When Passion Creates Opportunity: Why I Said Yesterday to My Next Professional Chapter
Why I accepted a new role with WaterPik, why I’m staying in clinical practice, and how my passion for patient education and whole-body health has shaped this exciting next step in my dental hygiene career.
CAREERWATERPIKORAL-SYSTEMIC LINKPATIENT EDUCATION
Emily Wall
6/25/20263 min read
When Passion Creates Opportunity: Why I Said Yes to My Next Professional Chapter
By Emily Wall, RDH | Emily4Smiles
There are certain moments in life where an opportunity presents itself and you realize it isn’t coming out of nowhere — it is simply the natural progression of passions you have been quietly building for years.
I am incredibly excited to share that I have officially accepted a new role as a Professional Educator with Waterpik, where I will be helping educate dental professionals through their Lunch & Learn educational program.
This opportunity feels especially meaningful to me because it aligns so deeply with what has become the foundation of my career philosophy over the last several years: education, prevention, and whole-body health.
I Was Never “Just Cleaning Teeth”
One thing I have learned throughout my journey as a registered dental hygienist is that our profession extends far beyond prophylaxis appointments, radiographs, and periodontal charting.
Every single day in clinical practice, I am reminded that the oral cavity gives us valuable insight into what is happening throughout the rest of the body.
As hygienists, we often spend more one-on-one time with patients than many other healthcare providers. That means we have an incredible opportunity — and responsibility — to look deeper.
The more I practiced, the more I realized something important: I wanted to know more.
The Story Behind “Extra Emily”
If you ask some of my coworkers, they will probably laugh and tell you that around the office I’ve earned the nickname “Extra Emily.”
And honestly? They’re not wrong.
I’m the hygienist who spends extra time reviewing health histories because I want to understand the bigger picture.
I’m the one who spends extra time explaining bone loss and helping patients understand what periodontal disease actually means beyond just hearing the words “deep pockets.”
I’m the one pulling out mirrors, intraoral photos, typodonts, floss samples, electric toothbrushes, interdental brushes, and turning appointments into what probably looks like an impromptu show-and-tell session.
I ask extra questions.
I take extra notes.
I spend extra time connecting oral findings to systemic health concerns.
And yes… sometimes I run a little extra behind schedule.
My coworkers tease me about it — and I genuinely don’t mind.
Because here is what I have learned:
When patients come back with healthier tissue…
When inflammation markers improve…
When blood pressure readings start trending downward…
When patients with diabetes tell me their A1C levels have improved because they finally understood the inflammation connection…
That extra effort suddenly doesn’t feel so extra.
It feels worth it.
Because sometimes the difference between simply performing healthcare and truly changing health outcomes… is being willing to go the extra mile.
Apparently in my case… the extra several miles.
Why Continuing Education Became an Obsession
Throughout my career, I have consistently pursued continuing education opportunities far beyond what is required to maintain my license.
Not because I had to.
Because I genuinely wanted to better understand the complex relationship between oral health and systemic health so I could better serve my patients.
I have spent countless hours attending webinars, reading research, participating in professional discussions, and learning from some of the most forward-thinking clinicians in our profession.
The deeper I went, the more passionate I became about one thing in particular: patient education.
Because patients deserve more than simply being told what is wrong.
They deserve to understand why it matters.
Why This Opportunity Feels So Right
Joining Waterpik as a Professional Educator feels like an opportunity to expand the work I already love doing.
I now have the ability to help educate not only patients, but also dental professionals who are working every day to improve patient health outcomes in their own communities.
I strongly believe that preventive care and patient education remain some of the most powerful — and often underutilized — tools we have in healthcare.
But I’m Not Leaving Clinical Dentistry Behind
While I am incredibly excited for this new professional chapter, one thing is equally important to me:
I am not ready to step away from patient care.
I will continue working clinically three days per week because I genuinely love the relationships I have built with my patients and value the trust they place in me.
Clinical practice keeps me connected to the real-world patient experiences that continue shaping how I think as both a clinician and now an educator.
For me, this new role is not about leaving one passion behind.
It is about expanding it.
Looking Ahead
I feel incredibly grateful for every opportunity that has led me here — every patient interaction, every continuing education course, every mentor, every lesson learned along the way.
This next chapter feels like confirmation that when you continue investing in your passions, opportunities often begin finding you.
And maybe… just maybe… being a little Extra Emily has finally paid off. 😉
Here’s to the next chapter. 💙🦷💧