The main reason I wanted to be a dental hygienist was because the job is based on

prevention. I live a healthy and maintainable lifestyle through daily exercise and nutrition. This

is in hopes that I live a long and healthy life! Prevention plays a big role in your oral health and I

am happy to help people achieve a status of health.

I had a patient one day that had been diagnosed with lichen planus. She informed me

that she had an ulcer on the inside of her cheek for several weeks. A doctor from the oral

pathology department came to take a look at it and told the patient that it was from her

traumatic occlusion and should not be concerned. My instructor and I had a conversation and

agreed that it appeared to be more than that. I recommended the patient get a second opinion

and she can have it biopsied just to make sure it was nothing serious. It doesn’t hurt to take a

closer look sometimes and I hope that if it was something more serious that we caught it early.

Dental hygienist place sealants, apply topical fluoride, and perform extra-oral and intra-

oral cancer screenings. Sealants help to keep plaque and bacteria out of deep pits and fissures

in the teeth that may be vulnerable to cavities. I think sealants are such and quick, easy, and

effective way to prevent cavities. I enjoy providing oral hygiene instruction and nutritional

counseling to my patients. I was never told how to brush my teeth correctly until dental

hygiene school and I was so glad when I learned how! I have included my log of literature

covering aphthous ulcers and an extra-oral and intra-oral examination proficiency. I also

attached my sealant placement proficiency.