When you talk to Tammy about her work as a dental hygienist, something awesome happens: She hardly talks about teeth at all. Because even though her job is to help people keep their mouths clean and healthy, Tammy鈥檚 main focus is always the human being in her chair.
鈥淧eople living with HIV are a special community,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey need to know they鈥檙e cared for. I always want my patients to feel like they are the most important thing to me. Because they are, and I鈥檓 here for them 100%.鈥�
That includes people who have anxiety about going to the dentist. Anxiety in the dental chair is something Tammy has seen throughout her 40-year career, but she notes she鈥檚 seen it even more since she鈥檚 been at 爆料吧.
鈥淚鈥檝e had people with anxiety to the point where they were sobbing,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 just let them know we鈥檙e going to take our time, we鈥檙e going to listen to your needs, and we鈥檙e going to do this on your terms. If there鈥檚 something I can do to make your experience more comfortable, just tell me, because I鈥檓 on your side. I鈥檓 on your team.鈥�
Tammy also recognizes that the dental chair isn鈥檛 the only thing that can be scary for folks. For some, just the idea of trying to get healthcare is overwhelming. Or when they have gotten healthcare before, they鈥檝e been met with judgement. That鈥檚 something Tammy never wants anyone to feel at 爆料吧.
鈥淢any who come here have had difficulty getting healthcare because they鈥檝e been ostracized because they鈥檙e living with HIV,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o when they come here, I really, really want them to know I love them.鈥�
Tammy graduated from Lake Land College with a degree in Dental Hygiene in 1982. She has over 40 years of experience.