Women's History Month: Gena Hughes Varner, Dental Hygienist at ProGrin Dental

The Woodruff Times featured Gena Hughes Varner on March 21, 2026 as part of its Women's History Month series. Here is our summary.

Varner has worked 22 years as a dental assistant and 20 years as a dental hygienist. She joined ProGrin Dental after it opened in 2012, when she wanted to work closer to home instead of commuting to Greenville. She recently completed certification in dental laser therapy, which is used to help treat gum disease.

She traces the calling back to her childhood and her mother's teaching about caring for her teeth. "I believe God put dental hygiene in my heart as a child," she told the paper. Of her patients she said, "They are like family to me."

She has seen the field move from paper charts and film x-rays to digital records and digital x-rays, mentors new hygienists at the practice, and puts patient education first, teaching brushing and flossing so families can prevent problems later. She is the first college graduate in her immediate family.

This is our own summary; the full story, by staff writer Katina Rice-Davis, is at The Woodruff Times (link below).