ABOUT

Stephen's practice is limited to dental implants. He has been in implant practice since 2015, has worked only on implant treatment since 2020, and now places hundreds of implants a year, with around 1,500 placed in total. His work ranges from single tooth replacements to full arch reconstructions, including zygomatic implants where there isn't enough jaw bone for conventional implants.

 

Training

Stephen qualified from Queen's University Belfast in 2008. After vocational training, he spent two years as a Senior House Officer and Specialty Doctor in Oral Surgery. During that time he gained Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgeons (MFDS) of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, with the highest mark in the examination and the John Smith Medal.

 

He then worked in private practice in Australia and Singapore, and as a lecturer in oral surgery at Trinity College Dublin, publishing several peer-reviewed articles. In 2019 he completed a two-year Diploma in Implant Dentistry (DipImpDent) at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

 

What the letters mean

BDS: Bachelor of Dental Surgery, his dental degree.

MFDS RCSEd: postgraduate membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh's dental faculty.

DipImpDent RCSEd: a two-year postgraduate diploma in implant dentistry from the same college.

AssocFCGDent: Associate Fellow of the College of General Dentistry.

Registered implant mentor: on the College of General Dentistry's register of dentists approved to mentor other dentists in implant treatment.

 

Why implants only

Since 2020, Stephen has focused solely on implants. Doing one thing means every week is spent planning, placing and restoring implants, and keeping up with the techniques and technology that go with them.

 

How he works

His approach is calm and considered: careful planning, appropriate case selection and clear explanation. Appointments are unhurried, and time is taken to understand each patient's situation before anything is recommended. Stephen uses established, evidence-based systems, mainly Straumann implants, alongside digital planning.

 

He also mentors other dentists who are developing their implant work (see For Dentists), and accepts referrals from local practices, returning patients to their own dentist once treatment is complete.