About Diane
Through the years, dental care providers learned how to use conventional intraoral scaling techniques. Now, there are new innovative techniques that utilize both hands and extraoral fulcrums with proper ergonomic positioning to prevent musculoskeletal injuries.
My book on periodontal instrumentation and ergonomics demonstrates protective scaling strategies to help protect against injury. Coupled with my book, I am available to lecture to your organization, provide hands-on seminars and private consulting.
Studies have shown that extraoral fulcrums that implement a neutral hand, wrist and arm position help prevent the occurrence of work-related injuries.
Applying protective ergonomic techniques while scaling with both hands in a neutral position also decreases the likelihood of permanent disability.
The problem at hand is that change is difficult, but I truly believe that it is never too late to change! Trying new techniques can be unfamiliar, but if the benefits outweigh the risk, then why hesitate? Too many hygienists have been forced to leave the profession due to work-related injuries caused by sprains and strains which lead to musculoskeletal decline and permanent injury. It's time to implement new protective strategies to avoid career-ending musculoskeletal disabilities.
Reinforced Periodontal Instrumentation and Ergonomics for the Dental Care Provider provides detailed pictures and easy–to-understand instructions on how to implement reinforced scaling throughout the oral cavity. These protective techniques are easy to use and have been proven to be effective in preventing pain and injury.
These techniques are designed to:
- Enhance the balance of both hands
- Improve scaling efficiency
- Increase power by using larger muscle groups
- Prevent musculoskeletal pain
- Promote musculoskeletal health
- Enhance career longevity by preventing injury
Other sections of this web site will address lectures and hands-on seminars that are available for individual one-on-one training, and for offices that would like to experience group training, as well as private consultation. I can also be contacted if you have any questions that pertain to my book or my seminars.
Diane is a registered dental hygienist and a dental hygiene instructor. She studied dental hygiene at the West Los Angeles college dental hygiene program and graduated in 1981. She then pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in health science: health care at the University of California, Long Beach, and graduated in 1995. From there, Diane continued on to graduate school at Pepperdine University and completed a master’s degree in Education in 1999.
Prior to completing her Master’s degree, Diane worked as a clinical instructor at USC for many years teaching advanced instrumentation techniques to dental students and graduate periodontal residents. Currently, she is an instructor at West Coast University in the dental hygiene program and has been an associate professor there since 2009. Previously, she taught in the dental hygiene program at Cerritos College for twelve years.
Dentistry has been a passion for Diane ever since high school where she completed a program through the Southern California Regional Occupational Center to become a dental assistant. She worked as an assistant while taking prerequisites in college for hygiene school. During that time, Diane became a Registered Dental Assistant with a coronal polishing license.
While teaching in the dental and hygiene schools, Diane became interested in lecturing on advanced reinforced instrumentation techniques due to the many problems with musculoskeletal injuries seen amongst dental hygienists. She also has given “hands on seminars” coupled with her lectures in order to work with hygienists on a one on one basis.
These seminars provoked enough interest for Diane to write a book on Reinforced Periodontal Instrumentation and Ergonomics for the Dental Care Provider. The book took two years to write and then two years to be published by the publishing company Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.
Writing the book and having it published was a dream come true for Diane. Her desire to give back to her profession finally came to fruition in April 2007 when the book was released.
Diane has many plans to promote her book through lectures and hands-on seminars to teach dental hygienists how to incorporate protective instrumentation strategies to prevent musculoskeletal injuries. She believes that she can help make a difference to enhance dental hygiene career longevity in her profession.
Diane resides in Newport Coast, California and Vail, Colorado. Her favorite sports include snow skiing, water skiing, hiking and rock climbing.
View Diane's faculty page at West Coast University's web site »
Hu-Friedy is a maker of high-quality, handcrafted dental instruments.
Diane has been chosen as a "Hu-Friedy Thought Leader" for her work in the field of Advanced Ergonomic Instrumentation Technique.