JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Kaitlynne Anzur was a small town girl with a decent career, but her bigger dreams lead her to her local Air Force recruiting office.
“I could take the job, become a manager, keep working a ton of hours for not enough pay or I could jump out of the cycle, leave a small town behind and do something bigger,” said Staff Sgt. Kaitlynne Anzur, 779th Medical Group dental assistant. “I took the latter choice and now four years later I’m still going full steam ahead.”
Fast-forward to present day, Anzur sees approximately eight patients a day and supervises three Airmen.
“I work as a prophylaxis technician,” said Anzur. “Basically I’m one of the individuals who the base population sees for their annual exam and cleaning. I go over the health history, take x-rays when needed, and clean patient’s teeth.”
The dental assistants support general dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, orthodontics, endodontics, and oral surgery. They are also responsible for their own administration and front desk, logistics, scheduling, and instrument processing, all while seeing approximately 2,000 patients a month.
Anzur has learned many things during her time as a dental hygienist, but says her most valuable skill is the ability to make a positive impact on others.
“We have so many new Airmen come in who have never been taught dental hygiene and why it’s so important,” Anzur said. “When doing my job, I don’t judge. I do everything I can to teach them now, in the best way I can, in hopes they start implementing what they learn.”
While Anzur has enjoyed her time as a dental assistant, she was recently selected by the Air Force to cross-train and will soon become a recruiter. Anzur plans to utilize the ideals her current job has instilled in her and apply them to her upcoming assignment.
“I’ve learned something from everyone I have met in the Air Force, whether it was negative or positive,” Anzur said. “I know everything the Air Force has already taught me will come into play when I am recruiting and I can’t wait to help others make the decision I made for myself that impacted my life in such a positive way.”
Anzur will leave behind a team of approximately 50, and says she’s been lucky to work with such an outstanding staff.
“SSgt Anzur has been a reliable NCO who enjoyed taking care of her patients,” said Master Sgt. Amy Snyder, 779th Medical Group Advanced Education in General Dentistry flight chief. “She has provided the top notch care that we strive for within our Dental Squadron and has continued to grow since becoming an NCO. We are sad to lose her from our career field, but I know she will be a reliable asset to the recruiting world.”