The Good Dentist

Local Profile: Rachel Mascord

My name is Rachel Mascord, and I am a dentist who graduated from the University of Sydney in 1991.

For close to 17 years I worked in Five Dock, caring for local families. 
I now offer my gentle and caring approach to dental care in a beautiful new space in the CBD of Sydney.

My inspiration to become a dentist was fired up when I was quite young, although it took me a few more years to fully embrace the idea! 

There were two distinct events that led me to the career I love today. The first happened when I was 7 years old. One day our family dentist very seriously told me I needed a filling. I was completely terrified. My mum (who was also completely terrified of the dentist) had already told me how bad and scary fillings were. Our dentist, who was actually a very nice man, really did not have much of a ‘bed side manner’. He asked me if I would like a needle.

I don’t know how you would have responded, but I have not yet met the 7 year old who would answer that question with a ‘yes please’!

So, of course I said ‘no’ and endured the consequences. Not a great start, but it has forever stayed with me as the way notto do dentistry.

The second event took place a few years later, when I was eleven years old. I met a new dentist, a gorgeous young man from New Zealand, who had the task of taking out four of my adult teeth for braces. Perhaps you can imagine the state I was in with an unpleasant experience under my belt, my terrified mum and a very good imagination. . .

What he did changed my life. He took off his mask, looked right into my eyes and smiled at me. In that moment I felt completely connected to and understood. Although there were still nerves, I knew I was safe. That moment was the clincher, dentistry could be delivered with heart and deep care. 

Because of those two experiences, dentistry was now in my blood.

But there is more to the story of my inspiration. From very young, I also had a great love of science, especially physics and biology. Although it might sound counter intuitive, these sciences actually work hand in hand in dentistry. When we fix teeth, we are uniting the behaviour of materials, with the way forces behave through the jaw and the biology of the human being. 

It was twelve years after my beautiful dental experience that I graduated from university as a fully-fledged dentist. Although I was awarded first class honours and the University Medal, and this was a great honour to receive, the real highlight of my career has been the opportunity to do for other people what that lovely dentist did for me – to connect with them and understand their concerns, and to apply the knowledge I have developed with gentleness and care. This is the reason I love my work more than ever before after 28 year working as a dentist. 
​You can discover more about my passionate and holistic approach to dental care through my blogs.

Learn about fertility and dental health, getting your kid’s dental health off to a good start and trending drinks that may not be as healthy as you think.