Dental Hygiene & Therapy

I fell into dentistry by chance when an opportunity arose to help at a general dental practice while awaiting my GCSE results. I had no particular ambitions to progress beyond the summer, however I enjoyed working in the dental environment and working with the dental team so much that I decided to stay. The summer job extended into eight years within that practice. During this time, I gained Dental Nurse qualifications and then began work at a dental hospital and became inspired to develop beyond dental nursing. This led to starting University as a mature student, and a subsequent role as a Dental Hygienist and Therapist.

I completed the Graduate Diploma in Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy at the University of Leeds. My first position after graduating was part of a voluntary 12-month foundation training scheme with the West Midlands Deanery. The study days and support in practice helped reinforce my previous training. While working in general practice I studied part-time with the University of Central Lancashire towards a BSc in Oral Health Science.

As part of my role within the Community Dental Service I have done further training in hypnosis with the British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis.  I have also completed further training in inhalation sedation, direct access and prescribing radiographs in order to meet the needs of the service, in particular treating anxious patients. As my role involves treating a significant number of paediatric patients, I have also completed a Diploma in Paediatric Dentistry for Dental Therapists with the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh).

Helping a patient with treatment and providing education so that they are empowered to help themselves can be the most gratifying experience there is. Working with the public means that every day is different and my role within the community dental service is certainly very varied. As well as clinical duties I also visit schools and care homes. It keeps things fresh and I am still learning new skills 8 years after graduating as a Hygienist and Therapist, and after 20 years in the field of dentistry. There are various pathways for a Hygienist and Therapist following graduation such as NHS or private practice, the community dental service and the hospital setting.  There is a wide range of areas within these settings that are available to work in following graduation so the qualification is more diverse than it can first appear.

Graduating with this qualification is just the beginning of a career which can evolve with you, for example I have recently been given the opportunity to become part of the School of Dentistry team at the University of Birmingham teaching on the BSc Dental Hygiene and Therapy course. It is rewarding to be able to share knowledge and hopefully to help inspire others in the way that I have been during my career.

The most challenging part of my job is that I occasionally have to work at remote clinics where there may be only myself and a Dental Nurse. Without having other team members working close by it can sometimes feel isolating, and at times the role can lead to feelings of frustration. For example, if a patient is unable or unwilling to listen to smoking cessation advice, even though you are trying to help improve their health, there is only so much that you can do and you have to respect their choice even though it can sometimes feel exasperating. The job can also be physically demanding and involve working in awkward positions for long periods.

The role can be stressful, as can any public facing role. Therefore, it is essential to learn to switch off when possible and maintain a healthy work-life balance.  That said, it is also important to be aware that healthcare roles are not 9-5 and once your shift is over you cannot necessarily just down tools and go home. In the role there is a duty of care to patients and also to colleagues so that no one is put at risk. My key pieces of advice are learning to manage your own and patients' expectations and developing time management skills, as mastering these can mean avoiding some of the stress and other challenges of the role.

As far back as I can remember, I always had a fascination when attending the dentist for my own check-ups. I loved the smells, noises, hustle and bustle. I remember feeling intrigued as to what all the various equipment did and what all the dental terminology meant. This interest continued to grow, and at the age of 16, I carried out some work experience at my local dental practice. The dentist I observed was patient, calm and gentle with all her patients. This one week insight into dentistry re-affirmed this was the type of job I wanted to pursue as a future carer.

Whilst studying for my A Levels at college, a careers advisor introduced me to dental hygiene and therapy. This was an area of dentistry I was unaware of as a 16-year-old. I had only ever been made aware of dentists and dental nurses, however, I carried out some research into it and decided this would be my chosen career path. I continued to finish my A levels and applied to university to study dental hygiene and therapy.

I studied Dental Hygiene and Therapy at the University of Birmingham from 2006-2009. Since graduating in 2009 I have worked in both mixed and private dental practices. Whilst working in practice I carried out my zoom whitening qualification (2010).

In 2014 a new challenge arose when I accepted a job working for BCHC full time in their community clinics. My time was dedicated to treating a wide variety of patients, from very young anxious children, to severely medically compromised adults. During this time, I also gained my inhalation sedation qualification (2015), which allowed me to treat these challenging patients under sedation.

In 2019, I accepted the position of part time Dental Hygiene and Therapy tutor at the University of Birmingham, where I hope to gain my PGcert in education.

Having worked in paediatrics for the past 6 years, the best aspect of my role is making a difference to children’s perception of coming to the dentist. I enjoy the challenge of working closely with anxious children, who may initially be so petrified of the dentist they won’t even sit on the dental chair. However, I work hard with these children to ensure their dental phobia becomes a thing of the past and they enjoy coming to the dentist to have their treatment completed. To see these children grow in confidence and achieve treatment in the dental surgery they never thought was possible is by far the best part of my job.

The most challenging part of my job is managing patients' (or parents' when working in paediatrics) expectations. Managing what the patient wants or expects versus what can be achieved can often be challenging. It is important to always be open and honest with patients from the first appointment.

My advice to prospective students would be that as a person, you need to be calm, honest and reassuring, even when you feel under pressure, or in a challenging situation. A good ‘bedside’ manner’ is essential as a healthcare professional. Secondly, as a Dental Hygienist and Therapist you have to have good manual dexterity and enjoy working practically.

I was interested in dental hygiene and therapy, as before exploring the different roles with in the dental profession I was not that familiar with their position. After finding out they make a considerable impact to oral health of patients and their extensive scope of practice I became interested. I talked to a lot of people within the profession – people I knew and those who I shadowed in work experience, which helped me see what the day to day would look like. I also looked at university websites and attended open days to recognise what each course offered.

My advice would be to choose something that interests you so you are motivated to succeed in the subject and enjoy the experience at the same time. If you can get some extra shadowing experience to familiarise yourself with the environment and what the job entails it won’t be so daunting when you first join. You learn a lot by just looking!

Hands on experience has been my favourite part of the course. You get patients in the first year and get to practice on your mates which is always a laugh! You also have every sport and society you can think of to join and so many working opportunities. The University easily introduces you into real life with a large sense of community.

Eventually I want to join the Royal Navy with my profession and develop my clinical skillset further with additional courses.