"No Stain? Refrain!" - Advocating for Selective Rubber Cup Polishing

In my fourth year at UBC, my teammates and I advocated for the moderation of rubber cup polishing (RCP) in private practices as it seems to have become a routine blanket prescription treatment for all clients. We discussed the potential risks of RCP and also the need for dental health professionals (dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants) to collaborate to release a joint position statement on the standards and protocols for RCP. This project allowed me to explore dental hygiene in an advocator role and see how important it is to raise awareness about current issues that may not be getting enough attention. I was also able to engage in the different channels of advocacy (written, visual, and verbal presentations) through this project and bring attention to this issue amongst my colleagues and faculty members. Moving forward in my career, I aim to focus on individualized client needs and only implement procedures and treatments that I deem beneficial to the client. I hope that I can continue to advocate for selective RCP whenever possible.

Pictured: An example infographic made by me and my team that could be distributed to raise awareness for our advocacy cause

#advocacy #healthpromotion