Blog

Back in May 2016, in our blog ‘The Dentist’s Dentist’ we brought you the exciting news about Jonathan Sproson joining the Evolve Dentistry team. He’s been working with us for around eight months now, so we thought it would be the perfect time to catch up and see how he’s settling in and enjoying working at Evolve Dentistry…

Do you feel as though you’ve settled in at Evolve Dentistry now? How easy was that?

I have been travelling between my old practice in Jersey and Evolve Dentistry in Portishead for the past few months. That transition period, whilst fairly demanding, was a great familiarisation period. It meant I could learn the new software, a new surgery, a new team and a new area. I have known Carol, the Principal, for many years so I was very confident of the standards she expects for our patients. This allowed me to concentrate on making my patients feel relaxed and ready for care and treatment.

What’s your favourite thing about working at Evolve Dentistry?

Definitely the expectation that the practice will deliver the of highest standards, both clinically and in terms of customer care and environment. Carol has set up a terrific practice here. The team is constantly aiming to improve our patients’ experience of dentistry. With my experience as a qualified practice assessor, I would only work in a dental practice that upholds the highest standards in regulation and compliance, which our Care Quality Commission report testifies.

This allows me to be able to focus entirely on each patient, rather than being distracted by non-clinical items. I know that our front of house team gives everyone a really warm welcome and that patients can enjoy the relaxing and rather smart reception area before their appointment. The nurses are on top of the clinical support function and the management is driven extremely efficiently; I have very conscientious and supportive dental colleagues in Carol and Lisa and our hygienists, Joanne and Hannah.

I only have a 15-minute walk to Evolve Dentistry, taking in the lovely views of the estuary on the way. Being new to the area, my patients have made me most welcome, bringing me local information and advice that has been really useful to me, and my wife, Jayne. What is really humbling is that my patients have already started referring their friends, family and colleagues to me, which is such a help as we establish ourselves in Portishead. A big thank you – you know who you are!

Oh I nearly forgot the display of Gromits in the window… they always put a smile on my face to start the day.

Which treatments do you enjoy carrying out the most?

I chose general dentistry because I enjoy the variety of the role. If I were pushed to choose one treatment I would have to say smile enhancement but that might be cheating on the question, as I tend to use a variety of treatments to get the outcome my patient is looking for. My experience means that I can bring together bite adjustment to ensure the cosmetic work will have longevity. Once the bite is stable it might be a case of straightening the teeth with a cosmetically focused braces, which allows adult teeth to be straightened within about six months. I am a fan of minimally invasive dentistry to preserve natural teeth. I often will combine Six Month Smiles braces with a technique called aesthetic composite bonding to enhance a smile if a patient has misaligned and worn teeth. My patients call them higgledy piggledy teeth!

Here is one I did earlier (patient kindly gave consent for me to share this)…

What’s your top dental tip for patients?

Find a dentist who will understand the implications of maintaining a disease-free mouth to the benefit of your overall health and wellbeing. I promise you, it is hugely important. Once you are armed with that knowledge you can then make an informed decision as to how important it is for you to keep your natural teeth for life.

If you are committed to this then you can then work with a dentist and their hygienist team to provide a healthy mouth programme for you – think of it like a team of personal trainers dedicated to your smile! At Evolve Dentistry, the practices works independently of any state system, which means we are not limited in what we can provide in terms of preventative care. Evolve Dentistry makes this accessible by offering a Dental HealthPlan, which covers preventative dental care and lots of other preferential benefits for members.

If you’d like to discover more of Jonathan’s top tips for good dental health, book an appointment with him by calling our team on 01275 842 550.