Alumni Reflection

What it means to be a Detroit Mercy dental team

By Kari Radjewski

Professional and proficient with a shared philosophy.

That is how Shanna McGettrick, R.D.H. ’02, D.D.S. ’09 and Mary Rigley, R.D.H. ’05, B.S. ’05, described what it is like to work collaboratively as a dentist and dental hygienist team, each with a Detroit Mercy education.

In the eight years the pair have been working alongside one another, they discovered that being graduates from Detroit Mercy facilitates an efficient working relationship and provides a quality day-to-day life in the office and for their patients.

“As an employer and leader in the office, I know what I can allow a Detroit Mercy hygienist to do and what they are going to give me back. Mary’s education was very appealing to me when I hired her.” McGettrick said. “A Detroit Mercy hygienist’s level of confidence, ability to think independently and take initiative are the intangibles important for me as a provider, which are also essential to the patient experience.”

McGettrick’s strong feelings on this could be because she, too, went through the dental hygiene program prior to pursuing dentistry. She knows the level of expectation for student hygienists at Detroit Mercy.

“Because dental hygiene students work with dental students from the beginning, they understand how to work as a dental team,” McGettrick said.

“There was an intrinsic trust between us when I started,” Rigley said. “I can attribute this to us both having a Detroit Mercy education. We have always been on the same page when it comes to caring for and prioritizing the patient.”

McGettrick said it can take a bit longer for her to adjust to working with a hire that is from a different educational background.

“All my hygienists are great – and their technical skills are pretty comparable. It’s more the level of knowledge in periodontics, pharmacology, oral surgery, etc. and their expansive dental vocabulary that a Detroit Mercy hygienist comes in with right away,” she explained.

Both providers believe this is because of the patient base seen at Detroit Mercy, which is much different from other schools. The diverse backgrounds and needs of patients develop students into practice-ready professionals.

“Compared to other hygienists I have worked with; I notice a difference in the way we assess patients,” Rigley said. “As a student I was forced to treat many medically complex patients. That always introduced a new learning opportunity, which prepared me well for a career.”

“... they discovered that being graduates from Detroit Mercy facilitates an efficient working relationship and provides a quality day-to-day life in the office and for their patients.”

Shanna McGettrick, R.D.H. ’02, D.D.S. ’09 Mary Rigley, R.D.H. ’05, B.S. ‘05

In their practice, they continue to see many compromised patients and are proud to be able to take care of their needs. Rigley elaborated, “I’ve worked with dentists from different backgrounds who struggle to handle patients with such extensive conditions, medications or special needs because they never had to before. It’s nice to see us be able to take care of them right here. They have enough to deal with.” But sometimes it does come down to referring out for complicated procedures that do require a specialist. In that case, McGettrick also prioritizes partnering with Detroit Mercy graduates, knowing patients will be in great hands. She summarized the camaraderie when she said, “As alumni, whether it is dental hygienist, dentist or specialist, we are proud of where we studied and have a high respect for one another because of the wonderful education we received!”