Catrice Opichka
RDH, MS
WA, USCatrice Opichka, RDH MS
Catrice Opichka's energetic and captivating approach to dental programming blends her clinical experience and evidence-based research, with a spunky delivery. The result - an entertaining learning experience that provides relevant examples that can instantly be applied to our dental practice.
Catrice has been active in the field of dentistry for three decades, practicing as a registered dental hygienist for the last 24 years. She is the owner of Pure Education and through her lectures, she tackles challenging topics such as the effects of addiction in dentistry and the risks associated with the Human Papilloma Virus. Catrice's programs provide dental professionals with practical solutions to everyday communication, teamwork and leadership issues.
Catrice holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a concentration in addiction, and a Master of Science degree in Management and Leadership. She is a member of the American Dental Education Association, American Dental Hygienists Association, Seattle Study Club Education Advisory Board, National Speakers Association and is an examiner for the Central Regional Dental Testing Services. She has also been published in RDH magazine and Dentistry IQ, and spent several years teaching clinical dental hygiene in Seattle, WA.
Catrice continues to work "in the trenches" of dental hygiene practice and volunteers at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission Dental Clinic, working with dental patients in their drug and alcohol recovery program. Catrice's programs address challenging topics with honesty, compassion, and humor.
What People Are Saying About Catrice...
"What a fun, interactive, informative lecture. Catrice is spunky, funny, and is always keeping us involved. Thank you for making CE fun!"
Alexis Latham ~ Rocky Mountain Dental Hygiene Study Club
Program Attendee, "Sex, Drugs & Alcohol – The 21st Century Dental Hygiene Therapist"
"A thoroughly entertaining, interesting, informative, and edgy day! Loved, Loved, Loved Catrice's "Treating the Cancer Patient" program!
Karen Scutter ~ Adelaide Seattle Study Club Program Attendee, "Treating the Cancer Patient: Improving the Journey Through Patient Care"
"This was by far the most engaging and interactive session at the ADHA. Catrice was enthusiastic and interesting, encouraged participation, and the content was cutting edge and simulating. Bravo to Ms. Opichka!"
ADHA Attendee, "HPV and Oral Cancer – Saving Lives Through Early Detection and Improved Communication"
Catrice Opichka, RDH MS
Catrice Opichka's energetic and captivating approach to dental programming blends her clinical experience and evidence-based research, with a spunky delivery. The result - an entertaining learning experience that provides relevant examples that can instantly be applied to our dental practice.
Catrice has been active in the field of dentistry for three decades, practicing as a registered dental hygienist for the last 24 years. She is the owner of Pure Education and through her lectures, she tackles challenging topics such as the effects of addiction in dentistry and the risks associated with the Human Papilloma Virus. Catrice's programs provide dental professionals with practical solutions to everyday communication, teamwork and leadership issues.
Catrice holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a concentration in addiction, and a Master of Science degree in Management and Leadership. She is a member of the American Dental Education Association, American Dental Hygienists Association, Seattle Study Club Education Advisory Board, National Speakers Association and is an examiner for the Central Regional Dental Testing Services. She has also been published in RDH magazine and Dentistry IQ, and spent several years teaching clinical dental hygiene in Seattle, WA.
Catrice continues to work "in the trenches" of dental hygiene practice and volunteers at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission Dental Clinic, working with dental patients in their drug and alcohol recovery program. Catrice's programs address challenging topics with honesty, compassion, and humor.
What People Are Saying About Catrice...
"What a fun, interactive, informative lecture. Catrice is spunky, funny, and is always keeping us involved. Thank you for making CE fun!"
Alexis Latham ~ Rocky Mountain Dental Hygiene Study Club
Program Attendee, "Sex, Drugs & Alcohol – The 21st Century Dental Hygiene Therapist"
"A thoroughly entertaining, interesting, informative, and edgy day! Loved, Loved, Loved Catrice's "Treating the Cancer Patient" program!
Karen Scutter ~ Adelaide Seattle Study Club Program Attendee, "Treating the Cancer Patient: Improving the Journey Through Patient Care"
"This was by far the most engaging and interactive session at the ADHA. Catrice was enthusiastic and interesting, encouraged participation, and the content was cutting edge and simulating. Bravo to Ms. Opichka!"
ADHA Attendee, "HPV and Oral Cancer – Saving Lives Through Early Detection and Improved Communication"
Sex, Drugs & Alcohol - The 21st Century Dental Therapist
Today dental professionals are now faced with...
• Discussing the harmful effects of...
Vaping – Seeing through the "Smoke and Mirrors"
Because of decades of research, dental professionals feel comfortable educating patients on the negative effects of smoking and using chewing tobacco. However, when confronted with questions about the risks of vaping, we are unsure of how to...
HPV and Oral Sex – You want me to discuss WHAT with my patients?
Do you remember when smoking cessation discussions were the most difficult conversations we had with our patients? Do you recall the first battles we had discussing the harmful effects of chewing tobacco? The discussion of smoking and chewing as risk factors for oral cancer have become, for many of us, as common as discussing the effects of bacteria in periodontal disease. In the 21st Century, smoking and chewing are among the easier topics we have to discuss with our patients. The...
Dental Hygiene – The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Now that we work in private dental practice, it is even more important to have these opportunities to share with other hygienists.
Dental Practice Avengers – Bringing Together an Epic Superhero Team
The sun is just coming up when most of us dental superheroes are donning our capes and preparing for our day of saving the world, one patient at a time. We arrive at our dental practices totally prepared to fight the villains in our day (noncompliant patients, last minute emergencies, and overflowing sterilization rooms). Yet, we are often unprepared for the conflict that happens with the other superheroes in our practices.
We often hear about the struggles...
"It's the Way of My People" – The Role of Diversity, Culture & Generational Difference in Patient Ed
For the first time ever, we have five different generations working together in dental practice. We have all heard of Millennials, Baby Boomers, Gen Y, Gen X, Gen Z, and the Silent Generation, but what do these generational titles mean in our daily practice? How do these generational differences affect our teamwork, and how do they influence our patient's decision making? We discuss how these generational differences drive our patient's motivations and how it affects the decisions they...
