This year, all the winners showed exceptional commitment to saving teeth.
First place went to Jamie Nelson from Essex, second place to Rupal Shah from Birmingham and third place went to Lydia Harris from Bristol. Between them, they won £3,500 of prizes sponsored by Dentsply, QED and Sybronendo.
The three winning entries in the 2013 Young Dentist Award involved young patients, the youngest being 10, for whom the loss of a tooth would have been extremely detrimental. All the young dentists demonstrated excellent communications skills and in each case the dentist kept their patient confident and compliant.
Speaking at the event at the Harley Street Centre for Endodontics on 10 October, Julian Webber, who created the Young Dentist Endodontic Award, said: ‘I’m delighted that this year we are able to celebrate three skilled communicators as well as excellent clinical skills.
‘All endodontists face challenges and possible failures and what matters is that the judgement you make in the heat of the moment leads to the best result for the patient.’
The three judges were Julian Webber and Trevor Lamb of the Harley Street Centre for Endodontics and Professor Andrew Eder, of UCL Dental Institute and Hospital.
Professor Eder, professor of restorative dentistry and dental education at UCL Eastman Dental Institute, said: ‘I have once again been impressed by the commitment of our younger colleagues and the quality of care being delivered in significantly challenging situations.
‘We also owe a debt of gratitude to Dr Julian Webber and his team at the Harley Street Centre for Endodontics for establishing the Young Dentist Endodontic Award to encourage the next generation of dentists to aspire to the highest clinical standards in endodontics.’
About the winners
Jamie Nelson demonstrated exceptional commitment to saving a tooth which had a very poor prognosis. In order to save the tooth, he needed excellent clinical and communication skills, determination and an ability to think on his feet. His case will be published in a leading UK dental journal
Rupal Shah successfully managed the care of 10-year-old girl despite feeling nervous herself because she was carrying out an advanced technique for the first time. She also demonstrated excellent clinical skill.
Lydia Harris showed perseverance and insight when carrying out a root treatment for a 31-year-old female patient. Lydia’s entry outlined the challenges she faced, her determination to achieve a successful outcome and an analysis of how she would operate differently in the future.
The prizes for the four dentists were first prize an X Smart Plus motor and WaveOne accessories from Dentsply UK presented by their new UK General Manager, Olivier Collet. Second prize a VDW Raypex 6 Apex Locator from Quality Endodontic Distributors (QED) presented by the managing director, Neil Conduit.
Third winner a Kerr Vitality Scanner 2006, presented by Petra Helgesen, SybronEndo,Country Manager, Rotary UK and Ireland.
