To understand my love for dental hygiene, let’s go back about a decade. In high school, I participated in a work-based learning program, shadowing a dental office every morning with the hope of becoming a hygienist one day. Not long before this, I was diagnosed with a severe mental illness. A few years later during a flare up an outpatient therapist told me I should “just apply for disability” because I’d likely never be able to maintain full-time employment due to the severity of my symptoms and attaining my goal of becoming a hygienist seemed unfathomable at that time.
Through immense support from my family, finding the right medication regimen, and working with multiple therapists, I was able to get back on track. At the time, I thought managing my mental health would be the hardest challenge I’d ever face—but then came dental hygiene school.
In my first year, I failed out on the last competency of our first semester and had to reapply. Our passing rate was an 85 and I had scored just around an 83. I was crushed and absolutely devastated. That experience tested my resilience, but making it through the second time around taught me the true meaning of perseverance. Now, I am deeply grateful that I pushed myself forward and started over, making it past that dreaded competency, passing boards, and securing my license I thought multiple times I may never get.
This career offers me work-life balance to care not only for my patients but also for myself. Dental hygiene allows me to connect with patients who may be experiencing struggles similar to my own, to more easily be open to exploring with patients barriers they may be experiencing that are invisible to the naked eye but are very real mental struggles for them. It enables me to approach each patient with empathy and understanding they may never even realize I possess. This profession has helped me shift my perspective on my own mental health journey—from shame and stigma to triumph and growth.
As a dental hygienist, I am passionate about encouraging others who may feel that their dreams are out of reach—from patients who are experiencing difficulties in life or fellow future colleagues who may be experiencing difficulty pushing through the rigorous demands of dental hygiene school-I want them to know that failure doesn’t define us; perseverance does.
With over seven years of experience in the dental field—four of them as a hygienist—another piece to the puzzle I love about dental hygiene is leadership and advocacy. My former dental hygiene program director encouraged me to join the Georgia Dental Hygienists’ Association (GDHA) as our local component chair. Through this involvement, I’ve witnessed and contributed to significant changes, like the addition of local anesthesia and laser therapy to our scope of practice in Georgia.
One moment that stands out was when I spoke with my senator about legislation affecting our field. He admitted he didn’t know what a dental hygienist was until recently—his dentist had always cleaned his teeth! His background was in agriculture, not dentistry. That conversation reminded me how vital it is to advocate for our profession. Every patient I meet, I make it a point to introduce myself: “I’m Amber, your dental hygienist.” I want people to understand the full scope of what we do: oral cancer screenings, comprehensive periodontal assessments, radiographs, airway evaluations, individualized home care recommendations, and so much more. I love the opportunity dental hygiene gives me to educate—not just patients, but the wider community—about the value and capabilities of our profession.
The last and most personal and profound moment in my career came with my grandfather, who I call Pawpaw. My entire life up until my late 20’s I had never seen him truly smile in person or any photos. About a year into working at my first job out of hygiene school he had been battling recurrent infections after a surgery, and I wondered if an undiagnosed oral issue might be contributing after being educated on oral systemic connection in school and through CE as a new graduate. With sensitivity, I shared my concerns with him. He agreed to an exam, where we discovered severe decay and broken teeth, all of which required extraction. We planned for full extractions and upper and lower dentures. I didn’t realize until recently during a conversation with my grandfather how big and courageous of a step this was for him as he shared with me a horrific dental experience he had as a child. He shared with me, as many of my patients do, his fear of being in the dental chair. This fear and initial sadness over his oral condition turned into joy quickly when Pawpaw got his dentures. I’ll never forget the moment I saw him smile—truly smile—for the first time in my life. That experience reminded me how interconnected oral health is with overall health and how impactful our work can be.
Dental hygiene has done more than give me a career; it has shaped who I am and who I will become. It has taught me resilience, humility, and the power of connection. I love dental hygiene because it allows me to help others while continuing to grow and heal myself. Together with my patients and colleagues, I am inspired to persevere, advocate, and create meaningful change through putting a little of my heart into the dental hygiene work and care my hands are entrusted to provide.