National recognition for dental nurse Carys

Busnes@LlandrilloMenai’s Health and Social Care department is celebrating after Carys Lloyd was named runner-up at the National Dental Nurse Awards.

Carys, from Abergele, completed her Agored Cymru Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing through Busnes@LlandrilloMenai, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s business and commercial arm.

She became the first dental nurse apprentice from within North Wales to be recognised at the Society of British Dental Nurses’ annual awards when she took the runners-up prize in the Student/Early career category.

Carys, who works at Belmont House Dental Practice in Colwyn Bay, was nominated by Busnes@LlandrilloMenai assessor Nicola Jones, who wrote: “It has been fantastic to watch Carys grow over her time on the course.

“Gaining confidence at each opportunity, she is a true gem and everything a dental nurse should be.”

Nicola highlighted Carys’ workplace project, in which she created a display to help educate parents on oral health for young children.

She wrote: “Carys identified a passion for oral health education and wanted to raise awareness among new mothers regarding the amount of sugar in processed baby foods.

“This was done via an interactive display showing the difference in sugars between the processed foods and the homemade versions, as well as highlighting the difference of cost during what can be a difficult time for new parents.”

Nicola added: “Carys has a promising career ahead of her and is an asset to her practice.”

Carys was delighted with the recognition, saying: “I was a bit shocked! My manager was over the moon and everybody was chuffed to bits.”

She thanked Nicola and other Grŵp Llandrillo Menai staff, including the work-based learning team and Coleg Llandrillo library staff, who were on hand to help during her journey to becoming a qualified dental nurse.

“My tutor Nicola was always absolutely amazing,” Carys said. “She’s so knowledgeable and she’s a credit to the Grŵp.

“I went to Coleg Llandrillo in Rhos-on-Sea a couple of times to use the library because I was having problems with my computer. They issued me a laptop to do my work on, which was a massive help.

“I’ve had a few little things like that where they’ve supported me - any time I needed information I’d email people and they’ve always been really good.

“The course itself was well thought out and easy to navigate. I thought age would have gone against me but it hasn’t. If it’s something you’ve been thinking about doing then go for it - it’s a fabulous job.”

Amy Thomas, work-based learning programme area manager for Health and Social Care, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Carys is the first learner in North Wales to be runner-up in the Dental Nurse awards of excellence 2024 and that her achievements and dedication have been recognised.

“This qualification is still quite new and it is pleasing to see the positive impact it has had in such a short space of time, ensuring that learners' skills are developed to meet the highest standards of care for the dental industry. We congratulate Carys on her achievements and wish her well in her future career.”

• Do you want a rewarding career as a dental nurse? To learn more about the Agored Cymru - Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing (Wales) available through Busnes@LlandrilloMenai, click here.

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai is currently recruiting for a Work-Based Assessor in Dental Nursing. To find out more and to apply, click here.