Hayley Travers – Oakham
“Why I became a dentist...? If I’m honest I didn’t have a childhood ambition to be a dentist like most or a desire to fix teeth even. I just knew that I wanted to look after people!
My journey started when I was 18, I went off to university and trained to be a general nurse. I had a fantastic career and worked my way through the nursing ranks. I realised that my greatest asset was my passion to communicate with people.
I sat waiting for my dental appointment, anticipating the dreaded check-up (an inherited dental anxiety, courtesy of my mum!) I was greeted by a new dentist, he was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and had a genuine interest in me and my teeth.
Before long I found myself packing by bags and starting a new life embarking on a brand-new career in dentistry. Four long years at university and a new-born thrown in the mix and the rest is history.
Dentistry has given me lots of opportunities, my career has allowed me to move around the country and gain lots of valuable dental and personal experiences. I have developed interests in aspects of dentistry that I really enjoy, working with anxious patients, children and orthodontics.
Being a woman in Dentistry has enabled me to be resilient, technical, motivational, inspirational, autonomous, confident, efficient, humble, intuitive, a master of improvisation and surviving dentistry during a national pandemic!
Dentistry has given me the opportunity to have a good work life balance, flexibility to raise a family and achieve a good standard of living. I sit here writing this in the early hours with my baby boy fast asleep beside me! It’s been a challenging day at work, but I thank dentistry for giving me a great career, fulfilment and ambition for the best I can be for me and my patients.
Thank you to that dentist, I hope I can inspire another generation of great dentists.
Women in dentistry, we can really have it all!”