FYI

For more than 20 years, Stacey Zelesnick, RDH, PDHP, has taken pride in helping even the grumpiest and most anxious patients relax and enjoy their visit.

Now a Provider Network Ambassador for Delta Dental, Zelesnick serves as a point of contact for dentists in the greater Philadelphia area providing outreach, education and face-to-face visits with our network dentists and staff. With her deep knowledge of the field, her understanding of dentists’ and hygienists’ concerns and her cheerful, easy-going way of putting others at ease, she’s our Dental Health Partner of the Month for March.

We caught up with Zelesnick to discuss her background, her work with kids and some of the issues hygienists and dentists are now facing.

How and when did you decide to become a dental hygienist?

I had a childhood dentist who was a family friend, so I was always comfortable going to the dentist. However, I was always the one with the cavities when my sister and I left! That being said, I just really enjoyed watching everyone work. I always thought, “Wow, I think I’d like to do that when I get older.” And sure enough, here I am!

Can you tell me about a typical day for you as a hygienist, both as a school hygienist and in private practice?

As a school dental hygienist, I would typically go in and screen over 200 kids, checking their mouths to make sure everything looked okay. If it didn’t, I’d call their parents and talk about getting the kids the care they needed. As a clinical hygienist, a typical day is seeing patients every 50 minutes: x-rays, oral cancer screenings, sealants, perio evaluations, fluoride, all kinds of stuff. It’s very demanding on that 50-minute schedule.

Can you describe your day-to-day work now as a Provider Network Ambassador? How does your former work as a hygienist help inform you in your new position?

What are some of the biggest oral health problems you came across in young people? In your opinion, what needs to be done to resolve those sorts of issues?

Two words: sugar intake. Every age, every grade, I talked about sugar, whether it was how to read labels or how to convert grams of sugar to teaspoons. I tried to help them to understand by showing them visually how much sugar is in their favorite cereal or in that chocolate milk they have with lunch. I’m a visual person, and that’s how I learn, but I feel that’s so important to see.

Kids say the darnedest things… Any funny stories about an especially surprising, strange or hilarious encounter with one of your young patients?

Things like that make my day! One time, I was cleaning a mom’s teeth, and her little girl was watching, a little skeptical because she had never had her own teeth cleaned before. When we were done, I let her ride in the chair, and I was showing her some of the tools I work with. When I picked up some toothpaste, she said, “My mommy only likes wine-flavored toothpaste.”

What makes for an especially rewarding day for a hygienist?

What sorts of things can make a day challenging or unpleasant?

I honestly love a challenge. But a challenge for me clinically would be trying to win a patient over who was just clearly unhappy to be at the dentist, to try to make their dental experience better. I always tried to welcome those patients who weren’t the nicest when they walked in.

Recent reports show that many hygienists who left the profession when the pandemic began have decided not to return. Why do you think this is, and what effect will it have on the industry?

I was shocked to hear that. I think hygienists left their positions during the pandemic for a number of reasons: whether it was due to not feeling safe, or maybe they had kids who were home learning virtually for a year and they didn’t have child care or somebody to help with that, or they had elderly patients and they were afraid they would expose them. All those things went into play. They say that now one in every three dentists is looking to hire a hygienist and enrollments are down for dental hygiene students. It’s interesting. I don’t have a solution for that. Being a hygienist is hard work. Benefits aren’t always the greatest because a lot of hygienists are part-time. They’re parents. They try to juggle a lot. It can be a physically exhausting job.

This year’s Women’s History Month theme is Providing Healing, Promoting Hope. Do you think your work as a hygienist has positioned you to do that?

I didn’t know that was the theme, but I love that! I think your overall health is so important, whether it’s mental or physical. When people want to get healthier, they think, “Oh, I’m going to exercise,” or “I’m going to meditate,” which is great. But I feel, with my job, it begins with your mouth, not just with what we eat but with oral hygiene. If you don’t feel like going to the gym one day, don’t beat yourself up over it. But floss, because that one little thing can make your health better. If it can give you a healthier heart and make you live longer, why not? And it’s kind of simple to do.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love to travel, whether it’s with friends or with my family. I feel I have a lot of time to make up for after staying at home for the last two years! Mostly I just enjoy experiencing things with my kids. They’re 13 and 14, and I think they still kind of like my husband and me? I feel like our days are numbered. We still don’t totally embarrass them. Until then, we’ll continue to take advantage of road trips and vacations. Anything that involves them and making memories is great because it all just goes so darn fast.

Congratulations to Stacey Zelesnick on being named our Dental Health Partner of the Month! If you are in the greater Philadelphia area and have questions about Provider Tools, Virtual Consult, Quality Management or anything else related to Delta Dental, you can reach out to her at szelesnick@delta.org.