The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Evelyn Shubert laid down her dental equipment after 41+ years as a Registered Dental Hygienist. Since 2014 she's worked full time at the Chinook Dental Clinic, located at the Sweet Medical Center. Prior to that she worked in both Havre and Chinook. For several years she was full time in Havre, then alternated working at both clinics. Her husband, Ken, retired a few months ago and she decided to retire as well.

Even as a child Shubert said she always wanted to pursue a career in some medical-related field. An aunt in Seattle, and a connection of husband Ken's college roommate, piqued her interest in dental hygiene. She said, "When I decided to pursue a degree in dental hygiene there were no programs in the state of Montana. I found a program in Bloomfield, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, at Normandale Community College. She added, "Since there was intense competition for the few slots in the dental hygiene program, I felt very fortunate to be accepted to the program." She completed the program in two and a half years and became a registered dental hygienist.

She noted, "Living in the Twin Cities area I knew I wanted to come back to Montana. The urban setting didn't appeal to me." Back in the Chinook area, with her husband involved in construction projects and often away from home, she found the flexibility of working as a hygienist fit the couple's lifestyle as they began a family. Shubert added, "They told us in school that most of us would work 'piecemeal' and the typical career was only about five to ten years because it is a stressful type work." Forty years later she said the work was a good choice allowing her to spend time with her growing family, stay in one location despite Ken's work out of town and still be involved in the medical field.

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 200,000+ dental hygienists in the U.S., with most working part time and in dental offices. It's also a growing field with anticipated needs for new hygienists to increase by nineteen percent over the next 10 years. Shubert said, "Part of the increased demand for more dental hygienists is the recognition that oral health is closely tied to a person's overall health." Noting "the mouth is the mirror to the body," she said, "Research has shown the importance of good dental care to general health."

Over the years Shubert has seen some major changes in dental care. She said, "Early on dentists mainly were concerned with extracting problem teeth. Then the emphasis moved to restorative care, like filling problem teeth. Now the emphasis is on prevention of issues with teeth. One of my biggest rewards has been helping the overall health of patients by early detection of potential problems." She added that new technology, and new techniques and tools, have also made her job more efficient and effective.

Another big change she's seen in four decades is infection control. She explained, "Early on we never wore gloves or face masks when treating patients. I can't imagine doing that now and that's been an important change." She added that digitized x-rays and other technological changes have allowed better communication with patients to see and explain dental problems. She said, "When I can show a patient a problem on a computer screen it's easier to get them to buy in to a plan to make improvements in their own dental care."

Asked about some of the challenges she faced, she said, "The biggest was obstinate patients who would not accept making any changes in their behavior or dental care to solve a potential problem." As an aside, she added, "Well, I know being in the dentist's chair is not most peoples' favorite place to be. And it was very frustrating when someone refused to take actions to help their overall health situation."

Other changes, over the years, is a new emphasis on additional and continuing education. Shubert said, "When I first started there was no requirement for additional work once you graduated. Now we have to earn continuing education credits by attending additional training and taking directed study. That's a good thing. It helps us keep an open mind to change and learn new ways of doing things. I enjoyed that part of the job." She added, "My advice to new dental hygienists is to keep an open mind and be willing to try new techniques in the field. Most of what we learn in school becomes dated rather quickly, and the pace of improvements and changes seems to be moving faster and faster."

Shubert's interview was conducted the day after her last day of work. She and her husband were packing to spend a month in Yuma, Arizona. She said, "With Ken's travel while working and my work as a hygienist, this will be the longest we've ever been away from home together." They plan to do more traveling now that they both have the time.

She said, "When I get back from Arizona I plan to clean out some closets I've neglected for a long time. Then we'll spend time visiting grandchildren, I'll work in my garden and we both enjoy playing golf." She added, "I've kept my dental hygienist's license and will fill in when needed in local clinics around the area. I'm not totally leaving my career behind."

Shubert noted in her forty-year career she's worked for 13 different dentists. She said, "It sounds like I bounced around between jobs, but it was the dentists who came and went over my career. One of the most difficult things about retiring was leaving Dr. Chafin and the great staff at the Chinook Dental Clinic. They were great people to work with and provide fantastic dental service to our community."

The "Journal" wishes Evelyn and Ken a great retirement. While they may be doing a lot of travel in the future, they are strongly connected to the Chinook area where they both grew up and graduated from high school. Wherever they are, Chinook will still be home.