An interview with Rhonda Cormack of The Old Kiln Dental Laboratory

Today we interviewed Rhonda Cormack from the Old Kiln Dental Laboratory in Bolton. Rhonda began her career in Dental Technology in 1980 whe she was offered an apprenticeship at Edinburgh Dental Hospital and formed The Old Kiln Dental Laboratory in 2007.

Rhonda, it is a pleasure to interview you today and I thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to speak with me. In my random interview style, let me ask you some really deep questions and mix in a few random fun ones.

In researching your background, I read you had a couple of teaching posts, one of which was in the Seychelles, tell us more? After qualifying, I went on to do City&Guilds Advanced General and the Advanced Crown&Bridge at Telford Technical College in Edinburgh so I had a long history with Telford College and the Course leader, Paul McMahon, who offered me some part time teaching . In the early 90's I was asked to teach “an introduction to lab work” to the 2nd year Dental students at Edinburgh University It was a nice end to the week and fitted in well with my main role of Senior Dental technician in the Pros lab at the Edinburgh Dental Hospital.

In October 95 I received a fax from the Ministry of Health in the Seychelles, they wanted to start a Dental technology course at the School of Health Studies on the island, was I interested? I had so many reasons to stay in Edinburgh where I loved my job, had a nice city centre flat and was happy with my life. Something inside me was saying....”do this” (to the surprise of everyone around me) in February 1996 I was on an AirSeychelles flight waving goodbye to the UK.

I didn’t dwell too much on what I was actually doing, I would have freaked out, leaving my family and friends (my father’s words ringing in my ears “what about your pension!!?”). This was also before the internet so I had no idea what I was going to, I'd bought 2 travel books, that was all the info I had. The first few months were tough, my mother’s tear stained letters arriving twice a week. It was extremely difficult to source materials and the ordering process took months, I found some unusual practical exercises for the students. In the early days we were making key rings, wire bending our names, drawing the curves of spee and monson. Then the teeth arrived…..hallelujah.

The students were just the most gorgeous people, even now my heart skips a beat when I think about them all. As soon as I adapted to the pace of island life ....Oh my goodness I had the most wonderful 2 years. I met so many great people many are friends to this day, scuba diving every weekend, swimming with whale sharks, backgammon and a G&T every evening with spectacular sunsets filling the sky. I'm glad I listened to that inner voice.

With your previous teaching experience, what would be the best bit of advice you would give to Dental Technology Students today? Coming from my training path I would suggest that starting in a Hospital environment is a good place for a student DT to consolidate their academic knowledge with the required practical skills, where there are less pressures and more opportunities to improve your skill set. If this route is not possible, my advice would be to get as much experience working in a lab as possible. Those long Uni breaks.... get out there, find a lab where you can shadow a DT. Also , especially if your course has no clinical sessions, spend time in a clinic with a Dentist or a CDT, it’s a huge benefit to understand the clinical process. Get on the internet, there are loads of great videos to learn from. If you have poor manual dexterity, definitely work on improving that, this is not a job you want to do if you struggle in that area.

What has been your greatest achievement as a Dental Technician? I can’t think what my greatest achievement as a DT would be. Each achievement is great at the time. Every time I passed an exam or was successful in a promotion or job offer I was happy. My parents were over the moon when the Lord Provost presented me with the Scotec Gold Medal in Life Sciences in 1983, now for me that day was a living nightmare as my Braun hair curler ran out of gas. I definitely feel most accomplished when I complete a case and I know I've done a good job. More recently, as a CDT I experience the satisfaction of fitting my own work (I have to say ...Love you all UclanCohort17).

And professionally, who have you been most inspired or influenced by? Throughout my career I've met people who have influenced me and inspired me. From my very early days as an apprentice, Ian Blair (sen Chief at EDH) and Donald Cameron (Chief at EDH) gave me the best start, quality, consistency and technique. Honestly I have to say I have learnt from every technician I have worked alongside. I admire people who have flair and are artistic. I admire people who pass on their skills and knowledge and also those who share their work. I believe when you love this job, you can influence and inspire people.

A few quick fire fun questions!

Give us an interesting fact about you. I'm a twin and 5ft and a ¼ tall (small)

What is your favourite holiday destination? Cape Town, NewYork, Rome

How many pets do you have? One old deaf dog called BillyBoy, half pug/ fenchie. Most adorable animal ever.

Do you play any sports? People are often surprised that this body does not do any sports apart from a little swimming now and again.

Super hero powers, which would you choose and why? I quite like the idea of teleportation, to be able to go wherever I want whenever I want. That would be amazing. Although Mrs Stretch would be good (being 5ft and a ¼ has it's draw backs).

Back to the serious questions...

What type of lab work do you most enjoy? I enjoy all aspects of lab work. I just love making things. Polishing Co/Cr frames is probably my least favourite as it's so dirty. I am a stickler for precision and I don't like cutting corners.