I'm up at around 6.30 am and have Bran Flakes, coffee and a multi-vitamin drink for breakfast. My husband and I have an 8-year-old and 4-year-old twins. We car-share so my husband drops me off at work then takes the children to school.

I work full time Monday to Friday. My days are usually spent managing staff issues, managing the appointment system, dealing with impertinent computers, ordering stock, assisting clinicians and students, giving oral health advice to patients, parents and support workers and trying to squeeze in my own admin - all fuelled by plenty of cups of tea and the promise of a G&T at the weekend.

I originally wanted to be a marine biologist and dive with sharks somewhere tropical, but someone in the know told me that I was more likely to end up studying squid off the coast of Scotland and it didn't seem quite as romantic as I once thought! So dentistry was my plan B. My sister-in-law also works in dentistry - and also has twins!

My qualifications include the National Certificate in Dental Nursing, Making Prevention Work in Practice Certificate, Certificate in Special Care Dental Nursing, Certificate in First Line Management – Level 3, (ILM), and Certificate in Dental Sedation Nursing.

I enjoy the fast pace of my job and the variety that comes with student teaching, although it can be hard fitting everything into one day.

At Manchester Community Dental Services the team includes a Specialist in Special Care Dentistry, an SDO who also tutors 4th year dental students in paediatric outreach, a restorative outreach tutor, a dental therapist who can also administer IHS, four dental nurses and a receptionist. We see a wide variety of patients such as adults and children with additional needs, paediatrics and adults with the dental students, GDP referrals for sedation, Looked After Children and children from families in need, so there's never really a dull moment in the CDS.

Our management team supports us as much as possible in gaining our core CPD then it's up to the individual to find the rest but we're quite good at sharing websites, articles and dentistry publications around the staff.

Completing the Making Prevention Work in Practice certificate last year has made it possible for me to work alongside the dentist applying topical fluoride at school screenings and giving oral health advice as and when it's required. I am also planning on starting a nurse-led clinical session where I see patients for OHE, topical fluoride and acclimatisation/building trust and confidence in the dental team.

I usually bring my own lunch to work, but on special occasions we all bring something in for a buffet lunch together.

I get home around 5.15 pm, whizz round clearing up from the morning madness, unload and reload the dishwasher - the same with the washing machine - start the evening meal and, if I'm really lucky, jump in the shower before the rest of the family get home and the madness begins again with tea-bath-story-bedtime routines x3!

We've been thinking about our sugar intake at home recently as it's such a hot topic at the moment. I've been trying to encourage the children to choose healthier breakfast cereals (much to their disgust) and they have only ever been allowed juice/cordial at mealtimes and a ‘treat’ after their evening meal at weekends; it doesn't stop them from asking at breakfast and lunch too though!

Outside work I love camping and anything creative, getting out into the countryside or National Trust sites, and I'm a bit of a bookworm. I'd love to be a writer but I'm not sure I have the self-discipline to work from home.

The time I go to bed depends on how spent I am at the end of the day. Some days I'm pushed to stay awake much after the children have gone to bed. Other days I find it hard to switch off so stay up later chatting or watching TV with the hubby.