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Alastair and Bridget Hayes.

A DENTIST from Tidworth has plenty to smile about after winning a national award.

Alastair Hayes, principal dentist of Tidworth Dental Centre, was named the winner of the People's Award for Patient Care at the tenth annual Dental Awards held in London at the end of last month.

The awards are recognised as the main event for everyone in dentistry and are organised by Purple Media Solutions, publishers of The Probe and Smile.

The winners were announced at a ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, which included a four-course dinner.

Tidworth Dental Centre practice manager, Bridget Hayes, said everyone was "absolutely delighted" with the award.

She explained that they were invited to the awards last year as guests of one of the laboratories they use and decided they would enter this year.

"We did a presentation and we had to ask patients for testimonials," she said. "Alastair and I went to the ceremony and Alastair was overwhelmed at winning the award. Every patient of ours is special and we pride ourselves on remembering things about them to help put them at their ease."

Mr Hayes received a glass trophy, which is now on display for patients to see.

Mrs Hayes said her husband considered the award was for everyone at the practice.

She said: "We would be nothing without our wonderful team - Tami White, our assistant manager, Rachel Fletcher, our vocational dental practitioner, Laura Moss, our hygienist, and Lizzie Bourne and Laura Punter, our nurses."

She said the practice, which sees 150 patients a week, had plans to expand.

"This is our 13th year in Tidworth and we have been in our new building for two years. We have 7,000 patients and some of them have been with us since the beginning. Patients come from Salisbury, Andover, Basingstoke, Marlborough and Swindon, as well as from Devon and Wales," she said.

Lisa Townshend, chairman of the judging panel and editor of The Probe, said: "I'd like to commend everyone who entered, but special congratulations go to all our winners - you set an example of professionalism and care for your patients for us all to follow."

9:49am Thursday 8th May 2008

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