See that smile in the photo? Those pearly white, freshly pam… well, those teeth are no accident. Amber Auger loves and takes care of her teeth. She plans on doing the same for you. The Lewiston High School 2007 grad is currently a junior at the University of New Haven in Connecticut studying to be a dental hygienist. But before she takes on your teeth, she wants to go to Romania to assist with the dental needs there.

Name: Amber Auger

Age: 21

Condition of your teeth: Pearly white, freshly pampered with flossing and brushing.

How did you get interested in dentistry? I became interested in dentistry in elementary school. We learned about the mouth in sixth grade; I was fascinated with the way teeth formed and erupted in the mouth.

Were you a big brusher and flosser as a child? I had great oral hygiene as a child, although I lacked the C-shape with the floss that makes it so effective! I can do it while driving now.

Looking in people’s mouths all day… you ready for that? I love working in mouths! They are all so different and it’s like I am a detective.

What’s the hardest part of becoming a dental hygienist? The course load at school, along with balancing working and trying to maintain a social life. I can tell you every picture hanging in the library. As a hygienist I need to have knowledge on the entire body, not just the mouth. This means medications, diseases, conditions and how to modify treatment in order to keep the patient safe.

People chew ice. They use your teeth as pliers and wire cutters. They untie knots with them. What’s the worst thing you’ve seen or heard of? Seriously, as pliers? I have never heard of that. I watch people tear open plastic with their teeth often and every time I feel like I’m having a heart attack. I have seen chipped teeth caused by people trying to open things with their choppers!

Do you get on your friends and parents about their dental hygiene? I live with two other hygiene majors and have two roommates that are not in the program. They love letting us clean their teeth and know all about the proper flossing and brushing techniques. I do get on my friends and family about their hygiene because I know how important it is.

Word in the waiting room is that you are hoping to go to Romania for two weeks this summer as part of a university program. Why? I want to go to Romania to work in an orphanage and help those in need of dental care. I have been blessed with so many opportunities in my life and want to be able to impact others. I want to give people the chance to have the dental treatment that their own resources would never allow them to have.

Along with going to school, you’re raising money for the trip, working several jobs, trying to come up with the $5,000 needed. Worth it all? I am currently selling toothbrushes at Marco’s Italian restaurant, selling headbands that can be purchased at www.bondiband.com (mentioning my name will donate all proceeds to my fund) and selling Crest Whitestrips. It’s a lot of money to raise, and sometimes I get overwhelmed, but I feel that I am destined to go on this trip. I know it will be worth it when I look into the first child’s eyes and see a glimmer of hope that I helped put there.

What’s your ultimate goal: Make a lot of money, retire and sail around the world like my former dentist? My ultimate goal is to help people, to give back to others and to lead a stable financial life that I never had.

OK, be our mom for a minute: What do we all need to do for a lifetime of healthy teeth? Well, it’s extremely important to see your amazing dental hygienist every six months. The hygienist removes calculus, which is hardened-on plaque that can only be removed with her awesome instruments and techniques. To maintain your healthy mouth after seeing your hygienist, the patient should be flossing with a c-shape — hugging each tooth with the floss as you move the floss up and down against the tooth. After flossing, the patient should brush their teeth using small tiny circles at a 45-degree angle to the gum line, for at least two minutes twice a day. Fluoride mouth rinse and toothpaste are also great ways to keep the enamel strong.

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