Isles of Scilly's new dentist 'on a mission'
The Isles of Scilly's new dentist is on a mission to improve oral health education and dental care on the islands.
Gillian Palmer moved to Scilly in November after nine years as a senior dentist in Great Yarmouth.
She joined local provider Smile Together with over 30 years dental and educational experience in areas including the Shetland Isles and Suffolk.
As well as being a dentist, she holds a Masters Degree in Oral Health and a Postgraduate Degree in Education.
Gillian will undertake a dual role on the islands, providing general NHS treatments plus a number of private Brighter Dental options for treatment not available through the NHS. As a Community Interest Company, all profits made by Smile Together go back into supporting the local community.
Gillian said: “I really believe that prevention is far better than cure so getting that message out is really important. While I have plenty of essential and emergency dental work to do, I will always find time for routine examinations and prevention. I would particularly love to see the under 18s coming in regularly for check-ups.”
She added of her arrival on the Isles of Scilly: “Benn, my rescue dog, and I have received a really warm welcome here and I am very much looking forward to making a difference in such a beautiful part of the world.”
Smile Together managing director Paul Critchley said: “We’re extremely pleased to have attracted such a senior dental professional to the Isles of Scilly. Gillian completely shares our commitment to ‘healthier, happier communities’ and we know she is determined to make a really positive impact on the oral health of local people.”
Smile Together owns and operates dedicated NHS clinics under the name of West Country Dental Care and high street dental practices under its private Brighter Dental brand.
In its recent response to Healthwatch's Community Survey, Brighter Dental's Area Manager David Bustin said that the additional treatments on offer on Scilly will include "items such as teeth whitening, higher quality prosthetics such as dentures and mouth guards and also the option for us to have regular clinics run by a hygienist who would visit on a quarterly basis from the early part of 2018".