Meet Shawna – Registered Dental Hygienist
Shawna holds a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene and a Master of Arts in Gerontology from USC (Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry), and has been working for the practice since 2010.
She is passionate about educating patients on the importance of a healthy mouth and how it affects the body as a whole. Shawna enjoys creating a positive, relaxing, collaborative experience for her patients while helping them improve their smile, and also learning from her patients in the realm of their own expertise.
In her free time, Shawna enjoys crafting, photography, gardening, and exploring activities in the South Bay with her family and friends.
As a dental hygienist, Shawna screen patients by assessing their oral health conditions, review health history, take blood pressure and pulse, and perform dental charting. She is responsible for determining the patient’s teeth, gums, and mouth condition then reports it to the dentist.
Here’s what she usually does at the office:
- Document patient care and treatment of each patient.
- Use tools and equipment to accomplish a task such as using a scraper to take off tartar and prophy angles to polish teeth.
- Take images of the teeth using an x-ray machine to check for jaw and teeth problems.
- Removes calculus and plaque buildup on the patient’s teeth and apply dental sealants.
- Teach patients the importance of proper oral hygiene. She also teaches the importance of having proper nutrition for their oral health.
Most of the task she performs does not usually need the supervision of her dentist. You can often see her doing most of the dental work.