Dentist Michael Twamley has been hired as the new island dentist on the Isles of Scilly.
Michael and his family arrived on the island of St Mary’s on November 2, managing to get across just before the latest Covid-19 lockdown measures came into place across England.
He says of his appointment, “As soon as I saw the advert, I knew it would be an outstanding opportunity for myself and my family. I am so pleased to be taking up this role as the new dentist on the Isles of Scilly and look forward to living up to the high standards and strong ethical ethos which the Smile Together dental family has built. I am very grateful for the warm welcome I have received so far.”
After qualification from Birmingham in 2002, and completion of vocational training within the military, Michael practiced as a senior dental officer across the UK, British Forces in Germany (BFG) and Bosnia, developing dental skills in neurolinguistic programming, dental hypnosis and the use of sedation in addition to routine dental care.
Following an operational tour in Iraq, his position as one of the most productive dental officers within Defence Primary Health Care (DPHC) Dental was rewarded with both brigade commander’s and surgeon general’s commendations for outstanding contributions towards maximising the dental health of military forces.
After successfully completing a full time MSc in Endodontics at the Eastman Dental Institute, gaining a distinction and winning the Dentsply prize for Top Student 2012, Michael took on a tier two endodontic referral role within the military. Additionally, working as a visiting endodontic enhanced practitioner at the Defence Primary Health Care (DPHC) Centre for Restorative Dentistry, he was able to work alongside the two DPHC restorative consultants over a five-year period. This role allowed him to gain further experience as part of a multidisciplinary dental team managing the most complex dental cases.
Michael continues, “Beyond the military I worked in private endodontic practice and dental implant practice after undertaking a postgraduate diploma in implant dentistry at ICE (Salford University) in 2018, which allowed me to offer the best restorative options for the patients within my care.
“In addition to the practice of endodontics and implantology, my secondary passion is my career-long focus on providing postgraduate training. I have lectured to military and civilian audiences in the UK and Europe on a range of topics. After gaining a postgraduate certificate in teaching and learning in clinical practice from Edgehill University in 2018 and fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, I was delighted to be given membership of the newly created Faculty of Dental Trainers (RCSEd) in recognition of my extensive commitment to furthering the endodontic and wider dental knowledge of my fellow dental practitioners.”
In addition to providing the highest quality dental care, Michael has a genuine interest in preventative-focused dental care. He is keen to involve the local community on the five main Scilly Islands in Smile Together’s Brighter Smiles oral health programme designed to reduced tooth decay and improve oral health outcomes of children.
Paul Critchley, managing director at Smile Together, said, “We’re extremely pleased to have attracted such an experienced dental professional to the Isles of Scilly. Michael completely shares our commitment to ‘healthier, happier communities’ and is determined to make a really positive impact on the oral health of local people.”