A DREAM of having a reliable job and a lifelong career is becoming a reality for Orange single-mother Sarah Buchtmann, 28, who has started work as a dental assistant.
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“I’ve been a single mum for a bit now and I wanted to set my girls up with something and something that pays well,” she said.
Initially based in Millthorpe and now living in Blayney, Ms Buchtmanm said she had worked at a variety of places including as a kitchen hand, hairdressing, waitressing, at a motel, a nursery and a wooden blind factory, but this was what she had longed to do.
“I’ve always had a fascination with teeth, it’s the first thing I look at,” she said.
Along with an interest in teeth Ms Buchtmann said she wanted a career where she could help people.
After discussing the job with dental hygienists Ms Buchtmann decided to pursue the career and recently graduated from TAFE Western, the only provider in western NSW, with a certificate III in dental assisting and has started working at Doctor Andrew Flatau’s practice Orange Dental Centre.
“The certificate III in dental assisting took 12 months to complete and I learnt a lot including dental procedures, dental radiography, infection control and oral hygiene,” she said.
“It was really good in the sense of preparing you for the workplace.”
Ms Buchtmann’s new job involves sterilising equipment, maintaining hygiene by setting patients up to have their work done, passing tools to the dentist and developing x-rays.
She is also considering undertaking a Certificate IV in years to come to enhance her working opportunities.
Enrolments for the certificate III in dental assisting at TAFE Western in 2015 are now open.
tanya.marschke@fairfaxmedia.com.au