Fiona Sandom became President of the British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT) during BADT's annual conference in Manchester in September this year, taking over from Baldeesh Chana, who was President from 2010-2014.

Fiona is a dental therapist with North Wales Community Dental Services, a postgraduate tutor at Cardiff University, and a GDC Quality Assurance Inspector.

At Fiona's PDS NHS practice in Bethesda she works in a team with two dentists, two dental nurses and a healthcare support worker. For her tutor role, she is based at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan.

Fiona's hometown is Newborough on Anglesey, Wales; she has a partner called Paul and a 19-year-old son called John; she loves to run, swim and cycle, has just started to compete in triathlons and would like to complete an Ironman.

Fiona:

My first job in dentistry was as a trainee dental nurse. I needed a job as my parents were living and working in America and I didn't want to return after a holiday at home. I was lucky to get a place at a great training practice, ‘The Old Lookout’, in Cemaes Bay on Anglesey.

As a dental nurse, I loved working as a team to improve patients' oral health, comfort and appearance.

I completed my National Certificate in September 1992. In January 1993 I started my dental hygiene training. I was very lucky and got a place at Manchester dental hospital quite quickly.

After completing my CEB Diploma in Dental Hygiene in 1993, I returned to The Old Lookout and found work quite easily in a couple of other practices. It was quite difficult working as a dental hygienist to begin with; we only had an 11-month course and were then thrown out into the big bad world. I would realistically say it took me a good six months to find my feet.

As a dental hygienist, I enjoyed the responsibility of seeing my own patients and promoting dental health to them.

In 1997 I heard about the conversion course for dental therapy and felt that this was an area I would like to explore. My son was two and I was only working part time. After some preliminary research there were murmurs that dental therapists would be able to work in practice in the near future. Anglesey at that time had a shortage of dentists, especially in the NHS, and I felt that if I could take some of the workload from the dentists this would increase patient access to care, as well as increase the variety of treatments that I was able to deliver.

It wasn't until 2002 that the restrictions were lifted and dental therapists were allowed to work in all areas of dentistry. I received my Diploma in Dental Therapy from Liverpool in 1999. I was fortunate to secure a therapy post in the North Wales Community Dental Service, for one day a week. This helped me greatly as I was supported by a dental officer and an experienced dental nurse and ensured that I didn't deskill until therapists were able to work in all areas of dentistry.

I now work clinically exclusively as a dental therapist and use my full scope of practice. I am very lucky, but it is important to remember that dental hygiene duties are part of dental therapists' scope of practice and a vital part of caring for our patients' dental health.

I have also trained to treat patients under inhalation sedation and enjoy this very much.

It is difficult for me to comment on whether more dental practice principals are employing a dental therapist these days. I live and work in an area that has always been short of dental manpower, so I have never had any trouble finding work as a therapist and with good conditions. I am aware that this is not the case everywhere, especially in areas close to dental hospitals. I understand that the new NHS contracts in England and Wales promise to involve a greater use of skill mix and an increased advantage to employing dental therapists.

I have taught dental nurses in North Wales since 1994 and still do as part of my CDS role. I enjoy it a great deal. Once I qualified as a dental therapist from Liverpool I was offered a tutor post. I commuted for two years until the journey became too much for me. A few years later, in 2004, the Wales Deanery (Cardiff University) created the DCP postgraduate education department, which at the time was very forward thinking and in anticipation of the registration of dental nurses and the GDC introducing CPD for DCPs. I enjoy the variety and opportunities that my tutor's role brings me and last year I gained my MSc in Medical Education from Cardiff University.

I have been a member of BADT since 1997, first as a student member and then as a full member. I first became a council member when I was North West regional representative with Keddie Kelsall, then more recently as training and education officer.

It was a huge honour to become BADT president. I can't quite believe it, but I am passionate about dental therapy and want to promote the value of working within a team that has a dental therapist.

As BADT president, I like to help address the issues around direct access. The GDC has lifted the restrictions and allows us to see and treat a patient without first seeing a dentist. However, there are legislative issues that are beyond the GDC, for example NHS regulations and prescribing rights [see news pages]. I am aware that the time frames to resolving these issues are long; I want to work with all four chief dental officers (CDOs) to understand these issues and work at resolving them.

As president I am looking forward to understanding the barriers that we have to overcome in order to use our full scope of practice directly with patients and increasing their access to dental care. I hope to represent the BADT's members as well as possible.

I think that dental therapists should join BADT because we are actively trying to address members' issues. We have discussion boards and offer help and advice from experienced therapists working in all areas of dentistry. We have a relatively new council that is enthusiastic and ready to work with our partners to deliver quality education.

There are lots of newly qualified dental therapists joining the profession these days. I personally love being a dental therapist and I am very proud of the work we carry out. I would certainly encourage others, including dental nurses, to choose dental therapy as a career.

Interview by Kate Quinlan

The British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT)

The BADT was founded in 1962 with the first AGM taking place on 2 March 1963 at New Cross School for Dental Auxiliaries. The BADT works for all dental therapists working in all areas of the profession, improving working conditions and pay and fighting for recognition within the profession.

www.badt.org.uk

Read more about the history of the dental therapist in the UK in the Vital archive: ‘But for New Cross, dentistry would be the poorer’; http://www.nature.com/vital/journal/v6/n1/pdf/vital888.pdf (free).