Meet Shameer Nisa, a multi-talented dental technician from Kings College, London. Specialising as a maxillofacial prothesis technician (MPT), a clinician dental technician (CDT), and former lecturer, Shameer has built his career with a genuine passion for dental technology. Read on to learn how Shameer got his job as a maxillofacial prothesis technician with Kings College in London.
After coming out of secondary school, I was never academic. However, I had a passion for art and I enjoyed creating things with my hands, finding out there was a career where I could create something, using all types of different methods and materials and it could have a major impact on someone’s life, was definitely a big draw for me to get into the world of dental technology.
I currently work at Kings College Hospital London.
I have a few, currently I am working as a Maxillofacial Prothesis Technician (MPT), but I am also a qualified Clinical Dental Technician (CDT) and former lecturer of dental technology.
It can vary from day to day. Some days I will be at the bench, setting up obturators, waxing up noses, fingers, painting eyes or segmenting and printing cranio 3d models and constructing titanium cranio plates. On other days I could be in orthognathic clinic discussing patient cases or on our Maxfac clinic taking facial or ocular impressions, dental impressions and face bows or reviewing patients. Some days we could also be called to observe surgery or request to stay late to deal with a trauma case.
Having worked at Kings in the prosthetic department with my CDT qualification, as well as a teaching qualification and completing my MSc, a position became available in the Maxillofacial department.
I applied, interviewed and was successful.
If I was being honest, although I was very artistic I still struggled with most areas of dental technology when I first started. I am still always learning, as there are always new techniques and ways to make an appliance, however I honestly feel my passion and skill-set lay with prosthetics, from chromes to the everyday dentures.
I would always say, persevere and never say anything bad about your fellow professionals, we are a small cohort and word travels fast.
I believe everyone brings something to the table, whether you agree or disagree, take what works for you, but listen to what others have to offer, you never know, it may come in use eventually, but lastly enjoy what you do and take pride in it.
If money wasn’t an option, I would have to say that having the opportunity to have seen first-hand and helped so many patients with my devices, seeing a patient happy and getting their lives back on track is one of the best feelings I could ever ask for. As cheesy as it sounds, patient happiness and satisfaction is a great alternative.
Tell us about your career journey in dental technology.
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Blog post by Andy Foster - dental technician//recruitment blogger//caffeine addict