How long have you been practicing dentistry, and what initially inspired you to pursue this career?
I have been practicing dentistry since the 3rd of February 1992 so 32-years.
I left school at 16 with a range of GCSE’s. I had a place at Kendal Collage to study child care and a placement at a nursery in Ambleside. I bottled it and withdrew from the course. I had a part time job in a hotel in Ambleside but this failed to pay the bills. I applied for a number of random jobs in the Westmorland Gazette and was offered a trainee Dental Nurse position in a practice in Windermere. I did not have a clue what it entailed! I qualified as a Dental Nurse in 1995, progressing to Implant Nurse and on to Practice Manager. In 2005 I was offered a place at Liverpool University Dental Hospital to study Dental Therapy and Hygiene and qualified in 2007.
When did you join the Crossbank Dental Care team?
I have worked at Crossbank Dental Care since April 2021.
Can you describe the Crossbank Safari, and what it means for you as a Dental Therapist?
The Crossbank Dental Safari introduces the patient to the wide-ranging skill set of the Dental Therapist. It offers insight in to what we can, or moreover what we can’t do and how our scope of practice mirrors the majority of the treatment that can be provided by a GDP with additional emphasis on gum health and disease prevention.
The Crossbank Dental Safari Big 5:
We can’t:
Take teeth out - apart from the deciduous (baby teeth) dentition
Put teeth back in - dental implants, dentures etc
Move teeth around - braces
Lift the top of a tooth - root canal treatment
Put a new ‘top’ back on - crowns, veneers, bridges
What has been your most memorable moment whilst working as a Dental Therapist?
I have a few memorable moments! Becoming Dental Therapist of the year in 2015 and 2018 and my Paediatric Diploma from the RCD Edinburgh, sitting the exam three weeks before we locked down in the Covid 19 pandemic.
What are you planning to do in your professional future?
Just started PG Diploma in Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry.
If you had to swap jobs for one day in the practice, which job would you swap and why?
I have been fortunate over the last 32 years to have utilised my skills and knowledge over a large number of rolls within dentistry. The roll of the modern dental therapist is so close to that of the general dental practitioner now that we have patient group directives and direct access, allowing for the provision of care without formal prescription. I am fulfilled in my role but always striving to be a better version of me.
Therefore, the role I would choose is that of the front door. This would afford me the luxury to be the first contact with the patient as they enter the practice, guide them forward through their journey to a happier healthy smile, walking through me to the opportunities that are before them.
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