Ashley Grill, MPH, RDH
Ashley Grill, MPH, RDH, grew up in a dental family and works on standup comedy in her free time. Ashley graduated with her undergraduate degree in dental hygiene from the University of Missouri - Kansas City. She is an author on over 15 peer-reviewed manuscripts and a mental health advocacy story, All in Her Head. Ashley volunteers on the Kansas Governor's Behavioral Health Services Planning Council and works full-time in dental benefits. Ashley lived and worked on the east coast for two decades in research, teaching, and dental benefits. She is a past president of New Hampshire and New York Dental Hygienists' Associations. Ashley lives in Overland Park, Kansas, with her daughter, Katherine, and two dogs, Buddy and Honey. Ashley can be reached at ashleygrill@yahoo.com.
Mental Health: Dental Hygienists’ Skills Can Help Patients
Dental hygienists are likely to encounter individuals who are living with serious mental illness, including people who may be at risk for suicide.1 Medical history and verbal disclosures shared with dental hygienists may include details about antipsychotic and antidepressant medications or symptoms and a history of mental illness and/or substance use, including tobacco.
Friends, family, and the healthcare team need...