RDH Magazine presents Sunstar Americas/RDH Award of Distinction at this year's RDH Under One Roof Conference

Congratulation to Sandy Kemper who is now a part of an elite group of hygienists who have won the Sunstar Americas/RDH Award of Distinction.  She will be honored Thursday, July 30 at this year RDH Under One Roof Conference in Las Vegas! She and the rest of the group will be featured the September 2009 issue of RDH Magazine.

Sandy Kemper, RDH Seattle, Washington:  nominated by Sharon Golightly RDH, EdD.

Sandy Kemper makes a difference here in the US and also in Bolivia through her non-profit organization, “Smiles Forever”. A trip to Bolivia with Dental Outreach was a life changing experience, according to Sharon Golightly, who nominated Sandy for this award. Sandy said, “I practiced in one office mostly for about 28 years in Seattle Wash. But in 1999 I took a humanitarian trip with a group of Dentists to Cochabamba, Bolivia. To make a long story short I was really upset that there was no preventative dental hygiene care in the homeless women's shelter that I worked in at that time in Bolivia. Also the women from the homeless shelter received no vocational training and most returned to live in the homeless shelter again with their children.

So with the help of friends and fellow hygienists, we developed a two year traditional dental hygiene program that has been accepted by the Bolivian government and the Dental Society of Cochabamba.

As the students progress through the program they and the professors (Bolivian dentists that have dental hygiene training) provide preventative and restorative services to 5000 homeless a year. We have 20 graduates thus far and 8 new students this year.

Besides the clinic at the homeless women's shelter (Madre de Dios) we also have opened a fee for service dental clinic with the help of an international rotary grant. Senior or graduate dental hygienists provide cleanings and our staff restorative at reasonable fees. This allows the Bolivian public to see first hand how capable our students and give back to their own community.

These students (indigenous women of Bolivia) are considered lazy and incapable. Huge class difference although most of the population of Bolivia is indigenous. The clinic is starting to make a profit and our goal is to be able at some point to make enough money to run the framework of the school.

We also have a community service project where we provide emergency dental care and fluoride varnish to school children in rural communities outside of Cochabamba. Last year I spent 8 months in Bolivia working in the school. Up until that point I would come every year for a month to 10 days only.

My husband and I adopted a baby at 10 days old with a cleft palate. Whole other story. We want to continue helping these children.”

Sandy attended the University of Washington for 2 years, then two years at the U. of Iowa in their dental hygiene program where is received her B.S. degree in 1976. “This year will be 33 years that I have been practicing Dental Hygiene. I have always been a hygienist except for part time jobs in college. I always wanted to be in the health care industry helping people,” she said.

Family facts? I have three children, one 26 year old boy, a 19 boy, and a 18 month baby I would love to share photos etc.

Heroes? My hero really is my Mom and Dad for showing me the value of education, faith, love of family, and community service.

If I could change anything in the world? The one thing I would change in the world if I could would be extreme poverty. I call it misery. I would love to plant the seed in everyone's mind that it is our duty to share globally our wealth.

Secret weapon? I don't know how secret it is but never brow beat a patient and have them use a rubber tip, stimudents, anything that will apply pressure on the gum tissue. It's been my experience that, in general, flossing alone does not cut it!