"I have chosen to become a dentist because of the broad impact I can make on my patients, their families, and my community as a whole. The state of one's mouth has an incredible influence on someone's confidence level. The mouth also impacts many health aspects, including how and what someone eats and drinks, their sleep quality, and even how they talk. As a dentist, I will improve the profession by bringing this whole-health knowledge and mindset to my patients. When my patients feel motivated and empowered to take their entire health into their hands, it will create a trickle-down effect on other aspects of their lives, including their family members' well-being. This ripple will help create greater respect for oral health care, improving how the public views our profession and how often a patient visits the dentist."