Dental apprentice turned operations manager shares her success story to inspire others
A former apprentice dental nurse has been sharing her story of success in a bid to inspire other people who are thinking of pursuing a career in dentistry. Michelle Jackson started off as an apprentice nurse and is now operations manager at a brand new dental clinic in the North East, which specialises in pain-free dentistry.
Michelle completed training her nurse training through NECC Training, which is associated with Middlesbrough College. After finishing the programme, she went on to take further training in sedation dentistry and has worked her way up to become operations manager at Love Dental in Team Valley, Gateshead. The practice offers drill-free dentistry and specialises in treating nervous and phobic patients.
Michelle said that every member of the team devotes time and attention to each individual patient because most of the patients that come through the door have been through a bad experience or they suffer from severe anxiety or dental phobia. There’s a process in place, which enables patients to meet the team, go through treatment options and get acclimatised to the surroundings before they undergo treatment.
Michelle is proud of what she has achieved, and she is eager to try and offer young people the same opportunities she enjoyed during her training. She currently has plans to take on her own apprentice, Carley, and is keen to get as many young people involved at the practice as possible. Apprenticeships are an excellent way to learn on the job, gain valuable skills and get a real insight into what it’s like to work in a practice environment on a daily basis.
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