Jennifer (Taggart) Kender RDH
Dental assistant 1987-1992
RDH 1992-current
Hobbies- Gardening, camping, scuba diving, travel.
Dentistry has always been my passion. As a sophomore in high school, I was looking for a part-time job to make some spending money and my mom had a friend working as a receptionist for a local dental office. They took me under their wings and introduced me to 4 handed dentistry, insurance claims, and sterilization. After 2 years of assisting I knew I wanted to play a more independent role and go to college for Dental Hygiene.
It was difficult in 1989 to get into hygiene school right out of high school. Many colleges wanted prerequisites or prior college degrees. I applied to Harcum Junior college EFDA program for 1 year to get as many dental and liberal arts credits I could accumulate. I then applied and was accepted to what would be the first graduating class of hygienists from Harcum Junior college (now Harcum college).
Since graduating in 1992 my career focus had been on streamlining protocols for treatment of periodontal disease. Right from the jump, I found a general lack of cohesion in patient care in the hygiene department. I enjoy creating and working with systems that help incorporate the best patient care in a timely fashion.
In my free time, I enjoy gardening of all kinds, vegetables, perennials, and creating elegant potted arrangements.
I have been married 20 years and have 2 beautiful daughters whom I love to go on various vacations with- when I’m not in the office that is! We adopted camping 10 years ago. With a 24ft travel trailer, we have been exploring the East coast. My family is also scuba dive certified and we enjoy Caribbean vacations where we can submerge ourselves in the sea. We are always planning our next trip
-Jennifer Kender
