I was born and raised in Sterling, Alaska. As a little girl I always knew that I wanted to be part of the medical profession, although I didn’t know where it would take me. I graduated from Skyview High School in 2000. While in high school I kept myself busy with sports such as x-country running, x-country skiing, and track & field.
After graduating from high school I attended Kenai Peninsula College for two years. I attended the dental hygiene program at UAA for two years and graduated with an associates degree. While going to school I was very surprised to find out how many different aspects the dental hygiene profession had to offer.
In life, no matter how old or young, people need to take care of themselves, however they cannot always do it on their own and this is what makes dental hygiene an important career. The influencing factors that led me to my pursuit of the profession of dental hygiene are personal satisfaction by being able to work with and help a number of different people, flexibility, and the opportunity to work on the Kenai Peninsula.
I feel that my job will be rewarding due to being able to help provide good oral hygiene and giving patients the proper educational tools to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
My number one concern is prevention of dental problems. The dental profession works together as a team to help patients maintain good oral health the best they can. Teamwork is a factor that highly contributes to the success and definition of a good dental practice. A large part of the hygienist’s job is to help educate patients on maintaining good oral health.
Oral health of course affects the mouth, but it also affects the body as well. Poor oral health can have an overall impact on your body. Periodontal disease can be caused by poor oral health and can cause your gum line and the supporting bone structure around your teeth to recede. Once the gum line and supporting bone structure recede away from your teeth, the teeth become loose and eventually can fall out. There is no way to have your gums and bone grow back naturally. I have just talked about some of the effects of advanced periodontal disease. That’s why as a hygienist I feel prevention is key to good oral health. Part of prevention is going in at least every six months to have your teeth cleaned and having regular check ups. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
I look forward to my new career in dental hygiene not only because I will find it challenging and fun, but because I will become part of the team at Soldotna Dental Clinic.
Rebekah Hopkins:
Associates of Applied Science
Dental Hygiene
Physicians
