"that looks HORRIBLE in there"

So I will be the first to admit, even though I'm a hygienist and have a career now.. (um weird).. it is quite the transition from school to an office. I make mistakes all the time and am still learning, but so far I've really enjoyed the patients I get to meet every day at work. They are so funny and interesting and it makes my job enjoyable.

Yesterday I had the most tender of patients, and it made me feel so good. It's when I have moments like this that I really love what I'm doing.. and make the stupid little things I do seem not so important :)

So a boy right around my age came in to get his teeth cleaned for the first time in years. Many years. He had a LOT going on. He had so much brown stain on his front teeth that he wouldn't smile all the way. He would barely smile so that his lips still covered up his top front teeth. He ended up needing periodontal work done because he had so much tartar and deep pockets, but I did an initial cleaning where I removed the stain and tartar around those front teeth so he wouldn't be so self conscious. I showed him some pictures of what was in his mouth before I removed any of it, to which he stated, " That looks horrible in there." Then after I was done I gave him a mirror to see the difference. He got this HUGE smile on his face and grinned up at me and he just kept saying," Thank you SO much." I walked him up to the front and he shook my hand and just kept saying how grateful he was and he couldn't stop smiling.

It was my favorite appointment so far. Such a rewarding thing for me to simply do my job and help him feel so much better about himself. That's why I love dentistry and orthodontics. With a little work, you can totally transform a smile and make people's self esteem so much better. I am so lucky to have such a great job!