Let's continue our series of meeting people who work in Yukon healthcare!
In many Yukon schools, you'll find rooms dedicated to dental care. The Government of Yukon hires dental hygienists and therapists to work with children in the Yukon Children's Dental Program. The program encompasses both a pre-school stream for children under five and a school-based stream for children up to Grade 12. The team is made up of dental therapists and hygienists who teach kids about oral health and how to brush and floss. They also provide clinical and restorative treatments, such as fluoride, fillings, sealants, crowns and extractions. Today we meet Jada, a dental therapist with the Yukon Children's Dental Program. She's been working with this program for 15 years.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your work?
Hi, my name is Jada.
When did you think of this as a career you could pursue?
When I was in dental school in Saskatchewan, I applied for a job in the Yukon with a couple of other girls in my class and we actually moved up all together. It was a 1-year term. We got offered permanent and the rest is history! And the 3 of us are still here.
What do you do in a typical day?
On a typical day. I would come to work at one of the elementary schools. Today we're at Christ The King. What I do is I get a child from class, bring them in and have a quick chat about hygiene, and how brushing and flossing is going at home. And then we would basically get to work. That could include a couple of fillings or maybe a stainless steel crown, which is a cap over the top of one of the baby teeth.
What makes for a good day at work?
A good day at work is when I meet kids who are super cooperative. We have a good, trusting relationship. Everything is flowing really well and the children leave happy!
What’s unique about working in the Yukon?
One thing that's really nice about the Yukon is we are able to work a lot on our own. It’s like you’re running your own field clinic sometimes. We have a lot of agency when it comes to scheduling our day and I think this is a big difference between public health and private practice. With the Yukon Children’s Dental Program, we do a lot of traveling and we get exposed to a lot of scenarios or opportunities where we can make a big difference. We really get to utilize our scope.
What would you tell somebody who is considering a career in Yukon healthcare?
I would tell them absolutely, take a chance! It is an amazing adventure. It's a great place to start a family and the career opportunities for growth are great. And we just work with a great bunch of people and it’s a very rewarding job. Take a chance! Sign on for a year and pack your bags for the long haul, because you're going to be probably moving up for life.