Hazel graduated with Honours from Glasgow Dental School in 2010, receiving the Dean Webster and Lord Provost prizes for being the highest performing student in her year. In 2012 she became a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow after completing her MFDS examinations. She then spent some time in the public dental services, focussing on the treatment of children, anxious patients and those with additional support needs, before working as a general dental practitioner in practices based in Alexandria and Airdrie.
In July 2016, Hazel and her husband, Pearse, established Hannigan Dental Care, making the leap from associates to principal dentists. Hazel has lots of experience treating anxious patients, having logged hundreds of hours of sedation over her career, but she says she especially enjoys treating children, even more so since becoming a mum herself.
She believes forging good relationships with children as early as possible helps prevent dental anxieties ever developing and feels very lucky to be in a position where she can see families regularly and watch children grow and develop year on year. Out with clinical dentistry, Hazel is the vice chair of the Lanarkshire Local Dental Committee, and also holds seats on Lanarkshire’s GP Subcommittee and Area Dental Advisory Committee, groups which represent NHS dentists in communications with the health board and Scottish Government. Hazel’s hobbies include baking, reading and walking and one day she hopes to have some free time to actually practice them again.
