11/02/2025
Not long now until our Wendy retires. What a DA career she has had - it is pretty special, as is she. Read more below ....
Wendy had dental treatment at the Royal Dental hospital in Melbourne at about 12 years of age. She was having teeth extracted and getting a removable appliance made to straighten her top teeth (her parents could not afford braces). It was at this time Wendy decided she wanted to become a Dental Nurse. Watching the Nurses made her interested, and she thought it would be a good occupation.
Wendy grew up in Glen Waverley and in February 1975 started working as a dental nurse. She worked for 2 years before gaining her Dental Nurse certificate and her Dental Association of Australia (DAA) badge in the same year. Wendy worked in Melbourne for 30 years.
In 1982 Wendy got married and built a family home on 1/2 acre in upper Beaconsfield. Wendy had her babies, Craig and Emily, in 1985 and 1988. Wendy moved to Beaconsfield around 2005 to work closer to home. After 29 years in upper Beaconsfield Wendy and her family moved to Heathcote in 2011. At this time Wendy began working for Dr John Kosta in Bendigo in the same year. Once the practice became Kennington Dental in June 2004, Sathie and Kate were very pleased that Wendy – and all that she was; her kindness, experience, knowledge, dedication, loyalty, hard work – came with the dental practice.
Wendy has seen many changes in her 50-year dental career. Changes from the silver fillings to white fillings. From old style impressions, with a mouth full of goo, to modern day scanning. Previously sterilizing in cold solution, to dry heat to autoclave machines. Wendy notes the improvements with the digital age with scanning for crowns, mouth/night guards, rather than taking impressions.
Wendy says she has stayed working as a Dental Nurse/Assistant for so long as she enjoys helping people, making them feel relaxed during treatment and having conversations with them. She likes seeing their smiling faces after treatment that improves the way they look.
Wendy loves that she has made many great friends working in profession, whom she still sees to this day. Wendy says she will miss the lovely patients, Dentists and staff that she has met during her career. She hopes to come back for some part time work at Kennington Dental when needed – and when she is not holidaying somewhere with her caravan, hubby and dog.
