I Fainted at the Sight of Blood… Now I’m a Dental Hygienist

I fainted at the sight of blood… and now I’m a dental hygienist. In this video, I’m sharing a personal story about passing out during my dental observation hours before hygiene school, how I went from being squeamish around bloody dental procedures to working in dentistry, and why fear of blood, needles, or local anesthesia does not automatically mean you can’t become a registered dental hygienist. We also talk about why I chose dental hygiene over dentistry, what drew me to prevention and patient education, how local anesthesia is taught in dental hygiene school, whether students practice injections on each other, how often hygienists use anesthesia in real practice, and why being someone with fear can actually make you a more empathetic clinician for anxious patients.