I chose my profession to help children remain cavity free. Dental caries is mostly a preventable disease, so with education and appropriate measures at a young age many children can remain cavity free for a lifetime.

The majority of cavities occur in high-risk children who may not have easy access to dental care. The children presenting to the NOAH pediatric dental clinics tend to be in this group. I believe that working for NOAH is a great way for me to use my skills to help the most vulnerable in our community.

While money certainly can make some things easier, it can’t make someone happy in the long term. After winning the lottery, there isn’t anything I could buy that would make me happier. The only thing that can bring true happiness is by living generously and helping others. I try to live my life by a quote from Andre Agassi in his autobiography. “The only perfection there is, [is] the perfection of helping others. This is the only thing we can do that has lasting value or meaning. This is why we’re here. To make each other feel safe.” So, lottery or no lottery, I will be working with NOAH to help children and their parents feel safe in a dental home they can trust.