Actually, my laptop has traveled many miles across the country. Most of the mileage is by plane (coach section), but it also rides in the first class section of my car-the front passenger seat. The rain in the forecast, though, is a bit of an issue. I'm reminded of my cat when I think about how the laptop wishes to remain dry when it's raining. I have a question for you. At the very least, read the first two paragraphs of Brenda Kibbler's article on page 16. Can you see yourself in her car? The deluge is coming down in sheets, and there's operatory equipment to carry inside. I enjoyed reading her introduction, and Brenda goes on to write about the various challenges of preparing for mobilized dental hygiene services.
So what if I mobilized my editing services? I'm standing on a welcome mat much like the one on this month's RDH cover, patiently waiting for an author to answer the door.
"Ahh, your hear? Do you notice the geraineums I've planted? There coming up in bunches of blossons."
I would pull out the laptop. "Let's work on that a bit before I even step inside, OK?" I would say. "Let's clean that up to say this: Ah, you're here! Did you notice the geraniums that I have planted in my front yard? The blossoms are so beautiful."
After a short drive consisting of listening to the laptop whine for more juice, I would arrive at the second author's house. Her big Rottweiler named Fang isn't particularly excited about seeing me. I lay the laptop on the grass to fend for itself. But it's me that Fang doesn't like, so I climb the tree in the yard.
The author calls out, "I can saw that Fang has treed you gooood! Don't you wish I would call Fang off to chase sumthing else?" I yell down to the author, "You said that perfectly. I'm not going to change a thing. Yes, ask Fang to chase that squirrel over there? I'll climb down, and we'll just communicate via emails next week."
It's not that I'm skeptical about your gullibility, but I do want to observe here that RDH authors do have a much better command of the English language than what's implied above. I'm having a little fun here at the authors' expense. There's no need to run down the aisle of a dental conference, exclaiming, "Check this out! This is how RDH magazine writers really write!" If I really did mobilize my editing services, I would be spending most of the time admiring the geraniums. Dental hygienists make good writers-very expressive and (although I tend to dislike the overuse of this next word) passionate about what they write.
Every time I check the American Dental Hygienists' Association's scope of practice chart for updates, I am amazed by the opportunities that exist for providing dental care outside of traditional settings. Kibbler, a Californian, is a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice (RDHAP). She sees plenty of different types of welcome mats as she travels to treat special needs/homebound patients. In her article, she does have some great suggestions for making dental hygiene very portable. In fact, I'm willing to bet that you won't even notice the pouring rain as you read it.
Mark Hartley
