Dear RDH:
I have been in the field of dentistry for 12 years. I was a dental assistant and decided to return to school for dental hygiene, graduating in 1994. I have received numerous issues of RDH magazine, but this one really stands out in my mind because the cover displayed an African-American hygienist for the first time since I have been getting my subscription.
The article really moved me and inspired me to know that I am a minority in this country and in the field of dentistry, but I do not stand alone in my profession. I know what it is like to stand alone, being that I was the only African-American in my class. The article actually brought tears to my eyes. I, like Jacqueline Perry, have had multiple careers. I am a 31-year-old African-American real estate investor, an Army reservist, and a full-time hygienist. Dental hygiene is the most rewarding of the three.
Like Jacqueline, my biggest worry after I got my license was discrimination from patients, but more so the dentist. I have endured and overcome, and still am challenged by discrimination here in the South. However, despite prejudices, I have excelled as a registered dental hygienist.
When I got my RDH magazine, I immediately flipped to find the article, "Up, Up, and Away." I am very grateful to RDH for this article and feel that more articles like this one should be presented on a regular basis. This will aid in dispelling some of the stereotypes that still exist today, as Jacqueline stated. I would love to see an article on an African-American male hygienist printed in the near future. Thank you for your efforts in being a diverse magazine.
Sonja Davis, RDH
Charleston, South Carolina
To submit letters to the editor for publication in Readers` Forum, send by:
* Mail - P.O. Box 3306, Tulsa, OK 74101
* E-mail - [email protected]
* Fax - (918) 831-9804
Signed letters must include the city and state where the reader resides or practices.
