When One Door Closes, Another Opens

As a child, Alicia Murria, RDH, aka Sugar Bear, really liked sweets. “I had lots of decay and had to have a lot of fillings and sometimes extractions,” she recalls. But instead of being traumatized, Murria’s early string of dental disasters set her on a path to what might have seemed an unlikely career choice. “A lot of people don’t like going to the dentist,” says Murria, “but I found it enjoyable and interesting. I decided that I wanted to be a dentist when I grew up.”

After becoming a dental hygienist, Murria planned on going to dental school. But she was sidelined by a shoulder injury after a year of practicing. “Subsequently,” says Murria, “I decided to look for a career outside of clinical work.” Murria joined the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and began working toward a master’s degree in public health. “That’s about the time the idea of Hygienists for Humanity fell into my lap,” she says, adding serendipitously, “Nothing really happens to you. It happens for you.”

Murria kindly took time out to share her perspectives on her chosen field.

1. What was the genesis of the idea for Hygienists for Humanity?

It started at an ADHA conference in Jacksonville, Florida, where I saw numbers of people experiencing homelessness. As I walked through the exhibit hall, I noticed the number of boxed lunches that went uneaten, and the “mini mountain of toiletries” that conference attendees accumulated from exhibitors, which might have otherwise proven extremely useful to those experiencing homelessness.

Exhibitors told me that they couldn’t donate to individuals. They could, however, donate to organizations and get a tax write-off. So, in an effort to get oral hygiene products into the homeless community, in September 2017, Hygienists for Humanity received a 501C3 charter designating it as a nonprofit. We now have 425 national members, with some in Canada, Africa, and Europe.

2. What’s the mission of Hygienists for Humanity, and how are its services implemented?

Our mission is to connect individuals experiencing homelessness and those in underserved communities with ways to gain access to dental hygiene products and services. To implement the program, we attend conferences and health fairs across the country. In 2019, we were represented in Washington, DC, Minnesota, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and New Mexico. We recruit volunteers from the dental hygiene community to provide services such as oral cancer screenings. At one event in 2019, Hygienists for Humanity had 18 volunteers from the area who provided products for about 1,100 people.

3. How is the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the work of Hygienists for Humanity?

As an organization that thrives on interaction and togetherness, COVID-19 is reframing the way we connect with our members and the communities we serve. The organizations we have selected to make product donations are hesitant to receive any packages. And we aren’t shipping or receiving any personal/oral hygiene products. We also understand that during this time of economic uncertainty, many individuals and corporate sponsors are unable to offer the financial support they have in the past. This will impact our annual budget and outreach missions. We have decided to postpone all Hygienists for Humanity (#DoingAngelsWork) missions in 2020, and we are watching developments on the pandemic in planning for 2021.

4. What do you enjoy most about the kind of work you do?

I love educating people and helping them understand the importance and benefits of dental care—healthcare in general—and connecting them with services. I love exposing them to the mindset that dental care is not optional, it’s a necessity.