MBE for Fleetwood woman Pam Swain for her tireless work in helping dental nurses

Pam Swain is the chief executive The British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN), the professional association for dental nurses in the UK.

The BADN’s stated mission is to support, promote, educate, and enhance the dental nursing profession by offering a platform for learning and development, a legal helpline and the provision of indemnity cover.

Pam, 66, who has worked for the Association since 1992, said she was delighted and surprised after being informed of the award.

She said: “It’s a huge honour, not just for me but for the whole team who support dental nurses.

“Dental nurses are the Cinderella staff of the dentistry profession - and dentistry is itself a Cinderella service.

“It does not get the recognition that other areas of the health services get.

“Dental nurses are paid minimum wages and even when they work within the NHS, they do not get the benefits of other NHS staff because they are considered to be working for the dentist concerned rather than the NHS itself.

“Overwhelmingly, they are part-time women, so their earnings are relatively low, despite the important job they do.

“So I’m proud that the BADN does the job it does in supporting them in various key areas.”

BADN president Preetee Hylton said: “I have known Pam for years; I have witnessed her working alongside various presidents and the BADN Executive Committee for the empowerment and benefit of the dental nursing workforce.

“Although not a dental nurse herself, she has demonstrated unwavering dedication to the profession.

“Her tenacity and passion in standing up for dental nurses is admirable. I am delighted and honoured to have her by my side as I start my tenure as BADN president.”

Pam has enjoyed a varied international career which included studying German whilst selling newspapers outside Vienna’s Wien Mitte railway station and working as an au pair and English tutor in Vienna.

She had a brief spell at the Home Office Research Unit in the late 1970s and worked at the NATO Headquarters in a number of posts, ranging from Electronic Warfare to Crisis Management, Exercise & Training.

As well as being BADN’s Chief Executive, Pam is Editor of the “British Dental Nurses’ Journal”, and also writes regular columns for “The Probe” and other dental publications.

In 2012, Pam was awarded Outstanding Achievement Award at the Dental Awards, and the BADN Outstanding Contribution to Dental Nursing Award.