Amanda Elliott, RDH from Baxter, IA

How many years have you been in practice? I graduated in Spring 2007.

What type of practice do you work in? General Family Practice.

Where did you attend hygiene school? Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny, IA.

What do you love about dental hygiene? I love how I can connect with my patients and develope a great relationship. Along with this I have noticed improvement in their dental health. I am in a smaller community so I have known some of my patients for a while and seeing improved results after 6months makes me want to get up and go to work everyday!

What do you want to change about dental hygiene? I would like to change things in my office but I am still learning each day on clinical DH.

What has been your biggest professional accomplishment thus far? Graduating from DH school and volunteering and see what makes a difference in a community.

What are your professional goals? To become the best Dental Hygienist that I can be and to continue with education and get a B.S. in Dental Hygiene.

What do you hope for the future of dental hygiene? I hope that we can be respected more of the Dental (dentists) community and be paid more to what we deserve. I have experienced this and my friends who I graduated with too. The dentists are wanting to pay as little as they can but also wanting us to do more than D.H. duties. (like assisting duties)

What is your favorite nondental hygiene past-time? My favorite nondental hygiene past-time is bonding with my classmates that I will have for a lifetime.