Great Dental Hygiene meeting as usual!! We had a great time in Vegas at the RDH UOR meeting! It’s not just your average Dental Convention, it’s a definite education and a lot of fun!
So by now you know that I invented the Dental R.A.T.; but I wanted to blog about a couple other hygienists that have been working really hard to get where they are too! These gals have invented pretty cool products too and I want to help get the word out for them also!
The first inventor I met this year is Laura Morgan, RDH who invented the Platypus Flosser. It’s the coolest flosser for braces, very innovative! Her website is PlatyPus, check it out!! It is going to help sooo many kids and adults!! So simple and yet effective!! I hope soon our patients can find them in places like Walmart and Walgreens!
Then I got to meet Marie Wickman-Dykes, RDH who invented Mirror Gear. It’s a simple cover that protects your mirrors on your tray so they don’t get scratched while going thru the ultrasonic or autoclave. Remember how we used to wrap them in a two by two, this is even better and cool colors!! Her website is Mirror Gear USA, check them out! These will be on every tray soon!! And what a sweetheart, she is due to have a baby any day now and was such a trooper at the Dental Conventions!
And then I got to meet Ann Arrington, RDH who invented the Blue Boa. It’s the coolest suction tubing that helps while using the ultrasonic or projet or sealants! It give the hygienist two hands while working! I love the simple solutions!! Her website is the blue boa, check it out too!
And I can’t forget Vonda Manley, RDH; I was so lucky that I got to share the cover of Modern Hygiene magazine with Vonda! She invented the Edge Ease for making x-rays more comfortable, even digital x-rays! Check out her website at Strong Dental Products. I shared my first RDH UOR booth with Vonda. Since then her company has been acquired by Crosstex! Congrats!!
I know there are so many more that I didn’t mention; I just love innovative hygienists and I’ve been so blessed to get to know a few so I thought I’d share.
We were just sending out a new Dental R.A.T. newsletter about periodontal lawsuits and making sure documentation is getting done. I was so impressed that searching for “periodontal disease” has gotten so much better. Just one year ago I did a search and all I got was attorneys advertising about how if you hadn’t been perio charted in the last year, we may have a lawsuit! Page after page of attorneys trying to grab our patients for lawsuits.
This year when I did the same search, I actually got explanations and definitions of periodontal disease from ADA, Perio.org and actual dentists trying to educate their patients. Way to go:)
www.perio.org/consumer/2a.html
www.ada.org/public/topics/periodontal_diseases.asp
www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/…/PeriodontalGumDisease/
Wow!!! I was just notified from Idaho State University (my Alma mater) that I’m being awarded the 2009 Professional Achievement Award for the College of Health Professions! Wow!! What an honor!! I get to lead the graduates in the commencement!! How exciting to don the “cap and gown” again, and a hood this time! Maybe this time I won’t wear shorts 
Just kidding! I am sooo honored! How fun to get to represent the Dental Hygiene profession!! And hang out with all the graduates, boy what an exciting time! I do remember:)
And what do I say to them? Perio Chart! Perio Chart! Perio Chart! And use the Dental R.A.T.!
So it is the Chinese Year of the Rat, as of Feb 23rd. I guess each Chinese year is assigned an animal representative. Legend has it that an emperor once invited birds, reptiles and rodents to appear before him. The order in which they approached determined their placement in the recurring cycle of years. The rat came up first, and the pig (2007′s symbol) came last. Rat years are supposed to bring prosperity and a strong economy, while children born during the year exhibit courage, leadership and curiosity. We think its a fun legend especially since this year is starting out strong for us and our new Dental R.A.T. is here!
Our new wireless unit is here and we are finally caught up on our backorders! Unfortunately it took longer than we expected and we appologize for that. But, it is better than planned! We have an adjustable mouse speed and audio for those that want to hear the numbers as they are entered. The audio comes right out of the computer or if a headset is plugged into the computer speakers. And right now there are two colors, the lilac or black. We are planning to make more colored covers to match the offices. The top cover peels back and can be replaced:) Its such a fun little unit:)
We have been busy traveling to all the trade shows this winter- WOW!! We’ve been to Boston, Chicago, Utah and Idaho and we are heading to Georgia for the Hinman. It’s been so fun with all the buzz about our new wireless Dental R.A.T. 2.0! It should be a fun Year of the Rat:)
College is back in session in most areas. We are excited they are up and running as we are helping several hygiene schools get the new technology of the Dental R.A.T.’s. The common problem with most colleges was the funding for computers and software in the clinics, so we have been helping them get the whole technology package if they need it (at no cost to them). We just think its so important for the students to be up to date on all the new technology so its not such a huge learning curve when they graduate. Its so fun to get to work with the colleges and train the faculty and students! At first I’ll admit I felt like a student going back to visit my college, but its getting easier:)
If you know of a college that you think would be interested in new computerized technology and Dental R.A.T.’s just email us at info@dentalrat.com. We also have been letting the students give back to their colleges when they graduate. We give them a special price and then donate $100 back to their college when their office buys a Dental R.A.T.!
We are heading to SanFransisco next week for the ADA, so if you are there come by and visit us at booth #6748! We will be showcasing our new model!!!
