We speak to Mel Bastani about something no one else knows about and where she sees herself in five years.
Please introduce yourself
My name is Mel Bastani and I’m a hygienist based in Essex. One phrase that describes me is a squirrel on steroids because I have such a bouncy and positive personality!
I’m a very ‘full of beans’ kind of person and always look at the glass half full.
But I’m not just any hygienist. I am a brand ambassador for Pärla toothpaste tablets and have also been a clinical educator.
Dental hygiene students use my knowledge to carefully explain and pass down knowledge of all aspects of the industry to future hygienists.
My approach to dentistry and treating patients is communicating with the patient at their level, explaining things very carefully and thoroughly throughout every appointment, and adapting to every patient’s needs.
Recently I have qualified into advanced facial aesthetics training with Dr Bob Khanna at his institute.
I also write monthly articles with Dentistry to educate as many professionals and patients alike as possible.
What inspired you to get into dentistry?
It’s the one-to-one interaction for me.
I think in a world where everything is computerised and done through technology, it’s so important to have that face-to-face contact with people to really make them feel valued, looked after, and appreciated.
It’s not often you find this about someone, but I’ve wanted to work in dentistry from a very young age. My work experience studies were all around the goal to achieve a job in this industry.
What is your most memorable experience in dentistry?
I would say my most memorable experience in dentistry would have to be when I started up my professional Instagram page.
It definitely opened a lot of doors for me; networking with different professionals and working more closely with different dental brands.
But to top it all off, having a place where patients can find support, contact you and recommend you.
I feel it just makes the relationship between patient and clinician that much more relatable.
Tell us something no one else knows about you?
Apart from my love for dentistry, surprisingly I am massively into health and fitness.
Not just physically at the gym but full body wellness as well.
I believe that to be the best version of yourself, you need to treat the inside and outside of your body with a lot of love and attention.
So I’m always researching and looking up ways to keep myself as healthy as possible, whether body or mind.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learnt in your years of experience?
I wouldn’t say there is just one important thing that I’ve learnt in my years in dentistry.
When in healthcare in general, there’s always something new you can learn either from an experience at work or other people.
If I had to pinpoint something that stands out for me it’s that not every practice is going to be a perfect fit.
As they say, you have to kiss a few frogs before you meet your prince; and that goes for finding the right place to work as well. Once you find the right places to work, your confidence and the belief you have in yourself and your own capabilities improve.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I really see myself excelling in my career.
I’m very self-motivated and ambitious and I see myself working with like-minded people where I can really thrive with a couple of fantastic practices and fully dive into new and innovative ways to make dentistry more forward thinking.
Don’t worry, you haven’t seen the last of me – you’ll be seeing me a lot more hopefully!
Catch up with previous 90 seconds with…
Follow Dentistry.co.uk on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
