The team at Torrington Dental Practice are committed to continuing professional development and lifelong learning, but what does that mean?
We think it means the following:
- The staff keeps up to date with current regulatory requirements through regular staff meetings, participation in in-house training, and attendance at courses, seminars, and conferences.
- We are constantly striving to keep up to date with the changes in dentistry to ensure that we can use the latest materials and techniques to provide patients with the best treatment available. We do this by attending courses, reading journals and holding in-house clinical meetings.
- We try to maintain high standards by adhering to National Clinical Standards and conducting regular clinical audits and peer reviews.
- Staff have regular appraisals where a Personal Development Plan is used to identify areas of educational need which can be addressed as part of staff development.
- Our staff are encouraged to develop their careers through education. We find that this has many benefits for the individual, the practice and most importantly the patient. Learning new skills and ideas generates enthusiasm and excitement for the individual, but this has a knock on effect for the rest of the practice and helps us to constantly review and reflect on the care which we are providing for our patients.
- Rhys Gabe – Rhys is in his second year of an MSc in Restorative Dentistry at Plymouth University. He recently completed the first-year Certificate programme, and we were delighted (but unsurprised) to hear that he was awarded a distinction!
- Richard Michael – Richard is following in Rhys’s illustrious footsteps and has recently started the MSc in Restorative Dentistry at Plymouth University.
- Declan MacDonnell – Declan is currently undertaking a postgraduate Diploma in Implant Dentistry at the Royal College of Surgeons and will hopefully submit his finals cases in December 2018.
- Ian Mills – Ian is in the final stages of his PhD at Plymouth University and hopes to finish before he retires!!!!
- Toni Batty – Toni, our practice manager, is now in her second year of an MBA in Healthcare at Plymouth University. Her final year project will focus on oral health care in older patients in residential care, and this will undoubtedly lead to important changes in how we support such patients within Torrington Dental Practice.
- Kim Childs – Our Oral Health Educator, Kim, is in the process of completing her Certificate in Oral Health Education from the National Examination Board of Dental Nurses.
- Sammi Warren – Sammi, is one of our sedation nurses and will shortly be sitting her final exams as part of her Certificate in Dental Nurse Sedation.
- Seraphina Plows – Seraphina is just about to complete her Dental Nurse Training and will be sitting her National Exams shortly.
