Member Article

Billingham dental manager is first to graduate from world-renowned centre

A local dental laboratory manager has become the first technician to graduate from a world-famous education and training centre in America.

Richard Elliott, of Billingham based Queensway Dental Laboratory has successfully qualified from the Kois Center which is a prestigious dental education programme in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Mr Richard Elliott said: “I am delighted to become the first accredited Kois Technician in the UK, which is one of the most challenging and rewarding accomplishments of my career.

“The course has helped my colleagues and I bridge the gap between technicians and dentists. The clinical insight I have gained means we now have a system of working together, following the Kois principles that can only be of benefit to our patients.”

In addition, Dr Paul Averley, Dr Ian Lane, Dr William Carter and Dr Uzma Olbrich, partners at Queensway Dental Clinic, have become Kois accredited having completed the comprehensive nine-module curriculum at the Kois Center in Seattle.

The team members of the forward-thinking dental clinic, which has pioneered conscious sedation services for anxious patients over 20 years, account for five of only 15 practitioners in the UK who have graduated from the innovative centre.

Study undertaken at the internationally-renowned Kois Center course, based on latest research, is an intense educational experience including modules on all clinical areas of dentistry; gums, teeth, bite problems, cosmetics and implants using both didactic and hands-on training.

Dr Paul Averley said: “Becoming a graduate of the advanced Kois programme has allowed the partners at Queensway to bring together evidence collected across the world to deliver excellence in dentistry. This programme means that we have consolidated our knowledge, experience and training to deliver dental health outcomes that will last and enable our patients to maximise their aesthetic potential.”

Dr Ian Lane said: “It has been an amazing experience. The course is delivered exclusively by Dr John Kois all supported by the latest lecture equipment. Each session was run by a team of mentors who shared their own learning experiences. The Kois Center is the most advanced teaching centre I have ever seen.

Most importantly what we have learnt means we can deliver an increased range of options to our patients, which will ultimately transform the way we practise and the outcomes we achieve. We see many patients who have suffered many problems with their teeth. We can build on skills learned in Seattle to be able to manage the complexity of problem teeth reliably or manage an anxious dental patient using the most up to date, predictable procedures and techniques.“

Dr Will Carter explains: “Not only has the course enabled us to conduct activity to benefit our patients, it has also shown us new ways in which we can get patients to start thinking about their own oral health and to really connect with what is happening in their mouths, before any intervention from us takes place.

No two mouths are identical; each is unique with its own risks of dental disease. Thanks to our Kois training we can address any risk factors in a patient’s initial assessment developing a plan to maintain or improve the patient’s dental condition, lessening the risk of future dental problems, giving patients the best chance of keeping their smile, teeth and oral health for a lifetime!“

Queensway clinic’s partners plan to become Kois mentors in the near future, which will mean they can bring the principles they have learnt to more dentists in the UK who are unable to make the committed trip to Seattle and dedicate over 200 hours to training.

Queensway Dental Clinic puts its success down to the teams’ hard work and continuous reinvestment in staff training and in equipment. Everyone at Queensway is committed to caring for patients in a professional, honest and comprehensive way. This training from the Kois Center has strengthened the dentists’ commitment to excellence and doing the best for their patients’ individual needs.