Dental hygienist Cris Griffith works on patient Janet Muggy of Lawrence during a recent biannual checkup.

When dental hygienist Cris Griffith, 49, smiles and reassures a frightened patient, it’s hard to imagine her straight, sparkling teeth were the source of much childhood angst.

“I had buck teeth, and other kids made horrible fun of me in grade school,” Griffith recalls. “I had lots of cavities, too, because, unknown to my mother, I spent all my lunch money on candy. I hated going to the dentist and needed gas to survive all the treatments.”

Carefree summer days spent in her Garden Grove, Calif., neighborhood helped Griffith forget dental challenges.

“I loved swimming in our backyard pool, riding my bike around our neighborhood and playing hide-and-seek and kickball in our cul-de-sac,” she says. “When I was 10, my parents announced we were moving to Lawrence. I wasn’t a happy camper. They had to drag me here. My two older sisters moved back to California straight after high school graduation, and my parents decided to return in 1977 when I graduated from Lawrence High.”

By then, Griffith loved Lawrence. She refused to leave and told her parents she intended to be an orthodontist.

“My announcement shocked them,” she explains. “They made it clear they couldn’t support me financially. I understood their reaction, given my fear of dentists, but I’d overcome it. I got braces in the eighth grade, and my teeth were transformed by my sophomore year, so I appreciated the wonders of great dentistry.”

Her parents’ pleadings to return with them fell on deaf ears. She moved into a local mobile home park and supported herself by working as a dental assistant at the Lawrence Dental Center. When she realized the length of time required to become an orthodontist, she scaled back her plans.

“It seems silly now, but I thought I’d be too old to start a family after all those years of school, and the amount of study seemed too daunting,” she says.

Instead, she completed three semesters of prerequisites at Kansas University, enrolled in the dental hygiene program at Johnson County Community College in 1980 and graduated in 1983. She’s worked as a dental hygienist for Lawrence dentist Allen Kelley for 23 years, loves her job and says it’s unique.

“I start a dental exam and, in most cases, I have a clean set of teeth walking out the door an hour later, and that’s very satisfying,” she explains. “I also get to be part of people’s overall health care. Part of my job involves educating patients about the relationship between good oral health care and their overall health and well-being.”

She enjoys the social aspects of her job. Patients have shared their life celebrations as well as sad times with her, and they’ve watched her three kids grow up as well.

“Things have really worked out well for me,” she acknowledges. “I have a great boss who’s very family-oriented and made it possible for us to attend as many of our kids’ activities as possible. I’ve been able to enjoy lots of time with my family and be an important part of the dental profession.”