Tattoos in practice

Leah

“When I was in training back in 2011, I had a half arm sleeve which was lilies and roses. I had a patient come in, look me up and down and say, “I’m not being treated by that slut!” Bearing in mind I was 19 years old, at the start of my career. Thankfully, the dentist stood up for me and removed her from the practice.

“After that incident, I was talking to the practice manager and she said if she had known I had the tattoo and how disgraceful it was, she wouldn’t have employed me.

“Because of those comments, and others, I’ve since spent thousands of pounds to remove it. I now have a job in a teaching hospital and am a senior nurse in oral medicine and a dental nurse lecturer. I would never judge anyone on a tattoo, and tell my students this daily.