Some of you may wonder what I do when I am not working or studying…well, I proudly serve my profession at the local level as a board member of Tri-County Dental Hygiene Society. In June 2007, I was thrilled to serve as a first time voting delegate to the California Dental Hygienists' Association. For me, being a member of my professional organization allows me to stay up to date on research and information related to dental hygiene practice. One of my favorite opportunities I have as a member of my professional organization is to volunteer with mentors within our community.

When I am not working, studying, or volunteering…I am usually cooking, gardening, or camping with my husband and two kids (toy poodle & hound dog). Many of you have kindly shared great recipes or dinner suggestions with me. Despite how busy I may be one of my most cherished personal favorites is to cook for my family and friends. Since my husband and I are still settling into our new home, there is always lots of gardening to do. On the weekends if we are not getting out of town, we might be in our backyard gardening or playing with our kids. When we are lucky enough to get away, we love to go camping in the desert with our friends. Camping is a great way for us to relax and enjoy our company.

Regardless of how busy I may seem, I never pass on the opportunity to evaluate your homework. So, don't forget to floss, brush, AND use mouth rinse daily because I am going to be checking for inflammation and bleeding!

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I joined the team at Dr. Middleton's office in 2001. I volunteer each year with Project Kind's Give Kids a Smile Program. It is very rewarding to see the kid's smiling faces once we help them out.

Away from the office I try to spend as much time as possible with my family. My husband and I have been married since 1980 and have two daughters and two grandchildren. I especially enjoy camping and traveling.

I very much enjoy my role of helping our patients maintain a healthy mouth. I appreciate the caring work environment that we have at Parkside Dental, and developing a rapport with all our patients gives me great joy and satisfaction.

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I am a member of the American Dental Hygienist Association, Keeping up with all the new things that dental hygiene has to offer keeps me quite busy. I don't have a lot of free time, but I do enjoy volunteering with the Give Kids a Smile program.

My husband Paul and I have two kids; Rhabecca and Daniel. In my spare time I love to watch Los Angeles Galaxy soccer and go out with my family, especially now that everyone is an adult.

I love everything about being a dental hygienist. I especially enjoy getting to know all of our patients. The conversations we have had are all so memorable. My job enables me to learn something new all the time, whether it is life experiences from patients or exciting advancements in the field of dentistry.

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Nan
I received my Registered Dental Assisting license in 1975, from the Regional Occupational Program in Riverside.  While living in Northern California, I worked briefly in the dental field before moving back to the Riverside area.  I joined Dr. Middleton's team in 2005 after working 18 years with a local dentist.

Dr. Middleton's office is very progressive, with a strong emphasis in continuing education, which is very important to me.  As the scheduling coordinator, it allows me to meet each patient and enables me to get to know you.  Volunteering for Project Kind's "Give Kids A Smile" day for the last 2 years has given me a lot of joy.
 
My husband Rick and I have been married 27 years.  We have 3 children, 2 grandkids, 3 dogs and 2 hives of honeybees.  I enjoy spending my time reading, hiking, traveling and visiting family.

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Susan
I received my x-ray and coronal polish license in 1985 from United Health Careers College. My twin sister Sharon and I went to the same school at the same time, but she became a medical assistant while I chose the dental profession.

I have been a dental assistant for over 22 years, and have been working with Dr. Middleton since 2003. I enjoy being around people and working with them, helping them and becoming their friend. I love finding out about our patient's families and interests.

My role in the office is Dr. Middleton's back office assistant. I try to keep order in the back office, keep up with OSHA regulations, and keep Dr. on time. There is so much that I love about being a dental assistant that I can't write it all here.

Outside of the office, my family enjoys being outdoors, and I am interested in art and painting. Volunteering my time each year when our office participates in the Give Kids a Smile program has been very rewarding for me.

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Lety
I graduated from Bryman College back in 1982 as a Certified Dental Assistant. Our family moved to Texas in 1989, and then back to California in 2000. Upon moving back to California I decided to resume my dental career, obtaining my Registered Dental Assistant license in 2002. I have just recently enrolled at RCC where I plan to complete my goal of obtaining my AA degree.

What I love about dentistry is the transformations of smiles. I especially enjoy helping our patients overcome their fears and reservations about dentistry. I spent two years volunteering my time once a month for a program which helped under-privileged college students with free dentistry. I found this to be very rewarding as many of these patients had never seen a dentist before. I look forward to volunteering my time with the Give Kids a Smile program that Dr. Middleton participates in.

On a personal note, I am married to my high school sweetheart. We just recently celebrated our 30th anniversary. We have three amazing grown children, six grandchildren to date and two in the oven – Wow….yes, I am still amazed. In my spare time I enjoy the outdoors, sports, dining out, and the gym.

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