Nicole Salazar-Mejia

Born and raised in Queens, New York, hygienist Nicole Salazar-Mejia has been practicing dentistry since she was a kid—even if just in her imagination. “My stepsister and my little cousins and I would all pretend to be dentists to each other,” she says. “Our family dentist was just so sweet and kind, it always seemed like fun.”

But it wasn’t always that way: “I used to be so afraid when I was really young,” she says. “I still have a fear of needles—that’s probably going to be a lifelong thing—but that dentist helped make me feel so much more comfortable. The energy and emotion you get from a provider can make a big difference, so I always try to keep it fun, light-hearted, and positive.”

Originally trained as a dental lab technician, Nicole transferred into hygiene to spend more time with patients. “That’s the part I really love,” she says. “Before it was just me in a room, making teeth, things like that. But to meet new people, and maybe even change their perspective about dentistry, that’s awesome.”