Beloved dental hygienist retires
To Jeanette Poste, you were never just a mouth.
The dental hygienist who retired recently from almost 25 years of service at Dr. William Hawthorne’s dental office in Creemore prided herself on the friendships she made with the people she calls her “dental family.”
“I loved my profession,” said Jeanette. “I loved the interpersonal relationships I had with people over a long time. I got to know people in one place and ask how their kids and families are. You could build relationships with people and see them grown up and have kids of their own.”
For Poste, who hung up her scrubs for the last time at the end of December, leaving the people she met through her work was the hardest part of deciding to retire. But a yearning to do more volunteer work, coupled with her husband, Russell’s, recent retirement, led her to make the decision.
“My dental family became my friends. I say thank you to my dental family for making my job what it was.”
Jeanette, who grew up in Brampton, has worked in the field of dentistry – first as a dental assistant, then as a dental hygienist – for almost 38 years. She and Russell came to Creemore in 1981 for a job with Noble Insurance. A few years later, their three children, Jordan, Taylor and Hillary, were born in the village. She went to see Dr. Hawthorne after hearing about an opening at the Creemore Medical Centre.
What drew Jeanette to dentistry? “I decided I didn’t want to be a nurse,” she laughed. “I wanted to do something in health care and not burn out emotionally. It felt good to think I could help someone with their health. Oral health is connected to overall health. Of course, I also had to be able to afford to take myself through school.”
With one whole week of retirement under her belt at the time of her conversation with the Echo, Jeanette reported, “So far, so good.” She says the most surprising thing about being retired is having the flexibility to be able to do things.
“I can wake up in the morning and say ‘I’d like to go skiiing.’ And then… I can do it!” she exclaimed.
In her new life as a retiree, Jeanette plans to volunteer more at Leisureworld long-term care home in Creemore. She is also a member of the Horticultural Society and is excited to do more gardening. First up, however, is a “big trip” to visit her son, Jordan, in New Zealand.
But in spite of all the mouths – and lives – she has touched over the years, Jeanette remains humble about her milestone.
“To me, a million people retire. I don’t think it’s a super big deal. I have been fortunate to live and work in the community for almost 25 years. It is a privilege and an honour to be able to do that.”
