Compère for the night was former rugby player, TV host and Hagrid’s ‘body double’ in the Harry Potter films, Martin Bayfield who kept the guests hugely entertained before the awards kicked off.
The Dentistry Awards – held last Friday (7 December) at the art deco Athena in Leicester – have a unique format, divided into nine regions and recognising outstanding young individuals, teams and practices across all regions of the UK.
The four categories were for Best young dentist, Best team, Best practice, Best DCP for each region, as well as an overall UK winner from each category. Added to this were the website awards – and the UK Outstanding Achievement Award which this year was awarded to Dentistry’s popular and eloquent lead columnist and dental director at Dental Protection, Kevin Lewis.
He said: ‘I am very flattered to have received this award and, as I said at the time, I am particularly grateful it was not awarded posthumously. Because it came completely out of the blue – I have handed out awards at previous Dentistry Awards events, rather than receiving them – I found myself a bit speechless, which doesn’t happen very often.
‘Whatever I am doing, I simply try to make a positive and constructive contribution, and I am very lucky to have a combination of roles in which I can do this. Not everyone has that chance, and I have been fortunate enough to have several such roles over most of my career. I still consider my career a “work in progress” and I will let you know when it isn’t.’
Nominations for the awards were collated earlier in the year, with a select panel of judges finalising the shortlist and winners ahead of the evening itself.
Also on the night, a prize draw to win an iPad raised much-needed funds for dental charity, Bridge2Aid.
A generous £830 was put into collection envelopes on the guests' tables and the lucky winner was Louise Ellis. Bridge2Aid’s Shaenna Loughnane said: ‘The amount raised was fantastic, and will go a long way in Tanzania!’
Tobias Kuntze
It was second year lucky for Best Young Dentist London and overall UK winner, Tobias Kuntze, who was shortlisted in the same category in 2011. This year, as a single-handed practitioner with one nurse, the multi-lingual Dr Kuntze was ‘proud to have got this far without the back up of a team’.
On a high after his win, the German-born dentist said: ‘It was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t sleep all night because I was so excited. To be honest, it was nice to get rewarded for all my hard work and this year, it was nice to win overall – and get something more tangible after I was shortlisted last year. This is the last year I can enter Best Young Dentist, so best of luck to anyone who follows me!’
E11even Orthodontics
It turned out to be a massive night for E11even Orthodontics in London. They were named Best Practice for London and then picked up the overall UK accolade in the same category. The practice runs a five surgery multi-disciplinary practice just off Harley Street and clinical director Sameer Patel and clinical ortho lead Shivani Patel told us on the night: ‘We are now a much more mature practice. We have put all the systems in place and we operate a good, strong referral practice. We have created an international centre of excellence that leads the field in orthodontic treatment and we’re proud of our achievement tonight.
Looking ahead to 2013, the practice team now plans to share knowledge with other practices on their approach to orthodontics, best practice and the principle of ‘putting patients first’.
Smita Mistry
It was also a hugely successful night for dental hygienist Smita Mistry, too. She scooped Best DCP for South East and nailed the overall Best DCP as well. Senior hygienist and business and marketing development manager at Harry Singh’s Aesthetics in Hertfordshire, Smita told Dentistry magazine: ‘I am absolutely overwhelmed that I won. To have been awarded best in the region was brilliant, but this was way beyond what I hoped for. It was a fun night as my parents were here, too, so it was nice for them that I won. It all feels a bit surreal at the moment.’
Moira Cosmetic Dental Surgery
Derek and Naomi Bingham represented Moira Cosmetic Dental Surgery that scooped Best Team Northern Ireland and then went on to win Overall Best Team UK.
The mixed practice, based in Co. Armagh, opened six years ago and the couple explained they have been working hard ‘getting together the right team’. They toasted their success and said that their double win will definitely be ‘good for the team’.
And the rest
Other winners included Braden Dental Care who scooped Best Practice Northern Ireland and came highly commended in Best Team category. Celebrating were partners in the practice, Jim and Helen Braden who said: ‘We thought we were ready. It’s been a good night and would recommend others to enter the awards.’
Also celebrating were Soar Valley Dental Practice who won Best Team Midlands and Best DCP Midlands for practice manager Fay Perry.
Practice principal Ash Champaneri said: ‘We won Best Team Midlands because we strongly believe the sum of all parts is greater than each individual. We all get on with each other and there is a lot of enthusiasm within the team. Awards like this get the team together and it wakes them up to just how good they are, but it was a surprise to us!’
The Pont Steffan Dental Practice has only been in operation for eight months but managed to covet Best Practice South West & Wales. Adam Llewellyn, 29, and Owain Dimmick, 26, and associate Eleri Marks said they had ‘worked hard to get the practice up and running’ and employ a hygienist and therapist as well as dental nurses and a practice manager and receptionist ‘using the whole team as they should be’.
Winner and high commended 2012
SCOTLAND
Best young dentist
Dr Mark Skimming – Dentistry on the Square – WINNER
Best team
Philip Friel Advanced Dentistry – WINNER
Best practice
Berkeley Clinic – WINNER
Dentistry on the Square – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Best DCP
Amy Workman – Dentistry on the Square – WINNER
NORTHERN IRELAND
Best young dentist
Dr David Buchanan – Affinity Dental Care WINNER
Best team
Moira Cosmetic Dental Surgery – WINNER
Braden Dental Care – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Best practice
Braden Dental Care – WINNER
NORTH WEST
Best young dentist
Dr Stephen Dodd – Cahill Dental Care – WINNER
Dr Zuber Bagasi – Synergy Dental Clinic – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Best team
Lane Ends Aesthetic & Implant Centre – WINNER
Best practice
Heaton Mersey Orthodontic Centre – WINNER
NORTH EAST
Best young dentist
Dr Kris Leeson – Thorpe Dental Group – WINNER
Best team
Manor Dental Health – WINNER
Best practice
The Smile Spa – WINNER
MIDLANDS
Best young dentist
Dr Anoup Nandra – Edgbaston Dental Centre – WINNER
Best team
Soar Valley Dental Practice – WINNER
Best practice
Thackeray Dental Care – WINNER
Best DCP
Faye Perry – Soar Valley Dental Practice – WINNER
EAST
Best young dentist
Dr Bilal El-Dhuwaib – Dinnington Dental Practice – WINNER
Best team
The Dental Studio – WINNER
Best practice
Norfolk Dental Specialists – WINNER
LONDON
Best young dentist
Dr Tobias Kuntze – Exceldent – WINNER
Best team
Crescent Lodge Dental Practice – WINNER
Best practice
E11even – WINNER
Best DCP
Nina Tetra – The London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry – WINNER
SOUTH WEST & WALES
Best young dentist
Dr Mike Hughes – Graham Roy Dental Care – WINNER
Best team
Spa Dental Wem llp – WINNER
Best practice
Pont Steffan Dental Practice – WINNER
SOUTH EAST
Best young dentist
Dr Rajiv Ruwala – 2 Green Dental – WINNER
Best team
East Preston & Ferring Dental Clinic – WINNER
Best practice
Weybridge Orthodontics – WINNER
Best DCP
Smita Mistry – Aesthetics – WINNER
OVERALL BEST YOUNG DENTIST UK
Tobias Kuntze – ExcelDent – WINNER
Dr Bilal El-Dhuwaib – Dinnington Dental Practice – HIGHLY COMMENDED
OVERALL BEST TEAM UK
Moira Cosmetic Dental Surgery – WINNER
OVERALL BEST PRACTICE UK
E11even – WINNER
OVERALL BEST DCP
Smita Mistry – Aesthetics – WINNER
Amy Workman – Dentistry on the Square – HIGHLY COMMENDED
WEBSITE AWARDS
Best new website
Pure Orthodontics – WINNER
Best website
Diamond Dental Clinic – WINNER
Best specialist website
Pure Orthodontics – WINNER
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