We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Megan Jenkins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Megan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

One of my favorite parts of being a dental hygienist is teaching my patients about the mouth body connection. This is being aware that if there are conditions or diseases you have in your body, they will in some ways present in your mouth. That being said, I had a patient I had been treating for a few years, at one of the patients appointments I noticed a lot of bleeding which was abnormal for this patient. I encouraged the patient to see their primary care physician to seek answers of what was going on. A few weeks later, the patient returned and thanked me for saving his life. The patient was a severe type 2 diabetic and was in need of medication to help. The patient’s doctor advised him he was very close to having a stroke. This was a moment that solidified my career choice and the things I do daily to help my patients.

Megan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi! My name is Megan, but I go by Meg to most. I’m a registered dental hygienist, Disney enthusiast, Instagram and travel lover, and a mama to a very sassy 6 year old! I decided to become a dental hygienist in 2016 after I finished my Disney College Program Internship. I’ve always wanted to be in a medical field and that’s what encouraged me to get my bachelors in cell and molecular biology. I chose dental hygiene because it was a career I respected and they have family friendly hours! After dental hygiene school, I decided to start a Disney inspired Instagram to share tips about Disney, and things to do with kiddos in Knoxville while also sharing a sprinkle of the dental world. If any of this sounds interesting to you, please follow me @justaspoonfulofmeg on Instagram! I am most proud of creating a happy, healthy life that I love to spend inspiring others to follow their dreams too! My next goal is to become a wedding coordinator in 2023! And who knows, maybe one day I’ll become a Disney vacation planner, until then I love answering any and all questions about Disney that you may have! If you are looking for a new dentist, we would love to accept you as a new patient at my office, Northshore Smiles Dentistry. We strive to be friendly and provide the best care possible to all ages. I would love to help you brighten your smile!

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

Yes! I just wished I had become more involved in the dental hygiene world sooner than I did! I also wish I had started my Instagram sooner too. I love how my social media journey has brought me many new friends!

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I believe in order to be a successful hygienist, you must be able to adapt every day to every patient. You never know what your patient is going through in their life that can cause them to present as a challenging patient. Being able to be open minded and friendly always me to be able to form better relationships with my patients. I strive to help them feel comfortable and well cared for because many people hate to come to the dentist! I’m your friend first and your hygienist second. I want to know all about your life, family and friends! It’s what makes our job fun!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Justaspoonfulofmeg

Image Credits
Suzy Collins Co