‘There are so many different avenues a dental nursing qualification can take you'

Cheryl Goodenough, 45, has been a dental nurse since 2001 and in her spare time loves to run. In May she completed a 200 km multi-day challenge, running 50 km every day for four days in a row, raising over £900 for the charity Sunflowers Suicide Support.

A day in the life

I get up at 5.30 am most mornings; I have always been an early riser but allow myself a lie in on a Sunday. I am from Stonehouse in Gloucestershire where I live with my husband and our two girls aged 12 and 15.

Breakfast is a hearty bowl of porridge with oat milk and peanut butter, which I always take back to bed with a cup of tea.

I'm lucky enough to live a ten-minute walk from work at Woodcock Lane Dental Care in Stonehouse. We are a growing dental team of 24 including dentists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, a dental implant consultant and dental receptionists. I'm a dental nurse/oral health educator/treatment coordinator and work Mondays 8.30 am-7.45 pm, Tuesdays 8.30 am-5.15 pm and Thursdays 8.30 am-5.30 pm.

As I'm so close to work, at lunchtimes I go home to walk my dog Stormy.

I qualified as a dental nurse in Devon in 2001. Prior to that I worked as a holiday singer/dancer for four years before venturing into the dentistry world. I also have my Dental Radiography, Oral Health Education, fluoride application and Level 2 Treatment Coordination qualifications.

A typical week

On Mondays I tend to have my own diary of patients which consists of oral health sessions/intra oral scanning/photographs or consultations with patients, generally catching up on any tasks to follow up from clinicians. The rest of the week comprises working with a dentist or dental hygienist.

I also run our social media accounts and always like our practice to be involved with and promote tooth related topics, ie National Smile Month/Mouth Cancer Action Month etc, by posting relevant content and decking the practice with posters/balloons/reels on waiting room TVs.

I love that there are so many different avenues a dental nursing qualification can take you. In addition to my other duties, I like to help mentor younger dental nurses, just as I was mentored years ago, to pass on my knowledge.

Starting out in dentistry

After a four-year career in entertainment, my now-husband and I decided it was time to venture into a different direction. We lived in Seaton, Devon at the time where a poster in the local dentist's window was advertising for a trainee dental nurse. This is where I qualified and worked for seven years before moving back to my hometown of Stonehouse to get married and start our family.

I think it's a wonderful thing that the dental nurse role allows us to do so much for patients on a variety of levels.

I then worked for 13 years at an award-winning practice run by a dentist called Ewa Rozwadowksa whom I now proudly call a dear friend and who taught me so much about the kind of dental nurse I wanted to be and how I could use my skills in the dental industry. Ewa was always very supportive and encouraging of my career and hobbies in and out of work. After her retirement from the practice, it was a natural progression for me to move on too.

The best parts of my job

I enjoy being part of patients' journeys through treatment. Our oral health team won the Society of British Dental Nurses' Impact Award 2022 which was for our oral care programme for periodontal patients and seeing the most amazing results from the benefits of our sessions and care.

I also love having the opportunity to see children for appointments, to educate them and their parents about a preventative oral care routine. I think it's a wonderful thing that the dental nurse role allows us to do so much for patients on a variety of levels.

The more challenging element of my work can be reluctance towards change. I've found there can be a reluctance towards and a barrier for a dental nurse with experience to be heard and have their experience listened to, to make positive changes.

I would like to further train in mental health in the workplace and will be starting a course on this next month.

I find running great for my head as well as the body and love being outside to exercise.

Keep on running

Running has been part of my life for 22 years; I started the same week I got into the role as a trainee dental nurse. I have always had a set programme of when I run, which is usually 4/5 times a week with a strength training session thrown in to fit in around work and homelife.

I always try to encourage my colleagues to give it a go. I find running great for my head as well as the body and love being outside to exercise. I absolutely hate a gym environment.

I have run for a variety of charities and distances over the years, 5 kilometres, 10 kilometres, half and full marathons, last year dipping my toe into ultra marathons which I absolutely loved, being out and about on the local trails for hours with the benefits of gorgeous views and food for the journey.

This year I wanted to go large and have decided [at the time of writing] to take on a multi-day ultra marathon 50 km (32 miles) every day for four days. I wanted to do it for a very special local charity close to a dear friend's heart with her blessing called Sunflowers Suicide Support who do an amazing job for families suffering at a terrible time. It will be an honour to raise as much money as I can for this worthy charity.

I've been very lucky not to have suffered with any injuries so far, although I've been known to lose a couple of toenails, which is never pleasant.

My dental family think I'm bonkers with my crazy challenges but are always super supportive with sharing my journey, generous donations and even coming out on training runs with me.

Home life

I get home at 8 pm on Mondays but 5.30 pm on my other working days.

We generally have a healthy approach to meals at home, but we do of course occasionally have takeaways and treats - it's all about the right balance. My husband is a butcher so we are super lucky to get delicious fresh meat. I can't resist apple crumble and custard.

I brushed my girls' teeth until they were eight-years-old. I have always taken a preventative approach with them as I do for my young patients, with the aim of giving them the knowledge and habits of good oral care to carry into their adult years. My youngest daughter used to write to her school about healthy snacks and the importance of toothbrushing (such a proud dental nurse mummy).

I usually go to bed at 10 pm if I've not fallen asleep on the sofa before that.

This summer, I'm looking forward to a well-earned holiday with family to relax! But I'm also considering a 24-hour running challenge in August.

For more about Cheryl's latest challenge visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/cheryl-g-200kmultiday.

Interview by Kate Quinlan