Meet your classmates: A senior juggles dental duties with National Guard

“I could spend hours in a mouth,” Samantha Burma said as she carried her caramel mocha to a nearby table in Latte Da.

Burma, a South Dakota native who was born and raised in Platte, will receive her Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene this December, a degree that’s taken her a mere three years to complete.

“The dental hygiene program is extremely demanding the first year or so,” Burma said. “I already had a few credits under my belt before I started at USD, so I was able to dive right in. Applying for the program is just a lot of paperwork. Then the fun stuff begins.”

Burma knew she wanted to study dental hygiene from an early age. When she was in seventh grade, she paid a visit to the dentist to have her teeth cleaned over Christmas break. Keeping a close eye on how the hygienist was working, Burma had an epiphany and knew that she had found her career.

“I remember hearing all of the seniors at my school stress over what they wanted to study when they went to college and I knew I didn’t want to worry like they did,” she said.

Eight years later, she is ready to inspect some teeth herself.

“I bought myself a Dentist Barbie last year. It’s proudly displayed on my bookshelf,” Burma said.

The dental hygiene program at USD is an extensive process. First-year students are bombarded with information and exams, followed by several years of hands-on training.

“One of the hardest parts for me was the clinical test, which is basically where you inspect someone’s teeth,” Burma said. “The hard part is going out and finding a patient to work on.”

In addition to working toward a dental hygiene degree, Burna has also served in the National Guard for over five and a half years. Currently a specialist, Burma is working hard in hopes of being promoted to sergeant, which means better income and more responsibility. Ideally, Burma would like to work as a hygienist within her unit and get the best of both worlds. The only sergeant position that handles dental hygiene is presently filled, and if Burma doesn’t get promoted, she will proudly remain a specialist.

But originally, Burma was opposed to joining the National Guard.

“I was more of a girly-girl and didn’t like the idea of running drills and wearing uniforms,” she said.

Her life changed, however, when a recruiter visited her history class in high school. As the recruiter delivered more insight to life in the National Guard, Burma polished her thoughts and came to find an appreciation for the program.

“My mom worked in the front office at the time and I remember going to her after that history class and getting really excited about possibly joining,” Burma said.

Burma also joined the National Guard to become closer with her father, who served for 12 and a half years.

“My father was always a man of few words, and I wanted to have something in common with him,” she said.

With her National Guard duties and dental work, Burma keeps busy.

She already has a full-time job lined up with Winner Family Dentistry upon graduation.

“It’s my dream job,” Burma said. “I’m contemplating getting my Master’s through an online program, but I’m not entirely sure. I guess for now I’ll just brush teeth and do 50 push-ups in one minute.”

Reach reporter Joey Sevin at [email protected]