Kay Engle has been with DENTALEZ for almost 30 years, supporting the Star line of dental handpieces for the vast majority of them. During her time at Star, she’s worked in several areas, including Customer Service, Shipping and Purchasing. As she explains, this cross-company insight has helped her to understand how to best apply the regulations to the various areas of the business.
We ask Kay to tell us what she likes best about her job, and the products she’s been so immersed in for 3 decades!
Tell us a little about your career path at DENTALEZ.
In 1994 when StarDental received its ISO 9001 certification, the company was looking for volunteers to be internal auditors. They wanted someone from each department. At the time I was in Customer Service as an order entry clerk. I volunteered and was part of the internal audit team for many years.
In 2001, when the Regulatory Affairs Supervisor changed positions within the company, the General Manager at the time approached me about moving into the role of Regulatory Affairs Supervisor since I was involved with the internal audit team. So in July 2001 I moved from purchasing to Regulatory Affairs.
What do you like about working in the dental industry?
It’s an interesting industry. It’s not an industry I sought out, but I have grown to appreciate all of its intricacies. Dental handpieces in particular, in a certain way, are really works of art, how all the pieces come together to perform the way they do. There are so many facets to the industry that I did not appreciate at first. The dental industry (and in particular DENTALEZ) is evolving with the changing times to bring new innovations to the industry.
What's your favorite aspect of your job?
First, I’d say it’s the people that I work with. Not just the people I talk to and work with on a daily basis but the various people I have met through this position throughout the world.
Also, it’s very challenging. The medical device regulatory world has seen a lot of changes in the past few years with new regulations and requirements going into effect. Every day is a challenge to find a way to meet the new requirements and still maintain who we are as a company.
What's your favorite DENTALEZ product and why?
The Star 430 SW™ handpiece has been the workhorse for StarDental for many years. It’s exciting to see the evolution of the 430 handpiece into the new Aeras handpiece family, with all its new technology.
Thanks Kay, for your dedication and expertise!
