Community | 23 April, 2021

An ANZAC Story with Shannon Byzdra

Cotton Tree Implant Dentistry & Perio Care's Shannon Byzdra started her dental career in the Royal Australian Navy.  Ahead of ANZAC Day 2021 we sat down with Shannon to talk about her service and to gain her thoughts on the importance of Anzac Day and remembering.

Now Practice Manager for a business specialist practice on the Sunshine Coast, Shannon’s time in the Navy feels like a lifetime ago. “My time in the Navy seems like a blur now! I originally joined the back in 2009 after leaving school and spent my 12 months in training to become a Combat Systems Operator. I was always passionate about Dentistry and was successful in gaining a lateral transfer to the ADF Dental Branch in 2012, where I completed my Cert III and IV in Dental Assisting.”

After completing her dental training in 2012, Shannon went on be posted to HMAS Stirling in WA where she worked in an on-base dental clinic. She remembers it as being very similar to working in private practice. “It was really like a normal dental clinic where we saw ADF patients for their annual check-ups and treatment in which I worked chairside as a Dental Assistant.”

In 2014 Shannon moved to a ‘sea-going’ position as part of as part of a team overseeing the dental fitness of all sea-going ships from the West coast.

Woman standing amongst crowd wearing Australian Navy uniform

“During my time in this position we deployed the Fleet Dental Unit, a fully mobile dental setup with a water system, air handpiece connections and suction handpieces, allowing us to preform most general dentistry procedures at sea.”

It was an exciting time, with many highlights for Shannon. “One of the highlights of my time in the Navy was deploying with the Fleet Base West Dental Team to provide Dental Services with the crew of HMAS Toowoomba in 2014 and being re-directed to OP Southern Indian Ocean to search for the missing MH-370 Aircraft. I will never forget the vast, deep blue of the ocean when you are over 2000km+ away from any body of land” she remembers.

Woman wearing coat over Australian Army uniform standing in dental lab

Shannon discharged from the Navy in 2018 and moved to the Sunshine Coast to raise her young family and purse a career in the ‘civilian’ dental world. She says the transition to civilian life took a few years, “Although, most of my Navy career was spent in a dental clinic on a shore base, it took quite a few years to fully adapt to becoming a civilian again, which is hard to explain! Anyone who has served for such a big block of their life would understand the feeling” explains Shannon.

Today Shannon balances her Practice Manager career with a busy home life that includes her partner Dan, her children Jett (9) and Everly (5) and stepchildren Aylah (13) and Tao (11). “We have a big and busy but super fun home! We all love spending our spare time on the beach, surfing, playing with our dogs, fitness and adventuring in our MultiVan” says Shannon.

So, while life is certainly different today to that of her sea-going adventures, Shannon is grateful for the opportunity to reflect on her time in the Navy and recognise the skills she developed.

“My time in the Navy helped me to build invaluable clinical and leadership skills, which I bring into my workplace at Perio Care. It shaped me to be more patient, empathetic and resilient. It enabled me to easily adapt to change and continue to evaluate continuous improvement within all aspects of my workplace, career and life. The Navy’s core values Integrity, Honesty, Courage and Loyalty that where instilled into all sailors from day one at recruit school, and they are still the values I live by today.”

Group of three women in Australian Navy uniform smiling

Like most who have served their country, Anzac Day is a special day for Shannon.  This year she will spend time with her family attending one of the beach dawn services on the Sunshine Coast and then watching her school aged children march in the Anzac Service and connecting with others who share a history of military service. “During my time in the Navy, I developed quite a few close bonds that have shaped the person I have become today. I always enjoy catching up with colleagues and friends from my time in the Navy and meeting new people along patients who have also served. It is great to share that bond of military service!”