It was that time of year again where we reunite with hygienists around Utah and go to the notable CE classes and spectacular vendors. Last year I really enjoyed my self, I think the convention really opened my eyes in the fact that dental hygiene is a true profession and it's not all just about people who are insane when it comes to cleaning their teeth but a career that has so many benefits and futures. Well with this expectation in my heart I went and attended this years convention held at the Little America hotel in SLC. To my surprise the convention as not at all up to my expectations. Wow not to mention names but the speakers in the morning of Friday were horrific not only were they very badly mannered or lacking in personal skills but they had no evidence based, clinically wrong, and opinionated information. I felt that I was being told that all evidence is wrong and the fast way is the right way. Ultrasonics were to be used on all patients including children and that hand scaling was a thing of the past. That if you are wasting a patients time doing a complete hand scale you are doing a disservice. As I watched and listened I found that not all information is fact nor that every clinician who graduates from dental hygiene is perfect. It hit me that once you are in practice the patient is at your hands and knowledge and it is your duty to give the best care possible. Because the patient doesn't know the difference unless we teach and train them.
After the main meeting, I attended that student forum that was beneficial for the first twenty minutes but then went over how to be professional in the office. Well as you know Weber State has ground that into our heads and reminds us daily to be awesome clinicians so I didn't get too much out of that. The first day really had me let down I was even starting to doubt what the UDHA goals and plans for the future were. I seems that they don't even seem to care that more DH schools are flooding Utah. I'm all for being a member to help renew my license and attending regular CE credits but I wonder if things are taking a turn for the worst.
I had the pleasure of attending on Saturday morning to help with our SADHA table and happened to stay for the main speaker Betsy Reynolds and her lecture titled "Diet Wars." Wow what a speaker! She was phenomenal! The way she backed up all her topics with research and the way she related to the crowd was extreme entertaining. All the things she covered were great... from obesity in the office to how the patient can control disease with diet it was absolutely fabulous! Her lecture also totally turned my hole perspective around about how there truly are good people and great clinicians out there. I hope that everything all works out for the best and that UDHA gets motivated to stop endorsing things that could be very critical to our careers.
Well I've blabbed enough about this so I'm signing out, VA tomorrow and the first time in the 5 weeks I've been in the program I'm actually excited for patients to come in.
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