Popular Bushey dental hygienist retires after 60 years of service
A hugely popular and well-respected dental hygienist from Bushey has retired after 61 years of service.
Kenneth Walter, who is now 80, has retired after spending six decades treating patients at dental practices and prisons across the country. Most recently, Mr Walter was part of the team at Smith and Luck in Bushey, but he has enjoyed a very diverse and varied career. As well as working at surgeries around England, Mr Walter has also been based at some of the country’s toughest prisons, including Holloway, Pentonville and Wandsworth jails.
Speaking about his time working with prisoners, Mr Walter said that it wasn’t unheard of for prison guards and officers to get attacked and hurt by inmates, but nobody ever laid a finger on the dental team. Mr Walter said that it was important to treat every patient in the same way, and he built up a reputation based on mutual respect and professionalism. Prisoners were happy to see the dedicated hygienist, and he took a lot of pride and pleasure in getting to know them.
Mr Walter decided to pursue a career as a dental hygienist after spotting an advert for a job while he was conscripted to the RAF. At the time, he had planned to study to become a dentist in the evenings after training with the RAF during the daytime, but he got the job, and 61 years later, he is finally retiring at the end of an incredibly successful career.
After spending several decades tending to the nation’s teeth, Mr Walter said that he had considered retiring numerous times, but he always made the choice to continue, as he loved his job and many of his patients had become friends. Now that he has finally downed his dental tools, he’s looking forward to taking a well-earned break and spending more time with family and friends.
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