Kayla Aamoth RDH, BSDH, MHA

Growing up, the odds were stacked against me. My mother was just a child herself at 14 years old when she brought me into this world. Navigating life under those circumstances meant living with continuous financial hardship, instability, and a lack of resources. The path to a better future was far from obvious or easy, but watching her fight against adversity instilled in me a deep resilience and an unwavering desire to break the cycle of poverty through education.

As a first-generation college student, step one was simply taking the leap into higher education. Entering college felt like stepping onto a foreign landscape with no map or guide. I had to learn how to navigate academic systems, manage finances, and build a career path entirely on my own. It was intimidating, but failure was not an option.

Through discipline, perseverance, and sheer determination, I pursued and completed my degree in dental hygiene (and later my bachelor’s and master’s degrees). Choosing dental hygiene transformed my life in ways I could have only dreamed of as a child. It provided financial independence, security, and a professional foundation that allowed me to build a truly beautiful, fulfilling life, one for which I am immensely grateful every single day. For the first time, I wasn't just surviving; I was thriving.

However, dental hygiene became far more than just a means to achieve stability—it became my life’s true passion. In my day-to-day practice, I quickly realized that oral healthcare is closely tied to overall health, self-esteem, and quality of life, yet it remains inaccessible to far too many people. Having grown up in a disadvantaged environment, I intimately understand the barriers, shame, and fear that often prevent individuals from seeking care or prioritizing their health.

This personal history fuels my core passion within the dental hygiene profession: reaching and uplifting underserved and disadvantaged communities. I know firsthand what it feels like to start life from behind, and I know how life-changing a single opportunity or compassionate professional can be. Whether through community outreach, patient education, or volunteering in clinics that serve low-income families, my goal is to meet patients with empathy, understanding, and dignity rather than judgment. Every smile restored and every patient educated is a reminder of how far I have come, and why I chose this path. Dental hygiene gave me the platform, stability, and purpose to transform my own story. My lifelong commitment now is to use my profession to help others rewrite theirs, empowering individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to lead healthier, healthier, and brighter lives.