President's Message

Photo of GSHDS President Tiffany Stonebraker, RDH

Greetings from your President,
Delores Banfield, RDH

Wow, where did summer go? I hope that everyone had the opportunity to enjoy all that Seattle has to offer during this beautiful time of year.

As your newly installed president I would like to take a moment to welcome everyone back and introduce myself. I am a graduate of the Shoreline Dental Hygiene program and currently work full-time in a family practice setting in South Seattle, while occasionally doing temporary work. I served for a year as the Nominations chair for the WSDHA. After 19 years in dentistry I still remain enthusiastic about the services a dental team provides to the public. As hygienists we make a difference, we work hard and we perform a service that not everyone is capable of performing. We oftentimes set the professional tone within a practice. We are frequently the first and last impression for a patient, which is a powerful responsibility to have.

In the past two years we have witnessed some significant changes to the structure of the dental team. Your organization needs your support now more than ever to protect your rights and maintain appropriate licensing boundaries within the practice of dentistry. As a professional it is your responsibility to be active in your profession and make your voice heard. Your local component can act as a voice for you; we just need to know what you want us to say. Words carry much further and pack more meaning when more voices speak them. Together we can play a pivotal roll in strengthening the dental hygiene profession.

The time of year has come to buckle down and get involved. The GSDHS is involved in a host of community activities, such as Sealant day, Special Olympics, the Halloween Toothbrush Giveaway, and Give Kids a Smile Day just to name a few. We would love to see some new faces volunteering this year.

With the start of the school year fast approaching, GSDHS wants to encourage students to attend our meetings and use us as a resource to help guide them through the difficult obstacles they will be facing with their academic challenges, along with WREB board testing.

I would like to thank all of you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your component president; it is truly an honor and privilege.

Greetings from your President,Delores Banfield, RDH

Greetings from your President,
Delores Banfield, RDH