From Sterilization Tech to Infection Control Advocate: Sherrie Busby’s Inspiring Dental Journey

Sherrie Busby, EDDA, CDSO, CDIPC, recounts her 40-year journey in dentistry, from starting as a sterilization technician to becoming an infection control leader. Her story emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, adapting to evolving infection control standards, and fostering educational growth in dental settings. As she prepares for retirement from Heartland Dental, Busby looks forward to a new career phase, balancing infection control education with personal caregiving while continuing to inspire the dental community.

Before she retires, Busby presented 2 presentations at the Chicago Dental Midwinter Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, from February 20 to 22, 2025. One, “Dental Implants: Everything a Dental Assistant Needs to Know...Well, Most Everything!” is a broader topic, but her second, “A Comprehensive Overview of OSHA & CDC: Infection Control Guidelines,” is specifically about infection prevention and control, and she explains it during her interview with Infection Control Today.

ICT: Why don't you tell me how you got into dental and then how you got into infection control.

Sherrie Busby, EDDA, CDSO, CDIPC: I started in dentistry in 1980. I was a new mother with2 very young children, and I needed a way to support my kids. So, I went down to the technical college in my town and said, “I just need to do something.”Theyresponded,“Ok, we have medical assisting, CNA, or dental assisting.”Iwasn'tsure, so I said,"Let's talk about it.”

I began looking at the programs and quickly decided I didn't want to be a CNA because that didn'tseemappealing, right? I then started in dentistry, which was funny because I was a single mom with 2 kids, and I needed to work. I got a job as a sterilization technician while still in school. It was interesting because my office was very open to teaching me, whichmeant I did procedures well before I learned them in school.

Keep in mind, back when I started in dentistry, we didn't even wear gloves. We would take our burs and sanitize themwithalcohol.We knew nothing. I remember around 1984,when AIDS begantospread, and at that same time, I was exposed to hepatitis. I didn't contract hepatitis, but because I had a patient, I was exposed, whichmeant going through those painfulgammaglobulinshots.Thatexperience made me think, "This could be better.” I didn't know about gloves and propertechniques then because theyweren'tpartofourtraining. I began to educate myself about infection control. There weren’t many resources back then like we have now, soImostlylearnedthrough talking to people, like sales reps.

Myeducation was quite limited. I was curious and wanted to know everything about the dental office.Fast forward many years, I learned about infection control from the people in my office. I picked up their bad habits because I didn't know any better. We just learned from each other untilthelate'90swhenthe internet became athing.Oncemoreinformationbecame widelyavailable, I started educating myself better. I discovered that the CDC hadresources—who knew?That didn't happen until 2003,so we were still picking up bad habits from each other.

In the mid-1980s,around1984or1985, we began wearing gloves, masks, and otherPPE.Fast forward a bunch of years, and I kept learning more.It's been 16 years, but I've been with Heartland Dental forquitesometime. When I joined Heartland Dental as a dental assistant training developer, the first program they assigned me was on OSHAinfectioncontrol.My directive was to make OSHA fun.

Ithought, "You're out of your mind. How can I make that fun?"But I aimedto make it more interesting than it hadbeen before. I realized I needed to delve deeper into this process since I was now responsible for educatingaround1,000peopleacross200offices.That’s when I got my first certification. I [had known] this lady for a long time, so I went through her program, which was the first OSHA infection control certificationI couldfind. I kept learning, becoming more of a geek, and following people on social media.When DANB [Dental Assisting National Board] and OSAP, now knownasADS [Association for Dental Safety], launched their national certification, I jumped attheopportunity. I did well because I was already immersed in the material.

ICT: Could you describe what the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting is like?

SB: My favorite part would be the networking. There are many networking opportunities available and so many interesting people to meet. I enjoy that aspect. I take classes even when presenting because I want to learn something new. I usually don't take infection control classes, but sometimes I do to ensure I'm current on the latest information. People have different opinions, and their perspectives can vary quite a bit. That's why I occasionally decide to take an infection control class.

I love the wide variety of education that's offered. Just this morning, I was looking through the course catalog, and it includes everything from yoga classes on Friday afternoons to ergonomics. I'm also teaching an implant class for dental assistants on Friday afternoon. The catalog features infection control, implants, composites—pretty much every procedure you can think of—and business education and leadership skills. Those leadership courses fill up quickly. There is just such a wide range of topics available. Plus, you get to win prizes, which is always fun! The event floor probably has around 4,000 vendors, and it’s enormous. Here's my best personal tip: wear comfortable sneakers because you'll be walking a ton. The McCormick Plaza is one of the biggest event centers in the country, with 3 stories packed with learning opportunities, activities, and prizes. It's truly a great event, and don’t forget to bring some extra cash since the food vendors can be pricey.

ICT: Why is it important for you to attend the Midwinter Meeting?

SB: For all those things, I want to check out the new supplies. So, I walk the floor. While I'm walking the floor, I network with people I know or might need to know; you know, those kinds of connections. I take classes. I network. I enjoy meeting dental assistants. This event is going to be a lot of fun.

I have a good friend named Julie. You can find her on Instagram as "Dental Assistants Rock." Julie is my great buddy. So, we're hosting a Brew and Chew on Thursday morning at 7:30 AM for dental assistants. Just come and talk to us; let us meet you. I want to shake your hand and see who you are. So come by; we’ll be near Starbucks on the event floor for Room 2 on Thursday morning at 7:30 AM. There is just so much going on—it's a busy, bustling place all the time. I don't have an exact number, but around 25,000 people will be there. It's a lively spot, including the events, speakers, and their entourages. It’s just a ton of people who all love teeth. It's crazy; we know each other because we love teeth. We love teeth!

ICT: Can you give me a short overview of your OSHA and CDC presentation?

SB: I will be covering federal guidelines for CDC guidelines because there is no way I could get into the state-level stuff, right? But I'm going to cover CDC guidelines, and it's so funny that we learn from each other, and people don't know what they don't know, right? So I'm going to cover those things, and I'm hoping I have some practical tips on how to do it, like we know the science, but we don't know how to make it everyday dentistry, so I'm hoping that I'm going to cover that, and this is going to be the first ever we're going to have an infection control Jeopardy.

ICT: Do you have anything else you'd like to add?

SB: I'm excited about retiring from Heartland Dental in April 2025 to care for my mom, who has advanced Alzheimer's. I can’t handle a 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM job and her care; it’s impossible for me. So, I'm starting my third career. I originally didn’t plan to go into infection control since there are so many knowledgeable speakers and instructors in that field, and I often feel like they are much smarter than I am. But here I am, suddenly immersed in infection control, and it's become my passion.

I love helping people and witnessing those light bulb moments when they realize something new—like, 'I didn't even know I needed to do this.' I should have been in serious trouble for what I did over the years without knowing better, but I’ve learned from others. Seeing others have that revelation makes everything worthwhile.

Now, I'm embarking on this journey in infection control, but I have other topics to explore as well. For instance, I have a great class on fillings and direct restorations, and in July, I’ll be teaching Illinois doctors how to train their dental assistants, as they often don't know how to do that. I thought my journey would focus solely on that and not on infection control, but now I’ll be juggling both. My third career is kicking off in such a crazy way; I expected a slow start to adjust, but it’s anything but that. The only difference is that I'll still be working full time, but I won't be bound by such strict timelines.