Selina Alexander is celebrating the 30th anniversary of beginning her career the dental industry. Here she reflects on three decades of teeth and how much things have changed in that time.
Selina’s career in dentistry came about partly thanks to a fit of pique. During her fifth year at high school, she had not been allowed to study economics and marketing, and by the October half term had decided not to continue with her schooling so started applying for jobs. She was interviewed for the position of trainee dental nurse/receptionist and was offered the post. And so, as she says herself: ‘That was it.’
Having qualified, she decided to experience life in Australia for a while. She joined an agency and spent six months working in a private practice before travelling the east coast for a few months. The contrast between life in an Aussie private practice and her experience in a Scottish NHS one was stark.
‘Appointments were much longer in Australia,’ Selina says. ‘The pace was also much slower. A checkup would take around an hour!
‘Within that time, they would also do the full treatment planning and a fluoride treatment that would involve putting strips in the patient’s mouth for about 30 minutes. Also, everything was double cleaned and double packed. So, it was completely different from the way we did things back in Scotland.’
Back home
Unfortunately, when she returned home there were no vacancies at her original place of work and so she spent three months at an orthodontic practice.
‘It wasn’t for me,’ Selina confesses. ‘I was passing brackets back and forth and I didn’t find it fulfilling. But it was the first job I went for again and got, so it did until I found my feet again.’ Fortunately, she was able to find a job in a general practice in Prestonpans, which was closer to home, where she spent 18 months.
Her thirst for learning saw her move away from the NHS and into private practice in Edinburgh. Although her role there satisfied her need to improve her skills and knowledge after a couple of years the lengthy commute was taking its toll and so she moved to an orthodontic practice nearer home. Yet again, despite studying for her radiography qualification at the same time, Selina, felt that orthodontics was not for her.
However, a position for a trainee practice manager/head dental nurse came up back in Edinburgh and she was successful at interview yet again. She solved the issue of commuting by buying her flat there!
During her eight and a half years with the practice, she gained a broad range of experience including implant coordinator and practice manager looking after two practices thanks to the business’ expansion. Then she was struck by itchy feet again and so she went back to Australia for three months to work as a dental nurse in a friend’s practice. Although this came close to being a permanent move, the pull of home was too strong and so she returned to Scotland once more.
Managing during the pandemic
Within three days of starting her search, thanks to a tip off from a dental rep she knew, Selina landed a job as a practice clinical manager. She stayed in this role for another eight and a half years. Once again, she became implant coordinator and was ultimately promoted to overall practice manager.
Her experience and performance at the practice led to her being head hunted by Clyde Munro dental group. Within three months of joining them she was invited to become a regional manager with responsibility for 12 practices. Her time with the group coincided with the pandemic which found her supporting her practices through the lockdowns, restrictions and tough times that followed reopening.
Sadly, she and Clyde Munro parted company at the end of 2020 and Selina began doing consultancy while juggling an interim role as practice manager at the same time. In August 2021 she became a mergers and acquisitions manager for Portman in Scotland. This gave her the opportunity to get involved with all the business and economics work she’d not been allowed to study at school while also drawing on her experience of practice management at the same time.
However, Portman’s merger with Dentex reduced the need for so many mergers and acquisitions managers and her role was made redundant.
‘I’ve been there’
However, Portman Dentex’s loss has very much been Practice Plan’s gain! She joined the company in May 2023 and despite being very busy, she clearly loves her role as regional support manager.
‘What I enjoy most is going into practices and helping them, because I’ve got the knowledge of working in practice,’ she says. ‘I not only help them with plan, but I can also say to them, “Look, don’t worry about it. What is it you need?”
‘I can help them with KPIs, or how to deal with a member of staff because I’ve been there. I know what it’s like, especially with new managers. The transition from head nurse to practice manager, but still having the same team, can be really daunting and hard. I’ve been there and it is stressful.’
Great customer relationships
Her customers appreciate having access to Selina’s extensive experience of practice management as well as plan administration. As well as sharing her own knowledge, she has set up a practice managers’ WhatsApp group so her customers can pool their own learning as well.
‘Having access to experience from six months to 40 years in dentistry is great,’ she enthuses. ‘It’s a safe place for everyone to just chat. And it doesn’t all have to be about plan. They know that if they need help, they can reach out and everyone will rally round to help them. I really enjoy that side of things as it means I’m still working within teams, but I’m not dealing with the politics.’
Would she do it all again?
If Selina were a 16-year-old now, would she still go into dental nursing?
‘A hundred percent, yes. Because it’s not just a dental nursing job. My career progression when I started as a trainee dental nurse at 16, to what I can do now shows that.
‘Things have changed so much over the past 30 years, mostly for the better. The stories I could tell about what life was like before we really got a handle on decontamination and infection prevention and control would make your hair curl,’ she laughs. ‘Patients can be reassured it’s not like that anymore. You have to jump through a lot of hoops to pass a practice inspection now.’
‘Technology has also progressed so much during my career too,’ she continues. ‘Digital X-rays, cerec machines that can do crowns in the surgery now without having to go to the laboratory, taking a scan in the dental surgery. It’s amazing what they can do now with iTero scanners.’
Practice management
What does she feel about practice management as a role these days?
‘I love my job at Practice Plan. So, I couldn’t go back into practice even though I do miss it at times,’ she confesses. ‘The demands and the stresses on a practice manager now makes the job very hard. I’m not sure they could pay me enough anymore to compensate for that.’
And her advice to any aspiring dental nurses? ‘Stick in, work hard and progress up.’
Practice Plan hasbeen welcoming practices into the family since 1995, helping them to grow profitable businesses through the introduction of practice-branded membership plans.
With over 300 years’ dental experience in our field team, if you’re looking for a provider that has that family feel but knows a thing or two about dentistry… Be Practice Plan and get in touch. Call 01691 684165 or visit www.practiceplan.co.uk/be-practice-plan/.
