This article is part of a series focusing on the grads of the 马会论坛 Class of 2022. Spring Convocation runs from May 24 to June 3 in Halifax and Truro. Read all our profiles here as they are published, and for more information visit the Convocation website.
As a child growing up in Halifax, Geoff Seto (DDH鈥�22) didn鈥檛 visit the dentist very often 鈥� just for emergencies. His parents, who earned a modest living, had limited access to dental care while growing up so they never learned the importance of regular checkups. But a few years ago, his mother鈥檚 bout with cancer changed the family鈥檚 outlook on oral health.
At one point in her cancer journey, Geoff鈥檚 mother needed a liver transplant. Following surgery, the mix of anti-rejection medications she was taking caused her to develop oral thrush, a yeast infection on her tongue and throat that made swallowing extremely painful.
鈥淢om said it was excruciating and 100 times worse than surgery,鈥� says Geoff. 鈥淭hat experience gave her a whole new perspective on oral health, and how it can greatly impact quality of life. And it opened my eyes to the importance of preventative dental care and hygiene.鈥�
After earning a degree in microbiology from 马会论坛 in 2010, Geoff knew he wanted to pursue some sort of health-care profession, but as an undergraduate he never considered dental hygiene. Undecided about further schooling, he spent 10 years working as a science interpreter at Halifax鈥檚 Discovery Centre, where he discovered that he loved working with kids, teaching science, and travelling around the province doing community outreach.
It鈥檚 no surprise, then, that when Geoff started the dental hygiene program as a mature student, he discovered that his favourite patients are children. 鈥淎t Harbour View Elementary, we saw many kids with decayed teeth and cavities who may not fully understand the importance of brushing and going to the dentist,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 enjoy telling stories and jokes so they feel comfortable being in the dental chair.鈥�
A prime example of a funny story that made the Discovery Centre kids hoot is this: when someone challenged him to eat a hamburger with 10 patties on it, he accepted 鈥� and succeeded! Although the order startled the server at Wendy鈥檚, he got his hefty burger and ate it in one sitting.
鈥淚t was not enjoyable, but I did it,鈥� says Geoff, chuckling. The nickname he earned 鈥� Ten Patty Fatty 鈥� stuck. 鈥淓very year after that, I鈥檇 meet brothers and sisters of summer-camp kids from the year before, and they鈥檇 call me Ten Patty Fatty.鈥�
A new career path
Although Geoff enjoyed working at the Discovery Centre, he wanted to explore new opportunities. After the science centre was shut down at the start of the pandemic, he returned to university to pursue a new career path.
One of only two male students in his graduating class of 29, Geoff chose Dal for dental hygiene because it has a good reputation both at home and internationally. Initially, he was challenged by the volume of the course content 鈥� and by COVID-19鈥檚 shutdowns and the move to online learning.
Geoff鈥檚 comfort level with his peers and professors helped overcome any jitters. 鈥淲hat I enjoyed the most about my time here was getting to know my classmates and instructors,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檒l likely stay in touch after we graduate.鈥�
Geoff also enjoyed the program鈥檚 variety. In 2021, he worked as a summer research student on a project investigating how xerostomia (dry mouth) affects speech, chewing, swallowing and quality of life. He asked people to eat crackers, measured their salivary flow and collected spit samples for analysis. 鈥淚t was a neat experience, for sure,鈥� he says.
Although he found that project interesting, Geoff doesn鈥檛 see himself pursuing a career in research. Instead, he hopes one day to combine clinical practice with community outreach and teaching 鈥� ideally, somewhere in Halifax, where he鈥檒l be close to home so he can care for his parents as they get older.
Looking forward to what comes next
For now, Geoff is focused on writing his board exam, looking at job prospects, and taking some time to reflect on his experience in dental hygiene school. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a challenging program, but also very rewarding,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e have fantastic instructors who go above and beyond, providing encouragement and helping us get to where we are today.鈥�
When Geoff earned his microbiology degree from Dal, he didn鈥檛 attend his convocation ceremony. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 seem that important to be there, it just felt like a piece of paper,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 planning to go to this one, which will feel more personal because of our small class size. It鈥檒l be nice to walk across the stage with my classmates and celebrate what we鈥檝e achieved.鈥�
