Carol Jahn

Dec 10, 2024 | rdhmag.com | Lisa Curbow |Carol Jahn

Lisa Curbow has experience in many areas of the dental office, from assistant to office manager to dental hygienist. She loves helping patients achieve maximum oral health but has taken a special interest in special needs patients. This stems from raising a son who’s on the spectrum. Learning about her son’s needs has helped her be more empathetic toward patients with sensory needs to make their experience at the dentist more pleasant.

Oct 24, 2024 | rdhmag.com | Carol Jahn

Like many of her RDH peers, Chrissy Harlow began her career as a dental assistant while waiting to get into dental hygiene school. She’s been a hygienist for 21 years and says she’s moved around a lot to find a good office fit. What makes an office a good one for Chrissy? She enjoys working in an office where everyone is working toward the same goal: good patient care. They’re not money-driven but people driven (though she realizes that dental practices are a business that need a strong income).

Aug 12, 2024 | rdhmag.com | Laura Bettencourt |Carol Jahn

Laura Bettencourt is a big believer in helping her fellow hygienists avoid the “hamster wheel” of dental hygiene that can lead to career burnout. She found what she believed to be her forever dental home, but life and a move changed that. She found that learning was her passion, and she wants to help ignite that love of learning in her peers. Laura feels that learning new things, bringing new information to patients, and keeping things fresh in teh op can help RDHs avoid the dreaded burnout.

Jun 20, 2024 | rdhmag.com | Carol Jahn

After spending 10 years in general practices and "taking every course she could find" at the start of her career, Judy Carroll followed her passion into perio. It was another great decision, following the first one of listening to her sister about a career in dental hygiene. She then worked for perio practices and took on a whole new role as a periodontal therapist.

Apr 23, 2024 | rdhmag.com | Carol Jahn |Elizabeth S. Leaver |Kirsten Brancheau |Kathy Forbes

Being a dental hygienist is not easy. It takes a toll on the body, mental health, and spirit. Because of this, many hygienists reach a crossroads in their career. They may ask, do I stay at this practice or go somewhere else? Do I try a different type of practice like a DSO or Federally Qualified Health Center (FHQC)? Do I explore other options such as teaching, sales, marketing, or research? Figuring this out takes time and it’s easy to become discouraged.