Phoenix LeGrand, RDH

I did not enter dental hygiene because it was easy. I entered because it saved me.

For a long time, I was struggling with depression. I stopped taking care of myself. I neglected

my oral health. I stopped smiling. I did not feel like I mattered.

Then it happened. I had to have a tooth pulled.

My whole life, people told me, “Your smile is the best thing about you.”

And suddenly, it was gone.

I remember sitting in that dental chair trying to stay strong, but when the reality hit me, I

started sobbing. I felt ashamed. I felt embarrassed. I felt broken.

But instead of judging me, the dental assistant did something I will never forget. She hugged me.

She did not tell me I should have taken better care of myself. She did not make me feel guilty.

She just held me and made me feel safe.

In that moment, I felt seen. I felt cared for. I felt human again.

That moment changed my life.

That was when I knew I wanted to be that person for someone else. I wanted to help people who felt ashamed or afraid. I wanted to treat people with the compassion I needed that day. I wanted to make people feel loved and worthy of care.

That moment sparked my passion for dental hygiene. A Patient Interaction I Will Never Forget One of the most memorable patients I have ever had was someone with Autism and severe dental anxiety. She normally avoided the dentist for years at a time because appointments were always overwhelming and overstimulating. But with me, something different happened. We laughed almost the entire appointment.

Before I started, I said, “This is your appointment. If anything feels like too much, just tell me and we will stop. You are in control.”

She relaxed right away.

I let her hold the suction. I explained everything in a casual, friendly way. We talked about life. We joked about the weird noises. We made the dental chair feel safe and fun.

There was no panic. There was no shutdown. There was trust.

At the end, she looked at me and said, “I never want you to leave. I am only coming back if it is with you.”

And the most meaningful part? She scheduled her next cleaning in six months instead of

waiting two years like she usually did.

That is when I realized something powerful. Dental hygiene is not just about cleaning teeth. It is about changing how people feel. It is about turning fear into comfort. It is about making the dental office a safe place. What Keeps Me Inspired

It is the people. It is the patient who whispers, “I was so scared, but you made this easy.” It is the moment someone smiles at themselves in the mirror for the first time in years. It is earning the trust of someone who has been hurt before. It is watching someone go from ashamed to proud. It is seeing healing, not just in the mouth, but in their confidence.

Even on the hardest days, I remind myself: Someone needs me today.

And that is enough.

Why I Love Dental Hygiene I love dental hygiene because it allows me to love people back to health. I love it because I get to be the person who says, “You matter. You are safe here. You deserve care.”

I love it because I know what it feels like to sit in that chair and feel broken. And I know how powerful it is when someone helps you feel whole again.

Dental hygiene gave me back my smile. Now, every day, I get to give that gift to someone else.

That is why I will never stop loving what I do.

Sincerely,

Phoenix LeGrand, RDH