Dental Hygienist

Melissa Szolomajer

If you’re wondering what true passion looks like, take a glance at Melissa Szolomajer, the resident Dental Hygienist at Maven Dental New Farm. Melissa is one of those lucky people in the world who work in a field they're passionate about. Someone who takes great pride in her work and genuinely cares about the oral and overall health and wellbeing of every single one of her patients. Some of this might sound clichéd, but read on and see just how passionate Melissa really is, then judge for yourself.

Always being drawn to the industry, Melissa has been involved with dentistry for over 16 years, starting out as a dental assistant, a position she held for six of those years. Eventually, the dentist she was working for, who was privy to her technical skill and high standards of patient care, encouraged her to study further in the field. She knew he was right, as she definitely loved the work but wanted her own patients and to continue to progress professionally. So Melissa took the next step and completed the necessary qualifications to become a dental hygienist, a decision she has most definitely not regretted.

A huge reason why Melissa decided to become a hygienist was so she had a platform to educate people about proper oral health and hygiene. She says she strongly believes that going back to the basics and educating people about a healthy diet, correct brushing and flossing techniques and correct oral maintenance is the key to good, lifelong oral health. This is a message she delivers to every one of her patients and she says seeing this simple education taking effect is one of the best things about her job.

It’s not uncommon for a patient to visit Melissa and have little to no idea about the aforementioned basics of oral health, so their oral hygiene would be quite poor. During her time with her patients, Melissa will always go through these basics and stress their importance in avoiding more serious dental procedures. The amazing thing is when these same people come back to her for their next regular check-up and as a result of a little care and attention, their oral hygiene is hugely improved as they have taken note of what Melissa has told them. There’s no better feeling than knowing you’re actually helping people!

She also loves doing in-chair whitening, which as a dental hygienist she is qualified to do. She says some people might be sceptical, they might think they don’t need it or they might think it’s an unnecessary procedure, as it is purely cosmetic. But as soon as they see the results their eyes light up, a smile crosses their face and you can see their self-esteem experience an instant, on-the-spot boost and Melissa gets to not only witness the whole thing, but facilitate it.

Melissa’s passion also translates to her technical skill in carrying out cleans for patients, often spending twice as long on a patient’s mouth than a dentist might. Melissa, it’s all about doing a good, in-depth clean and spending the necessary time with the patient to help avoid future dental issues. Regular visits with a hygienist can help you avoid decay, root canals, extractions.

The woman herself, Melissa is, as you may have noticed, extremely passionate about her role at Maven Dental New Farm. She’s extremely bubbly, positive, empathetic and approachable and her patients absolutely love her. While some people might shy away from being interrogated about their job, their history and their passions, Melissa jumped at the opportunity to get her message out and have her voice heard even a little bit more.

Read her story View Her Practice