Working

Elizabeth Mendez, RDH

"It was by accident," said Elizabeth Mendez, RDH, of her entrance into the dental hygiene profession 10 years ago. While Mendez was searching for a new job, her aunt mentioned that her dentist was looking for an assistant, no experience required. Mendez applied and got the job. Three months later, having already received three raises, Mendez knew that dental hygiene would be her new career.

In 1996, she enrolled in the dental hygiene program at Hostos Community College in New York City. "I was encouraged by the doctors who taught me how to be an assistant to become a hygienist because of the skills I acquired so quickly as an assistant," said Mendez. "What really pushed me was the fact that I wanted to be in the patient's mouth; I wanted to do something other than just assisting the doctor," said Mendez.

Two years later, Mendez graduated and went to work for a periodontist in the Bronx. Shortly after, she was hired by Columbia University in New York City and began working in the department of oral and dental surgery.

In 2001, Mendez took a job as a dental hygienist with the Columbia University-affiliated Community DentCare Network. The Community DentCare Network, which includes seven school-based clinics and a Mobile Dental Center, provides northern Manhattan residents with more access to quality dental care. The mission of the network is to create a comprehensive dental delivery system for children, adults and senior citizens in need of affordable dental care.

In 2002, Mendez temporarily left DentCare to do research on the relationship between periodontitis and low-birth-weight babies. "The study was about trying to find out if the bacteria in the mother's mouth affected babies' birth weight," said Mendez. "I did that for close to 11 months and then returned to the DentCare program."

While in the past Mendez would rotate amongst the different clinics, she now spends all of her time at the same junior high school, a site that provides both preventive and restorative treatments. "The community we are serving is predominantly Hispanic and they need help," said Mendez, who is "willing to go wherever they want me to go" if it helps spread the message that oral health is important.

While many of the patients Mendez sees are in need of physical help, they are also in need of oral health education, which she provides through seminars, health fairs and other community programs. "We do health fairs where we speak about oral hygiene and oral cancer to all ages of people. We promote oral health and we suggest where they can go to seek help," said Mendez. "We are trying to convey to the community that oral health is important."

Mendez believes there are many ways to reaffirm the points she makes-that oral hygiene is important-so that the audience will remember her message when they return home. "Since I am working with youngsters between the ages of 9 and 15, I tend to gross them out a little," explained Mendez. "I tell them that if they don't floss, it is like taking a shower without washing their underarms, because they all brush but they don't floss. I give them that analogy and they think about it; they start flossing and you can see the improvement."

DentCare, a self-sustaining, nonprofit organization, receives funding through donations and various grants. "Even though we do take Medicaid, the majority don't have it, but we see them anyways," said Mendez. "If we see 15 patients in a day, generally only four have Medicaid."

Mendez has found the dental hygiene profession to be very satisfying-both mentally and financially. "It gave me peace of mind because I stabilized my security so that I could raise my son properly." According to Mendez, it is a combination of her personality and skills that make her a great dental hygienist. "I have a good sense of humor and I'm passionate. I also try to reinforce my skills when patients are fearful; I walk them through the treatments so that they know what I am doing."

The feeling that she gets from helping people makes her job even more fulfilling. "It is most rewarding when a child tells me, 'you were so good, you were so gentle,'" said Mendez. "They are very afraid, but once you start bonding with them and talking to them and explaining to them, they are so appreciative. I make patients forever because we see them from first grade through 8th grade, and some we see until their 18th birthday."

Mendez has had an impact on the oral health of hundreds of people in her community, and she will continue to promote the importance of oral hygiene in the future. Several years ago, Mendez worked at a DentCare clinic that treated adult patients. To this day, she still has people who see her on the streets who ask her why she no longer sees adults. "I have parents who seek me in the communities; I created a large base of patients," said Mendez. The word got out. "I found late in life what I like," said Mendez. "In the future, I see myself finishing my education so that I can teach at my alma mater school," she said. "Eventually it will happen; I'm going to do it soon."

This edition of Working was prepared by Katie Barge