Community Dental Services CIC (CDS) is proud to celebrate the remarkable career of Jane Walker, who retires after 50 years of service to community dentistry. Jane has been an integral part of CDS’s referral-only dental service, which provides special and paediatric dental care across the East of England and East Midlands. Her career has been a testament to how dental care, and especially community dental services have evolved over half a century.
With a career spanning five decades, Jane began her journey in dentistry in 1975, joining the School Dental Service as a Dental Nurse, at just 17 years old. Over the years, she witnessed and contributed to dramatic changes in community dentistry, from the evolution of the School Dental Service into Special Needs Dentistry to the introduction of advanced equipment such as OPG machines and CBCT scanners. Her career reflects the transformation of patient care, professional roles in dentistry and the progression of dentistry itself, from basic infection control measures and hand-mixed amalgam to today’s advanced sedation techniques and specialised dental chairs.
Throughout her career, Jane worked across multiple sites, supported paediatric and special care patients, and played a pivotal role in introducing sedation techniques for her patients. She also supported newly qualified dentists through vocational training and worked in prison dentistry.
In 2001, Jane took on her first leadership role as Senior Dental Nurse at Nottingham’s urgent care walk-in centre, where she led a team providing emergency dental care to unregistered patients. Her efforts were recognised with awards for Best Team and City Council Team of the Year. Later, Jane became Operations Manager for CDS’s Nottinghamshire service, a role she held until her retirement. Her leadership, expertise, and unwavering commitment to dental care for vulnerable patients have left their mark on community dentistry and those she worked alongside.
As Jane transitions into retirement, she is excited to embrace new adventures, planning to travel extensively with her husband, exploring Australia, the Far East, and enjoying trips in their touring caravan. While she looks forward to leaving behind her long commute, she admits she will miss her colleagues and the camaraderie built over decades of service.
Jane’s retirement is not just the end of a career; it is the celebration of a legacy and how dentistry has evolved. She leaves behind a wealth of experience and a lasting impact on community dentistry.
