Hi, Sophie. You’re another of my fellow second-year Oral Health Science students. Firstly, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, and big congratulations on getting through your first year of university – you are well on the way to becoming a dental hygienist now! This interview has the aim of finding out a little more about your experiences as a dental nurse and how you managed the transition from full-time work to full-time study. Hopefully it will help others who are also thinking about returning.

A BIG congratulations ????to Melanie Pomphrett who recently won the Phillips 'Shine on' award.

FEARLESS fundraisers with a head for heights are being invited to take to the skies and raise money for Dentaid.

Sophie, you’re currently studying Oral Health Science at the University of Essex and are now in your second year. You finished your first year with an amazing result and earned yourself a place on the Dean’s list of academic excellence. Congratulations! You were a head dental nurse in a practice in London for seven years before applying for dental hygiene, so this interview will be asking some questions to inspire those who are thinking about a career as a dental hygienist – the aim is to get them thinking about what sorts of things they may need to do to get to that point. We want to know all about what made you choose this career and how you started on the path towards it.

November is approaching fast, and this is the month to help raise awareness of oral cancer. 

Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world, and approximately 7,800 people are diagnosed with it in the UK each year. The number of people being diagnosed with oral cancer has grown by around a third in the last decade, so making people aware of it is more important than ever before. As health care professionals, it’s important that we ensure our patients know the risks and understand that a few lifestyle changes can reduce their chances of developing this disease.