Creativity, Care and Community: What Inspired DDS1 Student to Pursue Dentistry

The DDS Class of 3T0 was officially welcomed to the Faculty of Dentistry at this year’s White Coat Ceremony. The ceremony inducts new students into the Faculty’s undergraduate dentistry program, marking their commitment, as expressed in their oath, to “provide ethical and considerate health care, always putting the patient first.” Among the incoming students and attending family members were DDS student Hanna Yang and her mother, Margaret, a U of T alum.

Yang’s decision to pursue dentistry grew from a desire to help others, inspired in part by her parents, who were both University of Toronto graduates and went on to become physicians. Growing up, she saw firsthand the impact a career in health care could have on patients, families and communities.

After her father passed away in 2012, Yang heard from many people about the ways he had helped and taught them throughout his career, including his time as a program director at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. His legacy at the university continues through the Jae Yang Memorial Award, named in his honour.

“Seeing how much he helped others and taught others really stuck with me,” she says of her dad, who was a noted respirologist. “His research and advocacy for disadvantaged groups have also led me to feel even stronger about pursuing dentistry with the goal of making oral care more accessible.”

Dentistry also allows her to be creative. As a child, Yang drew on her grandmother’s walls. Later, she began creating artwork as gifts for friends and family and became so adept at realistic pet portraits, she even got commissions to make them. She loves experimenting with different mediums and finessing the intricate details that bring a piece to life.

That appreciation for small-scale perfection is part of what drew her to dentistry. “Dentistry requires so much intricate detail and perspective,” Yang says. “It relates a lot to my background in art.”

For Yang, art has also allowed her to connect with others, and she sees dentistry as having the same quality the same way. Dentists can relieve pain by treating a cavity and help someone feel more confident through a cosmetic procedure — she is drawn to the tangible difference she can make in someone’s life through dentistry.

Yang’s commitment to making a difference has been another important part of her journey. This summer marked her fourth year volunteering as a coach with Special Olympics Ontario, where she works with athletes in running, javelin and shot put.

She initially got involved because a close friend had a son who was an athlete in the organization’s program. What began as an opportunity to help others became an invaluable lesson in leadership and the importance of adapting to different needs.

For example, she helped coach a non-verbal athlete and watched him gradually become more independent. Seeing that progress — and knowing her support had played a role — was deeply fulfilling.

As well, parents of the athletes she’s worked alongside have told her about the difficulty they sometimes face finding dentists who can accommodate their children’s needs. As a result, Yang hopes to some day treat patients with special needs and help close some of the accessibility gaps in dentistry.

As she begins her DDS journey at U of T, Yang is bringing together the qualities that have guided her so far: creativity, compassion and a commitment to helping others. Her experiences have shown her the difference thoughtful, individualized care can make — and she hopes to bring that perspective to her future patients.

See more photos from the 2026 White Coat Ceremony

White Coat Ceremony photos by Jeff Comber