Hello! My name is Sylvia Gines, I am 37 years old, I live in Brooklyn, NY and in spring 2020 I will be finishing my journey to become a dental hygienist. My interest in dentistry all started at the age of 14. My Mom worked as a dental assistant and would come home to tell me all the fascinating things she did at work. From assisting in simple procedures, like amalgam fillings to more complex procedures like surgical extractions. My Mom always wore a smile. She loved her profession, which made me want to continue in her footsteps and explore the dental field.
At the age of 17, I was able to obtain a job as a dental assistant for an oral surgeon. I learned about many procedures, and saw many different patient cases. Seeing cases first hand, convinced me that this was the field I wanted to be in. Throughout my 18 years of assisting, I have worked with many dentists including a general dentist, prosthodontist, pedodontist, and periodontist. Although I assisted the dentist, I would always go and speak to the hygienist because the patients were always so eager to come and see her. She expressed all the wonderful things about being a hygienist. She had a great ability to comfort a patient’s fear of the dentist. The hygien The hygienist also loved educating and motivating the patients on the importance of oral healthcare. I was amazed and in awe of how proud she was of being able to provide the best care for her patients. It was because of my conversation with the hygienist that led me to confirm my decision on becoming a dental hygienist.
In the fall of 2016 I finally built up the courage to start my journey of becoming a hygienist. I applied to the Dental Hygiene program at New York City College of Technology. My time in this program was both challenging and rewarding. It was a lot of hard work that motivated me to push forward and pursue my dream of becoming a dental hygienist. Throughout the program, I got the privilege of making great patient relationships and educating patients.
The Dental Hygiene program at City Tech has been the most challenging thing I have ever gone through. This program made me push past my insecurities and have the confidence to push me out of my comfort zone and to properly utilize my critical thinking skills. I am proud to say I am confident in my skills as a dental hygienist. I am able to make patients feel comfortable, educate, and motivate them on individual home care recommendations, and make them confident in their clean and healthy smile. I am so excited to begin my career as a dental hygienist and help as many patients achieve a healthy beautiful smile.
Thank you for reading!
