ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Typically, there's a little anxiety when you go to the dentist's office.

But a good staff will help make you feel more comfortable. And today's A+ Teacher Teresa Householder is making sure that future dental staff members are at their best.

A healthy mouth goes hand in hand with a healthy body.

"They're finding correlations every day with germs in the mouth that spread throughout your whole body and blood system,” said Academy for Dental Assistants Director Ronda Miller. “So we're just trying to get that word out and get more people in the field.  And understand that it is your whole body, not just the mouth."

Householder, with more than 20 years of experience as a dental assistant, is helping mold the academy’s students.

"A friend of mine was in it,” householder said of being introduced to the field. “And she brought me into it, and I've loved every part of it. I love being able to talk to the patients, helping the patient was a very big thing for me."

Now, she encourages and motivates students, learning their strengths and struggles.

She said positivity is a priority.

"Just getting to know them,” she said. “Something personal about them, understanding the way they're learning and trying to format our class to that, just go with them and help them. If we see them struggling, we try to just really help them in the sense of not letting them fail. We want to help them succeed, so we just try to focus on all of them and it just works out. I love them and they love me."

The walls of the academy are filled with thank you cards from students.

“She (householder) goes that extra step,” Miller said. “She gives every student her cell phone number, that if you have any issues, just call or text me, and I'll help you out with that, so she just goes above and beyond."