Working

Stephanie M. Riehn, RDH

An orthodontic experience as a child changed Stephanie Riehn, RDH's life forever. "My smile gives me confidence and self-esteem," she said. "The life-changing difference a beautiful, healthy smile makes cannot be disputed. I wanted to make a difference in how others feel about themselves, and what better way is there than dentistry?"

Riehn began her career in oral health care at the age of 19, working as a surgical assistant for an oral surgeon. "I immediately fell in love with dentistry," she said. Two-and-a-half years later, she attended a three-month expanded functions dental assisting program at the University of Louisville. The program, involving both clinical and classroom work, led to expanded duty dental assistant (EDDA) certification. Riehn worked as an EDDA for eight years.

In 2004, Riehn received a bachelor of science degree in dental hygiene from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. While she was in dental hygiene school, Riehn had patients with orthodontics who found that oral health home care was a challenge. "I felt there was a valid need for a dental hygienist to be on staff within an orthodontic practice to provide education and guidance," she said.

Riehn is currently employed by an orthodontist, Oles Drobocky, DMD, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. "I have experienced many specialties of dentistry and this position allows me to utilize every aspect of my journey," she said.

As the first dental hygienist on staff, Riehn said that her job is "a work in progress." Her responsibilities include educating office staff on proper oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment so that they can address the issue effectively during the orientation consultation after braces are placed. In addition, Riehn maintains and supervises an oral hygiene program for patients. When an orthodontic patient exhibits poor oral hygiene, she conducts a chairside consultation with the patient and parents (if the patient is a child). She also stays in contact with the dental hygienist at the referring dentist's office. "This keeps the lines of communication open during the patient's orthodontic experience," she said.

In addition to her other duties, Riehn has been trained in orthodontic assisting. This included working alongside an experienced assistant for three months. (Her previous oral health care experience made the training period shorter for her than it would have been for a typical novice.) Though she used a training manual, Riehn says that learning orthodontics is primarily a hands-on experience. "I started working on a dental model, and the assistant showed me different procedures on the model. Then I would do that same procedure on the model over and over until I was proficient at it," she said. "Once I started working on patients, the assistant was at my side to answer questions and watch my technique. Assistants are not completely on their own until they have shown proper technique with few comfort adjustments, which usually takes about one year. The training in this office is exceptional. Everyone basically does the procedures in exactly the same way."

Though the majority of her patients are children, Riehn does work with a variety of age groups. She finds that adults are generally more meticulous about oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment and more focused on proper dental hygiene so they can achieve the beautiful smile they desire. She often tailors her oral hygiene recommendations to the patient's age group.

"I have introduced the antibacterial rinse by Crest(r) to the younger patients because it is gentle and does not burn. For adults with appliances, I suggest Listerine(r) to reduce the risk of gingivitis. And I have found, through personal experience, that Glide(r) threader floss...is easier for our younger patients to handle."

Drobocky provides his patients with a gift of the products they need for good oral hygiene during treatment. These include a timer, PreviDent(r) 5000, a Crest(r) SpinBrushTM, a travel toothbrush and toothpaste, proxibrushes, floss, and an instructional video. Patients can request additional quantities of the products Riehn recommends during treatment, such as Orabase(r), so they always have access to the tools they need for proper oral hygiene.

One of Riehn's career goals is to speak to other dental hygienists about the different appliances used during orthodontics. "The technology of orthodontics is changing every day, and it is important to educate ourselves in this area," she said.

Riehn said that the most challenging aspect of her job is trying to motivate patients to spend sufficient time on their oral hygiene. She said that the most rewarding parts of her job are having a patient understand how detrimental poor oral hygiene is during orthodontic treatment-and seeing how, with proper education, patients do improve their oral health. "It is unbelievably rewarding to tell them they have done a great job," she said.

This edition of Working was prepared by Julie Edwards