Staff profile: Anne Francis is a hygienist in our dentist practice in Carlow

We sat down and talked to Anne about her passion for her work, the importance of good oral hygiene and why she loves working in our dentist practice in Carlow.

What does your role entail?

I am a Dental Hygienist. This means I will clean all the deposits and stains from patients’ teeth, scale away tartar build-up and then polish the teeth.

What do you most love about your job?

I love restoring the oral health of all my patients, both young and old.

Why did you choose to become a Dental Hygienist?

I wanted to be a Dental Hygienist because I want to help people look after their mouths.

Where did you study?

I studied in the Dublin Dental Hospital.

What advice would you give young people about entering dentistry as a career?

The advice I would give to young people entering dentistry as a career would be to expect that the job can be stressful at times, but it is very rewarding.

What piece of advice do you tend to give to all your patients?

The advice I would give to my patients is to attend the dentist regularly, that is very important.

What’s the best way to encourage children to keep their teeth strong and healthy?

A happy, healthy smile is better than a bad one is the advice I would give to encourage kids to keep their teeth healthy.

What should older patients do to look after their teeth?

Older people should ensure they attend the dentist regularly and get their teeth cleaned in order to keep their teeth healthy.

What are the most common problems you see?

The most common problems we see in the dentist practice in Carlow would be gum disease, tooth decay or poor diets.

And how do you advise patients to deal with them?

We stress the importance of a good diet and good dental hygiene.

What do you most like about working in Dental Care Ireland?

I love working in Dental Care Ireland as I love helping the patients. And the team here is great too!

How do you relax after work and on the weekends?

I relax after work and on the weekends by spending time with my family, reading and doing yoga.

If you hadn’t entered dentistry, what would your dream job have been?

If I hadn’t entered dentistry, my dream job would be a travel consultant.

Find out more about Dental Care Ireland in Carlow. To find the Dental Care Ireland practice nearest you, go here: https://www.dentalcareireland.ie/practices/