President Dr Katie Ayers
What led you to become a paediatric dentist?
From a very young age I always wanted to work with children, so when my husband went back to Otago University to commence his training in oral and maxillofacial surgery I enrolled for a Masters in Paediatric Dentistry.
Where do you work now?
I work in private practice in Hamilton which is about an hour and a half south of Auckland. I work alongside three oral and maxillofacial surgeons. I originally wanted to work in the hospital/public system, but when we moved to Hamilton for my husband’s registrar training the hospital didn’t employ a paediatric dentist. Therefore I set up in private practice and have been there ever since!
Where do you see your future in paediatric dentistry?
I expect to continue to work as a paediatric dentist for now.
What aspects of paediatric do you most prefer?
I love providing care under general anaesthesia, as so much can be achieved for each patient, and I like the teamwork aspect of it as well. I’m fortunate that the hospital I work in is owned by a charitable trust so we are able to regularly provide charitable treatment for children, which is particularly rewarding. Outside of theatre I love being able to see my patients regularly over several years, watching them grow and develop confidence in the dental setting and hopefully graduate from the practice with an adult dentition free from caries or dental restorations!
I joined the AAPD because:
It was an expectation when I was doing my postgraduate training – and I’m glad that it was. Our conferences provide great opportunities to meet other paediatric dentists from across Australasia and to gain valuable and relevant continuing education. At the first meeting I went to I was inspired by role models such as Professor Roger Hall (who signed the textbook for me), Professor Louise Brearley-Messer and Dr Peter Gregory. Everyone was so welcoming and inclusive which was really appreciated by us Kiwis!
The people I would like to connect with in the AAPD are:
Everyone! It was hard to get to conferences when I had young children so it’s great to be able to reconnect with everyone now.
What is your most memorable or favourite part of practising paediatric dentistry?
There are so many! I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks at Westmead Hospital in NSW after I finished my postgrad training. I was inspired by Angus Cameron and Richard Widmer; especially all the patient’s pictures and cards on the walls and Richard’s odd Doc Marten shoes!
One of my worst memories was treating a patient directly off a series of international flights from Poland to New Zealand. He’d had toothache the whole way, so his parents insisted that I extract the offending tooth there and then. The poor boy didn’t understand English and was exhausted from the combination of the trip and the pain he’d been experiencing. The extraction was traumatic for us all, and I wish I had handled things differently.
What do you like doing outside of paediatric dentistry?
Most of my free time is spent looking after all our pets – 4 dogs, 1 cat, 2 goats and 12 chickens! My husband Angus and I are slowly adjusting to being ‘empty nesters’. I love going to the gym before work each day where I do a mix of boxing and mace and kettlebell training. I am looking forward to travelling more in the future.
In an alternate universe, if you were not a dentist what would you have liked to pursue?
I think I would have enjoyed being a psychologist, but I guess we get to use psychology every day in our jobs!
Dr Rebecca Eggers
What led you to become a paediatric dentist?
I first became interested in 2002 as an undergrad in the 5th year clinics where I had the privilege of being tutored by some of our wonderful paediatric dentists who gave me some insight into what the specialty involved. Whilst not directly related to paediatric dentistry, Erin Mahoney gave a lot of her time to supervise my group’s research project at our local methadone clinic and we had such a blast working together. I saw the important work that both teams at the Westmead and Kids Hospital departments were doing, all with a sense of fun, respect and care. I then spent a year in Townsville, working in the school dental vans, which I just loved. After some time in private practice after this, it really cemented that I much preferred treating children!
Where do you work now?
I work in my private practice in Bella Vista which is in the Hills District of Sydney. We have a really great team at the moment with Dr Jana Nikolovski, Dr Ashleigh Raikuna, two OHTs and the recent addition of an OMFS (Dr Margaret Kim).
What aspects of paediatric do you most prefer?
Over time, I’ve found myself looking to move away from clinical work, as I really enjoy the non-clinical aspects of running the practice and developing our team.
There are always so many new skills to learn and interesting people to work with.
What is your most memorable or favourite part of practising paediatric dentistry?
My favourite part of practising paediatric dentistry is being part of a community, and the many friendships I’ve made along the way. We have a really close-knit group of specialists who have a lot of fun together, are supportive, discuss cases and generally have each others’ backs. Everything doesn’t always go to plan, and I think it’s important to normalise that. Being supported through tricky times is essential to longevity in our careers.
My favourite part of clinical practice is working with teens with additional needs or who need multidisciplinary care.
I joined the AAPD to:
Be involved in the work that the Academy does with regards to advocacy and mentoring, and of course have a great time at the conferences!
The people I would like to connect with in the AAPD are:
Our postgrad community and newest members! I love seeing what the new generations of paediatric dentists are doing and the new ideas and perspectives they can bring to the specialty.
What do you like doing outside of paediatric dentistry?
Besides spending time with my son, my true love is plants! I enjoy growing fruit and vegetables and spend a lot of time in my garden – composting, looking after my chooks or at Bunnings collecting supplies for my latest garden project.
In an alternate universe, if you were not a dentist what would you have liked to pursue?
I think I’d still choose dentistry! I’m grateful for the many opportunities it has brought (including the time I can spend away from it in the garden and travelling!).
