UK Dentistry Awards 2006

One of the big winners on the night was Emmet Murray of Murray’s Dental Practice in County Tyrone. His practice picked up the Best Practice award for Northern Ireland and Murray himself won Best Team Member.

The Dentistry Awards 2006 proved a huge success with nearly 700 guests making it the biggest dental awards ceremony in UK history.

Held at the art-deco Athena venue in Leicester, the evening’s extravaganza was enjoyed by all who attended, with a champagne reception and a black-tie gala dinner followed by the awards ceremony itself, hosted by special guest and television star Roy Walker.

The party didn’t stop there, with a 16-piece band leading the way as guests danced the night away.

Julian English, executive editor of Dentistry magazine, said: ‘The whole event went much better than I expected. I was surprised and uplifted by the whole atmosphere. Practices were cheering, shouting and even singing to the ‘sting’ music before the winners came on stage. The winners were especially pleased to be recognised by their peers and it made for a thrilling party atmosphere.’

The Dentistry Awards had a unique format with the UK being divided into 10 regions to recognise outstanding individuals, teams and practices who had showed an active interest in continuing professional development and promoting standards of excellence. There were three awards (best practice, best new practice and bests team member) for each region, as well as an overall UK winner in each category. Nominations for the awards were collated in September, with a select panel of judges finalising a shortlist and winners ahead of the evening itself.

One of the big winners on the night was Emmet Murray of Murray’s Dental Practice in County Tyrone. His practice picked up the Best Practice award for Northern Ireland and Murray himself won Best Team Member.

He said: ‘It’s incredible, to be recognised by your peers is something really special. I felt quietly confident beforehand but to win two awards is a dream come true. I was a wee bit nervous before the dinner but when the ceremony started and the music came on, it got everyone pumping. Walking up to the stage with the spotlight on me was brilliant, I just leapt in the air and lifted the awards up like the FA Cup!

‘It was a wonderful night, a real occasion. This is a very big moment for us. These awards are so important – they keep you focused and give you an incentive to keep improving. We’re already looking at how we can move forward – we’ll definitely be entering next year and will soon be working on our nomination.’

The inaugural ceremony looks set to establish itself as a firm fixture in the dental calendar in years to come.

The winners were:
Scotland
Best Practice: Whitemoss Dental Practice
Best New Practice: Visage Lifestyle Clinic
Best Team Member: Carol Taylor (Love Your Smile)

Northern Ireland
Best Practice: Murray’s Dental Practice
Best New Practice: Blue Apple Dental Practice
Best Team Member: Emmet Murray (Murray’s Dental Practice)

North West
Best Practice: Craigend Dental Practice
Best New Practice: The Smile Clinic
Best Team Member: Rachel Houlbrook (Craigend Dental Practice)

North East
Best Practice: Primley Park Dental Practice
Best New Practice: The Smile Spa
Best Team Member: Adele Booth (Clayton Dental Practice)

Midlands
Best Practice: Cliftonville Dental Care
Best New Practice: The Priors Dental Practice
Best Team Member: Alison McMahon (Gentle Dental Care)

Wales
Best Practice: The Orthodontic Centre
Best New Practice: Capel Dental Practice
Best Team Member: Viren Patel (The Orthodontic Centre)

East
Best Practice: The Private Dental Centre
Best New Practice: Smiles Better
Best New Practice: Smiles Better
Best Team Member: Samantha Wright (The Private Dental Centre)

London
Best Practice: Bow Lane Dental Group
Best New Practice: Metrodental
Best Team Member: Lenka Lancaracova (Crescent Lodge Dental Practice)

South West
Best Practice: Bristol Endodontic Practice
Best New Practice: Barnfield Dental Studio
Best Team Member: Jennifer Stent (Clyde House Surgery)

South East
Best Practice: The Beauty Society
Best New Practice: I-Teeth Dental Care
Best Team Member: Jackie Salvatore (The Gingerbread House)

UK
Best Practice: The Private Dental Centre
Best New Practice: Visage Lifestyle Clinic
Best Team Member: Adele Booth (Clayton Dental Practice)

http://www.dentistry.co.uk