AN INTERVIEW WITH SANDRA PUURITS Leave a comment

We chat to Sandra Puurits (@sasspuurits on Instagram) about her dream dental lab, her favourite tools, THAT case, and much more…

How many years have you been working in the dental industry?

It’s been now a bit over nine years. I’ve worked in three different labs. The one where I’m working right now is my most favourite of them all. I can do what I do best: removable dentures. And the same dentists that I have worked with for the last five years can still order from me, which is really nice because we have a mutual understanding and they trust me. I have also had the opportunity to learn how to design cobalt chrome frames in 3Shape. I fell in love making cast partials using the traditional method about 3-4 years ago. Now I realise how great it is also to be able to follow the evolution in CAD/CAM.

What’s your earliest dental lab memory?

Thinking ‘What is this madness!?’ And the smell of monomer fluid.

Favourite tool/piece of equipment in the lab?

My hands… Haha, no, just joking! Well, all the tools that I myself have shaped for waxwork and carving I suppose. I remember when my favourite knife broke, I was just devastated! But at the same time, all my special burs are also my precious (insert Gollum voice here). Hard to say… Hmm… We’ll just go with ‘my hands’ on this.

If you owned a dental lab what sort of a lab would you have?

A lab connected to a massage parlour! We all have seen ourselves, the lab-gremlins, working. The posture… it just hurts to watch! And a few cold ones in the fridge would not hurt one bit (this is my imaginary lab, I can have everything I want)!

Favourite part of your job?

I’m between two options here. One is getting little notes from dentists and dental assistants. Those little smiley faces and flowers they draw are just so sweet! Not to mention the ones who have the sense of humour to react to my stupid jokes. The second ones are the patients who come for shade check, for example for an upcoming partial denture. You never know, what you’ll be confronted with! Aaaahhh, the excitement! As if there’s not much intensity in the day-to-day life in the lab.

If you weren’t in dentistry, what would you be?

I would be calm and well-balanced. Haha, joking again (‘OMG, does she ever stop with the jokes?’ thought the reader). I’ve heard there are people who sell Tupperware… That would not be me (‘Again? Seriously?’). I’d be a designated driver. Of a bus. Not kidding! I’d like to take people to get-togethers and such. Some of the longer routes. So I’d take them to have a nice time and then laugh quietly as they are trying to not vomit on the way back at 3am in the morning.

What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

Trying to explain something really important to someone and they just don’t listen to me because I am a woman and/or younger than they are. How have I overcome it? Well… I haven’t totally. I just gather my dudes and gals at work and we exchange our thoughts, laugh and move on.

What was the last case you worked on?

Oh dear… I thought I would NOT have to think about THE case again today! Ok, full upper and cobalt chrome partial on lower. The bite is a nightmare! Looks like the upper and lower jaws don’t match at all. Wide arch in the upper, narrow in the lower. Lower incisors cannot get any contact, too much retrusion. Need to get it somehow work on the molars. Cusp alteration is… well, I got it somehow working. Took me an hour to figure out how it would work in the movements and have enough space for the tongue. AND I didn’t cry once! But the good news is I’ll be on my holiday when the first fitting is.

Most funny/ridiculous/dangerous/disgusting lab occurrence?

I think by now I am not surprised about anything disgusting anymore. Someone once walked in and took a six-unit bridge out of their mouth with three roots in it and asked if we can somehow fix it. I just said that no can do sir/mam and just continued with my day. I think I don’t have a gag reflex anymore. But the most ridiculous? Having a bite rim come back with no marks on it. No antagonist teeth marks whatsoever. Wow… just wow. But still, I’m not surprised. Dangerous? People who swallow their denture tooth and don’t tell in you in advance how they got it back… just, no!

If somebody wrote a biography about you, what would it be called?

‘Accidentally’.