Teresa Harkes

I trained as a dental nurse in the Dublin Dental Hospital qualifying in 1986. I worked as a dental nurse in a specialist periodontal practice Sydney, Australia and also as an orthodontic dental nurse in Cork, Ireland before deciding that my calling was in Dental hygiene.

I qualified as a dental Hygienist from Glasgow School of Dental Hygiene in 1989 receiving the Ash Award for my clinical work. Following a brief spell working in Barrow in Furness I joined Stricklandgate dental practice in 1991.

When I first arrived as a newly qualified hygienist in Cumbria there were not many hygienists in the area. It was often a challenge to gain the trust of patients (and sometimes dentists) that the hygiene profession was a force for good. It has been great to have seen our profession expand in this lovely county with hygienists now working in almost every dental practice. I am married to John who is a dentist at Stricklandgate and we have two children. We live in Penrith within a short walk from the practice.