Discover one dental nurse's remarkable journey, from her early days in practice to establishing a thriving dental resource business – Happy Dental Resources. In this Q&A, Hayley shares what sparked her passion for dentistry, the challenges she overcame, and how she's now helping countless other dental professionals.
How long have you been working as a dental nurse?
I was twenty years old when I started working as a dental nurse in 2009. I left in 2021 after having my baby, so I was working for twelve years altogether.
What originally drew you to dental nursing?
I’ve always loved clinical environments since doing work experience in a veterinary practice. I also did some work in optics, in a laser eye surgery clinic, which was interesting, but I wasn’t feeling passionate about it. Something about dentistry really caught my interest – I used to love getting my braces tightened as a teenager! There weren’t any job opportunities for trainee nurses in my area, but I sent my CV around anyway. Luckily I got a call back about an upcoming vacancy so that was really worth doing.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey so far, from where you started to where you are now?
When I started as a trainee, I was let down by my course provider just before I was due to start and there weren’t any other local colleges offering the course. After a brief panic I found one, but it was an hour’s drive away. This was a bit tricky, but I was keen to make it work and get on with the course. I had to go after work hours and I always missed the first half-hour due to trafic, and I would get home late in the evening. I did enjoy the whole training experience, but I had my fair share of having to compose myself in the toilets after forgetting things and because I felt embarrassed. Being thrown in the deep end was the norm and it took a while to find my confidence. Once I had qualified, I started to absolutely love the role, and I always hoped I could make a difference to the patients and the lovely staff members I worked with over the years. Making a well-timed cup of tea is just as important as being organised in the surgery and being caring towards the patients! Over the years I went from trainee to qualified, took the OHE course, and became head nurse and compliance lead. I also worked part-time on reception with some management responsibilities in the last year.
What inspired you to create Happy Dental Resources?
When lockdown hit in 2020, I found myself furloughed along with everyone else and found that I didn’t like having time on my hands. I decided to expand on some materials I’d created for the practice and see if I could turn it into something helpful for other professionals. My favourite thing in practice was training the trainees. I always found being a mentor very enjoyable and felt there was a logical way of guiding them. So, I took a few weeks to put down all of my knowledge and created my first resource, The Happy Trainee Pack. This was a 34-page PDF document guiding trainees and their mentors right from induction day through their first few months. It is now in hundreds of practices!
How long has the business been running, and what were those early days like?
This is the fifth year of the business which is really lovely to say. In the early days, every time I got a sale, my husband would give me a high five! The high fives went on for a very long time, but I think he’s given up on that now!
What kinds of resources do you offer, and how did you decide on them?
I have The Happy Trainee Pack, three types of dental planners for dental professionals, The Happy Head Nurse Pack, a First Aid Pack, The Positive Practice (A free resource to help practices improve morale), The Molar Mindset Wellbeing Journal (in collaboration with The Molar Mindset platform) and some logbooks. I’m working on a new resource now, so watch this space! I decide on them based on what I think people will find helpful, as long as I feel I can offer enough knowledge to back it up.
Where did the name Happy Dental Resources come from, and does it have a special meaning?
It came because I wanted to create happy trainees, so I named the first resource The Happy Trainee Pack! I was never sure if anyone would purchase the pack, so I never gave a whole lot of thought to future-proofing the name. My page was initially called The Happy Trainee, then The Happy Dental Nurse and now its Happy Dental Resources. My website is still The Happy Dental Nurse though – that’s me!
What does a typical day look like for you now, balancing dental work and running the business?
Apart from doing a small amount of holiday cover, I don’t have to balance dental work and running the business, as I left my full-time role in 2021. So, my working day consists of replying to DMs and emails, some written work editing resources, ordering stock when needed and posting orders. The spare bedroom is my office, and I have big drawers full of planners, tissue paper, highlighters and bookmarks (you get those free with planner purchases!). I keep up with CPD so I complete this too when I can. I have a four-year-old, so the balancing act is the work/parent juggle, but luckily I’m able to work in the evenings or while she’s at preschool.
Do you have a favourite product or resource that you have created?
I’m split between two – The Happy Trainee Pack and The Happy Head Nurse Pack. The planners are great too, the ‘trainee’ and ‘qualified’ ones have been the most popular. The Positive Practice is also awesome – it’s hard to choose! What I love most is that I keep them affordable as many of my customers are nurses, so I don’t want them to be expensive.
What has been the most rewarding part of running Happy Dental Resources so far?
Chatting to other professionals and trainees. Helping them in the DMs, as I always love a chat! Also, hearing positive feedback is always lovely.
What keeps you motivated when things feel tough?
I’m lucky that I really enjoy this work, but I do find it tough when I’m creating something new. I love writing, but it doesn’t always flow the way I want it to at first, so I have many, many draft versions of everything! I get them all proofread so once they’ve gone away for a week I can relax and then, when they come back, I feel a lot more focused to get them finished. Normally I just chat to a past colleague or some of my new Instagram colleagues that I’ve met online, and that gets me back on track.
Outside of work, what brings you joy and helps you recharge?
I love days out with my family and friends or sitting alone reading. Castles, coffee shops, museums, Wagamama, shows, walks, cooking, picnics. The good stuff!
What are your hopes or dreams for the business in the future?
I plan to keep expanding my current resources to ensure they are as informative as possible whilst staying affordable, and adding new ones to the range. I’ve always thought it would be cool to have a stand at a dental show one day, but I think this is definitely a dream!
What advice would you give to other dental nurses who are thinking about starting something on the side or launching their own small business?
I’d say that if you have something you feel passionate about and you think you’ve found a niche, start writing down your ideas to see if you can come up with a workable concept. Perhaps ask a few people if it’s something they would be interested in to gauge demand and start a conversation. Set aside a little bit of time each week to refine the idea and come up with a plan as to how you think it would work and who the target audience is. I’m not an expert, but I think if you have something you love then a small business is a great way to explore your passions. Good luck!
Website: www.thehappydentalnurse.co.uk
Facebook: the happy dental nurse
Instagram @happydentalresources
