Following this year’s Private Dentistry Awards evening, Paul Tipton discusses what it was like to walk away with an award and his big plans for the future.
How were the Private Dentistry Awards 2022?
It’s my first time at the Private Dentistry Awards and I must say I was hugely impressed by what I saw. The number of people attending was staggering and the room was full of the cream of UK private dentistry.
The event was very well organised and ran to time despite the large number of awards to be given out. I was really pleased to see so many of my Tipton Training alumni at the awards, not only receiving awards but also on the judging panel and taking an active role in the hosting of the event.
It’s part of our DNA at Tipton Training Ltd to help the dentists on our courses achieve their goals not only through education and mentoring, but also to apply for such awards one of the first steps in that process towards success.
How does it feel to have been awarded the Kimberley Finlayson Lifetime Achievement Award?
I am truly honoured to be the very first recipient of the Kimberley Finlayson Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition for my services to private dentistry and dental education over the last 30 years.
Through my years of clinical practice at T Clinic in Manchester and my Tipton Training academies throughout the UK and the Middle East, I’ve always strived to be the best version of myself and give as much as I can to the profession, my patients and my students.
To receive an award like this from my peers makes me feel very proud and that all the hard work has been worth it.
What was your highlight of the night?
Of course the highlight of the night for me was receiving my Lifetime Achievement award from Ken Finlayson. We go back many, many years from the start of the Independent Dentistry magazine as it was called then.
Ellis Paul, my partner at the time in Excellence Seminars, was the first chairman of the BDA’s new Independent Dentistry committee.
The BDA didn’t want to call it private dentistry in those days and so adopted Independent Dentistry as the title, which then naturally continued with the magazine title.
I was on the original BDA committee and was asked to be on the editorial board of Independent Dentistry magazine by Ken and I’ve been on it ever since.
Any advice for those who may consider getting involved next year?
My advice for those who are thinking of getting involved next year is to do so immediately. There are so many categories that you are bound to find one that fits the bill for your own particular skill set.
By applying, you are putting yourself up for scrutiny by a very prestigious panel of your peers which can only lead to improvement of your practice and skillset.
It can be the stepping stone for expanding your horizons and giving you the confidence to push forwards with your goals and we actively encourage and help our Tipton Training students in this process.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I’d like to add my thanks to Ken Finlayson for everything he’s done for the profession, especially in these difficult times for him and his family.
He’s one of the few truly progressive thinkers in dentistry and has helped educate the profession through his many dental magazines and Dentistry Shows around the country.
Dental education has changed a lot since I first was involved with Ellis Paul in the early 90s. Ken has helped Tipton Training and myself achieve this Lifetime Achievement Award through his own hard work and dedication to private dentistry and education.
He does not get enough recognition for the role he has played in the advancement of UK dentistry in the last 30 years.
Finally, as I mentioned during my acceptance speech on the night, there’s still lots more to be done. I’ve still got many goals to achieve myself and with Tipton Training before I finally retire.
We have trained more than 5,000 dentists over the course of the last 30 years on our one year courses. We are expanding our horizons and facilities so we can train another 5,000 in the next 10 years.
So I am a long way away from retirement!
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