Me and My Business – Michael Thomas, Clinical Director, Wessex Dental Specialist Centre
16th January 2008
Believe it or not, but I actually wanted to be a vet. It was a job that I was always interested in, but when I looked into the practicalities I was put off by my careers tutor at school – something to do with a vision of being with a cow in a cold, wet field in the middle of the night, but with a warm wet arm! So, strangely enough, I thought that dentistry would be the next best thing. I wanted to work with people, and to this day it is still one of the best things about my job. I love the fact that at the end of the day I can go home and truthfully say ‘I put a smile on someone’s face’.
My career has been varied as a dentist; many people view the profession as stuffy and uninteresting, but they are sorely mistaken! After qualifying as a dentist, I decided to specialise in prosthodontics (an aspect of restorative dentistry), which required three years equivalent of further study. Specialist dentistry has increased considerably over the past few years; more general dental practitioners are recognising the need for specialists in the same way as a doctor refers patients to, say, a cardiac specialsit. I was registered as a Specialist in Prosthodontics in 2000.
On graduation, armed (!) with my dental qualification, I made the bold move of becoming a dentist with the Navy. I wanted a challenge, and the variety of the job instantly attracted me. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
To begin with, I was stationed on land for one-and-a-half years. It was great, the atmosphere and the people were fantastic and I could still be settled. However, in 1992 I was called to work out in the Gulf, which was completely different.
The Navy taught me a valuable lesson. Where everyone is literally in the same boat, the experience taught me that teamwork is one of the most vital tools in any successful organisation. I remember during training for the Gulf, everyone knew what their role was within the ship, where they needed to be and what they needed to be doing, and this confidence and trust in each other and their role made the whole operation much greater than the sum of the individuals. It was a very exciting time and a brilliant environment in which to work.
After achieving specialist registration as a prosthodontist, I joined a great practice run by Alan Woodman (Periodontics) and Martin Lovell (Prosthodontics). We found that we got along very well and business was good. I knew Stephen Taylor (Oral Surgery) whilst I was in the Navy, and worked with Colin Dale and Kerstin Kaufmann (Dental Technicians) regularly at our practice. We all knew that we could work together in a better, dedicated environment, so through a collaborative decision, we decided to make our idea of an integrated dental practice a reality.
So the Wessex Dental Specialist Centre was born. We joined forces with Stewart Hawthorn (Orthodontics) to offer a full range of specialist treatments under one roof. Ken Harper then joined us shortly offer to provide specialist endodontic treatment. The move was both strategic and self-satisfying. We had a purpose-built site constructed, with modern décor and the latest technology, and to this day I don’t think there is anywhere else in the UK with a practice like ours. We are able to offer patients multiple specialist treatment in the same place, reducing waiting times in between treatments and being assured of consistent high quality. As Specialist dentistry is also now widely available, our practice is a convenient and professional option to sole practitioners or limited practices.
The philosophy seems to be working. We are now treating over 200 patients a month, and are looking to expand our clinical activity by inviting more Specialists into the practice.
Diversification has also helped develop our business; all the Specialists are experienced and sit on examining boards as well as teaching. So we utilised this; we run training courses to help general dental practitioners learn more about specialist dental treatments. Many dentists prefer to conduct specialist treatment themselves in-house, and whilst we are protective over the supplementary training that Specialists have, we also want to show our commitment to raising the standards of dentistry for all in the region, so we have the latest equipment and resources to do this. We have also recently launched our Facial Aesthetics department, offering a holistic approach, not just inside the mouth, but extending to the whole face. It means patients can have aesthetic facial treatments, administered by medically training professionals as opposed to beautician-trained.
My business philosophy is the same as most people’s; to run a business that is financially stable. But for me it is more than that; we have an excellent facility and it allows us to provide a wider service to the dental community in offering our services for mentoring, as well as having a Centre that is easily accessible. We are on our way to achieving this, but as any realistic business-owner would chime, we aren’t there yet!