Diboll dental hygienist takes Beverly Hills by storm

By MARCELLA HERNDON - Staff writer

When was the last time you visited a dentist? A week, a month, a year or has it been several years? No one wants to visit Dr. Pain or Dr. Awe for an hour of what they call torture.

Most dentists are very gentle but you probably wouldn't know that because you're afraid to see one. In fact no matter how great the dentist is the main person that usually sticks out in your memory is that soft-spoken hygienist. If you look up dental hygienist in the dictionary you may read something to the effect of; "a licensed dental professional who cleans and examines teeth." Some might say that the definition above is an accurate description of what a hygienist represents. But if you've ever had to visit a dentist and sit in that recliner like chair (the one that tilts so far back that if you wanted to bolt you couldn't because you weren't able to get out of it), you would know that a hygienist is much, much more than just a smiley face with a dental license. The city of Diboll has a prime example of an exceptionally talented hygienist that not only fits the definition of a hygienist; she has perfected the meaning of what a hygienist should be.

Rene Stephenson, a 21-year veteran dental hygienist, received recognition this month from world-renowned cosmetic dentist to the stars, Dr. Bill Dorfman. Dr. Dorfman of Beverly Hills, California better known as the dentist from ABC's Extreme Make Over show, partnered with executives of the show and Modern Hygienist magazine, awarded Stephenson with the, "The Breath RX Dental Hygienist of the Year," award. Stephenson, who placed second out of 500 entries, is no ordinary hygienist when it comes to the dental health of Diboll's residents. She entered "The Breath RX Dental Hygienist Contest" by submitting a 10-page article regarding, "The Periodontal Treatment Process," to Modern Hygienist magazine. The Modern Hygienist magazine is an informative magazine for dentist and hygienist that offer feature stories on new dental products, techniques and dental technology. All applicants were submitted to a law office in Beverly Hills, CA where the group of 500 was narrowed down to 50. Of that 50 the editor of Modern Hygienist magazine narrowed the group down to 15 candidates. Then with some help from Dr. Dorfman the group was finally narrowed to 5. When Stephenson received the word that she was California bound she was overcome with joy. "My family was so excited! They were a little shocked but they were really excited for me, the opportunity was just amazing," Stephenson said. Once in Beverly Hills, Stephenson was greeted with limousines, Rolls Royce's and her very own paparazzi, that's right paparazzi! A camera crew that recorded the 5 finalists while in Beverly Hills followed her daily. The finalist were also housed at the Beverly Hilton on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills Stephenson even tried her hand at acting while in the Sunshine State when she and other finalist participated in a dental hygiene commercial. "Making a commercial was hard work," Stephenson said. "It really is a lot harder than it looks on television because you have to stay bubbly and shoot the same commercial over and over again." Stephenson flashed a wining smile as she reminisced on her newly found celebrity status.

Stephenson has her mother, Kathy Allen, to thank for the love she has developed for her job. It was her mother that urged her to get a job or trade at the age of 16 that would give her life skills that she could apply in the future. That summer Rene found a part-time job as a dentist assistant and quickly realized that her passion was to become a dental hygienist. "I care about oral health as well as the full body health. However, oral health can determine systemic problems in the body so I feel like I need to advise others on how important oral health is," Rene advised. Now back in Diboll, Stephenson has shooed her paparazzi away and falling back into her normal routine of being a hygienist for dentist Russell Ingram. "Rene is very intelligent, experienced and highly motivated," said Ingram. "She loves her patients and they love her. She is very good at what she does and I think she really enjoys her job," confessed Ingram. Looking toward the future Stephenson is interested in publishing dental hygiene articles for the community and a variety of magazines like, "Modern Hygienist.