President’s Message

November 2012

Greetings fellow Wyoming dental hygienists. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the newly elected president of YOUR professional organization.   I emphasize YOUR because that’s just what WDHA is – your professional support group. There are many groups and organizations out there that deserve your support, but this organization is committed to supporting YOU. It is our goal to represent your interests to make your professional life a better one. In a state such as ours, where we are few in number and there are many miles between us, it can be difficult to feel we are part of a community. Well, WDHA is your community. We will strive to do our best to help you help yourselves to be the dental hygienists you want to be, serving your patients/clients, your dental teams and yourselves. To that end, we need to hear from you about what it is you need to be at the top of your “game”.   We are in the early stages of scheduling a strategic planning session for sometime in the spring. We would like as much member input as possible to make sure the track we put ourselves on is heading in the direction you want us to take. Please contact one of the executive board members if you have input, and watch the web site for updated information on the site and date for the strategic session. Please also take a few moments to read the biographies on your newly elected officers. We are a diverse group and we all bring different strengths to the table to help make our organization a strong and functional unit.

When I think of November, I think of Thanksgiving, and when I think of Thanksgiving, I can’t help but think of all the things for which I am thankful. I am thankful to live in Wyoming, where I enjoy the wide open spaces and the wide open honesty of its people. I am thankful to be a dental hygienist, able to improve the life and health of others and to support myself doing something I enjoy. I am thankful to and for this organization, which has supported me in the past and which I am honored to serve now. I would like to share one little example of something I’m thankful for, since it s so closely related to something on which I am currently working. I have been in contact with Dr. Stanley Malamed, working to find dates and times that work with his busy schedule for him to come talk to us at our next annual meeting about local anesthesia and dental office emergencies. Many of you probably used a text book written by Dr. Malamed to learn your pain management techniques. I am reminded of the times before this was a legal function for dental hygienists in Wyoming, when it was difficult to successfully treat my patients in a pain free manner. Dr. Malamed was one of the experts we (WDHA) consulted back in the early 1990s. He gave us advice and current information that helped WDHA provide testimony to the Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners. It was due in large part to the tenacity of the WDHA that this procedure is now legal in our state. Many of you in practice today may not remember a time when it wasn’t legal for you to provide pain free treatment for your patients. That’s another of those things for which you can be thankful! (That concludes your history lesson.) Stay tuned for details regarding next year’s annual session in September in Casper. I am very optimistic that Dr. Malamed and I will be working out the details soon and that he will be one of our speakers at the meeting.

I sincerely hope that you have a moment this month to count your blessings, to remember the things for which you are thankful, and to take stock of yourself as a dental hygienist. Renew your commitment to yourself, your patients and your organization. Enjoy the Holiday Season. Until spring when we talk again,

Kind regards,

Janine Sasse-Englert, RDH, MS

August 2nd, 2012

Dear Wyoming Dental Hygienists’ Association Members,

Over the last year, it has been an honor to represent the Wyoming Dental Hygienists’ Association and its members. As I look back on my past year as President, I think about all I have gained from my experience. I have learned so much about board meetings and legislative processes. However, what really stands out above all is the connections I have made with my fellow Dental Hygiene Professionals across the state of Wyoming.

Our state is unique in our small population, despite our wide open spaces. It is easy to get lost as a dental hygienist in Wyoming, and feel little involvement with fellow professionals or current hygiene issues. We can sometimes feel isolated from our national association as well, having so few representatives due to our relatively small size.

Therefore, I encourage that all members of the Wyoming Dental Hygienists’ Association plan to attend our 55th Annual Meeting in Casper, September 14th-15th. There is no better way to unite with each other and make new contacts and friends. I also highly encourage each of you to invite non-members to join our meeting as well. I will personally be bringing two non-members who have never attended a state meeting, but are interested in getting more involved. The more members we acquire the more influence we will have in the future of hygiene in Wyoming. I have no doubt our 55th Annual Meeting will be fun, educational, and momentous. There could be no better way to gear up for National Dental Hygiene Month starting October 1st than to join together in this way in preparation. Please come and be a part of this stimulating weekend.

Sincerely Yours,

Cora Ligori, WDHA President

*Registration and more information to follow in the mail, on facebook, online at www.wyomingdha.org, OR please call Patti Weber (307) 851-6009