Meet Dr Maybury, owner of Davinci Dental, whose vibrant personality gave us some insight into her journey from a curious young Bermudian into the world of dentistry. Get to know our fave dentist and her charming sense of humour as told in her own words.
THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS GIFT OF ALL TIME
I was born December 25th, 1975, the youngest of four children and the best Christmas gift my family has ever received.
My middle name is Mary, my mother is named Mary and I always used to pretend that my daddy was named Joseph. He’s not. His name is Alfred, but like Joseph he is a carpenter.
STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM (NURSERY TO BE PRECISE) NOW IM HERE
I attended All Winds Nursery School, West End Primary and Warwick Academy (WA). In West End, I had hopes of becoming a bus driver and at WA, I decided that a paediatrician was what I was meant to be. I’ve always wanted to do something in the medical field and studied Arts and Science at Bermuda College and then received my BS in Biology at American International College in Springfield, MA. I graduated from there in 1997 and decided that perhaps medicine wasn’t for me and came home and worked to decide what was going to happen next.
“Working” included being a pool girl at Southampton Princess Hotel which meant getting towels for the guests and lots of bleached, navy pants after throwing chlorine in the pool (and apparently on me)!
THE PUSH TO A CAREER
My daddy thought that I should volunteer ANYWHERE to see which part of medicine interested me most. I then got a job working at Dr Shaw’s office in Somerset.
It was there that a hygienist came in and the nurse said: “Aleesha, you should be a dental hygienist”.
I knew I had to do something with my life, so in 1999, I applied to Dalhousie University with no knowledge of how intense the two-year course would be, and how much had to be learnt to become a dental hygienist. Although I was the only international student, I had a great experience in Nova Scotia.
THE PATH TO DENTISTRY
I came home and worked as a hygienist for a few years and realized that I could do what the dentist was doing, “…How hard could that be?”
So off I go again.
I applied to Howard University and started dental school in 2005.
Graduating in 2009 meant lots of hard work, not the traditional HBCU experience at all. There were tears, wondering why I couldn’t be happy simply being a hygienist, more tears, lots of lifelong friends and being enveloped within a community of professionals unlike any other.
EXPERIENCE, EXPERTISE, GIVING BACK
Implants require specific expertise, and skill set, but experience in the field elevates a dentist’s proficiency.
I studied in both Miami and Boston under Dr Arun Garg, who is considered the world’s preeminent authority on bone biology, bone harvesting and bone grafting for dental implant surgery. I also had the opportunity to perform 30-hours of implant surgery while on a missionary trip in the Dominican Republic.
It was an honour to be able to use my skills and time to give back to those who needed it most.
MENTORSHIP MATTERS
My goal always was to come back home to Bermuda. I worked with Dr Lorna Hall at Mitis Dental Services for 10 years before the opportunity presented itself for me to purchase my own practice in 2019. Working with Dr Hall provided me not only the gift of a mentor and friend but it allowed me to learn invaluable lessons both in the dental operatory and out.
HOW DENTAL HEALTH CONNECTS TO YOUR GENERAL HEALTH
Because of my hygiene background, I am a firm believer in preventive and comprehensive care.
Your oral health is directly related to so many other conditions in the body. Being able to tell someone that their cholesterol is high just by looking in their eyes reminds me of how the close proximity I have with people, through my job, can save a life.
MOMMY, CHEF & SOMERSET GAL
My career is a busy one and as a single mother of Matteo, an energetic six-year-old boy, my life is a busy one, too. We love cooking together (vegan chickpea curry is our specialty), movie days and nights, and swimming. I am a diehard Somerset girl and our goal this year is to go to other beaches and not just our beloved Somerset Long Bay.
