Working

by Tom Molony

Cathy Point, RDH, AS

Space: Dental Hygiene's Next Frontier: As the worldwide race to understand and inhabit space continues, Cathy Point, RDH, AS, a dental hygienist from Redwood City, California, has been working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to make sure that dental hygiene has a role in future missions.

Point began her involvement with NASA after treating astronaut Yvonne Cagle, MD. Following the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003, "I mailed Dr. Cagle expressing my condolences," says Point. After that, the two began developing a friendly relationship, speaking on the phone at length about topics including oral health in a weightless environment. Point made such a strong impression that Cagle contacted Wyle Laboratories, a personnel and laboratory contractor to NASA, suggesting that Point could be a valuable addition to the program.In July 2003, representatives from Wyle and NASA invited Point to participate in NASA's first dental summit, which was held in October 2003. The sole dental hygiene representative on the board, Point says she "provided recommendations to the office of space medicine at Johnson Space Center as to the best possible evidence-based dental care for astronauts while onboard the International Space Station." Point says she spent more than 100 hours studying at the University of California-San Francisco's dental library and Stanford's Lane medical library, as well as using countless other sources including her pharmacology and dental hygiene background, to prepare her presentation.Due to the nondisclosure agreement Point signed with NASA, specific details regarding the evaluations and recommendations made by the dental panel are strictly confidential. "I can say that it was a great opportunity to utilize a life's worth of knowledge and skills, in providing suggestions and recommendations from the fields of dental hygiene, pharmacology, and intellectual property," Point says.

Currently, Point is unable to practice clinically due to a work-related musculoskeletal injury she sustained last year. While she awaits a medical clearance to return to practice, Point maintains a working relationship with Wyle and NASA on various projects and at various levels. She is contemplating heading back to school to complete a bachelor's-degree program in the near future.

This edition of Working was prepared by Tom Molony.