Carving out my career

There is nothing quite like the moment when I opened my UCAS notification to find the email I had been waiting for, “Congratulations, you have been accepted onto the Dental Nursing CertHE at Portsmouth’s Dental Academy”. When the news finally hit and I realised I would be embarking on the next stage of my education following A-Levels, there was a feeling of genuine elation. I was finally going to start working in my dream profession! Then, another ‘ping’ dropped into my mailbox, “You have been accepted at The Dental Academy on their Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy course”.

I had a sudden realisation, I needed to choose between two courses that although in the same profession, offered very different future careers. I knew I had two options. Option one: dental nursing. I would be patient-facing, and provide clinical support to the operator whilst focusing completely on my patient’s welfare. This would mean putting patients first, and maintaining a clean surgery whilst helping my patients feel at ease and comforting them through their dental visits.