PRESS RELEASE

It's a first as Clinical Dental Technician wins National Dentistry Award for Most Outstanding Team Member

December 2013: A Clinical Dental Technician from Dorset has received the highest recognition when he was handed the award for Most Outstanding Team Member at this year's National Dentistry Awards held at The Athena, Leicester on 6 December. James Nielson from "Best Practice in SW and Wales" Winning Smiles in Gillingham, Dorset was delighted to be recognised as a key contributor and specialist in his work with edentulous patients.

James was one of the very first people in the UK to qualify as a Clinical Dental Technician and owner of Winning Smiles, Murray Hawkins, commented, "James brings so much to the role in terms of attitude, commitment and skills. The training he has received both abroad and in the UK means we have someone who is a real expert in 21^st century dentures and this Award recognises the true worth of his profession and how it contributes to the services and care we offer patients."

James commented, "I was really delighted to receive the Award and it means a lot as I was competing with a mix of dentists, hygienists and therapists, so it was a real surprise and rewarding to see my profession of Clinical Dental Technician recognised with a national dental award." James received his training in Manchester, Toronto, New York and London and was awarded the status of highly commended for the UK Clinical Dental Technician of the Year award 2009 and was a finalist again in 2011. There are still only around 200 Clinical Dental Technicians in the whole of the UK and working with the dentist means that James can make impressions of the patient's mouth, manufacture the denture and also fit them himself.

James qualified as a Dental Technician from Manchester Metropolitan University in 1999 and went on to obtain honours degrees In Dental Technology in 2000. James then joined the team at Casterbridge Dental Studio, winner of DAMAS Lab of the Year and also Dental Awards Lab of the Year, where he worked as a technician honing his skills and undertaking numerous technical courses to further his knowledge and skills.

When James joined the Casterbridge Dental Laboratory in Dorchester it specialised mainly in Laboratory gold and porcelain cap work, creating crowns for patients. James was tasked with building up the Laboratory's prosthetics department and did this very successfully.

In 2007 James graduated from George Brown College (Toronto) in Denturism. In 2008 he was awarded his diploma from the Royal College of Surgeons (England) as a Clinical Dental Technician. James is also a board member of the British Association of Clinical Dental Technicians (BACDT).

Joining Winning Smiles in 2008 where he runs a weekly denture clinic James believes that patient satisfaction is paramount. He includes his patients in all aspects of treatment inviting them to have input into design and cosmetic considerations. He prides himself in only using high quality materials and up to date techniques - he is involved in milling and CADCAM (3D printing of dentures) and regularly attends courses on subjects like soft linings and CQR Denture Systems (specific technique for recording people's individual jaw movements to improve the bite of the denture) to ensure that his knowledge is current.

One of those courses took him to New York to train at the Valplast laboratory at the hands of the inventor Arpad Nagy (Valplast is a material that effectively acts as an invisible clasp for your dentures and is allergen free) and now James is one of the most experienced people in Britain in the use of this technique. As a result Winning Smiles regularly supplies flexible dentures as a treatment option.

Picture shows James Nielson receiving the award for Most Outstanding Team Member

For information on cosmetic dentistry or any other dental treatments, contact Winning Smiles Dental Care, T/: 01747 826222 or E/: dentist@winningsmilesgillingham.com or check out: www.winningsmilesgillingham.com

Further press information and images from: Jane Adkins, T/: 01935 813114 or M/: 07960698089 or E/: jane@aheadforpr.co.uk

Dec 2013 (WS 13)