In December 2023, dental therapist Dee was announced runner up ‘Member of the Year’ of The British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy.
Dee’s nomination featured one of her first transformative interactions with an adult autistic patient during her foundation placement. As she recalls: “This patient’s oral hygiene was very poor but I was able to make a sustainable difference with a little perseverance, patience and the use of special care oral products available”.
Shortlisted to the next stage saw her create a patient information leaflet on gum disease, selected from a choice of 3 topics. Hers was entitled: ‘It’s not just a bit of bleeding’.
Dee was thrilled to be awarded Runner Up member of the year, receiving a certificate to mark her success. This is now proudly on display in our Harleigh Road Dental Centre, just one of the locations she practices from in Cornwall, supporting a range of private and NHS patients.
Dee is popular amongst both her patients and her colleagues, always keen to make a difference, which often finds her going above and beyond. Indeed, in the summer of 2023, she and her partner Jess completed a mammoth fundraising cycle ride on behalf of our charity of the year, Children’s Hospice South West, supporting their Ride for Precious Lives Appeal.