The RDH PIRA (Patient Impact & Rise Above) recognition program, sponsored by Water Pik, Inc., features a dental hygiene clinician who excels in his or her role and goes the extra mile. The past two years have been a challenge for many clinicians and as we return to the operatory, we want to acknowledge those who provide patient care—clinicians who are changing their patients’ lives, influencing their patients’ health, and making a difference every day. Here we honor Amanda Krompetz, BSDH, RDH.
Amanda has been practicing clinical dental hygiene for more than 11 years. She has a passion for patient education and enhancing the patient experience to reach beyond the time in the office. Here is her story.
“Dental hygiene has been perfect for balancing my family and career and continuing to learn more skills to build communication and community involvement. As dental hygienists, we treat in the clinical setting while aiming to educate and motivate patients beyond the time we have them in our chair. I took my passion for patient education from chairside to printed form in order to have a longer lasting impact and reach a greater audience.
More PIRA honorees:
“After having my first child, I couldn’t find a comprehensive educational dental book for parents that discussed going to the dentist, brushing, flossing, and tooth eruption. I felt a calling to create the exact book that was missing. It took a year and a half, but I made it! The goal of My Teeth: Top to Bottom is to provide an educational tool for parents and children to instill lifelong motivation for oral health and keep them smiling from top to bottom. This interactive book has hidden images, sliding pages, and tooth eruption charts for both dentitions. I have donated books to libraries and schools in my area. My current goal is to continue the outreach and build an education-centered program around and beyond what I have already achieved.”
When Amanda isn't working chairside or educating others about the importance of oral hygiene, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.
Visit the PIRA website to nominate someone today! Good luck, and we look forward to hearing from many outstanding and qualified colleagues!