So I just have to know, like, where do you go for that? What does that look like?

Yeah.

So at the time it was over COVID.

So there's still like schools weren't open.

So it was a virtual training, virtual certification.

And sometimes people call me an ergonomist.

I am not an ergonomist.

I'm going to call you now a non-traditional dental hygienist, right?

So when you walk into a dental operatory, what are the first red flags that tell you someone is headed toward injury, and how can clinicians start recognizing their bad ergonomic habits in their own routines?

Part of my job that I really like is going in and it's different for every clinician.

Um, so I look at what are they doing in their operatory.

Is it, are they a hygienist? Are they a restorative dentist pra- practicing four-handed dentistry? We've got operatories that are better for each of those, and I think a mistake some offices or, um, practice owners make is making every operatory the exact same layout, no matter if it's used for hygiene or restorative or operative, when we really need to be taking a more individualized approach with that.

Um, but looking where their equipment is.

Are they having to reach constantly for their equipment, either ac- across their body or, um, away from them? We wanna limit reaching.

Are they forced to twist in their operatory? Do they have a patient chair that is, like, helping their posture or hurting their pos- posture? So I really think it's important for clinicians to at least take an introductory lesson on ergonomics because if we're not aware of what we're doing, like, how can we fix it, right? Same with the mouth.

So how do we strike that balance, Stephanie, so we're not constantly adapting ourselves to gain access to the tooth we're working on, uh, or the arch we're working on, um, which we now know when we do that ultimately results in, in long-term wear and tear on our bodies?