Art in the Dental Hygiene program

Please note: These pieces have been modified for legibility in print.

Every year, the 4th -year dental hygiene students do a project using the photovoice research framework — to document perspectives about the needs of a community.

Students collect photographs that capture their experiences from their community practicums at locations such as long-term care facilities, the Cross Cancer Institute, and the Edmonton Remand Centre.

The project asks students to think about the strengths and needs of less-powerful members of a community and start critical discussions that may challenge established norms and creating a platform for change.

KD Class of 2020

Life is unpredictable.

Once able-bodied and active, now dependent. A hiker and explorer, now bound to a chair. Once surrounded by landscapes and nature, now confined to four walls.

Life is predictable.

Everyone ages. Everyone inevitably needs to depend on someone.

Never lose your light.

You are still you. Just in a different way.

This man chooses to surround himself with beautiful photos that he personally took, just at a different time in his life. These images are a great reminder to recognize that people hold more than what they currently present with. No one chooses to live with degenerative diseases, but everyone has a need for genuine human interaction

at any stage of life.

RH Class of 2020

beautiful doesn’t stop at any age

the night was not gentle with her hair, there are tangles and knots everywhere. her strings of hair are soon relieved of their stresses, as her brush smooths out her silver tabaret of tresses. with a bit of hairspray each strand is locked into its rightful place, and next she moves onto her face.

her makeup merely touches her skin’s surface, since covering up her skin is not its purpose. wrinkles and age spots still subtly shine through, they tell stories of experience, emotion, and confidence too. a pop of color on her lips finishes her makeup routine. she takes a final look in the mirror and smiles, she gleams. she chooses a perfume and does a quick spray, then puts on her favorite jewelry and she’s off for the day.

an inverse relation between beauty and age is implied these days, yet this woman showcases that beauty transcends age in many ways. after all, what isn’t beautiful about makeup, perfume, or hair? even young people focus on these things from the comfort of their vanity chair. perhaps beauty should not be associated with youthfulness or wealth, but instead with a life well lived, and a positive outlook even through declining health.

just because a resident has a disability, and is staying at a long-term care facility, beauty is not something they’ve outgrown. beauty is a process, a feeling, and grows with age as this beautiful lady has shown.

AK & MD Class of 2019

“Look at these pieces, what do you see?”

All I see are separate prosthetics.

But they complete me.

I see you as the same,

Still courageous and strong.

But without my prosthesis, My confidence is long gone.

I see how you feel, but I don’t understand.

Maybe that’s because you haven’t experienced it firsthand.

I see what you mean.

But I really don’t think you do. With the loss of my features, it’s hard to feel human like you.

I see what you’re saying, about these prostheses I see.

Yes, they give me what I’ve lost, a part of my identity.

I now understand, as there’s more to your story, I just want to say I am very sorry.

Although cancer is to blame, And a lot has come to change. As a cancer survivor, I am still the same.

BM Class of 2018

Olive.

Do you know who she is? Do you know what she loves? What was her life like? Does she have a family? Where are they? Where is she?

Caregiving. It is more than helping her when she cannot help herself anymore. It is treating her like family, showing her unconditional patience, treating her with understanding and compassion, and being with her when her family cannot.

Her life is more than a nametag sitting in an empty box. Fill her life with joy, laughter, and comfort.

Michelle.

In her display box are photos of her. She made quilts, baby blankets, and cinnamon buns. She loved to garden and be with her dogs. You can see her smiling with her family around her.

In her room, can you see her? She is alone. Lonely. Depressed. Why?

What meaning do these photos hold? Does she remember the memories, feelings, and emotions captured in each photo? What if she can’t remember anymore?