Sharing knowledge and experience

Dr Andy Wallace qualified as a general dentist in1998 in Queen’s University in Belfast. For the first 6 years he worked in an NHS practice and then, approximately ten years ago bought his first practice just outside Belfast.

When I first began to be interested in cosmetic dentistry I attended a lot of courses, the majority of which were based on ceramics and composites. However, I found a lot of the invasive and damaging procedures involved to be outside of my comfort zone. For the majority of my patients seeking cosmetic improvement I found that veneer treatments were not appropriate, as they tended to be very invasive and destructive. 

In late 2008 I read an article on Inman aligner treatment and managed to get a place on one of the first training course in the UK for this type of procedure. That course has really transformed my professional approach to dentistry and I have since attended numerous courses on different aligner and fixed bracket systems, focusing on minimally invasive cosmetic techniques. Recently I have also been involved in the teaching side of some of these treatments.

I think that in order to move forward the industry really needs an organisation that is not based around one particular system or company; one that is truly independent and free from bias or profit seeking. This will help provide focus on promoting good ethical treatment and give dentists a sound footing to practice from. This could also provide a forum for dentists of varying levels of skill and expertise to share their knowledge and experience with like-minded practitioners and specialists who have a passion for minimally invasive, aesthetically focused orthodontics.

I initially became aware of the European Society of Aesthetic Orthodontics (ESAO) following the adverse press that had been directed towards general dentists providing orthodontic treatments. I saw that an organisation was being put together to put forward the views of those dentists providing cosmetic orthodontics, it intended to drive forward the education of dentists performing cosmetic orthodontics, and offer them support and mentoring – I thought that this was a fantastic idea and so attended the inaugural meeting in December 2013, signing up to become a full member on the same day.

The organisation’s aim is to benefit any ethical dentist offering any type of cosmetic orthodontics. Through its courses that are designed to help form a better understanding of the available treatments and procedures and through increasing the perception of aesthetically focused orthodontics within other areas of the profession. Of course, as dentists we should practice within our competencies, but that doesn’t mean that our competency should remain static, that we shouldn’t want to incorporate new things into our daily practise.

The ESAO is therefore also a great platform for those that are involved the education of cosmetic orthodontics and who want to drive the profession forward through teaching. I have been fortunate to have been given the opportunity to participate in some of the teaching and I will be speaking at the next conference in June, discussing safer and more ethical enamel reduction, as well as providing a programme for nurses on record keeping through photography.

For anyone interested in the provision of cosmetically focused orthodontics an organization like the ESAO could prove invaluable. To find out more about the organisation and the courses it provides visit the website today.

For more information visit esao.co.uk or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.