Having joined Island House in September 06, Mark Boyton became a partner with Mike Smith this year, “It has always been my aim to run a dental practice and to do this in my home county of Suffolk is a dream come true.”
Mark Boyton decided on a career in dentistry after spending a week’s work experience in a busy practice.
“When I was doing my GCSEs, my parents arranged for me to get some work experience alongside two of their friends – one was a dentist, the other a GP. After just a few days in the dental practice, the sense of teamwork and the variety of activities persuaded me that this was the career for me!”
When he was in the final year of his dental degree at Guys Hospital in London, Mark was introduced to three dentists from Norwich who were scouting for trainees.
“One of my tutors introduced them to me, thinking that we’d get on and one of the three was Nick Lamb. Following this intro, I was accepted as a trainee to work with him in Norwich. Years later, it was Nick who followed in my footsteps to come to Island House!
I spent five years working in the NHS in Norwich, and really enjoyed it. We’re privileged at Island House, not just because of the wonderful purpose-built premises and new equipment, but because of the time we get to spend with patients. I strongly believe that this is of huge benefit to both parties.”
One of the areas in which Mark is especially interested is ‘restorative dentistry’. This involves working with patients to restore teeth that have undergone years of wear and tear, in order to create healthy smiles of which anyone would be proud.
“Someone who’s had a lot of dental work over the years can find that the teeth at the back of the mouth become worn or begin to break down. In the worst cases, this can lead to the bottom jaw gradually settling closer to the top jaw, making the patient’s chin and nose appear more prominent and the cheeks sunken. By restoring the teeth at the back of the mouth, we create space for nicely shaped, more visible teeth at the front.”
This area of dentistry is becoming increasingly important as more and more people keep their own teeth for longer.
“A couple of generations ago, people expected to lose some or all of their teeth by the time they reached late adulthood,” explains Mark. “That thankfully isn’t the case now, which means that we’re seeing older teeth that have suffered more wear and tear.”
Having the freedom to explore areas of interest alongside general dental practice is one of the things about the Island House practice that is appreciated by Mark and his colleagues. Having the time fully to discuss issues means that he can offer patients long term solutions and involve them fully in the work that’s going on in their mouth.
“Once upon a time, people were afraid to ask too many questions or challenge the views of the dental professional,” says Mark. “These days, we discuss every aspect of treatment with the patient and use facilities such as intra-oral digital photography which enables us to show patients pictures of ‘before’ and ‘after’ treatment so that they can clearly see the impact of what we’re doing for themselves.”