Hygiene Tribune U.S. Edition

Corrections Hygiene Tribune strives to maintain the utmost accuracy. If you find a factual error or content that requires clarification, please report details to Managing Editor Robert Selleck at r.selleck@dental-tribune .com. shorts, but my perpetually cold feet do appreciate the introduction of soft fur.) Our professional meetings allow us to collaborate and compare. I no longer dis- count the blogs. Sometimes a grass-roots effort or product takes a little longer to catch on. A rumor might just have you hold off on buying a loupe if you know it may go cordless soon. Clinical trials and documentation can take years. Dental corporations compete with one another; dental publications compete with one another. The information highway can sometimes be a one-way, one-lane street. We use our education to take what we need for the time being, and leave the rest. I try to tell my patients not to believe everything they read or see on TV. Not only are hygienists bombarded with pro- fessional information on a daily basis, it’s that much worse for the patient. The patient never reads peer-reviewed den- tal journals. I heard one well-educated lecturer disparagingly use the phrase “bogus journals” at a dental meeting. I think there’s a place at the table for ev- eryone. Only a small percentage of us are in research — and writing our doctoral thesis. The vast majority of hygienists just want to know what works and what doesn’t. Not necessarily what is fast and easy — but what actually works. We learn so much from each other’s clinical expe- riences in “the trenches.” There is an un- derstanding in the military that if you really want to know what’s going on, ask a master sergeant. Don’t ask an officer. They’re too busy with the bureaucracy. Your doctor isn’t going to be up to date on which sensitivity toothpaste is the least abrasive. (Hint: It’s not the one you think.) He’s too busy trying to get his state income tax software to work prop- erly. We, the hygienists, are the preven- tion specialists of the office. The Oscar-winning actor Geena Davis spoke to us at the end of our ADHA ses- sion about a woman’s worth — the value of our integrity, the beauty of our intel- lect. Davis reminded us that we still have a long way to go to change how women as a whole are perceived. To change the Hollywood misrepresentation of wom- en, she started the foundation called Seejane.org. I walked away from the con- vention hall feeling empowered and as tall as Davis in heels. She is an actor, not an actress; just as I am a hygienist, not a hygienistess. As a profession, we were slow off the mark when it comes to diversity. I won- der sometimes if our female-oriented profession is both our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. We have evolved and diversified. I hope our indi- vidual information-gathering processes continue to evolve and diversify. Some of us are astute to changes in technology and research, while others have ears to the ground via local meet- ings and the Internet. We go forward together in this new information age — free from information prejudice — with an open mind and a common goal. Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | August 2013 D3MEETINGS The citizens’ memorial to Boston Marathon bombing victims is spread out across much of Boston's Copley Square, five blocks from the convention center that hosted the June ADHA meeting. The still-growing memorial is adjacent to the marathon’s finish line, still painted on the pavement. Nearly a third of a block near the statue of painter John Singleton Copley is filled with running shoes, caps and other remem- brances and gifts. Among the memorial's most touching and recurring themes are the many references to the 8-year-old boy killed by one of the blasts. It's reported that he made a poster in school at an earlier date that said ‘no more hurting people.’ You see that written over and over again, along with ‘Boston Strong.’ In juxtaposition with the square's quiet area of reverence, life goes on. People are picnicking and children play on the grass. There are outdoor musicians entertaining and a farmers market is set up along the sidewalks. Ad