Dentists

 Richard Grant is the founder and senior dentist having started the Practice in August 1972.

He qualified in 1971 at Newcastle upon Tyne and completed a year as House Officer at the Newcastle upon Tyne Dental Hospital before moving into general practice. He was awarded, by election, to Membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners of the UK (MFGDP,RCS) in 1992.

 

Tim Secker

qualified at Sheffield in 1996 and commenced working here as a full-time Associate in February 2003.

 

 

Rebecca O'Leary

qualified from Liverpool University in 1997 and gained the MFGDP post graduate qualification in 2005. She has worked in general dental practice since 1997, and also teaches dental undergraduate students at Newcastle University one morning a week.

 

Staff

Our Staff are our quiet heroes (heroines?) whose efforts and labours keep the place ticking over. Every Practice has a mixture of Receptionists and Dental Nurses and we are no different. Our current complement of Staff includes 2 Receptionists, 4 Nurses and 3 Hygienists although some of the Receptionists and Nurses are doubly trained and can deputise when necessary. Two of our Nurses have achieved their Certificate of Dental Nursing, a voluntary qualification, one has a Certificate in Dental Health Education and two are qualified to take XRays.

Hygienists

We have three Hygienists, Janet, Emma and Deborah.

What is a Hygienist?

Hygienists are specially trained staff who have taken and passed both the Dental Nursing examination and the Hygienist Certificate. They are qualified to undertake a range of activities which includes Scaling and Polishing and Dental Health Education. In addition, they are allowed to administer some types of injection to numb a tooth and apply fissure sealants.

We make maximum use of our Hygienists as they are a valuable asset to patient care, all patients who need a Scale and Polish are referred automatically for an appointment with the Hygienist after they have seen a dentist first for Examination. Hygienists are NOT allowed to see patients without the patient first having seen a dentist, so please don't ask.

At each visit, the Hygienist will normaly complete a Scale and Polish and then spend a few minutes with the patient explaining any Oral Hygiene instruction that may be relevant. This could be how to brush your teeth, showing you where you are missing areas or where plaque is collecting, or even dietary advice to Mothers for children. In addition, they may recommend a particular toothbrush of Oral Hygiene aid to help you keep your teeth in perfect condition - we sell an extensive range of branded brushes and aids at prices well-below supermarket and shop prices.