Hello, everyone. I'm Rinka Sakamori, a dental hygienist at Halulu Shibuya Dental Clinic.
In this blog post, I'd like to tell you how I became a dental hygienist and what matters most to me when I care for patients.
Why I decided to become a dental hygienist
I originally wanted to go into music. But the people around me encouraged me to choose a steadier path, so I decided to become a dental hygienist, a career that comes with a national license. To be honest, when I started school, I didn't have any special interest in dentistry.
As a student, I didn't just study. I also threw myself into learning about the wider world, spending time with students from other faculties and working part-time jobs. Along the way, I met people with many different values, and I learned to make my own way. Those experiences are a big part of what drives me today: they gave me a flexible way of seeing things that doesn't stick to set patterns, and the ability to stay close to how patients feel.
My approach to patient care
What matters most to me in my work is "never making anyone feel uncomfortable or upset."
The truth is, my own orthodontic treatment once went wrong. I lost the smile I used to have, and it hurt me deeply. I don't want anyone else to go through the despair and sadness I felt back then.
That's why I have promised myself to "hold on to my pride as a dental hygienist and never bend my beliefs." I keep firm principles as a professional, but caring about the patient in front of me always comes first.
How I work with patients
Because I've been through a hard time myself, I want to understand the worry and fear patients feel better than anyone, and to be there for them. My goal is to make it as easy as possible to come to the dentist, even for people who feel "it's scary" or "I don't want to go."
I will never push a treatment or my own way of thinking on you. First, I listen to what you want and do everything I can to support it. Then, to protect your teeth for the future, we think together about "what you need now, and what's missing." I want to be your strongest supporter.
My goals at Halulu Shibuya Dental Clinic
I want to help create a world where everyone knows what "preventive dentistry" means.
I want the dentist to stop being a place you go only because you have to, after something already hurts. Instead, I want it to be a place you go to take care of yourself, like a hair salon or beauty salon. Through our work at Halulu Shibuya Dental Clinic, I truly want to bring about change that overturns the old ideas people have about dentistry.
If you have any concerns about your mouth, or anything you're worried or curious about, please feel free to talk to us.
We look forward to seeing you at our clinic.