Joanna (Wampler) Roller attended Northwest Technology Center during the 2004-2005 school year.  She was enrolled in the Health Careers Certification program and earned her certification as a dental assistant.  Roller then went on to attend Rose State College in the Dental Hygienist program.  

According to Roller her decision to enter this field came early in life,  “I decided I wanted to be a dental hygienist when I was 16 years old. I always enjoyed going to the dentist, the staff was very friendly and always made every visit a positive one. I really enjoyed getting my teeth cleaned and I was very curious about dentistry in general. My hygienist, Keena Burnet, was always very friendly and answered my numerous questions about dental hygiene.”  

Roller continued, “I earned my dental assisting certification after attending the Health program at Northwest Tech.  My dental assisting experience was such a huge key to my success throughout hygiene school and in my career as a hygienist. Already having a basic knowledge of dentistry put me ahead of the game. It also helped me to learn how to interact with the patients. Patients always have questions that extend past dental hygiene, such as what all goes into a root canal procedure, it is really nice being able to discuss all aspects of dentistry with my patients.”

“My favorite part of being a dental hygienist is the people. Every person is different and it is so much fun getting to know them and their families. I would like to encourage those from my community to always make their dental health a priority. More and more research shows how poor oral health can negatively affect the body. My small town didn't have a local dentist, so you had to be motived to seek out routine dental care.” stated Roller.

Roller is a graduate of Burlington High School.   She now lives in the Oklahoma City area , is a licensed Dental Hygienist and practices at Legacy Dental Care. 

“My positive role model was my husband James, he really motivated me to finish my education. I also got to know numerous dental professionals through my experience as an assistant that were all very encouraging along the way.” said Roller.