Every year, Dentistry.co.uk asks readers to vote for the most influential person in UK dentistry. The way the world is being influenced is changing rapidly, with social media and popular culture now vying with traditional academic and political leadership for impact on peers.
The influence of the names on this list could be clinical, academic, political, or more community-driven thanks to social media. Remember, it’s completely down to what the individual feels is most significant to them. The results make for interesting reading – but who will be voted number one? Read on to find out our readers’ choice!
Top 41-50
50. Fiona Ellwood BEM – chair of the National Oral Health Promotional Group
49. Sarah MacDonald – orthodontic therapist and business development expert
48. Louis Mackenzie – head dental officer of Denplan
47. Ansar Mahmood – cosmetic dentist and international dental charity outreach worker
46. Linda Greenwall BEM – bleaching trailblazer and charity campaigner
45. Neel Jaiswal – director of Professional Dental Indemnity and private dentist
44. Andrew Dawood – pioneer of technologically assisted facial reconstruction
43. Amit Patel – specialist periodontist and honorary clinical lecturer at Birmingham Dental School
42. Elaine Halley – past BACD president and Digital Smile Design trainer
41. Andrea Ubhi – award-winning practice owner and campaigner for women in dentistry
Top 31-40
40. Dev Patel – founder of Brushlink and joint founder of Dental Circle
39. Paul Tipton – prosthodontist, founder of Tipton Training and British Academy of Restorative Dentistry president
38. Seb Evans – head of digital at FMC
37. Harry Singh – dentist-turned aesthetician and facial aesthetics trainer
36. Raj Rattan MBE – dental director of Dental Protection
35. Jin Vaghela – business-savvy dentist running a chain of practices
34. Barry Oulton – clinician-turned coach, better known as The Confident Dentist
33. Edward Lynch – perennially influential academic and dental educator
32. Vinnie Thandi – dentist, lecturer and face of Sensodyne
31. Debbie McGovern – president of the British Association of Dental Therapists
Top 21-30
30. Affan Saghir – Instagram sensation offering modern smile makeovers
29. Monik Vasant – influential trainer and advocate of minimally invasive dentistry
28. Abid Faqir – past president of the Association of Dental Implantology
27. Rhona Eskander – Instagram trailblazer and media go-to for dental comment
26. Rahul Doshi – clinical director of Dentex and past BACD president
25. Jason Smithson – authority on restorative dentistry and acclaimed lecturer
24. Kevin Lewis – former dental director of Dental Protection and consultant editor of Dentistry magazine
23. Zaki Kanaan – past president of the BACD and respected dentist
22. Adam Nulty – founder of the International Digital Dentistry Academy
21. Manrina Rhode – former chair of charity at the BACD and high-profile cosmetic dentist
Top 11-20
20. Kishan Patel – Kishan’s Dentistry Award win in late 2019, where he picked up Best Young Dentist South East, simply confirmed what his followers already knew – that this passionate and talented individual is one to watch
19. Tif Qureshi – the first name on anyone’s lips when talking about the align, bleach and bond technique in the UK, Tif pioneered the Inman Aligner system in the UK and has a reputation as a clinician, not to mention educator, that few can match
18. Chris Orr – chairman of the Aesthetic Dentistry Awards with a reputation for insight and honesty that has seen his training company, Advanced Dental Seminars, stand out as one of the most sought-after providers of postgraduate education in the country for many years
17. George Cheetham – multi-award-winning George is no stranger to the limelight, having accrued an avid legion of fans on social media, thanks to his unashamedly dental Instagram account where he shares his stunning results and tips on aesthetic dentistry – a blend that has proved a hit with thousands of people
16. Nilesh Parmar – dentistry’s very own renaissance man, Nilesh is an accomplished clinician, practice owner and mentor who still finds time to pair his high-profile love of racing cars and the finer things in life with a keen sense of giving back, as his Ice White charity parties demonstrate
15. Shaz Memon – as the founder of Digimax, charity-conscious Shaz has helped thousands of practices build their online profile – and as the author of Instagram for Dentists, helped many more connect directly with their peers and patients to great effect
14. James Goolnik – a mainstay in the Top 50 thanks to a career defined by a combination of clinical skill, humour and business acumen, James is a private dentist with a keen social conscience and the published books to prove it. His Bow Lane Dental Clinic has been one of London’s leading practices for almost 20 years
13. Reena Wadia – a specialist periodontist who runs a successful referral practice in London, Reena works hard to represent the wider profession, sitting on boards and committees for the FGDP, BDA, and European Federation of Periodontology
12. Eddie Crouch – Eddie leapt into the profession’s consciousness with his legal challenge of the 2006 NHS orthodontic contract – he has remained at its forefront ever since, fighting for dentists’ rights through his close involvement with the BDA, for which he is currently vice chair
11. Robbie Hughes – Robbie’s enormously successful Liverpool practice has made a name for itself by giving some of the UK’s biggest celebrities the treatments they want – and with his Instagram account showing off a lifestyle to match, it’s little wonder that his profile has risen so spectacularly among the profession too