On the right track

I fell into dentistry by accident. I had always wanted to do general nursing. A friend of mine worked for her father who was a dentist and, one day, she said: ‘My dad needs a new dental nurse. Would you be interested?’ I went to see him that evening and, as they say, the rest is history.

Having practised in general dental practice for a number of years, I saw an advert for a dental nurse at my local hospital in the orthodontic department. My journey in orthodontics began in November 1992 – and I haven’t looked back since. The unit I first worked in was solely orthodontics. While there, I undertook the Certificate in Oral Health Promotion. I have since worked in two hospital departments – working my way up the ladder to my current position of maxillofacial unit manager. The unit I now manage specialises in orthodontics, oral surgery and maxillofacial surgery.