What is your name?
Jenna Hatfield
Where do you work?
I am a dentist and the owner of Hatfield Family Dentistry in Norfolk
How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
Clara 6 and Dax 3
What do you love about living in Norfolk?
The ability to be a part of and involved in a community and then being able to see the change or effect you can have on your community
What’s your favorite restaurant in Norfolk?
Oh, I love food! I’ve never had a bad meal at The 411 or Black Cow Fat Pig. I also enjoy some great carbs from Norfolk Bread Co.
Why did you decide to become a dentist?
Originally, when I was in fourth grade, it was because I liked all the fun words and numbers that the orthodontist said out loud to the assistant when I was in braces. I wanted to learn dental talk. As I was in dental school, it became more about the ability to help other people. Plus, I enjoyed the combination of being able to use technical skills, art, creativity, and problem solving.
What’s the best thing about your job?
All the people I get to meet and interact with. I love that in one day I can have a nine-month-old and a 99-year-old in my chair. The most rewarding thing is when someone who has been afraid to go to the dentist all their life tells me that their appointment was “not that bad” or that “that was the most painless injection they’ve ever had”. I pride myself in trying to make a person’s trip to the dentist as fun and comfortable as possible.
How do you juggle work with mommy-hood?
Well, most days I feel like I’m about ready to drop all my balls. A great support system is important and being OK with delegating some of my roles as a mom to other people in my life. I’m open with my kids about where I’m at when I come home late, but I remind them that just because I’m not at home with them doesn’t mean that I’m not thinking about them every second I’m at work.
What hobbies do you enjoy?
Volleyball! I’d love to play more during the week but right now I fit in volleyball league at least once a week. I play sand in the summer and women’s indoor league in the winter.
