Dental News & People

Posted: 16 February 2012

One minute with: Gaynor Barrett

Author: Ellie Seymour

Ellie Seymour talks to Gaynor Barrett about juggling work with four children, mood music and inspiration through perspiration

Why did you choose to go into dentistry?
I wanted to go into medicine from the age of four! I was very artistic and could have made art and design my career. But as I wanted four children and the flexibility of self-employment, dentistry looked as though it could provide it all. I thought I would do dentistry until I had earned enough money to do something that would inspire me. Dentistry does inspire me.


What part of your job do you find most challenging?
The juggling. I have so many aspects to my work – 38 Devonshire Street (the practice), Seminars@thirtyeight, 38 Devonshire Street (the building) – all of it has to be juggled with the interests of my four children who take priority.


What part of your job do you find most rewarding?
Treating anxious people using good communication and turning them into people that can cope with anything that might need doing without the need for sedation. I treat a lot of children too – this is so rewarding. I also love restoring people’s self confidence by making a difference to the appearance of their teeth – I love to see them start to smile again as their personalities change and light up.


Where do you live?
South Hampstead in a Victorian terraced house I refurbished from scratch in 2008. It has the most incredible three-acre communal garden where my kids climb trees and spend hours playing with the kids of the neighbourhood.


What do you drive?
A 14-year-old Toyota Previa with only 50,000 miles on the clock. I hardly need a car as I walk everywhere, but once a year it gets me, the family and all the luggage to the south of France and back very comfortably. It is like an old friend, but I do try to hide it in the corner of the car park if I go anywhere smart!


What drives you?
I am driven – I was born driven. I have always aimed beyond my reach and got there. The things within reach don’t require drive, they just happen.


What’s your favourite food?
I love Italian food – the mixture of flavours and textures of really fresh basic ingredients.


Favourite music?
Depends on my mood – I like all music genres but there is some music which sends shivers up and down my spine which is often to do with the environment I hear it in. like music that sparks emotion. To do that, it nearly always has to be live music.


Favourite book?
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – the book was amazing; the film, awful!


Favourite holiday destination?
La Grange du Barry in the mid south of France. I can’t imagine a summer without chilling out in that very special place.


Who inspires you?
The people involved in building the pyramid at the Louvre in Paris.


And why?
The bravery and belief in the concept to design and build that must have been incredible. As a design, it was very risky in terms of taste so it must have taken huge self belief over an extended period of time to pull it off – the planning application alone! The determination to see it happen must have been absolute. I love the pyramid at the Louvre. It is pure genius in my opinion.


What really annoys you?
Arrogance and half-truth.


What keeps you awake at night?
Everything – I’m a woman!


What makes you laugh?
I like people with a dry sense of humour who are able to laugh at themselves. My kids often make me laugh – they come out with the loveliest things. For instance, the other day, my daughter said that some of the boys at school like to hear the stories about how mean her brother has been to her at the weekend. If he hasn’t been nasty, she told me she will make something up to keep them happy!


What is your best characteristic?
I am very hard working.


Worst fault?
I am very strong willed.


Describe yourself in three words.
Driven, creative, caring.


What do you do to relax?
I exercise; running, rowing and Bikram yoga. I have some of my best thoughts and ideas while exercising.


If you won the lottery and could give up work tomorrow, would you?
No.