25 Years and Counting

It's blog with a difference as we celebrate our wonderful dental hygienist, Jules, having worked at the practice for 25 (TWENTY FIVE) years! Marisa put a few questions to her to find out what it's been like to have worked in the same place for a quarter of a century, what's changed (aside from just the name of the practice three and a half years ago).

Our next blog will be back to answering your questions, so please do send in anything you'd like us to write about.

M: How does it feel to have been working at the same dental practice for 25 years ? 

J: It’s incredible to think that it’s been so long. Early in my career, I saw patients who came in to me for fissure sealants at six years old, who progressed through to regular hygiene appointments and are now old enough to have their own six year old children! Seeing families evolve is so rewarding and being part of the team maintaining their healthy smiles is an absolute privilege. 

Is your day to day work with patients different now to what it was 25 years ago ? 

The core practice of Dental Hygiene is essentially the same but it has changed in terms of the way we work on clinic and various guidelines for treatment have been modified and implemented along the way. We transferred to computerised notes in 2001 which made life harder initially, but far easier in the long run. Notes back when I qualified in 2000 were relatively basic but now there are far more factors from each appointment that need to be documented making each record more comprehensive.

The scope of a Dental Hygienist has also broadened to include various procedures including Tooth Whitening which I really enjoy guiding patients through. 

What do you wish you’d have known when you first started out? 

I wish I’d have anticipated how busy and full on it is all day every day. Dental school appointments were over an hour long so to go from that to general practice timings was a shock! However, I like to be busy and furthermore, it keeps me out of trouble! 

What’s the most common misconception people have about visiting the hygienist? 

That it hurts! Many patients who have never seen a dental hygienist previously are concerned that their appointment will be painful but it’s very rare that this is actually the case. Occasionally patients encounter some sensitivity in a couple of areas, but we can easily work around this with good communication which is essential in terms of building a trusting relationship. I find building rapport and subsequent trust with nervous patients is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. 

Finally, looking ahead, what are you excited about? 

There’s lots to look forward to at Smiles. Thanks to Karl & Marisa’s focus on personal and professional development, I’m lucky enough to be able to take part in a Periodontal Masterclass which is a 4 day course over in Liverpool in September and October with one of the country’s leading Periodontists. This will enable me to update myself with all the latest protocols and treatments as well as collaborating with other dental hygienists from all over the country. 

There’s a real sense of moving forwards at Smiles in Tandem. The sustainability focus we have at the practice means that we are driven to make our actions better for the planet. This ranges from simple choices such as having a compost bin or using less paper, to reducing patient visits by booking double appointments for Dental Health Reviews and Hygiene thereby reducing emissions. 

Finally, I’m excited to continue looking after all our fabulous patients as part of the incredible team of Dental Professionals at Smiles. I can honestly say that I enjoy my job. Although the treatment is the main part of my day, connecting through chat and laughter with the lovely patients and awesome team I work with is the icing on the cake! 

Jules has a great many loyal fans amongst her patients, who she's cared for during her time and long may that continue. We're blessed to have such a wonderful person and a highly skilled hygienist working with us at Smiles in Tandem and whilst it may be a bit much to hope she sticks around for another 25 years, we hope she's part of our family for many more years to come.