Charleston Smiles 2019

www.chsdentists.com | www.HealthLinksCharleston.com CS 29 | 61 Spotlight on a Dental Hygienist Bobbie Riley started working in a dental office when she was only 15 years old. She was attending Summerville High School and, in her sophomore year, she got a job filing, scheduling and assisting with some office tasks at a practice on Trolley Road. “I became nosy about what was going on in the back and started watching the dentist, as well as the hygienist, and what they did,” she explained. By the time she finished high school, she was certified in dental radiographs and chair-side dental assisting. "I would sit with the dentist and assist him with patients. It was then that I fell in love with dentistry and knew I wanted to one day work more independently in the dental office and could achieve this by becoming a registered dental hygienist," she reminisced. As a resident of Moncks Corner, she worked for 22 years in several private dental offices in Summerville, Goose Creek and downtown Charleston. In 2017, she was hired as the lead dental hygienist in the Dental Faculty Practice at MUSC’s James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine. The Dental Faculty Practice is an inde- pendent practice comprised of faculty who treat patients in a private setting when they are not ed- ucating future dentists. The hygiene team, which Riley leads, consists of four full-time licensed dental hygienists. "Anyone can be a patient here. It is a private practice in an academic setting. This practice is a way for the practitioners to keep their skills honed," she explained. Riley stays abreast of the latest advancements by attending continuing education dental meetings in South Carolina and across the country. “Dentistry is constantly changing,” she said. “It is important to stay up-to-date with the cutting-edge treatments and new technology.” She finds preventive care to be vital and life-changing. “Oral health is really whole-body health,” she said. “If you don’t catch dental issues early, they can become much bigger problems. Gum disease can lead to heart disease and that is just one example.” She said that a patient recently came in for routine X-rays and that the X-ray showed plaque in his arteries. “We weren’t looking for it, but people aren’t routinely going to get head and neck X-rays done unless they are at the dentist,” she said. “It was a good thing we saw it and took the right measures to refer him back to his family physician.” Her favorite part about being a dental hygienist is meeting people. “I love hearing their stories,” she said. “I meet people from all walks of life, and I enjoy getting to know them.” She encouraged anyone who wants to be a dental hygienist to shadow in a dental office first. "This is not for everyone," she explained. "You will encounter dental diseases on a daily basis, and it can be challenging and messy to treat." She said that at the end of the day, she feels happy knowing that she has made a difference in someone’s life: "There is a sense of satisfaction in this job for sure. If you are a people person and want a rewarding career, consider being a dental hygienist." Riley received her degree in health sci- ences dental hygiene from Trident Technical College. After passing a national board and clinical board with the South Carolina State Board of Dentistry, she was licensed to practice in 1996. In 1997, she attended the Medical University of South Carolina for her license to administer infiltration anesthesia. She lives in Moncks Corner with her three sons, ages 11, 15 and 20. They enjoy college football, camping, the beach, local live music and Charleston cuisine. By Theresa Stratford