This spring, DeKalb County Board of Health employee Jeanette Clarida had the honor of participating in the dental hygiene program’s pinning and awards ceremony at Georgia Perimeter College. She administered the dental hygiene oath to the new graduates.
In 1975, Ms. Clarida began her studies in the first dental hygiene class at what was then DeKalb Community College. Forty years later, the 2015 class is the last under the Georgia Perimeter College banner, as the college will be consolidating with Georgia State University in 2016.
Ms. Clarida takes pride in the fact that she’s still working. “I graduated in 1979 and I have been working almost every day since,” she said. She has been with the DeKalb County Board of Health for 14 years, including both her full- and part-time service.
Georgia Perimeter’s dental hygiene program has partnered with the Board of Health’s Dental Services during National Children’s Dental Health Month in February. Board of Health hygienists coach the students as they provide cleanings, screenings and sealants to low-income children.
For information about the Board of Health’s dental and other services, call (404) 294-3700 or visit dekalbpublichealth.com.