One of the advantages of having an other half that does the same job as me is the opportunity to switch roles occasionally.

Much as I would like to think of myself and Steve Rees as the Brad and Angelina of the dentistry world, I fear that apart from the fact that myself and Ange both do the same jobs as our husbands, we probably have little else in common.

As well as my toilings at Botley dental practice in Oxford, I also work at Steve's dental practice in Bourne End. Since the moment we got together all those years ago at Birmingham University, our eyes meeting over a phantom head and a spittoon, we have been asked why we don’t work together in the same practice.

Actually, a surprising amount of our dentists friends have married dentists. I’ve never quite worked out why the percentage is so high, maybe it’s something they put in the water in dental school or maybe us boring lot have little else to talk about and fail to attract anyone not interested in molars.

As if you would need to ask, we have always thought that spending so many non-working hours together was probably enough to test any relationship without adding in working hours as well. From Steve’s point of view, I would imagine it may have something to do with needing some time away from a wife who has a tendency to tell him what to do.

And so, it was with some trepidation that earlier this year we devised a plan to start to balance the work-life ratios going on at home and I now effectively job swap with Steve one day a fortnight.

He stays at home and ‘takes care of the household and children’ and I go to Bourne End and treat his patients. This is definitely not a new concept. I work for two married dentists who have been doing this for the past 12 years.

The first day of this new arrangement arrived much to the amusement of some of our friends. Somewhat patronisingly he presented me with a packed lunch as he waved me of on my first day from the front door, still dressed in his pyjamas.

Little did he know that I had bribed the children to be as slow as possible getting ready for school. I had breezily asked him his plans for the day; get the kids to school, a bike ride, sort some washing out, a bit of paperwork and a few menial tasks. Dentistry is dentistry I had naively thought, my day was going to be the same as I was used to...

After my first eight-hour shift in Bourne End, mostly spent randomly opening drawers looking for equipment and trying to look professional despite having no concept how to move the chair, I arrived home somewhat frazzled and with the predictable arm’s length list of all the changes that needed to be made to his business.

Rather annoyingly, I walked into a scene of serenity and calm. Washing done, dinner cooked, children sorted. And so there really is no twist to this story, we have continued this arrangement for the past six months.

I get a day working somewhere new and meeting different people who trustingly are happy to see the wife of their usual dentist and Steve gets to spend the day with the kids and hone his cycling skills.

There has been one downside to this arrangement though, that being the unhealthy obsession Steve has developed with out local discount warehouse, Costco.

Those of you familiar with this shop will know that there are few families who truly need a year’s supply of toilet roll bought in such bulk to save a few measly quid.

Job-swap Wednesday as this working arrangement has been nicknamed now is the day that I play the guessing game on my drive home of what useless discounted item he has bulk bought that day. Four hundred pitta breads for 99p, a catering pack of Babybel cheeses or maybe the more random petrol fired hedge trimmer and tent that sleeps six.

Who know’s, if we carry on like this, maybe we could start giving Brad and Angelina tips on career sharing. Perhaps I’ll send them a business card just in case.