With her love of health and education, Melia graduated as a dental hygienist in 2009. Before jumping into dental hygiene school, she spent part of her childhood learning the finer things of dentistry in her father’s dental practice in Canada. Since graduation, she’s worked in private practices in Canada and the US, as well as in education as an adjunct professor. She received her Master of Education degree in 2019. She currently is an adjunct professor at Utah Valley University and works clinically with patients to help their oral and overall health. She loves the field so much that she co-created Hygiene Edge, an education platform for dental professionals to learn new skills and techniques. She’s passionate about dental hygienists being able to practice to their education and is active in the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and the American Academy of Dental Hygiene. Melia was a helpful part of passing legislation in Utah to let dental hygienists become practitioners in alternative settings out of the traditional practice model, and has worked with programs going into schools to treat this needed population. When she’s not talking about dentistry, she loves exploring Utah’s outdoors and traveling with her family and goldendoodle.