Since opening its doors in 1964, the UBC Faculty of Dentistry has graduated over 3,500 dental professionals who continue to impact communities worldwide. From dental hygienists to dentists to dental specialists, we are incredibly proud of our alumni family!

As part of our “in conversation with” series, where we connect with some of our outstanding alumni, and to celebrate Oral Health Month, we spoke with Manvir Grewal, BDSc 2017, who is working in public health.

What does your role with Vancouver Coastal Health entail?

I am one of two dental hygienists serving the city of Vancouver. I do outreach programs centered on health promotion and education for families with children under five and expectant mothers. My role involves delivering key prevention-based messages to families and facilitating connections to dental clinics.

A typical day for me involves going to sites throughout the city that offer drop-in programs for families. I talk to parents about how to brush their kids’ teeth, what to look for in terms of oral health, and how diet affects the mouth. Sometimes I also screen children and help connect them to their neighbourhood dentist or public health dental clinic. I work with a lot of first-time parents and foster parents, as well as immigrant, refugee, and neurodiverse children.

Another large piece of my work is working in collaboration with other public health staff, such as nurses or speech-language pathologists, to help facilitate access to care for children and families with complex needs and challenges.

What sparked your interest in public health?

I went into dental hygiene because I was interested in healthcare and felt I had the right personality for it—I’m organized, detail-orientated, and social, so the nature of the work really drew me in.

I became interested in public health when I started doing community rotations as part of the Dental Hygiene Degree Program at UBC, where I learned about the different roles a hygienist can play. I graduated with a desire to challenge myself and break out of the typical dental hygiene clinical role.

I enrolled in the Master of Public Health program at the University of Victoria after a few years working in private practice. I was the only person in my cohort with a dental background. It was interesting for me to apply a dental lens to a lot of what we learned, and I was especially interested in how policies affect access to oral healthcare and overall healthcare outcomes.

What do you love most about what you do?

In my current role, I love being around children. Many of our kids cry the first time I see them, but if they see me more than once and we’ve established a connection, they’re happy and ready for me to look in their mouths, which is an amazing feeling.

What advice would you give to current UBC dental hygiene students?

Take the time to enjoy life outside of school. Put your best foot forward and find what interests you, but also enjoy everything else going on around you. There’s so much to take advantage of during the student phase of your life, so make time to connect with people and don’t forget to prioritize your overall wellbeing.