Through the Keyhole­—Surgery: Home

ABOUT THE DENTIST

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

My name is Guy Laffan. I was born and raised in South Wales and qualified from Bristol in 2010. Both my parents are dentists so I got early exposure to the job and when I eventually had to decide which career to pursue the decision was easy.

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

I was torn between medicine and dentistry at A level but in hindsight I’m relieved to have made the right decision. My wife is a doctor and they have it so hard compared to us.

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

Bristol University from 2005-2010. By September this year I should have my Msc Implantology and Certificate in Oral Surgery. I’ve been doing them simultaneously, which has been hard work alongside a full time job!

What are your particular interests and skills in dentistry?

I love implant dentistry. I placed my first one in VT in 2011 and it’s been on going since then. I must admit I love ortho too. I am a platinum provider of Invisalign but also do many fixed cases. My favourite cases are those that require both ortho and implant work. I really find these cases the most rewarding.

Who would you say has had the biggest influence in your career?

Dental – my parents. They’ve shown me how to do everything the right way my whole life, and that now extends into dentistry.

Non-dental – my wife Sophie. She works so hard for the NHS and doesn’t moan or complain at all. I hear too many dentists moaning about the state NHS dentistry when in fact they need a reality check as to how bad our colleagues in hospital actually have it.

What is your favourite procedure to carry out?

I do love Invisalign bond ups. I think my PB is about 7 minutes.

What could you not work without?

Music 100%... but if we’re talking instruments Id say my H Zepf luxator – its been getting me out of trouble for at least 5 years.

Are you involved in any organisations or societies?

I sit on the Local dental committee for Gwent and am a member of the ADI and BACD. I am also on the committee of the make a dentist foundation. I do try my best to get involved with anything as often as I can.

What are your interests outside of dentistry?

I love cooking. I do it all in my house. I also love music in any way shape or form. I basically own every instrument you can think of – but I’m best at drums.

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

Needless to say I do feel that the current NHS system is no longer fit for purpose, and any future frameworks I have heard about just seem to sound equally problematic. I’m also quite disheartened by the number of dentists out there putting profit before patient. I’ve seen some really awful cases recently – the type typical of litigation and sadly it all contributes to the same repetitive cycle we are seeing. Ever rising indemnity and our profession getting dragged through the mud more often than it should.

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

Definitely the progression of everything digital. I remember placing my first CEREC in 2010 with the old red cam during VT and now we’re onto Omincam. I really don’t think we’ll need impression materials for much longer!

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

In south wales we have seen a massive impact from school-based education. The children all brush their teeth after lunch and all have duraphat applied every 6 months. Not only is this directly decreasing the caries we see, however the kids are ‘dentally educated’ and have zero qualms coming to see us for check ups. To see this nationally would be incredible.

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

Winning best young dentist in Wales last year was completely overwhelming

What is your favourite film?

Very difficult question. I’d have to say Rocky 4. It has everything. A hero, a villain, an amazing 80s soundtrack and even a montage. It’s a true underdog story with an incredible ending.

What type of music do you listen to?

You name it and I listen to it. I’ve played drums my whole life so more or less anything with a beat gets my foot tapping.

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

I think it would be useful to approach a few specialists to see if they have any really interesting cases to present. Its always fascinating to see how the extreme ends of the spectrum are handled. The type of stuff your average dentists wouldn’t see.

ABOUT THE TEAM

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

Martyn Laffan – Best prosthodontist I know. Could have been a specialist for sure.
Carol Laffan – Facial aesthetics extraordinaire. Literally amazing.
Adam Puddle – A jack of all trades much like myself. Currently studying towards his Restorative Diploma. Has a keen interest in implantology.
Gafyn Poulton – Enjoys everything but has specialist interest in Invisalign.
Denise McAleer – general dentist.
Adam Bowkett – specialist orthodontist.

How many other members do you have in your dental team, and what are their roles?

We have 6 dentists, 1 orthodontist, 1 hygienist, 1 therapist, 4 reception staff, 7 nurses. 19 in total. We have the most amazing team. Our practice is so busy and every member of the team is an important cog in a well-oiled machine. My nurse Rhianne knows more about everything than anyone else – the whole place would go up in flames if it wasn’t for her. She knows what I’m thinking at least a day before I do.

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

We are all friends first and foremost, and always go above and beyond for one another. We go out as a team as often as we can which is always a great laugh.

Do you have team meetings? If so, what format do they take?

We have them every other month, and individual dentist / nurse meetings. Its always to iron out any minor issues – which there always are in a busy practice!

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

We always go to a local manor house for our staff party! The weeks following it are usually filed with very interesting stories!! We usually have a second Christmas party in January too just to cure the blues.

ABOUT THE PRACTICE

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

Laffan Dental Care, Blackwood, South Wales

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

We have large shop front in Blackwood high street with a large reception and 2 downstairs surgeries. There’s a flight of stairs leading up to a second reception and separate large waiting room that act as the hub for the other 4 surgeries. Our decontamination room is upstairs and we have a spare nurse constantly monitoring the dirty and clean boxes.

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

We are a ‘radio 2’ practice generally speaking – but I sneak Spotify on from time to time. A little bit of classical during implant surgery is always very pleasant.

What sets your practice apart from others?

There has been a dentist at our address since 1913. So we are part of a dental legacy spanning over 100 years – which is actually incredible if you think about it. We actually have the foot pedal drill left with the practice 80 years ago still in the attic. Fascinating!

How do you market your practice?

We have a Facebook page that allows us to engage our patients instantly – currently we have 1600+ likes and countless 5* reviews. Its so rewarding knowing how well liked we are by our community. We also have a great website with search engine optimisation – it works so well and we get patients from much further afield. I must say that our true flow of patients still comes from word of mouth and recommendation.

What are you most proud of about your practice?

I am definitely most proud of the reputation we have in our community. Despite their being many other practices around we seem to attract a constant flow or new patients on reputation alone. Something my parents spent 30 years developing and that I have spent the last 5 years continuing.