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When Dental Dreams Come True

After 38 years in dental hygiene, the “Salty Hygienist” continues to serve her community in Florida and across the world via social media.

Connect With Kathryn Calhoun, CRDH, BA

As a child, Kathryn Calhoun, CRDH, BA, dreamed of working in dentistry, and for the past 38 years, she has been living that dream as a dental hygienist. Starting off as dental assistant, Calhoun decided to head off to college to study dental hygiene with her cousin who also wanted a career in dentistry. In 1986, Calhoun graduated with an Associate of Arts in Dental Hygiene from Miami Dade College in Florida. And thus began her career in clinical practice.

While she had wanted to finish a baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene, this was prior to the availability of online degree-completion programs. In 1995, she returned to school and earned a baccalaureate degree in human resources management. Calhoun’s passion for lifelong learning has never waned. In 2012, she earned her certificate to administer local anesthesia.

A Heart for Helping the Underserved

Calhoun is also dedicated to helping others and hopes to see an increase in the availability of dental care in underserved areas of Florida. To aid those who are uninsured or underserved access professional oral healthcare services, she serves as a volunteer and paid clinician for the Caring for Miami dental bus, which provides free dental care to those who need it. Calhoun explains, “I provide prophylaxes, oral cancer screenings, scaling and root planing, perio maintenance, perio exam, fluoride treatment, oral hygiene instructions, and limited nutritional counseling.”

Her work with Caring for Miami led her to enter a competition to see who could raise the most money to support the Good Health Clinic, the only free clinic in the Florida Keys. While Calhoun wouldn’t call fundraising her forte, she did raise $15,000!

To ensure young people start off the next phase of their lives with good oral health, Calhoun also works at Miami Southridge Senior High School, providing free dental screenings and oral health education. “I particularly enjoy teaching oral healthcare to the special-education students. I am touched by their interest and thoughtful questions,” she shares.

Expanding the Reach of Oral Health Promotion With Instagram

And educating patients is not where Calhoun’s dedication ends. She believes there is still room for improvement and respect in the dental hygiene profession. Calhoun explains, “I want to get the word out about the level of training and education a dental hygienist goes through to be able to practice.”

This desire has led to her latest endeavor — becoming a dental hygienist Instagram influencer @thesaltyhygienist! Calhoun educates the public about all things dental hygiene. She enjoys creating videos and collaborating with other dental colleagues. “Many people still assume that dental hygiene is a profession that does not require a college degree. I want to bring awareness to the profession in a fun way,” Calhoun exclaims.

Her Instagram and altruism align with her support of GloGood Foundation, which provides free dental services annually in the Bahamas. Oral health professionals from around the world volunteer each year to ensure Bahamanians receive the dental care they need. Calhoun has created three educational posts for GloGood’s Instagram account.

Outside of dental hygiene, Calhoun enjoys spending time with her husband of more than 30 years, her two adult children and their spouses, and her darling Shih-Tzus. She divides her time between Palmetto Bay and Key Largo.

To learn more about Dimensions’ Ambassador Program, visit: dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com/​apply​.

From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. June/July 2024; 22(4):10

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