In The Spotlight - Luke Maxwell

People are at the centre of everything we do. Those who work at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board make a difference to people’s lives every single day.

Each month, the ‘In The Spotlight’ campaign will shine a light on the different people who make up Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, from those who support behind the scenes, to those who have passions that led them to work in their role.

As an organisation with over 17,000 colleagues, the campaign will highlight the variety of roles, teams and individuals across the health board. Working in the NHS can be life-changing, both for colleagues and for the patients they help.

In the Spotlight this month is Luke Maxwell. Luke is a Dental Technologist. He has worked at Cardiff and Vale UHB's University Dental Hospital since 2008.

As well as running the Crown and Bridge department, Luke digitally designs metal plates used to replace parts of the skull. These reconstructed implants are for patients undergoing surgery either because they have suffered trauma to the head or have a benign or cancerous growth in the jaw, face or skull base.

“I first learned about dental technology in year 9. I used to catch a bus every day in Whitchurch. I’d walk past the window of this dental lab, look in and watch these people working on teeth. I liked cars at the time, and they all had nice cars, so I went ‘I must do that’!

“My dad was an engineering teacher in Fitzalan High School in Cardiff, so I have always had an engineering mind. I liked working with my hands. I’m dyslexic so I wasn’t going to do well in a lecture hall with 250 people. Something hands-on with a smaller group sounded good. I found out they did a course in UWIC [now Cardiff Metropolitan] so that’s what I did. I qualified in 2005 and started here three years later.”

“I worked in the Crown and Bridge department making teeth but then I started noticing these things - jaw plates and skull plates - coming in. And I’d question what they were, ask whether I could have a go and just annoyed enough people for them to say, ‘you do it!’”

Twelve years ago, Luke would manually shape the mandible recon plates using bespoke pliers to bend the metal plates. The process could take up to two days and would need further adapting in theatre by the surgeons.

Now Luke works in the University Dental Hospital’s well-equipped CAD suite to digitally manufacture implants to precise measurements. He uses software called GeoMagic Freeform Plus and a haptic arm that gives physical feedback, simulating the sensation of carving or positioning.

“Ten years ago, the health board set up a five-year social capital agreement with a firm that manufactures 3D printers. We both benefited. They gave us a lot of kit and printed all of our metalwork - crowns and bridges, dentures and all the titanium work that we did – whether it is a mandible, an orbital floor, a cranioplasty plate or skull plate. And we gave them a lot of information in terms of what kind of finish we’d expect.”

“Now we can spend a day and half to two days planning, send things off to get manufactured externally and we get them back, check everything and get them sterilised. That is the advancement with the lab. It can be very much a team dynamic if you get a bit stuck, it’s important that there are people around you that can provide that support in the team.

“I can now make guides for the surgeon to cut against with pre-drilled hole positions. When it comes to lining up the plate, they are literally lining up the holes with the plate. By doing it guided like this we’re saving about 2.5 hours of theatre. The surgeons have enough to deal with so if we can provide a bit of assistance in terms of put this here, cut on the inside of the line and the implant fits in, that’s my job done.

“I’ve trained as a dental technician making teeth. I do feel like I’m making more of a difference in somebody’s life. These are very ill people who need intervention to help them. If I can do anything to help the surgeon to make that a better result, then that is more satisfying for me. But I still like making teeth.”