Ariel Snell has always been passionate about healthy smiles. While in high school, Ariel dressed as the tooth fairy and taught younger children about basic oral hygiene. During these peer education sessions, Ariel noticed that many children were missing teeth and had unaddressed cavities. She wondered “if their parents were even taking them to the dentist.” Seeing the intense need for dental health education put Ariel on the path to become a dentist. She attended Seton Hill University where she majored in biology and chemistry.
Now, Ariel is a dual degree student at the University of Pittsburgh studying dental medicine and public health. Her passion for educating young people about dental hygiene has become even more powerful. Last year, Ariel participated in a mission trip to Jamaica and helped to provide a free dental clinic to residents who struggle to find, or pay for, oral healthcare.
Ariel recently went to a health fair at the Homewood Community Engagement Center and noticed the lack of an oral health education program. She thought back to an informational session for the Pittsburgh Schweitzer Fellowship Program she attended during her first year of dental school. Feeling inspired and focused, Ariel knew her final year of dental school was the perfect time to try her hand at an original service project.
Through her Schweitzer project, Homewood’s Healthy Smiles, Ariel hopes to address local teens’ lack of oral health knowledge. Ariel explained that many patients do not understand the connection between oral hygiene and overall well-being or conditions like diabetes and asthma. During her educational sessions, Ariel will instruct young adults on how to maintain proper oral hygiene. She also plans to include mindfulness and mediation in order to encourage her students to pursue a more complete picture of health.
Ariel finds inspiration in many places. She notes that Albert Schweitzer’s selfless dedication to service inspires her to use her skills to address community needs. Ariel’s faith also guides her life in service. She believes that her purpose in life is to “be a beacon of hope and be of service to others.” To Ariel, working for the betterment of society is more important than money and material things.
On the day we met, Ariel had just received a physical copy of her first published academic article. Her research regarding the association between a child’s caries experience and the mother’s perception of her child’s oral health status was published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
After she graduates, Ariel hopes to work at a federally qualified health center and serve communities that may not have access to other dental care. One day, her dream is to own her own dental practice and create more programs like her Pittsburgh Schweitzer Fellowship Program project.
In her free time, Ariel loves baking, exercising, and watching mystery TV shows.
