Ms Belinda J Smithwick is a female Dental Hygienist.
Belinda has worked in the dental industry for over ten years, having begun her career as a dental assistant in 2008. She is committed to ongoing education and has obtained a Cert III in Dental Assisting, Cert IV in Radiography and Cert IV in Oral Health Promotion. It was through these studies that she discovered her passion for preventative health and was inspired to complete an Advanced Diploma in Oral Health at RMIT to qualify as a dental hygienist. Upon graduation she received the Golden Scaler award for consistently standing out within her cohort, clinically and academically.
Belinda has worked alongside general dentists in the creation of treatment plans, in educating patients and in coordinating the clinical environment. Her experience in hygiene treatment, preventative restorative treatments and oral health education is complemented by additional experience in many areas of specialisation, including orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery and implant surgery.
After years working alongside various members of the dental team, Belinda is a firm believer in the benefit of taking a team approach to patient care. She is most interested in enabling patients to improve their oral health by developing self-reliance. To this end, she enjoys educating patients, encouraging them to set goals, and motivating and empowering them to improve their own dental outcomes.
Belinda approaches her patient care with empathy, aiming to make the dental environment a calm and trusting one for both children and adults alike. Thanks to her approachable personality, Belinda easily allays any patient concerns, and by keeping her patients fully informed she helps guide them in the decision-making process.
