153 High Street, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4SD

Meet the team

Dentists

Lesley Pantlin

Lesley Pantlin
BSc, BDS, MSc, FDS, RCS (Eng)
General Dental Council Registration Number: 60876
General Dental Council Registered Specialist in Periodontology

Lesley graduated as a Bachelor of Dental Surgery with distinction from The London Dental Hospital in 1985 and worked as a part-time Clinical Assistant in Periodontology with the Medical Research Council Dental Research Unit between 1989 and 1990. This was followed by the attainment of a Fellowship in Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1990. She completed her MSc in Periodontology at Guys Hospital in 1994.

From 1994 until 2000 she divided her time between private practice limited to periodontology and working as a clinical supervisor in the Department of Periodontology of Guys Dental School. She continues to provide lectures and workshops for dentists and hygienists. She currently works as a specialist periodontist in private practice with an interest in periodontal plastic surgery.

Zohra Rashid

Zohra Rashid
BDS, MFDS RCS (Edin), MClinDent, MPerio RCS (Edin)
General Dental Council Registration Number: 114278
General Dental Council Registered Specialist in Periodontology

Zohra graduated as a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from King’s College London Dental Institute, University of London in 2007 and then worked in a Community Dental Service in Buckinghamshire, where she gained experience in treating children and adults with complex medical needs, dental phobias and anxieties. She has also held the position of Senior House Officer at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Trust within the departments of Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Restorative Dentistry. She then worked within the same trust as a Speciality Dentist / Clinical Teacher in Acute Dental Care and Oral Surgery.

She gained her Membership of the Faculty of Dentistry from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 2009 and continues to be an examiner for the Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties examination within the college. She studied for her MClinDent in Periodontology at King’s College and graduated in 2015 whilst also gaining her Membership in Periodontology from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Throughout her training she has gained experience in treating complex cases including placement and restoration of dental implants.

Zohra has worked in part-time private periodontal practice since 2010 and is currently in private practice limited to periodontology and implant dentistry. She has a particular interest in regeneration procedures to replace missing support of periodontally compromised teeth and the treatment of gingival (gum) recession.

Stephen Cawte

Stephen Cawte
BDS MSc(Cons) MFDS RCS (Ed) MClinDent MRD(Endo) RCS (Eng)
General Dental Council Registration Number: 63222
General Dental Council Registered Specialist in Endodontics
Council Member and 2018 President of the British Endodontic Society

Stephen qualified from the University of Edinburgh in 1988. After graduating he was commissioned into the Royal Army Dental Corps and served in the UK and overseas. Seven years later, on completion of his commission, he graduated with an MSc in Conservative Dentistry from the University of Manchester and spent several years working in both private and NHS practices and at the Turner Dental School in Manchester.

He then became a resident SHO in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery with East Lancashire Maxillofacial Service and after two and a half years in this post he accepted the position of Staff Grade in Restorative Dentistry and Oral Surgery at the Charles Clifford Dental Hospital in Sheffield. On completion of a three year full-time monospecialty training programme (endodontics) at the Eastman Dental Institute in London he began working at several practices in Central London.

David Jones

David Jones
BSc BDS MFDS RCPS MClinDent (Endo) MEndo RCS (Ed)
General Dental Council Registration Number: 85434
General Dental Council Registered Specialist in Endodontics

David studied dentistry in his home town, at the University of Glasgow, and graduated with commendation in 2005, having already achieved an intercalated BSc (DentSci) in Anatomical Science in 2003.

Following graduation, David moved to London, working in the community dental service followed by hospital training positions in oral surgery, restorative dentistry, paediatric dentistry, oral medicine and dental radiology. He was accepted as a Member of the Faculty of Dental Surgeons at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (MFDS RCPS) in 2009.

Following his hospital roles, David worked in general dental practice in West London, where he developed his interest in endodontics (root canal treatment) and decided to pursue specialist training in this field. David entered a four year specialist training programme in endodontics at Guys and St Thomas' Hospital in London in 2010. David completed the programme with Distinction, gaining the MClinDent and MEndo (RCSEd) qualifications. The research David performed as part of his specialist training has been published in an international peer-reviewed journal.

David is registered with the General Dental Council as a Specialist in Endodontics and accepts referrals for complex root canal treatments. In the past, David has worked at King's College London, teaching endodontics at both under-graduate and post-graduate level. He is a member of the British Endodontic Society. David always takes time to explain all treatment options available to patients to ensure that they are fully informed regarding their treatment. He endeavours to provide pain-free, comfortable treatment in a relaxed and friendly manner.

Purnima Chhabra

Purnima Chhabra
BDS, MFDS RCS(Eng), MOrth RCS(Edin), M Phil(Birm), FDS(Orth) RCS(Eng)
General Dental Council Registration Number: 81679
Consultant in Orthodontics at Southend University Hospital NHS Trust
Consultant in Orthodontics at Mid-Essex Hospitals NHS Trust
General Dental Council Registered Specialist in Orthodontics

Purnima graduated as a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from King George’s Medical College, India in 1997 and worked in general dental practice providing the full range of dental treatments for her patients. After moving to the UK in 1999, Purnima gained experience in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Paediatric Dentistry and Prosthodontics.

Purnima was successful in achieving the Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2001 as well as the International Qualifying Examination in 2003.

Purnima started her Specialist Orthodontic training at Birmingham Dental Hospital in 2004 and attained the Membership in Orthodontics from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, successfully gaining entry to the Specialist Orthodontist Register of the General Dental Council in 2007. During this time she undertook a Masters in Philosophy research degree at the University of Birmingham with a dissertation in “Alveolar Bone-grafting in patients with Unilateral Cleft lip and Palate”.

Purnima went on to undertake higher training in Orthodontics to gain more experience in the management of the most complex malocclusions as well as those requiring multi-disciplinary treatments at Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, Sheffield and Queen’s University Hospital, Nottingham before transferring her training to Birmingham Dental Hospital to be with her young family. She gained the Intercollegiate Specialty Fellowship in Orthodontics of the Royal College of Surgeons in 2010 to gain Consultant status. Purnima was a Consultant in Orthodontics at Worcester Royal Hospital NHS Trust before becoming a Consultant at Southend University (Essex) Hospitals NHS Trust in 2014. She also works at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex.

Purnima has many years of experience in managing both simple and complex malocclusions for adults and children. She is an examiner for the Membership of the Joint Dental Faculty (MJDF) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and is a trainer for postgraduate dentists undertaking specialist training in Orthodontics. Purnima has also published research articles, presented papers and posters at a number of regional, national and international meetings. She lives in Essex with her husband, a Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and her young children.

kandasamy ganesan wellesley

Mr Kandasamy Ganesan
BDS, MDS (OMFS), MFDS RCS(ENG), FFD RCS(IRE)
General Dental Council Registration Number: 84896
Consultant Oral Surgeon Southend University Hospital NHS Trust
Honorary Senior Lecturer University of Leeds
General Dental Council Registered Specialist in Oral Surgery

Mr Ganesan has a special interest in neonatal tongue tie treatment and he is actively involved in research regarding the effect of tongue tie on new born babies.

Mr Ganesan qualified as a dentist in 1995 with a distinction in Oral Surgery and he subsequently completed a Masters degree in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 1999 in India. Further training resulted in his gaining MFDS at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and FFD at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in Oral Surgery with Oral Medicine and ultimately entry onto the General Dental Council's Specialist Register. As an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds, he has been involved in oral surgery training at both undergraduate and post graduate level.

Mr Ganesan undertakes all aspects of oral surgery and the diagnosis and treatment of oral medical conditions. His certifications in advanced life support and advanced trauma life support provide a valuable breadth of knowledge to treat medically compromised dental patients.

Mr Ganesan specializes in the surgical management of canine impaction, coronectomy and neonatal tongue tie. He has a particular interest in bone preservation techniques and he has vast experience in dealing with complex oral surgical procedures. He has published articles in the American and British Journals of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and is a reviewer for the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Mr Ganesan is an examiner in MOMS and MFDS for The Royal College of Physicians, Glasgow and in MJDF for The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Vikas Agarwal

Vikas Agarwal
BDS, MFDS RCS (Edin), MClinDent, MPros RCS (Edin), FDS RCS (Edin).
General Dental Council Registration Number: 257233

Vikas graduated as a Batchelor of Dental Surgery from Mahatma Gandhi Mission’s Dental College and Hospital, in Mumbai, in 2008. Following extensive experience in all aspects of general dentistry,

Vikas completed 3 years of full-time specialist training at The Royal London Hospital, between 2011-2014, which involved treating complex restorative cases with fixed and removable prosthodontics, to achieve his Masters in Clinical Dentistry in Prosthodontics. He then gained a diploma in Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery and Prosthodontics from The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Since then, Vikas has been accepting patients for complex prosthodontic treatment, including cosmetic smile makeovers, implant placements, restorations and full mouth reconstructions.

Vikas works closely with our team of Specialists so that we can provide multi-disciplinary solutions to patient’s problems and restore their smile. He has also recently attained a Fellowship in Dental Surgery at The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

ettore amerio

Ettore Amerio
General Dental Council Registered Specialist in Periodontology

Specialist in Periodontology and on the Specialist Register for Oral Surgery DDS, University of Genoa (Italy); MClinDent Oral Surgery, University of Turin (Italy); Master of Science Periodontology, UIC (Spain); PhD candidate, UIC (Spain);
General Dental Council Registration Number: 298053

Specialist in Periodontology and on the Specialist Register for Oral Surgery. Dr Ettore Amerio qualified from University of Genoa with honour in 2012 and completed with honour the Specialization in Oral Surgery at the University of Turin in 2016.

In 2017 he started the Master in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry accredited by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) at the International University of Catalonia (UIC), Barcelona, Spain. In 2020 he obtained the Certificate of Completion of Specialized Traning (CCST) in Periodontics and Implant Dentistry after passing the EFP board exam with excellent grades. He has participated as a speaker in national and international congresses.

Currently, as a PhD student at UIC, he is involved in research with several published papers in the highest-ranked journals in the field of periodontics and implant dentistry. In addition, he collaborates with the University of Milan as a tutor of undergraduate and postgraduate students and works in Italy and London limiting his practice to Periodontology and Oral Surgery.

mr vyomesh bhatt

Mr Vyomesh Bhatt
BDS(Hons), MDS(OMFS), FDSRCS(Eng), MBChB, MRCS(Intercollegiate), FRCS(OMFS)
General Dental Council Registration Number: 79841

Mr Bhatt is dually qualified as a dentist and a doctor and dually registered with the General Dental Council (79841) and the General Medical Council (6098153).  He is on the specialist register with the GMC (Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery) and the GDC (Oral Surgery).  He is a Fellow of the Faculty of Dental Surgery as well as the Surgical Faculty of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Mr Bhatt has trained as a specialist in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery from both India and the UK. He trained as a specialist in the West Midlands Higher Surgical Training Programme in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery with 2 years spent in University Hospital Birmingham which houses the Royal College of Defence Medicine and is a pioneering centre for cranio-maxillofacial trauma, deformity, and reconstructive surgery. Mr Bhatt has completed a Fellowship in Trauma and Orthognathic Surgery from Albert Ludwigs university in Freiburg and the Bundeswehrkrankenhaus in Ulm in Germany. He is an Advanced Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life support and European Trauma Course Instructor.

Mr Bhatt is appointed as a Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon at Mid and South Essex Hospitals NHS Trust (Southend, Basildon and Broomfield) since 2012 where he is the Lead Clinician. He is the Chair of the Managed Clinical Network for Oral Surgery in Essex and Regional Specialty Advisor to the Royal College of Surgeons for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in the Eastern Region.

Mr Bhatt's main areas of practice are -

  • difficult teeth extractions including impacted wisdom teeth
  • the management of ectopic teeth in children and adolescents (even adults) prior to alignment with orthodontics.
  • Orthognathic surgery, jaw deformity correction (both birth and some acquired deformities); -
  • problems with salivary glands.
  • facial skin lesions including skin tags, moles or other growths with reconstruction where needed
  • Lumps, bumps and lesions of the head and neck including those inside the mouth;
  • procedures to improve oral rehabilitation using dentures and implants to assist specialist restorative dentists
  • Mr Bhatt does see patients presenting with TMJ/Jaw joint/jaw pain complaints but offers no intervention other than simple advice and referral onwards where appropriate
  • Orbital trauma and secondary deformity correction
  • Aesthetic face and jaw surgery where appropriate
  • Endoscopic assisted facial surgery where relevant

Mr Bhatt has performed hundreds of procedures on people’s faces in his career for complex facial deformity, orthognathic surgery, cranio-maxillofacial and orbital trauma and post-traumatic facial deformity correction, for cosmetic and post-traumatic nasal corrections, salivary gland surgery, head and neck skin cancer resections and reconstructions of nose, ear, eyelid, orbital and cheek defects with complex flaps and skin grafts.

He has also performed thousands of oral surgical procedures for impacted wisdom teeth, ectopic and unerupted teeth and preparation of jaws to receive dental implants. He has a special interest in minimal access and endosopic assisted facial surgery and offers this options where appropriate.

Mr Bhatt requests all patients to please bring with them

  • A referral letter from the GP, Dentist, Orthodontist or other specialist if available. It is advisable to share this with Mr Bhatts PA whose contact details are listed below
  • Self-referrals and those from insurance companies for the above conditions are accepted, subject to all conditions below. Please bring any relevant details or printouts to consultation
  • All Xrays/scans/photographs from their dentists/orthodontists/ specialist referring practitioner. Please bring/send electronic versions if available for ease of assessment and transfer. You may share them via e-mail with Mr Bhatts PA (details below).
  • X-rays (OPT/OPG) facilities are not available locally at most of the hospitals and there are outpost arrangements in place which may lead to further appointments, delays, and costs.
  • If Cone Beam CT scans (sometimes 3D images) are available, these are best brought in the raw data dicom file format (.dcm files) on a USB stick (preferably USB-C). Please do not include the viewing software files as they cannot be accessed on hospital computers Most hospital computers and private laptops no longer accept CD-ROMs.
  • Referrers may also wish to use large file data transfer platforms like ‘Mail Big File’ or ‘We Transfer” or Sharepoint or google drive/ icloud/one drive links. Just please ensure the right dicom format is transferred (WITHOUT  any viewing software)
  • X-ray images and scans performed at other hospitals can be transferred via image exchange portal to any of the consultation clinics below– these will require time to transfer and cannot be viewed unless requested in advance of the consultation – their transfer is not automatic and cannot be assume as it requires data protection rules to be followed. Images have to be transferred from where they were acquired and the receiving hospital has to download the images onto their own viewing platform. Patients are requested to call in to the hospital where they have booked appointment and confirm any transfer of images are available before consultation to avoid delays.
    Sovereign House Specialist Dental Centre at 153 High Street, Brentwood CM14 4SD
    Consultations and selected minor oral and facial surgery for adults only under LA +/- IV sedation OPT and CBCT available on site. (They serve as outpost to Nuffield Health Brentwood Hospital for these images via an SLA for insured patients. Self-funding patients may pay directly for these images)
    Contact details – 01277 205605
    [email protected]
    https://www.sovereignhousesdc.co.uk/oral-medicine-oral-surgery/ https://www.dentexhealth.co.uk/specialists/vyomesh-bhatt/

Mr Bhatt always aims for clinical excellence and to give the best care possible with honesty, empathy and understanding to every patient.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vyomesh-Bhatt
https://www.phin.org.uk/profiles/consultants/mr-vyomesh-bhatt-230355

Lizzy Hutcherson ([email protected], [email protected] 07962139065) is PA to Mr Bhatt and manages the practice. She is unable make appointments for consultations.

You must please make your appointment for consultation with the clinic directly.

 

nikita patel

Dr Nikita Patel
Specialist Periodontist
BDS (Newc), MJDF (RCS Eng), MClinDent Periodontology & Implantology (Lon), MPerio Dip (RCS Eng), FICD
General Dental Council Registration Number: 258354

Nikita Patel is a Registered Specialist in Periodontology.
Nikita qualified in 2015 from Newcastle Dental School with Merit in Clinical Dentistry. Since then, she has completed two years in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery performing complex surgical procedures at the Royal London Hospital and Mid Essex Hospitals and completing her MJDF examinations.

Nikita was very determined from a very early stage in her profession and recognised the complexity of gum disease. Her fascination in Periodontology led her to further her studies to become a Periodontist.

In 2018, she entered the Masters in Clinical Dentistry programme in Periodontology and Implantology passing with distinction at the world-renowned Eastman Dental institute accredited by the European Federation of Periodontology. During the full-time 3 year’s Masters programme, she experienced intensive knowledge of gum disease, the management of advanced periodontal cases and the surgical components of Implant Dentistry.

In 2023, she attended an Implant Residency in Natal, Brazil, developing her Implantology skills and providing Implant Dentistry to a range of a patients with complex healthcare and economic needs.
She continues her endeavours in education by providing regular presentations to colleagues and general dentists in Periodontology to raise awareness and improve skills to recognise, treat and refer patients with gum disease.

In 2023, Nikita was awarded the Fellowship for the International College of Dentistry (FICD) which recognises individuals outstanding professional achievement and meritorious service, and the contribution to the advancement of the profession by advocating humanitarian and educational initiatives.

Nikitas clinical activity focuses on the treatment of advanced gum disease using non-surgical and complex surgical procedures. Nikitas comprehensive consultations include patients with various severities of gum disease, aesthetic surgical procedures and Implant dentistry such as bone regeneration procedures, gum recession procedures, crown lengthening, gum and Dental Implant maintenance. During these consultations she uses X-Rays to investigate, then completes a comprehensive treatment plan and cost estimation. She uses state of the art equipment during treatment and industry leading implant systems.

Nikita is known to have a deep understanding of the requirement for a personalised patient centred approach during the treatment of her patients. She adapts her practice to manage patients fears and anxiety during consultations and treatments and is known by colleagues and patients to provide clear communication and compassionate care.

Hygienists

Anne Symons

Anne Symons
RDH, Dip DHE
General Dental Council Registration Number: 3177
General Dental Council Registered Hygienist

Morag Wood
EDH
General Dental Council Registration Number: 1380
General Dental Council Registered Hygienist

Practice Manager/Admin

stephen king

Stephen King
Practice Manager

Lisa Bell

Lisa Bell
Receptionist

Nurses

Karen McAninch

Karen McAninch
Dental Nurse (Head Nurse)
General Dental Council Registration Number: 119173

Joanne Barnes

Joanne Barnes
Dental Nurse
General Dental Council Registration Number: 104944

Marie Stoddart

Marie Stoddart
Dental Nurse
General Dental Council Registration Number: 162685

Emma

Emma Orrin
Dental Nurse
General Dental Council Registration Number: 147878

Nina

Nina Carter
Dental Nurse
General Dental Council Registration Number: 136260

helen

Helen Jarvis
Dental Nurse
General Dental Council Registration Number: 160966