Dr Gina Vega, Principal Dentist.
When I was 8 years old back in Mexico City, I decided that i wanted to be a dentist. Don’t ask me why but I just loved the smell of the dental practice I used to go to. I now know that it was the clove essence used in dental materials that I fell in love with!
For Christmas that year I got a toy dentist play-dough set. I was the happiest 8-year-old girl in the whole world and used to enjoy my afternoons playing at being a dentist!!!
14 years later I qualified as a dental surgeon in one of the top dental universities in Mexico City, UNITEC. For a few years I enjoyed practicing dentistry in Polanco, a lovely area in Mexico City.
In my mid twenties I decided to travel around Europe. I had a great time and it was during the trip, on a train going from Amsterdam to Copenhagen, that I met my husband, Mike. It was lovely to get to know about the English culture with him. I loved London and a year later I immigrated to England.
Unfortunately when I arrived in London, I discovered that I was not able to practice dentistry n the UK. Because there was no way that I was going to stop doing what I love to do so much, I decided to re-qualify as a dentist in this country. Two years later, after lots or sleepless nights and hard work I re-qualified in the UK through The International Qualifying Examination (IQE).
Whilst I was studying for my re-qualification, I worked as a dental nurse. I wanted to be involved in dentistry and learnt all about the way dentistry was practiced over here. I enjoyed that part of my life but, as you can imagine, it was not easy for me; every day I was watching somebody else do a job that I was supposed to be doing.
I have been practicing here in England for over 10 years now; definitely my start as a dentist in the UK was not easy, but it was well worth it….
I love it!!!