taken throughout my time in the dental hygiene program! These courses enabled me to further my knowledge about specific topics that relate to oral health. These certifications acknowledge that education is necessary for further professional development.
PGD.3 Access professional and social networks to pursue professional goals.
Lobby Day
As a class, we attended Lobby Day in Jefferson City. We had meetings scheduled with Senator Jill Carter and Representative Bob Bromley to advocate for the dental hygiene profession. The focus of our visit was a proposed bill that allows dental assistants to perform scaling procedures. This raises concerns in regard to patient safety, education requirements, and the dental hygiene scope of practice. This experience allowed us to have the opportunity to meet with legislators and communicate oral health education in a way that signified the importance of our duties and roles as hygienists.
