North Jefferson News, Gardendale, AL

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July 7, 2010

Childhood love of dentist leads to career in teeth

By Ben Montgomery The North Jefferson News

WARRIOR — Unlike most people, Nicole Jones loved going to the dentist as a child. She said it’s the reason she became a dental hygienist.

“I love the dentist’s office smell,” she said. “It just smells clean.” Jones has been a dental hygienist at Warrior Family Dentistry for a year, and a dental assistant for three years before that. She said her job is challenging, but rewarding.

“Every day is a challenge. Every customer is a challenge; every mouth is different,” she said. “I get to meet all different types of people — people who travel the world.”

She said she also likes to hear people’s stories, and becomes invested in her customers’ lives.

“Sometimes they’ll tell me about something, and I’ll feel like I should go home and pray about it,” she said.

Jones said she thinks many people feel embarrassed about their teeth if they haven’t been in for a cleaning in a while.

“The first step to making things better is to come in,” she said. “You have to want to make things better.”

Jones usually starts with X-raying a patient’s teeth. However, if a patient is in pain, she will go get a dentist.

After that, she will start the process of cleaning and polishing the teeth. She said most people just have coffee or tea stains, but that cleaning them can make a world of difference.

“It can change your life. People notice your smile first,” she said. “Sometimes people will come in and they’re afraid to smile, but after they get cleaned they can’t stop smiling.”

In addition to building confidence, Jones said taking care of teeth can help prevent heart disease and diabetes.

“Taking care of your body starts with taking care of your mouth,” she said.

Jones said she enjoys working with the people at Warrior Family Dentistry.

“It’s a fun place to work,” she said. “It’s like a big community.”

Jones grew up in Hayden, and now lives in Gardendale.

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