Dental Nurse

Vicki Rogers, dental nurse at Passage House Dental Care in Bristol.

When you are working with the same dentist, you know how they work and you build a bond.

Credit: Vicki Rogers

'When I was training I worked at the dental hospital. I liked being able to experience all the different departments but I found it a little slow as I was working with students. So, I left the hospital and started to work for an agency. The experience was good but I used to wake up every morning wondering where I was going to be. Now, I am working at Passage House and I am really happy there. When you are working with the same dentist, you know how they work and you build a bond between you. I am still learning everyday and not just from my usual dentist, but other dentists in the practice too.'

Hygienist

Ramana Hussein, hygienist at City Dentics in London.

'There are some similarities and some differences between a general practice and a corporate. I like working for a corporate because you get a bit more support from management. In terms of things that you need, you can pretty much get what you want. There is also better organisation and a clearer career structure. Having said that, you can be successful in general practice, it is just a matter of finding the right one.'

Practice manager

Roger Beauchamp, practice manager at Appleton Gate Dental Practice in Newark, Nottinghamshire.

'I was in the Royal Navy for 23 years. I left the Navy on a Monday in August 1995 and started at Appleton on the Tuesday. In the Navy I was Chief Petty Officer for Operations and had nothing to do with dentistry. To equate it to civilian speak, I was an office manager for a state-of-the-art frigate. When you leave the armed forces you get funding for retraining and with the different positions I had held, I acquired a lot of the skills needed for practice management. People think that the armed forces are something alien to civilian life, they're not, they are just a mirror. Now, I compare the different surgeries in the practice to the different sections on a ship.'

Technician

Jonathan Asquith, technician and laboratory owner of Dentechnica Ltd, Salford.

Buying my own laboratory has given me a free reign and released me from being owned by dentists.

Credit: Jonathan Asquith

'The best thing that could have happened to my career is buying my own laboratory. For me it meant that I could spread my wings and move forward. Before, I was managing a laboratory that was owned by dentists in Manchester. I worked there for 13 years and I appreciated what the owners had done for me, but they weren't interested in investing back into the business. In 2000 I suggested buying it and I now rent a premises in Salford Quays. It has given me a free reign and released me from being owned by dentists. I never could have done what I have done now if things had stayed the same.'

Therapist

Dave Martin is a therapist who works at a mixture of practices in Manchester and Derbyshire.

'I have recently moved practices and I now work in three different practices. The new practice is in a rural area in Derbyshire and it is NHS in an area where there is no access at all. We had to close the books two days after it opened. The other practice is mixed with NHS and Denplan work and the other one is a private practice in Harvey Nichols in Manchester. Mixing private and NHS work really gives you a mix of different patients and patient's perceptions of treatment. I find that it is basically time spent on them and better materials that is the difference, not my work. For me, treating patients on the NHS is more rewarding because there doesn't seem to be so much pressure on me. I do the same job both in private practice and on the NHS and I feel it's a bit of a cheek asking for the extra money.'

Receptionist

Heidi Cresswell, receptionist at Spires Dental Clinic, Lichfield, Staffordshire

'I was originally working at a private practice until unfortunately I was made redundant. Now I have moved to a much smaller practice, but I am getting the opportunity to set up all of the systems for the reception area. My previous practice and Spires are very different, mainly due to the number of people working at them. I used to work with three dentists and five hygienists and now I have only one dentist and one hygienist. However, I am enjoying the responsibility and I find it very rewarding making it my own.'

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