Karen Ritchie

Karen Ritchie serves as a full-time instructor in the Dental Assisting Program at the University of Saskatchewan's Health Sciences facility (E3319 HSc – 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon). With 25 years of clinical experience including 22 years in public health dentistry through Manitoba's S.M.I.L.E. Plus Dental Program, she brings frontline expertise in community-based dental care to her teaching role.

Her professional focus centers on critical areas of dental practice:

• Dental Public Health: Specializing in service delivery to Canada's most underserved populations
• Community Dentistry: Implementing outreach programs in high-poverty regions
• Dental Education: Training future dental assistants with emphasis on social responsibility
• Pediatric Dental Outreach: Collaborating with academic institutions on child-focused care initiatives

Ms. Ritchie maintains active leadership in professional organizations:

• Current council member of the Saskatchewan Dental Assistants Association (SDAA)
• Former Canadian Dental Assistants Association (CDAA) board director (2004-2007)
• Former Manitoba Dental Assistants Association (MDAA) president (2006-07) who finalized the association's registration process

Her educational philosophy explicitly emphasizes developing students into both technically proficient dental team members and socially conscious healthcare providers, directly reflecting her decades of community-based practice in Canada's most resource-limited settings.