Kari Slade has spent the last 17 years in developing a career as a Registered Dental Hygienist, and eventually leading to opening up her own business, providing both clinical and in-home dental hygiene care, as well as, myofunctional therapy.
Slade, who grew up in Brampton, Ontario, moved with her family to Brantford in 2015, as her husband had roots in the area. However, she had her start in the dental world because of her mother, who was a dental assistant.
“When I was in high school, I worked at the office my mom worked at [and] helped with sterilization of tools and other tasks…it was then, I was first introduced to dental hygiene. I then decided to go to school and attended APLUS Institute in Toronto [which] is very similar to a community college [and] then went on to graduate from their dental hygiene program in 2007,” said Slade.
Slade would grow her experience across various offices then eventually started to teach.
“I was then lucky enough to have a doctor that provided me with a lot of autonomy at one of the offices I worked at [where] I was able to grow and come into my own as a Registered Dental Hygienist there and then, once I relocated to Brantford, I had the opportunity to work in a few different settings,” noted Slade. “I was a manager for two different offices, overseeing their hygiene teams…and that’s what sparked my interest for teaching [and went on to teach] at the Southern Ontario Dental College, up to two days a week.”
Slade would work at a well-known dental clinic in Brantford which focused solely on children and that led to her thinking about developing her own business.
“I worked for Peachtree Kids Dental off and on for almost eight years, and I was happy with my time there. I still have a great relationship [with them] but I wanted to be able to provide the opportunity to help children who weren’t being accommodated within the constraints of a traditional office. So that’s really what motivated me to step out on my own,” explained Slade. “As well, I was able to gain some experience working with clients who have periodontal disease in [another] specialist office, so I was able to round out my career working with older people. Now, I split my time between working predominantly with children or people who are neurodivergent, and working with seniors [at] mostly long-term care settings.”
Slade would then start her own business, ‘Something to Smile About,’ in 2020, originally as a mobile service.
“The lockdown is what pushed me to take that step and at that point the world of dental hygiene was changing with concerns about bacteria, viruses and contamination. Dental offices were closed for [extended periods,] and it brought…the need for people wanting nontraditional appointments,” explained Slade. “That’s when I started doing mobile, because there was a need, especially for seniors and people with higher respiratory risk, including children; this is where I offered an alternative [which] allowed people to be comfortable in their [own] home while getting quality dental hygiene services.”
However, by 2022, as COVID restrictions were lifting, Slade decided to open her own clinic in Brantford but has continued to offer mobile services.
“After two years, I was able to open a clinic space where I have been able to predominantly work with children [and], helping people who are neurodiverse. It’s definitely a highlight to be able to affect change in the community [and] provide services for people who otherwise wouldn’t have these options for care,” said Slade. “For me, it’s [about] creating that interpersonal relationship and being able to provide a little bit of a human interaction with these people who I see on a very regular basis, because they do have more of a higher care concern. And working with neurotypical kids, that’s been very rewarding, because I’m able to provide a very specialized service for them.”
Nevertheless, Slade continues to relish owning her own business despite some challenges.
“I’ve been able to achieve so much success with helping people to feel safe and comfortable while helping them feel that there’s a place for them…[however], I think being a business owner is challenging…being responsible for everything means that you wear a lot of hats. So not only am I the dental hygienist, but I’m the administrator, [and] the HR person, and also the assistant,” explained Slade. “Along with that, I have to meet very strict criteria set out both by the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario and Ontario Public Health to make sure that that I am up to standards and guidelines for the practice, as well as for infection control.”
Slade looks to continue to grow her business with her customer-focused mindset, however, she is excited to look to teach others based on her experience.
“I’m starting to teach a continuing education course for dental hygienists on how to make accommodations for neurodiverse people in the dental environment. What I would like to see in the long term is that the sort of skills that I bring to the table, as well as the accommodations that I make, will become something that every office can find space for…so that there are more opportunities for inclusion and for people to feel accommodated,” said Slade. “I also look forward to being able to increase my role in the long term for dental hygiene care to specific vulnerable populations, which I think is very important. I find that people don’t realize that your oral health and how healthy your teeth are can directly affect your overall health [which can have] direct implications with things like your heart and your body’s inflammatory response, which for people, especially seniors can make a big difference in their overall health.”
