VITALITY DENTAL CARE - Key Persons
"Gentle" Ben Smith qualified in 2001, going on to acquire additional valuable postgraduate skills and experience through hospital and general practice training. During this time period, he developed an interest in helping people with anxieties and phobias related to their dental care, completed his core training in conscious sedation techniques and also gained his MFDS qualification at RCS Edinburgh in 2003.
Ben has worked in General practice and has become involved in research and in carrying out dental treatment on thousands of highly anxious patients using both his gentle manner and further honing his skills in conscious sedation techniques. Ben gained the Diploma in Conscious Sedation from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 2007 and has gone on to provide mentorship, teaching and training to both newly qualified dentists, general dental practitioners and also experienced dental sedationists.
Ben's ambition has always been to provide the highest level of all-round dental care for every patient - especially those with dental fears. He finds great personal satisfaction in taking the time to enable patients to overcome the barriers to their dental care and transform them from "a quivering wreck" to a confident patient, in control of their own dental health. Having the experienced hands and skills within the team to offer any necessary treatment puts our patients at the centre of their dental care and allows us to look after them as if they were a member of our own family.
Outside of work Ben loves to spend time at home in North Yorkshire or out and about in the Lake District with his wife and two young daughters - looking after their chickens and the family's nutty boxer dog. He has also been known to appear on stage and to sing and play the guitar - badly!
Claire decided that she wanted to become a dentist at young age after being inspired by her own caring dentist. Following her vocation, she qualified in 2006 from Newcastle University with a distinction in clinical dentistry. After qualification she completed the competitive General Professional Training 2-year programme at Newcastle Dental Hospital where she gained greater experience in more advanced procedures.
Having always enjoyed the rapport built up with patients as a general dentist, Claire returned to general practice. She joined the team at Vitality in 2015 where she now spends most of her working week providing routine dental care.
Alongside this she has continued to build on her experience with additional courses, receiving the Tipton restorative prize in 2010 and has completed courses on simple tooth alignment and composite bonding. Keen to provide her patients with the confidence of healthy smile, her interest in the management of gum disease and other gum related problems led her to carry out a diploma in Periodontology which she is due to complete in 2020.
Claire lives locally with her husband and 2 children. In her spare time, she enjoys running and baking, but most of all being with her friends and family.
Job Titles:
- Dental Therapist GDC No.165040
Originally from West Yorkshire, Guy graduated from Newcastle University in 2005 and remained in the North East to complete his Vocational Training.
Guy subsequently has worked within both the NHS and privately at practices in Northumberland and Teesside before settling with his wife and two children in North Yorkshire. Guy has been part of the team at Vitality since 2011.
Since qualifying as a dentist Guy has developed professionally by gaining his postgraduate dental diploma allowing him Membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (MFGDP UK) and has completed a large number of courses learning from world renowned dental lecturers to allow him develop and improve his skills.
Guy enjoys all aspects of dentistry but has a particular interest in minimally invasive cosmetic dentistry, preventative dentistry and helping nervous patients overcome their fears. He has also expanded his interest in orthodontics and has successfully completed the IAS Academy's Advanced Orthodontic Course.
Guy is happy to see regular patients, those requiring a one off cosmetic treatment and is providing more Orthodontic treatment both for NHS and Private patients.
Born in Egypt, but raised in Hong Kong, Haytham moved to the UK to study dentistry in Newcastle, where he fell for the charm of the North East and he has lived in the area ever since!
After qualifying in 2005, Haytham started off his career in a competitive hospital training program which led him to focus on his interest in Oral Surgery. He spent the next 5 years gaining experience in a wide range of surgical procedures with the support of some of the finest consultants in Maxillofacial surgery. In 2010, he was given the opportunity to work in a large sedation based dental clinic. He gained vast experience treating hundreds of patients under sedation whilst carrying out a wide variety of dental treatments.Alongside his clinical commitments, Haytham enrolled onto the Warwick University Dental Implantology Diploma. In 2014 he was awarded his Diploma in dental Implantology and has since helped hundreds of patients regain their smiles and function with the aid of dental implants.
Haytham joined Alpha Dental Studio and Alpha Vitality Implant Clinic in April 2013. He provides sedation and implant treatment across Riverdale Healthcare's dental practices. Combining sedation and implants has enabled him to offer patients the possibility of being relaxed and comfortable throughout their implant journey.
When he is not working, Haytham enjoys spending time with his wife and two children and is a keen sportsman. A footballer at heart, he now mostly plays socially, but has also discovered a love for cycling and has taken part in several races and charity events.
Ian Gordon was born in Stokesley moving only when he gained a place at Newcastle Dental School from where he qualified in 1984. He returned to North Yorkshire before starting his own practice, The Dental Centre, in Eaglescliffe in 1989.
Ian expanded that NHS practice group to include practices in Middlesbrough, Martonside and Guisborough before leaving to establish Vitality with his wife Jayne in 2008 whilst at the same time establishing Alpha Dental Group.
Ian has been involved in Dental Politics and Vocational Training throughout his 35-year career - he is currently Chair of the North Yorkshire and Yorkshire regional Local Dental Committees and was previously Chair of the Tees LDC. Ian retains a clinical commitment on Tuesdays providing a wide range of dental treatment - he still particularly enjoys Endodontic treatment and provides Invisalign (clear braces) treatment at the practice.
Job Titles:
- Dental Hygienist EDH GDC No. 2650
Janet Dimauro EDH is our dental hygienist who joined The Dental Centre Group in 2005. Janet left to work in private practice but has seized the opportunity to work with us again in Stokesley.
Jayne Gordon qualified as a dentist from Newcastle upon Tyne Dental School in 1991.In 2008 Jayne and her husband, Ian Gordon, set up Vitality Dental Practice. Jayne has worked there as a dentist up until 2012 when she decided to concentrate solely on her facial aesthetics work. Jayne trained in basic facial aesthetics (Botox and fillers) in 2008 with the organisation CODE. She then went on to do an advanced course in these treatments in 2010 with Cosmetic Courses and completed a course on lip definition and augmentation with Medics Direct.
Jayne is also trained in the use of Sculptra, Dermaroller and Derma FNS and in 2015 she gained a post graduate diploma with distinction in non-surgical facial aesthetics at Preston University. Having been a dentist for over 20 years, Jayne has extensive experience in administering local anaesthetics that are necessary for some facial aesthetics treatments."The most rewarding part of my job is when patients come back having received lots of positive feedback on how fresh and well they look rather than looking like they've had work done.
Mike qualified in 1993 at Leeds University. In 2000, Mike moved back to the northeast working at various practices in East Cleveland. During this time he met Mike Pearson and in 2005 they opened Park Avenue Dental Practice in Redcar. The practice has always had a strong periodontal ethos and Mike decided to further his training in this field by completing an MSc in Clinical Periodontology at the University of Central Lancashire. This was awarded (with merit) in May 2013. Mike's main interest has always been the treatment of disease and this continues to be the case within periodontology - in particular with the treatment of periodontal disease and those cases requiring bone regeneration.
Mike is now accepting referrals at Vitality Dental Practice. This could be for any aspect of periodontal treatment or simply just advice with treatment planning.
Originally from the west coast of Lancashire, Mike qualified in 2000 from University of Liverpool. He went on to do his VT training in Birkenhead, staying as an associate for three years before a change of circumstances lead to a move to Newcastle. Working as an associate over two practices between 2004-2009, Mike developed a keen interest in Endodontics (Root Canal Treatment)
Mike moved to Teesside in 2010 to become an associate in Hartlepool, during this time he embarked on the MSc (Endodontics) course with SimplyEndo in Manchester. Over three years Mike completed his MSc, passing with merit with his dissertation "A survey of which main irrigant, delivery system and isolation methods are used by general dental practitioners in the North East of England", which you can read on request!!
Mike began to take referrals in Hartlepool in 2015 before branching out and starting regular private Endodontic referral sessions in practices in Whitley Bay and Whickham. In 2017 Mike was invited back to SimplyEndo to become a lecturer on the MSc course, which he now does on a regular basis.
Mike takes referrals for pain diagnosis, endodontic opinions and treatment planning, primary endodontic cases, re-treatments, post-removal, moderate instrument removal and prognosis planning. Mike is more than happy to chat to referring practitioners about their cases, offering an endodontic advice and trouble-shooting service.
Nigel, studied at Sheffield University, graduated in 2006. He has a keen interest in cosmetic dentistry from early on led him to attend the Tipton Training Academy where he won an award on the Advanced Restoration course. Since 2013 he has also been involved with treating patients undergoing dental implant procedures and has completed the Practical Implant Dentistry Diploma under the highly respected Dr Ashok Sethi.
Nigel works closely with Ross Chapman of Chapman Dental Solutions to provide implant and fixed bridge solutions, all delivered in a single surgery in one day. Dr Suggett's wife Barbara is also a dentist. She works in the Community Dental Service treating patients who have special needs, are medically compromised or phobic.
Together they have two children, Phoebe and Lucy, and a cat called Milo. In his free time, Nigel enjoys playing golf and football and is a keen runner.Away from Seaham Smiles, Dr Suggett is also an assistant lecturer for the Northern Deanery.He also runs introduction events and mentorship for dentists new to using implants.