In this series of blogs, we DE-mystify the dental team and get to know the people behind our famous smile makeovers.

First up is Dr Alex Carruthers, our associate dentist, and deputy clinical lead at Dental Excellence.

Dentistry can be an intense and stressful job so how do you unwind after a busy week?

It’s a difficult one because I feel like work never stops for me. I think the most important thing is having time to be able to exercise and clear your mind after a busy week so a lot of meditation, yoga at home when I can, and since the gyms have re-opened getting there as much as possible. I love to cook, we all know I love to cook, wannabe chef over here, ha! So yeah going to the gym, cooking, and the naughty answer, having a couple of alcoholic beverages at the weekend.

Everyone sees you in scrubs at work, but what is your non work style?  

It’s one extreme or the other, I’m either in comfy loungewear, no make up, hair scraped up into a scrunchie or I’m dolled up to the nines in full make up and put lots of thought and time into my outfit! The last year has been mostly loungewear but I’ve been feeling a lot of new smaller businesses and up and coming brands. I really like Prevu so that is my go to staple loungewear and that’s what I’m wearing now.

What is your favourite treatment to carry out at work?

Oooooo, I think it would be going through the entire journey with a patient from start to finish. Composite veneers and smile makeovers are my main areas at the moment but I aspire to have a special interest in root canal treatment. There’s something very niche about it and I’ve had some great mentors in this area. It’s very predictable and my personality likes that, it doesn’t like stress so it’s a good fit!

Word on the street is you're pretty astute in the kitchen, what's your favourite thing to cook?

Ahhhhh now that’s a question, I like to learn to cook new things and will try anything. Since the beginning of lockdown my chef friend has been doing virtual cookalongs where they focus on the cuisines of different countries and that’s been great. I’m a bit of a feeder so I just love to cook big hearty food like sausage casserole or roasts that people love to eat. I’d like to get better at baking, I’m not the best at that and I’d love to be able to make bread.

You recently bought some amazing wine glasses - what do you fill them with?

Erm milk, ha, no over the years I’ve become a tiny mini wine connoisseur and have a subscription with naked wines as I like to try new types. The glasses I bought are white wine glasses so they get filled with vino blanco.

Covid has put paid to travel plans the last 12 months, but if you could holiday anywhere in the world where would it be?

Vancouver – in a heartbeat. I have 2 friends who live there and they were meant to come over to the UK and we were going to go to Ibiza to celebrate their 40^th birthdays but that hasn’t happened because of Covid. So if I could get on a plane tomorrow it would definitely be to Vancouver to see my friends.

What is your guilty pleasure TV?

It isn’t really a guilty pleasure because it’s AMAZING, but I’m obsessed with This Is Us the show is my favourite! {we pushed her on her actual guilty pleasure TV} Oh okay, Naked Attraction - no I can't say that, lol - Married at First Sight Australia!

We know you're a footy fan, but who is your favourite player of all time? 

That’s a tough one but it would have to be Ian Rush, played for Liverpool as a forward through the 80’s and early 90’s, leading goal scorer, all round legend and best tashe ever! Just a top class guy, would have to be Rushie all the way.

You always look so beautiful, even on the days you think you don't! So what is your beauty must have product?

It isn’t one thing, it’s skincare skincare skincare! If there is one thing I’ve learned as a 32 year old woman is that I should have looked after my skin when I was younger like not going on sunbeds. Just invest in a good cleanser, a good moisturiser, and use a daily SPF. Even if it is raining and even if you’re still in your teens, get an spf on!

What is the biggest extravagance you've made for yourself?

Booking a composite course 2.5 years ago that I couldn’t afford and then meeting my current boss, ha! No it’s probably my car, I don’t really spend a lot on myself I prefer to have nice food to eat and go on nice trips away. I’m also saving for a house so that takes all my spare cash!

Finally, tell us a fun fact about yourself that might surprise us.

I can kind of speak Greek and I’m trying to learn Italian. I took a trip to Australia 2 years ago and conquered my fear of heights. I went up an 80 story building and stood on the ledge, walked over the top of the Sydney harbour bridge, and then did a sky dive over the Whitsundays from 1600 feet, and now I’ve got a small addiction with extreme sports! I’m learning to ski, and doing another skydive at the end of the year, the adrenaline rush was incredible so that is my new found thing.

To follow Dr Alex on Instagram click here