A: Do dentists work with their favourite nurses?
D: We rotate every day. We have a roster where each nurse works with every dentist.
A: Do the dentists have their own special techniques and ways of doing things? And the nurse has to fit in with the dentist?
D: Yes.
A: So, the nurse has to know how every dentist works.
D: Yes. Correct. And they all have their own little ways. Some like to get their own patients in. Some want you to bring the patient in.
A: Some barrack for a different AFL team. What is your team?
D: I have three boys and they all go for Hawthorn and I tend to follow Hawthorn.
A: Well Hawthorn is not our Tassie Devils.
D: Which hopefully we get. We need.
A: We hope, but we won’t talk about that.
D: I’ll just say how things have changed in 35 years to now.
A: Yes.
D: The simple things. In reception we had to hand write receipts. We did charting, on the patients’ card.
A: Now it is on a computer.
D: We mixed amalgam.
A: Different ways of taking impressions.
D: Intra oral scans.
D: And developing x-rays. We manually had to develop x-rays.
D: Do you remember?
A: I was there.
D; We had a developer, fixer and water and they all had to be at the correct temperature. And we had to time they went in there for so long.
A: A lot of things have improved. What has got worse?
D: Nothing. I don’t believe anything. Everything has got better for the patients and for the staff.
A: Okay. Everything has got better in the last 35 years. How will things be better in ten years’ time?
D: Well hopefully. I don’t want to see them improve so much that we are not needed.
(laughter)
D: Not having patients gag with alginate impressions.
A: So, in twenty years that will go. No gagging.
A: Everybody, here, seems to work as part of a team.
D: You have to be a team player.
A: So, in reception, do you tell patients about brushing teeth or what to eat? Do you try and influence them?
D: We do a little bit at the front desk, everything is so confidential nowadays, but mainly in the surgery, they would explain brushing, flossing, using tepe brushes, whatever and then they come to the front and buy it.
A: Can I ask you about your life outside dentistry. Any hobbies or sports you play?
D: We have just over 100 acres. We are busy on the farm. As well as working.
A: Who is we?
D: My husband and three boys. They all still live at home.
A: Any of them fulltime farmers?
D: The two oldest are full time carpenters. The youngest boy is still at school. They all love being on the farm. We run sheep. Plant spuds.
A: When you say spuds.
D: Pink eyes. Christmas time. Lots of butter.
A: We love our pink eyes in Tasmania. When I worked South Africa there was a conjunctivitis spreading around called pink eye. It was dangerous. Made your eyes red.
D: I have heard of it.
A: Not the pink eyes you sell.
D: No. I love being home on the farm.
A: You have animals as well.
D: Southdown sheep. Two dogs and chooks. And we have fresh farm eggs. And a veggie garden.
A: I have a veggie garden. Broccoli at the moment. Broad beans.
D: Yes, broad beans. And spring peas.
A: Didn’t plant any of them or any pink eyes.
D: So now you know where to get your pink eyes from.
(laughter)
A: It is nice to speak to you. Anything else?
D: I hope have given you enough.
A: I basically want to know why you enjoy working here. Just remind me where does your pleasure come from? When you go home in the evening. What are you most proud of?
D: I love feeling that I have made patients happy. And the dentists. The team. Doing everything, we can to have a smooth running day and that patients leave and feel satisfied. And are happy.
A: And happy to come back. How do you make the patients happy?
D: We supply to best service we can. Most of the patient come out to that the front desk and feel good and think that was good treatment.
D: I never wake and think I don’t want to go to work. I love coming to work. And that is the team. The practice you are with. The team here is amazing. So well trained.
D: We rotate every day. We have a roster where each nurse works with every dentist.
A: Do the dentists have their own special techniques and ways of doing things? And the nurse has to fit in with the dentist?
D: Yes.
A: So, the nurse has to know how every dentist works.
D: Yes. Correct. And they all have their own little ways. Some like to get their own patients in. Some want you to bring the patient in.
A: Some barrack for a different AFL team. What is your team?
D: I have three boys and they all go for Hawthorn and I tend to follow Hawthorn.
A: Well Hawthorn is not our Tassie Devils.
D: Which hopefully we get. We need.
A: We hope, but we won’t talk about that.
D: I’ll just say how things have changed in 35 years to now.
A: Yes.
D: The simple things. In reception we had to hand write receipts. We did charting, on the patients’ card.
A: Now it is on a computer.
D: We mixed amalgam.
A: Different ways of taking impressions.
D: Intra oral scans.
D: And developing x-rays. We manually had to develop x-rays.
D: Do you remember?
A: I was there.
D; We had a developer, fixer and water and they all had to be at the correct temperature. And we had to time they went in there for so long.
A: A lot of things have improved. What has got worse?
D: Nothing. I don’t believe anything. Everything has got better for the patients and for the staff.
A: Okay. Everything has got better in the last 35 years. How will things be better in ten years’ time?
D: Well hopefully. I don’t want to see them improve so much that we are not needed.
(laughter)
D: Not having patients gag with alginate impressions.
A: So, in twenty years that will go. No gagging.
A: Everybody, here, seems to work as part of a team.
D: You have to be a team player.
A: So, in reception, do you tell patients about brushing teeth or what to eat? Do you try and influence them?
D: We do a little bit at the front desk, everything is so confidential nowadays, but mainly in the surgery, they would explain brushing, flossing, using tepe brushes, whatever and then they come to the front and buy it.
A: Can I ask you about your life outside dentistry. Any hobbies or sports you play?
D: We have just over 100 acres. We are busy on the farm. As well as working.
A: Who is we?
D: My husband and three boys. They all still live at home.
A: Any of them fulltime farmers?
D: The two oldest are full time carpenters. The youngest boy is still at school. They all love being on the farm. We run sheep. Plant spuds.
A: When you say spuds.
D: Pink eyes. Christmas time. Lots of butter.
A: We love our pink eyes in Tasmania. When I worked South Africa there was a conjunctivitis spreading around called pink eye. It was dangerous. Made your eyes red.
D: I have heard of it.
A: Not the pink eyes you sell.
D: No. I love being home on the farm.
A: You have animals as well.
D: Southdown sheep. Two dogs and chooks. And we have fresh farm eggs. And a veggie garden.
A: I have a veggie garden. Broccoli at the moment. Broad beans.
D: Yes, broad beans. And spring peas.
A: Didn’t plant any of them or any pink eyes.
D: So now you know where to get your pink eyes from.
(laughter)
A: It is nice to speak to you. Anything else?
D: I hope have given you enough.
A: I basically want to know why you enjoy working here. Just remind me where does your pleasure come from? When you go home in the evening. What are you most proud of?
D: I love feeling that I have made patients happy. And the dentists. The team. Doing everything, we can to have a smooth running day and that patients leave and feel satisfied. And are happy.
A: And happy to come back. How do you make the patients happy?
D: We supply to best service we can. Most of the patient come out to that the front desk and feel good and think that was good treatment.
D: I never wake and think I don’t want to go to work. I love coming to work. And that is the team. The practice you are with. The team here is amazing. So well trained.
