Charlotte Benson shares her journey into dentistry, from finding herself homeless as a teenager to developing a successful career as a dental therapist and practice owner.
From an early age, I was always academic, bright, curious and capable. But growing up, staying focused and out of trouble was a constant battle.
I grew up in Leytonstone, east London on a small estate, raised by my single mum. My dad was in prison for most of my childhood, which meant my mum carried the weight of raising me alone.
At the age of 14, my life took a drastic turn. Due to a mix of family and personal issues, I became homeless. I was heavily let down by the local social services, who failed to provide the support I desperately needed. For a long time, I slept rough or stayed on different people’s sofas just to get by. A few days before my 16th birthday, I was finally housed in a hostel – something that was extremely rare for someone my age at the time.
‘Despite everything, I always knew I wanted more from life’
School life had already become unstable. I often stopped attending, and when I did go, I would get into trouble. Eventually, this led to me leaving – effectively being expelled without completing my GCSEs. At that point, education felt completely out of reach.
The first step
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