Delainey Mattern was in Grade 9 when a routine dental appointment turned into something more.
Invited to shadow the dentist, a family friend, she got a firsthand look at the power of connection in health care.
“I wasn’t sure what dentistry looked like on a daily basis,” said the Edmonton-born graduate, who always enjoyed science and working with her hands. “But as I looked more into the dental profession, I was hooked.”
Now, as she graduates with a doctor of dental surgery from Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Mattern will be joining that same practice part-time.
What sparked her interest in Grade 9 has become a meaningful career, especially through Schulich Dentistry’s Community Service Learning program, which places students in clinics serving patients with limited access to care.
“Yes, dentistry is the way I imagined, but it’s also more,” said Mattern.
“I knew dentists helped people, but I didn’t realize how much we could do as students to help people. That was really rewarding.” – Delainey Mattern, DDS’25
One moment stands out: A patient who had long avoided the dentist and was terrified of treatment. By the end of the appointment, she felt empowered to continue care and was happy with her smile.
“I didn’t expect to be equipped with the skills to change someone’s life like that,” said Mattern, who, along with fellow students, had many such opportunities to help patients through Schulich Dentistry’s dental clinics.
Mattern is also leaning into her Métis identity, a connection she learned about through a family member on her mother’s side who was tracing the family’s history. Through connections both at the University of Alberta during her undergraduate years and during her time at Western, Mattern has learned much more about her identity.
“It was overwhelming at first; there were a lot of emotions. I didn’t know where to go. But it’s been very cool to connect with my heritage,” she said.
With this new connection, Mattern will look for opportunities to provide care to Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories going forward, returning the acceptance and support she has received.
“The Métis community has been so welcoming as my family was discovering our heritage and learning about our culture,” said Mattern. “I’m grateful to be able to practise dentistry and continue to give back and reconnect with my culture.”
Delainey Mattern is one of 8,000 Western students graduating during spring convocation, joining the global network of 372,000 alumni around the world. Read more of Western News’ convocation coverage.
