RDH Editorial Advisory Board member profile: Amber Auger, MPH, RDH

What changes in dental hygiene are you most excited about in the next few years?

One of the changes that I am most excited for in dental hygiene over the next few years is teledentistry. Dental hygienists have fought hard to introduce legislation, and the possibilities for the public health dental hygienist are greater than ever before. The general public’s awareness of systemic health and disease prevention continues to rise as access to information has expanded. We have an opportunity to serve as inflammation management specialists in a wide variety of settings that were not possible before. Additionally, elevating our standards of care through advanced innovations in prevention, clinical software, salivary diagnostics, DNA testing, and behavioral techniques in partnership with medical providers will change the management of oral disease.

Amber Auger, MPH, RDH
Practice/company: Millennial Mentor
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Areas of expertise: Clinical technology integration

What’s been the most memorable part of your career journey?

That’s hard to define because there are so many. The most memorable part of my clinical career journey is providing preventive services in the Masa Mara Village in Kenya. I stayed in a mud hut for a week, provided preventive services in a wide variety of settings, and partook in sunset safaris nightly, which changed the way I viewed the world.

The most memorable part of my teaching career would be seeing students serve in public-health settings and having concepts reviewed in the classroom put to practice in the operatory. When it comes to my speaking career, my most memorable moment was speaking at UOR this past year to a standing-room only audience. Even though my goal has been to empower dental hygienists across the country, they have inspired me to become better, learn more, and change the way the public views oral care.

What piece of advice do you wish you could have given yourself five or ten years ago?

Surround yourself with those who challenge you, learn to laugh at yourself, and know you don’t have to be perfect. The last five years of my life have been amazing because I have invested in who people push me to be better, challenge me to know more, and support me through every “bumpy” situation. I will always be a student at each stage of my life, as there is always so much to learn.