Health Center Hero Spotlight: Kristin thornton, cda, efda
We have all heard it said, “choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” Many are lucky enough to have found a job that brings joy and purpose, and while even the best jobs may still have hard days, feeling fulfilled in your work far outweighs the challenges. Just ask Kristin Thornton, CDA, EFDA.
Thornton is celebrating 17 years at Keystone Health Center in Chambersburg, PA, where she serves as an Expanded Function Dental Assistant (EFDA). Dental Assistants and EFDAs are valuable members of the oral health team, working under the supervision of a dentist and helping provide care for patients by performing tasks such as educating patients about good oral hygiene, preparing rooms for appointments, sterilizing instruments, and maintaining patient records. EFDAs have additional capabilities, and are also able to take X-rays, apply sealant, fluoride, and crowns, and take dental impressions, among other functions permitted by the state’s dental board.
“I do a lot of restorative work. When a patient comes in that have bombed out teeth and I can be part of fixing that to see them smile, it’s like artwork. I put my own art in someone’s mouth,” Thornton explained.
Keystone Health Center is the only Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Franklin County. FQHCs, commonly known as Community Health Centers (CHC), make up the largest network of primary healthcare providers in the Commonwealth, serving nearly a million patients annually at over 400 sites in underserved rural and urban areas. These mission-focused health centers provide integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health care services for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status.
Originally from Chambersburg, Thornton began her career in oral health in high school, where she had some dental assisting training at the career and technical school. She started working in a private practice with her friend, but after three and a half years, she decided to take a position at Keystone Health center.
“There are more opportunities if you are just starting out like I did – more opportunities for advancement, opportunities to learn. It’s more exciting. Every day is something different and new.”
Taking the position at Keystone Health became a pivotal moment in her career development. She was able to receive on-the-job training and financial support in the form of tuition reimbursement for the coursework she needed to earn her Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) credentials in exchange for a one-year employment agreement. Thornton loved her job and stayed well past her one-year commitment. A few years later, she decided to pursue the EFDA designation as well to continue to advance her career.
Thornton credits two of the dental directors she worked with at Keystone for having a major impact on her professional growth. Dr. Chaudhary first mentored her during her school and stayed in contact with her despite the fact they haven’t worked together for over 12 years.
“I learned so much from him. I don’t think I would be where I am if I didn’t start under him with his guidance,” Thornton said.
One of his successors, Dr. Murphy, also helped her build on everything she learned under Dr. Chaudhary and has also been a major influence on Thornton’s success.
Thornton has found a career she loves in community health with a close-knit team she sees as an extended family. She also acknowledged that there are misconceptions out there among the oral health community about what the work is like. She noted that other EFDAs and other oral health professionals working in private practice attribute working in an FQHC with long hours and low-quality dental care. Thornton emphasized that this couldn’t be further from the truth, but rather they are filling the gaps and providing top-notch care to patients who either do not have insurance or have insurance that is not accepted by private practices.
“A lot of other practices are very money-driven. We are not here to sell cosmetic dentistry. We do what the patient needs done to make them healthier, to make their smile better, and to get them out of pain,” Thornton clarified. “Some of them get tears in their eyes because they are so happy their teeth are finally fixed, and they can smile again. That’s the most rewarding thing for me – to know that I helped do that.”
She added, “Are we busy? Yes. Do we work hard? Yes. But at the end of the day, I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
If you would like to explore a rewarding career in one of Pennsylvania’s Community Health Centers, the Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center is here to help. The PA Primary Care Career Center, part of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers and funded by a generous grant from the Department of Health, serves as a free resource to match primary care providers and staff, such as physicians, dentists, medical assistants, and front office staff, with compatible job opportunities at Community Health Centers and other safety net facilities. For more information, visit the Career Center’s website at https://paprimarycarecareers.org/.