Class of 2026: Childhood toothbrush inspires grad to give back through dental care

Trinity McInnes (Dental Assisting ’25) knew she wanted to work in dental health care when she was just six years old. 

She remembers when University of Saskatchewan dental students provided check-ups and cleanings for the kids in her Saskatoon neighbourhood. At the end of hers, she was given a toothbrush

McInnes slept with it under her pillow for months. “I was like, ‘This is mine. No one else is getting this,’” she says.

Those university students also taught McInnes and her five siblings how to care for their teeth – teachings that would inspire her to want to help “people who need it most.”

Twenty years later, her dream has come true.

McInnes is celebrating convocation with the Dental Assisting class of 2026. Now she’s set another goal – one rooted in her culture and that she’s already working toward – to help improve dental health in Indigenous communities.

Purpose and responsibility

For McInnes, dental assisting is more than a job; it’s a calling.

“As an Indigenous person, helping these communities feels like my purpose and my responsibility,” she says.

Originally from Black Lake First Nation in northern Saskatchewan, McInnes returned often to see her grandparents. Her visits revealed how living in the remote Dene community at times meant limited services, including dental care.

Motivated to help change that, McInnes enrolled in Dental Assisting at NAIT through the Indigenous admissions pathway, which provides equitable access to high-demand health-care programs.

There, she gained experience serving local youth at NAIT’s Dental Clinic, an on-campus service that offers low-cost dental cleanings for kids and teens. It helped her improve her technique and also develop chairside skills to help young patients feel more at ease, like the care she received as a child.

“I got to help children and educate families on oral health,” says McInnes. “Sometimes oral health doesn’t feel as important as seeing a doctor. So, it felt good to be a part of [changing] that.”

In summer 2025, McInnes completed her practicum in a west Edmonton dental clinic. After becoming a registered dental assistant, she endeavoured to create a welcoming experience, with several of her patients coming from nearby Enoch Cree Nation.

More recently, in April, McInnes took a temporary job with Northern Lights Travelling Dental Clinic, travelling to a First Nations community more than an hour east of High Level.

For one intense week at the John D’Or Prairie Health Centre, McInnes worked long days and evenings in a two-room, makeshift dental office. There was no shortage of patients. For many, dental care access meant either waiting for mobile clinics like this or making the trip to the nearest town.

People visited the clinic for everything from cleanings to fillings to extractions. McInnes triaged patients, prepared supplies, and adapted to the limited space and resources. Between treatments, she explained to patients how cavities develop and can be prevented.

And, at the end of sessions, she got to give out toothbrushes.

“We are one people”

Alana Welsh, associate chair of NAIT’s Dental programs, isn’t surprised by McInnes’s early successes in making dental health care more inclusive and accessible to Indigenous communities.

“Trinity always stood out as one of those students who is willing to step up when something needs to be done,” she says. “I know good things will happen for her. She's going to make them happen. I'm excited to see what doors open for her.”

Some already are. “It feels that I'm finally doing something to help communities, whether it's my own or someone else's,” says McInnes.

“The Dene say that we are one people. And it feels good to help – doesn't matter if it is Cree, Ojibwe, or anyone for that matter.”

McInnes is eager for future trips. The experience in northern Alberta only strengthened the resolve that began with that prized toothbrush. She envisions becoming a dentist and eventually leading travelling dental clinics of her own. In the meantime, she plans on gaining as much experience as possible.

“When I set my mind on a goal, I'm going to accomplish it,” says McInnes.

“You're going to see me later … revolutionizing oral health care for Indigenous communities. Just you wait, I'm going to be there.”