Through the Keyhole­—Surgery: The Old Spire Dental Practice

ABOUT THE DENTIST

Introduce yourself and tell us what made you pursue a career in dentistry.

My name is Nigel Hargreaves and my chosen career, in a roundabout way, chose me! I’ve always had a keen interest and done well in biological sciences, so dentistry seemed the perfect career choice for me. I had always been very artistic with good creative skills, so after a fleeting interest with architecture, dentistry represented the perfect combination of science and art.

If you hadn’t become a dentist, what job do you think you would have had?

Without doubt, I would have been a builder with my father. Bricklaying and carpentry—which, to be quite honest, is pretty similar to the skills necessary for dentistry, just on a smaller scale! After I missed out on acceptance to dental school at my first “A”-Level sitting, my father, who was a contracts manager and chief planning engineer with a building company, had suggested that we set up our own building company together if I didn’t manage to get acceptance to dental school at my second sitting. Whatever the viewpoint—either successfully or unsuccessfully—I managed to achieve the necessary “A”-Level grades on resitting to gain entry to Sheffield Dental School in 1984.

Which university did you study at, and what qualifications do you have?

I did my undergraduate study at Charles Clifford Dental Hospital in Sheffield and qualified with a BDS in 1988 with the KaVo prize in oral surgery. I then completed my master’s degree and achieved M.Dent.Sci in restorative dentistry at the Leeds Dental Institute in 2006.

What are your particular interests and skills in dentistry?

From a purely restorative dental background, I started restoring dental implants in 1999 and began placing dental implants in 2005, so my passion is a combined approach to patients’ rehabilitation. My objectie is always to achieve a result that is both functional and technically correct, and also to fulfill patients’ aesthetic requirements.

Who’s had the biggest influence in your career?

From the dental perspective, Paul Tipton, Ashok Sethi and Naresh Sharma. From the nondental perspective, my wife, Donna.

What is your favourite procedure to carry out?

The placement of any dental implant, in any situation, gives the utmost challenge in terms of both assessment and execution. This I enjoy, especially with the advent of CBCT assessment and the accuracy and predictability that this brings. However, more-advanced surgical procedures, such as block bone grafting and sinus lift procedures, give both an extra challenge and great satisfaction on completion.

What could you not work without?

A good nurse!

Are you involved in any organisations or societies?

We run our own study club from the practice and I run a modular one-year restorative dentistry course for general practitioners. In addition to that, I am a member of the ADI and AO.

What are your interests outside of dentistry?

I run ultramarathons. Having started running in 2008, I began running ultras in 2014 with my first 50k race. This year I managed to finish my first 100-miler (110 miles along the Cleveland Way (@Hardmoors110), which I completed in 31 hours at the age of 52. I will be running the Lakeland 50m at the end of July and the Hardmoors 60m in September. In addition to ultrarunning I am a vegan, and have a passion for a plant-based, whole-food diet. After several issues with health in my early 40s I decided to follow a plant-based whole-food diet, which has fuelled all my ultramarathons ever since.

What do you think is the biggest problem or challenge in dentistry today?

The lack of good practical skills.

What’s the biggest advancement you have seen in dentistry in your career?

Dental implants. The procedures, components and results that can be achieved are amazing. I qualified in 1988 at Sheffield University, just as Professor Johns (restorative), Mr Maurice Hindle (oral surgeon) and Dr Graham White (technician) went over to the Branemark Institute in Gottenburg to learn the early techniques. The advancement since those early days to the current concepts and techniques are amazing. Immediate loading and immediate provisionalisation were unheard of then, but are commonplace now. These advances in the field of dental implantology have been the greatest advances that I have seen over the past 30 years.

What would you like to see change in dentistry in the next 10 years?

Selection of undergraduates to be based more on practical skills and personality, rather than academic abilities.

Describe the most successful or rewarding experience in your professional life.

When a patient at the completion of treatment says “thank you” and shakes your hand, regardless of how advanced or simple the treatment or procedure has been. Grateful thanks mean everything.

What is your favourite film?

The Blues Brothers and Pulp Fiction (a tie).

What type of music do you listen to?

Anything, really, except country and classical, but my favourite is jazz and dance music (particularly house music).

What would you like to see in DentaltownUK in the future?

Just good, honest reporting of great treatments. Good before, after and “during” reporting of treatments and cases, to show clearly how cases are completed with each stage reported on and photographed accurately. Up-to-date reporting of current materials is always extremely useful.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Do you work alongside other dentists? What interests/skills in dentistry do they have?

We have five general dental practitioners, two with restorative interests and one with orthodontic interest in the practice, along with two dental hygienists.

What do you think are the most important things about your team?

Team spirit! We have a very strong team and have regular clinical meetings to discuss individual cases and requirements. Our aim is to discuss each case individually and propose the treatment plan that is in the patient’s best interest. We can do this only by discussing each case individually.

What format do your team meetings take?

Our monthly meetings are led by our practice manager, Jess Ryder, who will propose an agenda to which all practice members are welcome to suggest subjects and content. The meeting is carried out with all staff members present to allow contribution and suggestions accordingly. These are separate from clinical meetings.

What did you do for your last staff Christmas night out?

We had an afternoon of quad biking and axe throwing (darts on steroids), followed by a meal and a few drinks in a local pub.

ABOUT THE PRACTICE

What’s the name of your practice and where is it located?

The Old Spire Dental Practice, Leeds Road, Lightcliffe, Halifax HX3 8NU

How is your practice laid out? What is the workflow like?

It is a converted church, so it’s an extremely large and open space. The practice has been laid out with great sympathy to its history. All the original features, such as the magnificent stained glass windows, stone arches and architectural features, have been preserved and incorporated into the surgery design with great sympathy.

Do you play music in the practice? If so, what do you play?

Just quiet, easy listening, chill-out type music

What sets your practice apart from others?

1. The building itself, which is unique.
2. Clinical standards, which are impeccable.
3. Customer service.

How do you market your practice?

We advertise in all local magazines, newspapers and journals, but our main advertising and marketing comes from:

1. Word-of-mouth—local dentists as well as patients.
2. Marketing through our study club, which local dentists attend and generate referrals.
3. Marketing through my one-year restorative dentistry course, which generates referrals through delegates.

What are you most proud of about your practice?

The people working in it—they are a fabulous team. The building that we work in is truly amazing, but it wouldn’t be anything without the team that works there.