About me
My name is Essence Smith and I am a proud military brat. I have seen so much of the world and so many different smiles. Each smile is different and deserves a tailored experience to achieve and maintain oral health. I am studying to be a dental hygienist because I want to help people achieve the oral health status they deserve and continue to maintain that status. Every individual deserves to love their smile.
Education
June 2014
Graduated from Blythewood High School in Blythewood, South Carolina
August 2014- May 2015
Attended Tri-County Technical College pursuing degree in Biological Sciences
June 2015- August 2016
Attended Midlands Technical College pursuing a degree in Arts & Sciences
August 2016- August 2019
Attended the University of South Carolina pursing a Bachelors degree in Biological Sciences
August 2019
Graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelors in Biological Sciences
August 2019- May 2020
Attended Midlands Technical College completing prerequisites for the Midlands Tech Dental Hygiene Program
August 2025- Present
Attending Midlands Technical College as a Dental Hygiene student
Continuing Education
Management of Pediatric Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office
Jayakumar Jayaraman, BDS, MDS, FDSRCS, MS, PhD
Self Instructional 2 hour CE credit with P&G
11/28/2025
Aerosols in the Dental Office: Best Practices for the Patient and Practitioner Safety
Maria (Mia) L. Geisinger, DDS, MS
Self-instructive 2 hour CE credit with P&G
12/08/2025
Stop Blaming Your Patient: Tips on Effective Oral Health Communication
Dr. Tien Jiang
Live 1 hour CE credit with Colgate
01/29/2026
A Fresher Look at String Floss
Self-Study/Online 1 hour CE credit with ADHA
02/01/2026
From Inspection to Resolution: Real Cases of How Dental Practices Navigated OSHA Investigations
Dr. Karson Carpenter
Live, Interactive 1 hour CE webinar with PACE Academy of General Dentistry and Viva Learning
10/29/2025
Basic Life Support
Emile Delegram
Conducted by Single Source Health & Safety - My CPR Pros
American Red Cross
Completed: 06/26/2025, Valid until 06/30/2027
HIPAA Privacy & Security for Students VPS
Training provided by E-Volve E-Learning Solutions
06/14/2025
Bloodborne Pathogens for Healthcare Workers VPS
Training provided by E-Volve E-Learning Solutions
05/08/2025
Career Goals
1 Year Goal
In a year, I am hoping to have greatly improved my clinical experience and become a confident, knowledgeable registered dental hygienist by understanding and passing my board exams. I aim to be skilled enough with restoring and maintaining optimal oral health to ensure that all of my patients receive the best preventative oral health care.
3 Year Goal
In 3 years I hope to be a practicing dental hygienist at a reputable preventative care family dentistry office. I want to be able to work on a wide variety of patients. My clinical skills, confidence, and experience with patients at this time should indicate that I am doing a job that I am passionate about.
5 Year Goal
In 5 years I am hoping to be a semi-seasoned RDH at a family dentistry that I have been working with for several years. I want to be able to treat the entire family from baby teeth to elderly. I hope to be working with individuals that reinforce my love for dental hygiene every day.
Clinical Experience
September 2025- Present
Proficient in use of:
- Dental probing
- Dental exploring
- Scaling with universal and area specific instruments
- Rubber cup polishing
- Cavitron ultrasonic scaler
- Oral hygiene instruction with toothbrushing techniques, dentrifices, chemotherapeutics, and fluoride application
~Proficient in disease and infection control in a clinical setting.
Community Outreach
South Carolina Oral Health Action Network for the MLK Day of Service/Re-Pack the Backpack Community Outreach Event at Ed-Venture Museum
My classmates and I came out to distribute school supplies and oral hygiene kits to over 300 children. I believe we made a significant impact on the community. It means so much to me to be able to help children because they are the future we should all be supporting. - 3 hours
01/19/2026
Assisted with preparation for community Easter Egg Hunt at Midlands Technical College - 2 hours
My classmates and I filled about 250 eggs with candy and prizes for children at the community Easter egg hunt. We also helped to set up event booths. Spring is a wonderful time to get out and give back to the community.
03/30/2026 and 04/01/2026
Volunteer and Small Group work with students at Killian Elementary School 2nd Grade Class
I have always enjoyed working with children, and I love to work at my local elementary school whenever they will have me. Killian Elementary does theater projects and pageants every year that many of the teacher and students put in extra unpaid or uncredited hours. I always enjoy helping to make these events come to fruition.
04/03/2026
Licensure and Certifications
Basic Life Support/CPR Certification
Completed: 06/26/2025, Valid until 06/30/2027
Professional Associations
~ADHA- Member since 2025
~SCSDHA - Member since 2025
~Greater Columbia DHA - Member since 2025
~MTC SDHA - Member since 2025
Awards
SC LIFE Scholarship -Awarded 2014
SCWINS- Awarded 2025
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