Meet Brooke! An Oral Systemic Educator & Laser Instructor with Heart in New Zealand

Meet Brooke Holmes, a proud member of National Network of Healthcare Hygienists (NNHH) and recent graduate of the Oral Systemic Educator Certificate Program. She is a private practice dental hygiene clinician who relocated to beautiful Tauranga, New Zealand in the Bay of Plenty.

Brooke’s goal in taking the OSE certificate program was to benefit her patients and update her knowledge on oral systemic research. She refers her patients regularly for diabetes testing, CRP levels, and vitamin/iron levels. Since New Zealand is a smaller country, she said referring is pretty simple as you know many other providers personally or through someone else.

“In dentistry we are in an ever evolving field of study and learning. It is so important as hygienists to consistently access information for the health and treatment outcomes of those we serve.” Brooke Holmes

For her Capstone Project, Brooke chose to write up information in the form of a patient pamphlet and also wrote information for her office’s website to educate their patients and the public. She said she was already doing so on a pretty regular basis, but the OSE program allowed her to have access to the newest, most up to date, information.

Brooke is also the owner of LaserPerio Hygienist, Limited where she teaches Soft Tissue Laser Therapy to other hygienists/dental professionals in New Zealand. She trained in the USA then moved to New Zealand 8 years ago, so she is glad she can bring her training to her new country.

The demographic that tugs at Brooke’s heart strings the most are the underserved with no access or limited access to oral care. She said that her office has a mission to give quality care with compassion. Many patients that see her are surprised at how thorough and gentle a hygienist can be, and there are many that have also never seen a dental hygienist as there is a shortage and it’s still a new field there. 

“Like all hygienists, I try very hard to give compassionate, exceptional care and want every patient to leave feeling like they had a positive experience. Establishing trust and good communication are at the forefront of my approach to patient care.”

Brooke loves working clinically, and hopes to work in public health at some point. Championing access to care for the public and providing the latest education opportunities to the dental community are goals of hers in the future. She said that becoming an Oral Systemic Educator was the first step in her reaching those goals.

As far as those on the fence about distinguishing themselves like Brooke did with this advanced education, she said “Go for it. This program was what I needed and well worth the time and financial investment. It gave me access to the most recent information from industry professionals and I was immediately able to take the information directly to patients chairside while reviewing their medical histories. Oftentimes patients don't know oral health affects total health. Chatting about the oral systemic link results in good questions from patients and opens the door for continued communication and trust. Plus, I really enjoyed the material. So much of what the instructors presented was not around when I was in hygiene school.”

Connect with Brooke at [email protected]