Kia Uddin, CRDH, EFDA

11/13/2025

Dental hygiene didn’t just become my career; it became my purpose. It is the one place in my life where compassion, science, and human connection come together so perfectly that I feel exactly where I’m meant to be. My love for dental hygiene was not sparked by a single moment but shaped by countless small ones, the fragile, honest moments between a clinician and a patient that remind me that what we do matters far more than we sometimes realize.

My journey began the first time I held a patient’s hand as a dental assistant. I didn’t know then that the path ahead would lead me to dental hygiene, but I did know that something about caring for people in their most vulnerable moments made me come alive. I saw patients walk in carrying shame, fear, or pain, and I watched how kindness had the power to soften all three. I realized I didn’t just want to assist in their care, I wanted to be the one who made them feel safe, educated, and empowered.

Becoming a hygienist allowed me to do exactly that.

What makes me love dental hygiene most is not the instruments or the procedures, but the transformation. It’s witnessing someone shift from embarrassment to relief, from fear to trust, from hopelessness to empowerment. Every time a patient sits in my chair, I’m reminded that oral health is deeply personal. It affects how people speak, eat, smile, and exist in the world. Being trusted with that part of someone’s life is something I never take lightly.

One moment that changed me forever was when a man who hadn’t seen a dentist in over a decade. His hands were shaking when he sat down; he wouldn’t make eye contact. He whispered, “Please don’t judge me.” As I worked, I spoke gently, explaining each step and assuring him that he was precisely where he needed to be. When the appointment was over, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, “You made me feel human again.” That was the day I fully understood the impact of this profession. We aren’t just cleaning teeth; we are restoring dignity.

Dental hygiene allows me to treat more than the mouth. I treat the person sitting in front of me. I treat the scared child hiding behind a parent. I treat the medically fragile patient whose oral health could change their overall health trajectory. I treat the hardworking mother who sacrifices her own appointments to take care of her kids first. In every one of them, I see strength, vulnerability, and a story, and I get to be a part of that story.

I love that my profession grows with me. There is always more to learn, more to teach, more ways to uplift the communities around us. Every day, I get to educate, advocate, and connect. I get to be the person who changes someone’s entire view of dentistry. I get to be the reason someone smiles with confidence for the first time in years.

Dental hygiene has shaped my heart as much as it has shaped my career. It taught me empathy. It taught me patience. It taught me that healing isn’t always loud; sometimes it’s in the quiet moments when a patient says, “Thank you. I feel better now.”

That is why I love dental hygiene. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s meaningful. Because it changes lives. Because it changed mine.

Kia Uddin, CRDH