From receptionist to dentist: A Caymanian woman’s full circle journey

When Hannah Griffin first walked through the doors of The Strand Dental Clinic in 2011, as a high school student on work experience, she had no idea that those same doors would one day open to her as the first female Caymanian dentist to own and operate her own practice.

Fourteen years later, that full-circle moment arrived.

Beginnings …

At just 17, Griffin – a Cayman Prep and High School student on work experience – would spend hours managing appointments, filing insurance claims and organising paperwork, while watching in awe as dentists Dr. Jan Pultr and Dr. Florence Enescot worked with calm precision, building trust with their patients.

They quickly saw something special in her. Impressed by her curiosity and drive, the clinic’s owners offered her a full-time receptionist job when her work experience ended, a role she accepted, never imagining that one day the clinic would be her own.

“It was over this time that my love of dentistry developed, and I knew that I had found the right career for me,” she recalls. “My most vivid memories were watching the dentists at work and being so impressed with their ability to communicate and make such a positive difference in their patients’ lives.”

Encouraged by her mentors, Griffin left for the United Kingdom. She studied at the University of Plymouth, earning a bachelor’s degree of dental surgery and stayed on to train in the UK’s public health system. There, in a busy National Health Service oral and maxillofacial surgery unit, she spent long shifts in the emergency room and operating theatre, treating complex cases.

“That exposure provided me with real skill and confidence in facial aesthetics and oral surgery,” Griffin explained.

It was this experience and the recognition of how valuable those skills could be back home, that inspired her return to Cayman.

“I’ve been able to help many patients who might otherwise have had to wait for a visiting specialist,” she explained. “In a small island community like ours, it’s rewarding to offer treatments such as wisdom tooth extractions that would normally require an overseas referral.”

Coming home

After more than a decade abroad, Griffin returned to Grand Cayman in 2023 with her husband, Rory O’Donnell. The island felt both familiar and changed.

“A lot has changed in Cayman during the 11 years I was away, and the islands have grown considerably,” she said. “But the essence of Cayman hasn’t changed. Cayman is still Caymankind. We still have such a great community spirit and I still see that shine through in our people, which made the move home easier.”

She began working at Cayman Dental in Camana Bay, where she quickly built a reputation for what Pultr described as treating “patients with skill, humility, and respect”.

Then, in an unexpected full-circle moment, the same mentors who had first guided her into dentistry decided to retire and offered her the chance to take over the very clinic where it all began.

She accepted.

Full circle: Receptionist to dentist

On 1 Nov., The Strand Dental Clinic officially passed into Griffin’s hands. To the best of local knowledge, she is the first Caymanian woman to own and operate her own dental practice in the Cayman Islands.

Pultr, in his farewell letter to patients, wrote, “I’m extremely pleased and reassured to say my decision to retire has been made much easier knowing that I am leaving my patients in the hands of a very capable dentist who holds similar values and work ethic to my own.”

Now in her 30s and a mother, Griffin is establishing a practice that feels deeply personal to her. The waiting room will soon feature local art and she urges local artists who would like to display their works on her walls to get in touch.

Fittingly, the clinic sits just a few doors down from her mother’s hair salon – a business that’s been there since Griffin’s early days at The Strand. The same office where she once shadowed her mentors is now her own, treating patients who still remember her as the “bubbly, chatty receptionist” from her teenage years.

Griffin recognises the symbolism of her success and the responsibility that comes with it.

“If I am the first woman born in these islands to become a dentist and go on to own her own practice here, then I’d just say that I’m so thankful for the opportunity and for all the wonderful people who helped me get to where I am today,” she said.

“I’m very lucky to be supported by my family, our fantastic dental assistants and by Dr. Daniel Scott, our new UK-trained dentist.”

Her journey, she hopes, will open doors for others. Noting that the World Health Organization recommends at least five dentists per 10,000 people, Griffin points out that given the population size of Caymanian citizens, there should be roughly 25 Caymanian dentists, but there are only a handful.

“I’d say to anyone considering a career in dentistry, please reach out,” she added. “I’d be happy to offer any advice or insight I can.”

Griffin hopes her journey will inspire other young Caymanians, especially young women, to dream big and persevere.

Full circle, indeed.