The Dental Awards - Judges

Tim Newton is a Psychologist who has spent over 30 years working in dental settings with the goal of ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of good oral and dental health. He is particularly concerned with addressing the needs of people who are anxious about attending the dentist, and in encouraging dental healthcare professionals to work with patients to develop healthy behaviours.

Tim is employed by King’s College London as Professor of Psychology as Applied to Dentistry, spending half his time working as Honorary Consultant Health Psychologist. Tim’s clinical work is focused on individuals with dental phobia, and support for individuals facing challenging dental procedures.

Tim is currently President of the Oral Health Foundation.

Davinder Raju gained his dental degree from the University of Liverpool and a Masters in Advanced Minimum Intervention Restorative Dentistry (MSc) from King’s College, London. He developed his interest in sustainable dentistry while he was undertaking his MSc, deciding he wanted his approach to clinical dentistry to be reflected in all aspects of his life. He went on to establish the first fully sustainable practice in the UK, the Dove Holistic Dental Centre in Sussex. In 2021 he launched the Greener Dentistry Global toolkit and accreditation programme to share his knowledge and experience with colleagues wanting to embark on a more sustainable way of working.

Now a recognised authority on sustainable dentistry in general dental practice, Dr Raju has written and lectured widely. He is a contributor to a book aimed at primary care to be published later this year, and he has been nominated for a fellowship of the International College of Dentists.

Lisa originally trained to be a dental nurse at North Staffordshire Hospital and qualified in 1994. Originally working in an orthodontic practice, she then developed an interest in practice management and came to join Steve Lomas, as the practice manager at The Old Surgery, Crewe, when the practice opened in 1998.

Lisa has continually gained numerous practice management qualifications and new skills over the years and today is involved in many aspects of running the multi-award-winning practice, including marketing, health & safety, quality standards and accounting. She has a true insider’s knowledge of what it takes to be a Dental Awards winner, having won the Practice Manager of the Year category in 2016. Lisa became President of ADAM, which has over 500 members throughout the UK, at the end of 2016.

Rhiannon has been a dental clinician for over 25 years and is currently the President of the British Society for Dental Hygiene and Therapy. She works clinically as a dental hygienist and dental therapist and has worked in hospitals and general practice as well as a clinical lecturer on a dental hygiene and therapy course.

Her various work experiences allow her to treat people from all backgrounds and cultures. Advocating for those who have no voice is very important to her and enabling good quality care for all is her passion.

Debbie is President of the British Association of Dental Therapists, and works to support and represent current and future dental therapists.

Paroo Mistry is a Consultant Orthodontist. She divides her time between Chase Farm Hospital and her private practice in North London. At the hospital she is an orthodontic trainer and treats complex, multidisciplinary cases. At her practice she enjoys more cosmetic orthodontic treatment on adults and children. Paroo has been a judge on the Dental Awards since 2008.

Leading the educational resources team, Amanda manages all educational resources from the Oral Health Foundation. This includes marketing and selling existing products as well as purchasing and developing new resources. Amanda executes the creation and implementation of agreed projects and is in charge of creating campaign products including National Smile Month and Mouth Cancer Action Month. She also is in charge of distribution of resources along with managing exhibition presentations.

Amit is registered with the General Dental Council as a Specialist in Periodontics. Alongside his private practice, he also works as Associate Specialist in Periodontics and Honorary Clinical Lecturer at the University of Birmingham Dental School. His special interests are dental implants, regenerative and aesthetic periodontics.

Amit graduated in Dentistry from the University of Liverpool in 1997. Following a training post in Restorative Dentistry at the Liverpool Dental School he gained significant experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery through 3 prestigious hospital posts. He obtained his Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgeons at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh in 2000. This training involved acquisition of the most up-to-date techniques in periodontics and implantology under the expert supervision of Professor Richard Palmer who was appointed the first Professor of Implant Dentistry in the United Kingdom. Amit then obtained his Membership in Restorative Dentistry from the Royal College of Surgeons of England and became a registered Specialist in Periodontics.

Rebecca is a multi-award winning dental nurse with almost 15 years of experience working in dentistry. She has worked within the NHS and private dentistry as well as working with numerous dental specialists. She has dental nursing experience in assisting in endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, orthodontics, conscious sedation, prosthodontics, implants, facial aesthetics and a range of dental treatment.

She has gained post-qualification certificates in Oral Health Education and Dental Nursing Sedation. She obtained fellowship to the British Association of Dental Nurses in 2023.

Anshu, Joint Clinical Director of Helix House Healthcare, is a Specialist Orthodontist and qualified dentist renowned for creating beautiful smiles through tailored treatments, including aligners and fixed braces. Her commitment to excellence is complemented by leadership roles as former Chairperson of the Orthodontic Specialist Group and Clinical Practice Director on the Board of the British Orthodontic Society.

A Key Opinion Leader for Dental Monitoring, Anshu integrates cutting-edge technology into orthodontic care and frequently lectures at national and international conferences.

Beyond her profession, Anshu enjoys international travel, open-water swimming, and scuba diving, reflecting her adventurous and balanced approach to life.

Preetee works full-time as a dental nurse and safeguarding lead at a private dental practice in London. She is actively involved in education and training as she delivers the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Principles and Practice in Dental Nursing.

Additionally, she serves as an Associate Examiner for the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN). She is also an honorary ambassador for the Mouth Cancer Foundation. Preetee’s contributions to the dental community extend beyond her work – she is an editorial board member of the Dental Nursing Journal and regularly authors articles.

She is also an empowering and dynamic public speaker, addressing topics ranging from negotiation skills for dental nurses to raising awareness about domestic abuse (lived experience) at various dental events and conferences.

Amanda is Business Manager at The Dental Architect – Practice of the Year Award winner in 2023.

In 2023, Amanda also achieved Chartered Manager status, globally recognised as the highest accolade in management. She is also a member of The Institute of Consulting, supporting businesses in both the dental and non-dental sector.

Amanda has a passion for education and self-development and throughout her career she has completed qualifications in management, Health and Safety, Counselling, Health and Social care, marketing and has teaching qualifications, including SEND. She is registered with The Society of Education and Training and she also recently completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Education, Coaching and Mentoring and is undertaking a MBA. In addition, Amanda mentors individuals working towards chartered status and she sits on the board for the Chartered Management Institute for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber.

In 2024, Amanda was recognised as Practice Manager of the Year by The Probe’s Dental Awards and also at The Private Dentistry Awards, making her a Multi Award Winning Practice Manager.

Amanda is focused and driven and has a clear vision for excellence, she has a passion for the growth and development of others especially in the Management and Business sector.

James is a passionate clinician, technician and educator with over 25 years’ experience. He started his career at a multi-disciplinary laboratory where he became Prosthetics Manager, and later a Director. In 2008 he qualified as a Clinical Dental Technician, since then he has worked in Dorset, the Midlands, Cardiff, and Dundee, alongside running his own Dental Laboratory. He has taught from college to post graduate level and currently works as a Dental Instructor at Dundee University. He also acts as an expert witness, as well as being active across several associations and is current President of the British Association of Clinical Dental Technology.

After graduating in Dental Technology from the University of Lisbon and gaining professional experience in Portugal, Hugo moved to England to further develop his clinical and technical expertise, since completing advanced training internationally — including a morphology course at the Osaka Ceramic Training Center and a Master’s degree at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Hugo is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Lisbon, and serves as a tutor at The University of Greater Manchester, Cardiff Metropolitan University, and Egas Moniz School of Health & Science.

Alongside clinical practice, Stephan became increasingly aware of the lack of recognition and representation for Clinical Dental Technicians (CDTs(). Working with a group of like-minded colleagues, he revived the dormant Clinical Dental Technicians Association (CDTA), establishing a modern constitution and clear strategic aims. Today, the CDTA is recognised as a stakeholder by the GDC and Government, and continues to advocate for an expanded Scope of Practice and stronger integration of CDTs within the wider dental team, particularly within the NHS.