Shelburne Family Dental: CDDHS Co-op Corner

Written By ALEXA DOWNEY

This week Alexa Downey from Centre Dufferin District High School shares a little bit about her experience and how Shelburne Family Dental is contributing to our community's future.

Shelburne Family Dental was first opened in the 1970's by Dr. Robert Bond and was then taken over by Dr. Dino DiSanto in the 2000's. Always welcoming new patients, this small town office offers many types of services such as fillings, crowns, implants, extractions, cleanings, root canals, and much more. Dr. DiSanto also offers orthodontic services such as braces, removable appliances, and Invisalign. Dino's office is made up of the best staff, eager to help patients, this includes two dental hygienists (Melanie and Jenn), three dental assistants (Janna, Sherry, and Cathy), three office administrators (Jutta, Jennifer, and Amanda) one sterilization technician (Jill) and a Denturist (Vincent).

 As a student doing co-op at Shelburne Family Dental, I mainly worked alongside Amanda in an administrative assistant role. The tasks/duties I performed at the front of the office include pulling and filing patient charts, as well as booking and billing appointments. In the sterilization room I learned about the different machines they use to ensure the instruments are properly cleaned and ready for use. I rinsed, dried and packaged instruments, preparing them for the sterilization machine. Within the operatory room, I removed used tools, sanitized surfaces, and prepared clean rooms for the next patient. Lastly, I assisted the Hygienist by documenting probing, bleeding, and recession within the teeth of patients. Performing different tasks around the office helped me gain knowledge and experience for the future, as I am planning on pursuing a career in Dental Hygiene.

While working at Shelburne Family Dental, I learned about all the different jobs relating to the dental field.  Instead of practicing at a family clinic, you can go overseas with the military or even work in a hospital like Toronto Sick Kids as a Dentist. There are many other careers that you can pursue in this field that don't involve patient contact such as forensics, insurance, hospital management, and office administration. 

Within the community, the office has done many beneficial things such as visiting elementary schools and educating the children about good oral health. The hygienists provide students with toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and other basic dental hygiene products. Shelburne Family Dental contributes to fundraisers as well as funding for a Science Award at CDDHS. Dr. DiSanto has volunteered his time in Guatemala, helping the people in need of oral health.