Featured Colorado hygienists: Diane Osso, MS, RDH, and Angie Rhoades, RDH
Diane Osso, MS, RDH
I am the program director of dental hygiene at Concorde Career College in Aurora, Colorado. I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1983 with an associate of applied science in dental hygiene and worked as a clinical dental hygienist in both general and pediatric offices for approximately 20 years.
To pursue my passion for teaching, I went back to school to receive my bachelor’s in dental hygiene in 2003, followed by a master’s degree in dental hygiene in 2005 at the University of Maryland Dental School. I worked for eight years in the University of Maryland Dental School Periodontics program before moving to Colorado. I taught preclinical skills to freshmen and evaluated the clinical scaling and root planing skills of sophomore through senior students.
Upon moving to Colorado, I was a full-time faculty member for three years at the Community College of Denver dental hygiene program before being hired as a full-time faculty member at Concorde Career College in July of 2014. In 2015, I was appointed program director. My passion has always been for teaching, which eventually led me to the next level of being a director. I have a great responsibility to hire and mentor ambitious faculty so that future Colorado dental hygienists become ethical, compassionate, and skilled professionals. Being a program director has been the most rewarding position of my career. Every qualified student I graduate has the potential to change many lives in Colorado.
Angie Rhoades, RDH
Burnout is a real problem in any profession. After working in the field for 15 years, I was feeling the effects of burnout and boredom. I considered changing my career path entirely—moving into dental sales, consulting, or some other field away from clinical dentistry. The reality was that a complete change was not going to be easy, and that dentistry is the field that I love.
Because I live in Colorado, I had the opportunity to purchase an independent hygiene practice in 2010. The prior owner was looking to retire, and the timing was perfect. I became the owner and operator of SmileLogic in Broomfield, Colorado. The new challenge of being a business owner and expanding skills beyond clinical hygiene was refreshing. Office management, billing, scheduling, and marketing are all aspects of what I do within my business on a daily basis. SmileLogic serves a wide range of clientele, and being able to treat patients based on their needs, rather than production goals, has been the most rewarding part of owning a hygiene clinic.
Understanding the ins and outs of insurance billing, budgeting, marketing, and networking has been imperative in maintaining the success of my independent practice. I have enjoyed the learning aspect and am passionate about independent practice and trying to help others who may want to pursue a similar career path. The increased ability for hygienists to practice independently of dentists in some form is expanding, and the reality that more and more clinicians will become their own bosses is exciting. I want to be able to continue to help educate and guide hygienists who may choose that alternate path and provide a real look at what it entails financially and emotionally.
I reside in a suburb of Denver. Business ownership has allowed me the ability to pursue other interests—especially travel with family and friends.
