March 1, 2001 • RDH Magazine

Juli helped create a continuing education study club that focused on courses that  “transcended” your typical meeting.

Two Florida hygienists team up to make continuing education a nourishing experience for the soul. So light a candle and breathe deeply. It`s time for a lesson.

by Jane Weiner, RDH

After my "35th" college reunion at the Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists, I came away from that wonderful day with an interesting outlook on the profession. There were hygienists at this reunion from the year 1927, and they mingled with potential Y2K grads. You see, my friends, besides our training to nurture and care for patients` health, we also are fortunate in that our educational background takes us to new and fascinating heights. Many of the licensed dental hygienists in the room were also involved in other aspects of the dental field and/or other fields as well.

Some of the professionals I chatted with are in the dental field as manufacturer`s reps. Some are speakers on topics such as implantology and the challenges facing dental hygiene and dentistry. Some are involved in presenting and manning booths at trade shows. Others are in the field of cosmetology and are estheticians, as well as still keeping involved in dental hygiene. Others write for journals and magazines or teach in dental hygiene and/or dental schools.

We are a most diversified group of ladies and gentlemen. I walked away from the reunion so proud of each and every one of us. I thought about just how broad a field dental hygiene is and where it can take a person if one so desires.

One thing that I did discuss with many of the people there was how they each acquired their continuing education credits. Many states require that a person must attend courses in person in order to obtain the necessary credits for their relicensure. This discussion brought to mind a unique type of continuing education that two exceptional hygienists in Florida have brought to the forefront.

The two hygienists met and brainstormed over a lunch about a year ago. They came from very separate and different hygiene careers and managed to blend them together. They formed a new and innovative study group for dental professionals to earn CEUs in a fun, dynamic, and very unique atmosphere.

Jill Obrochta was introduced to Juli Kagan by a colleague. Obrochta was a guest lecturer at the dental hygiene school where Kagan taught. Once they realized that their philosophies meshed, transcenDENTAL was born. They realized that Kagan`s background was strong in education and Obrochta`s strengths were in case presentation and chairside communication. They also recognized that they were both very similar in their approach to patient care and comprehensive treatment planning.

Both had the same enthusiasm and concerns about the field of dental hygiene, and each felt the need for a different type of continuing education forum. The forum, they decided, would focus on "self" and "getting back to basics." The forum would erase all of the stress, backaches, and time crunches that a day at the office loads upon many of us.

The two women offer hygienists and other dental professionals the opportunity to choose a less stressful lifestyle and to choose the content of the future study group sessions. Although many view "focusing on self" with skepticism, Obrochta and Kagan view it as a positive aspect in one`s personality. After all, if people have a positive self-image, then they can be more effective in patient motivation, with co-workers` concerns, and, of course, with themselves in maintaining a positive attitude and keeping those endorphins and seratonin levels up.

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