Staff Spotlight: Abby Jaquez, CDA, EDDA, Diagnostic Procedure Technician

From Alaska to Aurora, Abby Jaquez, CDA, EDDA, is grateful her career has taken her to many places. One of the most memorable was working with a pediatric dentist in Barrow, Alaska, caring for Alaska Native children. She said, “the children were adorable, and the parents were so appreciative to receive dental care for their young ones. Plus, I received my polar bear patch by jumping into the Arctic Ocean. It was frigid!"

Abby Jaquez, CDA, EDDA, Diagnostic Procedure Technician

A Coloradan, Jaquez loves the outdoors; in the summers, you will find her hiking in the mountains around lakes or chasing waterfalls everywhere she travels. She enjoys exploring nature, teaching students and working with children.

“I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare,” she said. “I pursued dentistry and have been in the field in different aspects for 40 years.” Twenty-six have been at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine (CU SDM) as a dental assistant, a supervisor and a technician in radiology.

Teaching students how to take good radiographs is one of Jaquez’s proudest accomplishments at the dental school. She said, “I will see doctors I taught years ago, and they will say things like, ‘you taught me how to get a distal projection, and now I teach it to my staff.’ It is so satisfying to help students reach their career goals.”

Jaquez demonstrates to Clara Nghiem, DDS '23, how to take a radiograph using a direct sensor at the CU SDM in March 2023.

Before the SDM, Jaquez worked in the dental clinics at Children’s Hospital Colorado for 12 years, where she developed a strong skillset working with patients who may have difficulty staying calm and still long enough to acquire a satisfactory image. Experience like this gives her a unique perspective when demonstrating helpful tactics to students.

Jaquez continues to learn and teach using ever-changing technology, from the days of film-based images at the old building on 9th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard to digital images such as cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans.

“I am grateful for the professional opportunities and support provided to me throughout my career here and am blessed to have worked with many amazing staff, students, residents and faculty.”