Dental problems present in a variety of ways and affect different people to a greater or lesser extent. Before any treatment can be considered.It is essential that there is a clear understanding of the problems early on and the possible treatment options are discussed in detail.
There are simple or complex ways of approaching dental problems and these have varying time and cost implications.
Patients are encouraged to express their individual views about their problems in order to help customise treatment to help ensure greater satisfaction with the outcome.
Considerable time is often necessary to get the full history,the relevant clinical details and special tests. At this stage it is sensible to consider the range of reasonable options and to come to a mutually agreed understanding of how to proceed.
We stock a wide range of Patient Information Leaflets which we make freely available to our patients. All of these leaflets are free of any commercial bias as they are produced by a financially-independent organisation, the British Dental Health Foundation. If you find that there is a subject which we do not have covered we can readily obtain further topics
It may seem strange but we do get asked, “Why do I need to clean our teeth?”
The answer is simple, “To remove the food and bacteria that build up around your teeth and gums.”
To give you an idea about how many bacteria there are in a healthy mouth, every time you lick your lips (you’ve probably just done that) you will be depositing about 6,000,000 bacteria on your lips. Do not be alarmed.
Most of the 12,500+ species of bacteria in our mouths are harmless while many of them are beneficial, by helping to digest the foods which we eat. Only a few types of bacteria risk causing us harm and controlling these bacteria is the health reason why we clean our teeth.
The balance between these different types of bacteria will change according to the conditions we allow to occur, with the more harmful ones colonising the deeper recesses of the spaces between the teeth and under the gum margins. These bacteria can cause:
• Tooth decay;
• Gum disease;
• Bad breath;
• Loss of bony support for the teeth.
Cleaning the bacteria from these crevices is the key to a healthy mouth.
We will be very happy to discuss any concerns you may have about the health of your mouth and how you can best care for it.
Much publicity surrounds Cosmetic Dentistry and we are well aware of the resulting “Hollywood Smile”: ear-to-ear sets of gleaming white, even teeth.
There are many ways in which a smile can be enhanced or changed and these can greatly boost a person’s self-confidence. There is also plenty of research about its effect on work status.
Sometimes these changes can take a great deal of work and commitment by all of us concerned as well as cost to the patient.
That cost can be measured in both money and in long-term effects/damage of the underlying tooth and gums. Clive knows that this is a cautionary note, which is not often covered by the press, but he hopes that this will reassure you that he considers the long-term health of your mouth very carefully before such treatment is undertaken.
At other times dramatic improvements to the appearance of a smile can be produced by relatively simple changes to the existing dentition.
A good example of this is when two healthy front teeth have a visible gap between them.
One option, in line with Cosmetic Dentistry principles, would be to put crowns/veneers onto the two teeth, a process that would need two visits and laboratory costs. A simple sounding solution but this would cut away healthy parts of two teeth (the cautionary note from above).
Alternatively, each tooth having some tooth-coloured filling added to filling the space of the gap, thereby preserving the healthy teeth and achieving the complete result in one visit. This enhancement of what nature has provided is what is termed Aesthetic Dentistry.
Both are valid treatments so long as the patient is made aware of the alternatives.
It is important that before Clive undertakes any Cosmetic work for you that sufficient time is taken to provide you with a range of alternatives of treatment and costs (financial and long-term effects/damage).
Crowns (sometimes known as "caps") are artificial covers which fit over teeth that have been prepared by reducing damaged or worn tooth tissue to be a particular shape. Crowns can be fitted to protect damaged or weakened teeth or to improve their appearance.
Crowns can be made of yellow gold, porcelain or porcelain fused to metal depending on where the tooth is and how visible it is during normal smiling.
Crowns can also be made to cover just part of the tooth, thereby preserving more of your natural tooth without compromising the durability of the crown.
The outer part of the tooth is reduced in order to fit a crown and sufficient tooth or filling has to be drilled away so that the crown is not too bulky.The preparation is done under local anesthetic.
An impression is taken of the prepared tooth. This is sent to the specialist laboratory and a crown is made. A temporary crown is fitted while the definitive crown is being made. The definitive crown is usually fitted a couple of weeks later.
A veneer is a thin layer of a tooth-coloured material that is stuck over the front surface of your tooth to change its appearance. Veneers are glued in place with a strong bonding material and once in place they can last for many years depending on wear and tear.
Veneers are used to repair and / or improve the appearance of:
- A very stained tooth, whether this has been caused by decay or an accident.
- A badly chipped tooth
- A tooth that is slightly out of position
- Small gaps between your teeth where orthodontics (braces) is not indicated
- Veneers can help improve the appearance of your teeth.They do this by improving their colour and shape and sometimes their apparent visual position.
- Veneers can last for many years providing that you brush and floss your teeth regularly.
Bridges replace a missing tooth or teeth by using one or more teeth on either side of the gap as the support thereby `bridging` the gap. The bridge is cemented in position and does not have to be removed unlike a denture.
A bridge is usually made from precious metal and porcelain.
Conventional bridgework involves reducing the outside of the supporting teeth for crowns. Impressions are taken of the prepared teeth and the bridge is made in the laboratory. A temporary bridge is fitted at the prepartion appointment and two/three weeks later the bridge can be fitted.
A cantilever bridge involves the preparation of only one tooth on one side and the replacement tooth is attached to this one tooth.
Adhesive bridges are stuck on to the adjacent teeth and involve only minimal preparation of the teeth. They do not involve cutting down of the teeth as is required for a conventional bridge.
Where a gap is too big to be bridged implants can be placed to support a bridge.
Bridges are fixed as opposed to dentures which are removable. This can be a very important psychological factor for many patients.
A bridge can improve appearance, chewing ability and sometimes speech. If it is well maintained a bridge can last for many years but much depends on the structure of the tooth/teeth still present under the crown. Smoking and sugary snacks are major problems for the supporting teeth.
Cautionary Note
Porcelain crowns, veneers and bridges can undoubtedly look superb. The cautionary note is about their brittleness which will make them prone to fracturing. They would then need to be replaced at further cost.
Dentures are also known as" false teeth". Missing teeth and their associated gum can be replaced with a denture. A denture can have a metal or pink acrylic base on to which the replacement teeth are fixed. A denture is removable and has to be taken out of the mouth for cleaning at least twice a day.
A partial denture can replace some of the teeth while a full , or complete, replaces all the missing teeth. Detailed impressions are taken in order to deisgn an individualised denture. Mouth preparations are often necessary to help to stabilise a partial denture.
When these have been done a very accurate impression of the teeth in the upper and lower jaws will be taken. Detailed records of how the teeth should come together will also be taken.
The framework will be made. Teeth will be added to the framework and this arrangement will be tried in position to assess the fit and appearance.Any adjustment to the colour, shape,or appearance of the replacement teeth can be made at that stage.
If the appearance and the fit are satisfactory the denture(s) will be finished in the specialist laboratory and will be fitted at the following appointment. A number of followup appointments will be usually required to help to deal with any minor problems.
It is advisable where front teeth are missing to have a spare denture made. This gives a great deal of mental security in case the denture is damaged or lost.
The health of your gums is as important as the health of your teeth because it is your gums, and the underlying bone, which supports
your teeth. As a wise tutor of mine used to say,
Helping you to know how to care for your gums is one of the most important aspects of the dental team’s work. In return, we expect our patients to take heed of the advice they are given. One of our greatest joys is seeing the health of our patients’ mouths improve as a direct result of their own improved care. With the help of our intra-oral camera, we are then able to show them this improvement which normally helps to encourage them to do even better before we see them next time. A delightful win-win situation for all concerned.
Our hygienist, Sarah Perryman, is extremely gentle!
She works in Clive’s old room and is normally with us one day per week.
Sarah has a wealth of experience in encouraging people to look after their mouths through an array of “tricks of the trade”.
Many of these are extremely simple.
Dental implants are titanium screws which are fixed directly into the jaw bone and used as anchors for crowns. These are usually placed under local anaesthetic and oral sedation.
The implants are left to integrate with the bone for about three to four months.
Impressions are then taken and the crowns are fabricated in the specialist laboratory. The crown is held in place by a small gold screw which is screwed into the implant.
The advantage of this approach is that it is fixed in position and it does not damage the adjacent teeth.
Dental implants are titanium screws which are fixed directly into the jaw bone and used as anchors for bridges. These are usually placed under local anaesthetic and oral sedation.Following the placement of implants we usually advise that no denture can be worn for a short time to allow good healing.After a couple of weeks the dentures are re-fitted.
The implants are usually left to integrate with the bone for about three or four months
After the implants have integrated into the jaw bone impressions are then taken and the bridgework is fabricated in the specialist laboratory. The bridgework is usually held in place by small gold screws which are directly screwed into the implants.Sometimes the bridgework is cemented in position.
Dentures are often necessary to provide enough mid face support to restore a more normal facial appearance.
Implants are used to secure a bar onto which a denture is clipped.This helps stabilise a removable denture.
Loss of teeth can have a profoundly ageing effect on the facial appearance.When teeth are lost the bone shrinks, especially in the upper jaw. Implants help to hold the replacement teeth and associated gum work in the correct position to help alleviate the problems of the missing teeth.
Implant retained dentures are very stable when chewing, when laughing, smiling and kissing. The bars are customised on an individual basis.
We routinely screen all our patients for mouth cancer.
Over his career, Clive has found four suspicious lesions in his patients’ mouths and three of these were malignant tumours. In each case the patient was seen at the local hospital within two days and treatment was started very shortly afterwards.
Clive has had experience of how being told “there’s nothing to worry about” merely creates worry. Being told that one is about to be screened for any cancer will raise alarm/concerns and preventing such anxiety is why he does the screening as a routine part of an examination.
Some practices make a big drama about doing this screening but Clive prefers to keep it as a calm, low profile element of normal examinations.
What causes mouth cancer?
Your risk of developing mouth cancer increases with the amount you drink and/or smoke. Doing both will increase your chance of developing mouth cancer 20 fold!
How will the treatment affect my life?
Many mouth cancers affect the back of the tongue which results in much of that side of the tongue having to be removed. If the result of this sounds like a mediaeval torture, it is with one’s ability to speak, eat and swallow becoming severely restricted. This prevents one being able to socialise (e.g. dining with friends) and can cause one to withdraw from society.
Other cancers affect the jaw bone which then has to be removed. Even with brilliant reconstructive surgery, the effects can be as debilitating as above.
How do I find out more about it?
Please ask any of us or pick up some of our Patient Information Leaflets which are freely available to you at the end of the reception desk.
As much as Clive would love to be able to meet all your dental needs, he acknowledges that he does not have the knowledge or skills to cover every aspect of dentistry to its highest level.
When a patient has dental needs which are outside Clive’s knowledge and skills, Clive has a trusted selection of specialist colleagues to whom he can refer that patient. By doing so he can ensure that his patients get the best treatment to suit their particular needs. The main needs for referral are in the specialisations of oral surgery, advanced gum disease and orthodontics.
All the specialists used by Clive appear on the General Dental Council’s register of specialists for their particular field. This registration is only possible after the candidate has acquired post-graduate qualifications in that field and has a proven track record of successful work in that field.
Clive wishes to reassure you about the good standing of these specialists by the following fact: if he found himself in need of specialist dental services the specialist he would wish to see is the one to whom he refers his patients.
Teeth can gradually darken as you grow older.They can also be made darker by bacterial deposits, food and drink, and habits such as smoking. Bleaching chemically lightens teeth, so that they look lighter and usually more attractive.
Bleaching is used to:
- Improve teeth if they have become discoloured with age;
- Remove stains caused by food and drinks such as tea,coffee,red wine and curry, as well as smoking;
- Remove stains under the surface of your teeth caused by certain antibiotics or stains caused by tiny cracks within the teeth.
There are four ways in which this can be done:
1. Toothpastes;
2. Over-the-counter kits, bought from the internet or chemists;
3. Power whitening;
4. Custom-made trays, from us.
1. There is a lot of research to show that the toothpastes will not lighten the colour of teeth but they can help to reduce surface staining, i.e. dietary staining.
2. The over-the-counter kits may contain the right chemicals but their means of holding on the teeth can leave much to be desired. The results are therefore both poor and unpredictable. Similar kits are also available through the internet but some of these have potentially harmful chemicals in them.
That leaves a choice of 3 & 4.
3. This technique will achieve dramatic results in under an hour. The next morning it is possible to wake up with one’s teeth being extremely sensitive and there is no controlling this outcome. The colour is also highly unstable and so technique 4 needs to be used to stabilise the colour. It is a concern that anyone undertaking this treatment is required to sign a 4-6 page disclaimer before treatment.
4. This technique provides reliable results. The rate and extent of colour change will be controlled by you dependent on the amount that you use it. Normally one would use it for les than 2 hours per day and achieve good results in about 4-6 weeks.
It is important to be aware that only natural tooth will be lightened and so any existing restorations will stay the same colour. These may need to be replaced if the new shade of your teeth makes these crowns, veneers and fillings look unsightly.
It can be a surprise to learn that one’s headaches, neck aches and shoulder pains can be caused by problems in the mouth. This can happen when the teeth and jaw muscles do not work in harmony.
Other symptoms of this lack of harmony (malocclusion) can include:
- Clicking or popping of the jaw joint(s)
- The jaw joint feeling as if it gets locked
- Grinding the teeth, especially at night
- A feeling of tiredness when waking up
- Wear facets on the teeth
- Cracking teeth
- Loosening teeth
- Resorption of the roots (only visible by radiographs)
- Recession of the gums.
It is important to emphasise that each of these symptoms can have a variety of causes and great care needs to be taken in establishing a diagnosis. Most people adapt to their symptoms and become accustomed to them, thereby never noticing that there biting pattern (occlusion) may be harming them.
Clive Marks trained over a three-year period in this field of dentistry and is one of less than 300 dentists to have completed the course with the International Partnership for the Study of Occlusion.
The following table shows how some of the prices in this practice compare to other local practices, based on their published information.
A few examples to help illustrate the advantages of our fee structure are:
1. A child with many recently new teeth needed to have 11 fissure sealants for which a half hour appointment was needed, at a cost of £111. At Practice A this same treatment would have cost £137.50, an extra fee of £27.50, while at Practice B the fee would have been £572, an eye-popping £461 extra!
2. A full set of x-ray pictures normally needs 16 to be taken. At Practice A this would incur an extra cost of £128 while at Practice B there would be an extra cost of £252. At our practice there would be no fee at all.
3. Most practices seem to charge a fee-per-item in the same way that the N.H.S. dental service used to be structured. Many services, whether it is a cleaning lady or a solicitor, charge for their time as this is then fair to both parties and that is how our fees are calculated so that you pay for the professional time needed.
Here at Clive Mark's dental health practice we pride ourselves on being different to your standard dentistry. We employ the latest technology to treat your problems in new and innovative but we also treat you like a person, not a patient. Find out more about the ways we differentiate ourselves with the buttons below.
Clinical |
Non-Clinical |
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| Intra-Oral Camera | Little Touches | |
| Jaw Problems and Headaches | Wilton Lodge | |
| Fees Per Time Costs | Golden Tooth Story | |
| Minimally Invasive Dentistry | Childcare |
Our camera is about the size of a pen and produces extremely helpful pictures of the inside of your mouth. These can really help show you both the gloriously healthy areas of your mouth as well as areas where we can help to improve them for you. The pictures also help to form a comprehensive record of the developing health of your mouth.
It can be a surprise to learn that one’s headaches, neck aches and shoulder pains can be caused by problems in the mouth. This can happen when the teeth and jaw muscles do not work in harmony.
Other symptoms of this lack of harmony (malocclusion) can include:
- Clicking or popping of the jaw joint(s)
- The jaw joint feeling as if it gets locked
- Grinding the teeth, especially at night
- A feeling of tiredness when waking up
- Wear facets on the teeth
- Cracking teeth
- Loosening teeth
- Resorption of the roots (only visible by radiographs)
- Recession of the gums.
It is important to emphasise that each of these symptoms can have a variety of causes and great care needs to be taken in establishing a diagnosis. Most people adapt to their symptoms and become accustomed to them, thereby never noticing that there biting pattern (occlusion) may be harming them.
Clive Marks trained over a three-year period in this field of dentistry and is one of less than 300 dentists to have completed the course with the International Partnership for the Study of Occlusion.
The fairest fee structure is for you to pay for the amount of time that is needed for you. Sometimes work can take a different time to that which we had estimated and so if we have needed less time then we will charge you less money. We are well aware that most dental practices will charge you for each item of treatment but we have well-founded reasons for doubting the fairness of this system. The only element that we need to add is any laboratory costs connected with your treatment.
It is a great truth that the best filling material is your own healthy tooth. With the help of our Diagnodent, Clive can measure early areas of decay and then advise you of ways for you to help make this area heal, reducing the chance of invasive dentistry.
If we do need to do a filling, we do everything that we can to preserve as much of your healthy tooth as possible. Clive is one of the few dentists to regularly use an air-abrasion machine to clean away only the infected parts of your tooth. This can normally be done without the need for an injection (he has had the machine used on himself) and no use of the drill.
This contains a collection of helpful information for you and questionnaires to help us understand your needs. It will be sent to you when you have booked you first appointment. It also contains a card giving confirmation of your first appointment which doubles as a business card, embossed with the Golden Tooth.
This set of rooms is separate from the waiting room thereby aiding privacy during conversations.
Within the main room there is an “old school desk” to help with looking after your child while you are having any dental treatment. There is also a display cabinet of available dental care products which are not generally available in local chemists.
The reception desk was created with different levels so that those who need/wish to sit down while discuss matters with the reception are able to do so.
Beyond the receptionist’s room, there is also a separate room in which private conversations can be held. When the door to the receptionist’s room is shut, no one is allowed to disturb whoever is in there. This has been particularly useful for patients wishing to discuss delicate matters away from the clinical setting of the dentist’s room and away from prying ears.
At the far end of our reception suite there is a discretely screened vanity desk, with a mirror and soft lighting, in which ladies can ensure that their make-up and hair is in order before going back out into the world.
For accompanying people, our reception staff will be happy to provide tea/coffee which will be served in Royal Worcester bone china (Clive Marks went to the cathedral school opposite the factory) unless a mug is requested. Glasses of water/squash are also available.
The normal dental waiting room is decidedly unwelcoming. This is due to a combination of reasons such as the decor and why one is sitting there. The latter reason is unavoidable but we have done our best to alleviate the former by creating a more homely sitting room.
In addition, our magazines are up-to-date and up-market with such publications as Country Life, Time and the publications of the RSPB, RNLI and National Trust.
There are no dental posters on the walls.
The seating is a combination of sofas and tub chairs. There is also a particularly classy hat stand.
Clive Marks will usually greet his patients in the waiting room to take through to his room.
For accompanying people, our reception staff will be happy to provide tea/coffee which will be served in Royal Worcester bone china (Clive Marks went to the cathedral school opposite the factory) unless a mug is requested. Glasses of water/squash are also available.
Tatty, out-of-date, cast off magazines are such a dental waiting room cliché and just will not do in this practice. Our magazines are up-to-date and up-market with Country Life, Time and the publications of the RSPB, RNLI and National Trust being the main ones.
A visit to the dentist/hygienist is not good for the look of make-up. After lying in the chair, the hair on the back of the head can acquire an unflattering ironed look.
At the far end of our reception suite there is a discretely screened vanity desk, with a mirror and soft lighting, in which ladies can ensure that their make-up and hair is in order before going back out into the world.
When having work done to their teeth, most people appreciate having the teeth numbed. What is not so nice is the process of numbing, especially that sting when the injection first goes in. To help alleviate this, Clive Marks always applies surface anesthetic to the area to help numb it prior to the injection. The surface anesthetic comes in a variety of flavours such as pina colada, cherry, strawberry and mint.
Every step of our stairs has a contrast strip edging. These are particularly helpful for those of our patients who have poor eyesight.
Within this field, the practice has undertaken a DDA audit. Due to the practice being on the first floor, in a listed building which cannot accommodate a stair lift, we are unable to see people in the practice who are unable to manage the stairs. However, Clive Marks is able to provide a limited range of services by calling at patient’s home. If this service may be of help to you, please do discuss it with either the reception staff or Clive Marks.
This beautiful building was built in about 1820, probably to a design by Samuel Toomer, who also designed many of the town houses in neighbouring Carlton Crescent. Mr. Toomer subsequently lived here until his death in 1842. 
For much of the 20th Century it was the home and piano workshop of the Klitz family. A patient of the practice used to come here in his youth and play with the Klitz children.
The building also features in the “coffee table book”, “Southampton, portrait of a maritime city”, published by Halsgrove (ISBN 1 84114 077 S), where it is described as “one of the most interesting buildings in this area of the City”.
There has been a dental practice here since the 1970s and Clive Marks bought his part of the practice from John Annen in August 1989. John Annen was a wonderful gentleman, much adored by his patients, with a wicked sense of humour. On arriving in the practice, Clive Marks found that John Annen had put an “L” plate on the dental chair!
In October 1990, a new contract was imposed on NHS dentistry and Clive Marks realised that this would prevent him providing the quality of care he felt suitable for his patients. Despite still being in the process of building up his practice, he decided to “go private”. Since then the practice has expanded in size and service to the patients while maintaining the right quality of personal care. In January 2006, he bought out his former colleague enabling him to install a completely new dentist’s room. His old room is now used by his hygienist, Jo Austin.
With Wilton Lodge being a Grade II-Listed building, any advertisement on the façade must be in keeping with the period, around 1820, a time when many trades and professions used gilded signs, such as the pawnbrokers’ three golden balls. After about three years of searching, Clive Marks finally found the accompanying print showing a Golden tooth outside a dental practice, albeit one in France. It was then a matter of obtaining planning permission, listed building consent and finding a craftsman to accept the commission.
The telephone directories listed only one woodcarver, Ian Brennan, so Clive Marks gave him a call and outlined the project. Initially there was silence, “Oh dear” he thought, and then came a chuckle. They were on the same wavelength of fun and the project was under way!
Ian’s workshop is in his garden shed, which seemed unprepossessing from the outside but that thought vanished as soon as Clive walked inside. The place was full of exquisitely crafted pieces of many styles but a few finished pieces caught my eye as they looked very familiar. It was soon clarified that these were indeed the crest for Knights of the Garter and Knights of the Bath and that Ian holds the splendid title of Woodcarver by Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen No record has been found of any British Golden Tooth and so this could be the first one ever to hang outside a dental practice in Britain. The Daily Echo was fascinated by this unique commission and produced photo stories about it at various stages during its creation.
By the time the finished tooth arrived at the practice, swathed in a cocoon of black velvet, only Ian and Clive Marks had seen the real item. Local and national dental dignitaries had been invited to take part in the unveiling in front of television and press cameras. The result was almost two minutes of coverage on the local television news. It was also covered by BBC Radio Solent who picked up on the fact that the unveiling took place at half past two, or “tooth hurty” as they put it!
In February 2003, at about 3 a.m., the tooth was stolen and three lads were seen staggering up the road with their booty. Staggering is an appropriate way to describe them, not simply because of their intoxication, but because the tooth, rather than the fibreglass which most people assume, is actually made of solid elm and weighs over five stone.
This should have been distressing but it seemed so ridiculous that it turned into a comedy show, with the full cooperation of the police: the hospital records were checked for anyone needing a rather large tooth removed from their skull; the local student newspaper was given the exclusive story (on the presumption that it was a student prank); the theft was named a “raid by the Militant Wing of the Tooth Fairies”; the policeman at the centre of the investigation got nicknamed Nasher of the Yard. The immediate publicity hit the national and even foreign papers. Very soon we had patients who live around the country and abroad phoning up to commiserate with us, having read about it in their local papers within hours of the theft!
The student paper acted as a brilliant intermediary and helped get the students to play along with the idea of turning their misdeed to some good through helping to “Ransom the Golden Tooth from the Militant Wing of the Tooth Fairies” in aid of Comic Relief, which was happening a few weeks later.
The students duly sent a photograph of the tooth being held prisoner and the ransom notes were distributed around businesses in Bedford Place. About £200 was raised and the tooth was returned. It then had to be repaired and regilded.
A last laugh will happen a few years down the road when the children of those students start losing their first teeth and ask “... and why do you always go red when we ask about the tooth fairy, Daddy?” Tee-hee.
There are two important aspects with this: the child’s own dental care; the care of your child while you are having any dental treatment.
Getting your child accustomed to dental visits as early as possible is of great benefit to all concerned. Bringing them along with you, even as babes in arms, during you Re-Examination appointments introduces them to the sights, sounds and smells of dentistry in a non-threatening manner. They also pick up on their siblings/parents having “a ride in the special chair”. Pressing the buttons to make the chair move is always a fascination for little fingers, and this is encouraged under supervision.
After a few visits, your child will normally be happy to show us their teeth “to count how many there are”. By this method we are able to have a good look at them with your child’s cooperation.
While having work done in your mouth, having your children in the same room can add more stress to the situation. There are various ways in which we can help to alleviate this.
The reception room contains an old-style school desk in which there are toys, drawing materials and children’s story books on dental subjects. The room has been designed so that this is in a safe area, under the direct visual supervision of the receptionist. They can happily have a glass of water/squash and have access to the toilet.
Both members of our reception staff have young grandchildren.
We have a highly skilled team from a multitude of backgrounds, find out more information on the people taking care of you here.
Clive was fortunate to have some excellent mentors who instilled a sense of service to one’s patients, a philosophy which he continues to cherish.
Having graduated from Bristol Dental School in 1980 he undertook several house jobs before going into general practice. He bought this practice in August 1989. In October 1990, a new contract was imposed on NHS dentistry and Clive Marks realised that this would prevent him providing the quality of care he felt suitable for his patients. Despite still being in the process of building up his practice, he decided to “go private”. In January 2006, he bought out his former colleague enabling him to install a completely new dentist’s room.
Since then he has held a variety of positions in professional bodies:
President, Wessex Branch of the British Dental Association;
Chairman & Secretary, Southampton Section of the British Dental Association;
Council member, British Society for Restorative Dentistry;
Panellist, Dental Complaints Service.
During his year as regional B.D.A. President he decided to turn his Presidential meeting to the advantage of others by staging a fund-raising event for Dentaid, a charity whose noble aim is “Improving the world’s oral health”. Please do follow the link to their website. Clive’s colleagues were invited to enter “The Dentaid Triathlon” by being sponsored for doing 15-minute sessions on the runner, rower and cycling machines in a gym.National dental dignitaries came to take part in the “chain-gang”, wearing their chains of office while doing the exercise. We were also privileged to be joined by a local colleague, Tony Chivers (seen on the right of the picture), wearing his jacket from the 1950 British Empire Games (Auckland) at which he won a bronze medal for the 3-mile race.
The local media were most supportive of this event, with BBC Radio Solent even holding regular updates from the gym throughout the day. Clive has been the radio dentist for Radio Solent since 1989.
Each time Clive has refurbished his rooms, the old equipment has been donated to Dentaid and these are now in Nagornyy Karabakh and the Cameroons.
Clive has lectured on crown and bridge work both locally and on behalf of the British Society for Restorative Dentistry. He is one of about only 300 dentists nationwide to have undertaken specific training in dealing with how problems in your mouth can cause headaches, neck aches and shoulder pains.
Outside the profession
Having grown up on the banks of an estuary in Devon, Clive has a keen interest in natural history. This has recently taken him to Djibouti in order to swim with 20-foot whale sharks and to search for the endangered Djibouti francolin.
He has also sailed from a young age and took part in the Ocean Youth Club’s World Voyage in 1996. More recently he has been involved with the Jubilee Sailing Trust and presented a lecture on its work to the European Medical and Dental Symposium.
Clive went to the cathedral school in Worcester and developed a love of singing. He has had the good fortune to sing with some fantastic choirs which have enabled him to do many tours and award-winning recordings. He regularly gets calls to help bolster numbers for one of his old choirs, the London Symphony Chorus
Having been educated in such splendid surroundings, Clive appreciates the cultural aspects of life. On a recent culture-vulture trip to Rome he was surprised to find himself shaking hands with the Pope!
He has memberships of:
RSPB Life fellow;
National Trust, Life fellow;
Mary Rose Society, Founder member;
Hampshire Wildlife Trust;
Royal Academy of Art, Friends of the;
RNLI;
One day every three weeks he sits as a magistrate in the Southampton Courts.
Chris joined the practice in 2000 after working in another well-established local dental practice for ten years. While there she dealt with much of the practice administration, a rôle she continues to fulfill with us.
She has also had experience of working with children’s groups, especially during her own children’s childhood when she worked with playgroups and undertook fund-raising, catering and other assorted contributions. Now that she has her own grandson, she is enjoying starting to repeat the fun. Both she and Christine are happy to look after your child while you are having dental treatment, especially if this is arranged on a day when they are both at the practice.
She can readily empathise with nervous patients as, despite having worked in a dental environment for 18 years, she still finds her own visits to be a trauma.
Christine joined the team, as our receptionist, in 2006 having spent many years in the dental field.
She originally trained as a graphic designer, back home in Leeds, before bringing her young family to live in Romsey in 1985. Six years later she moved to Andover where she started her work in dental practices as a receptionist and dental nurse. Her partner is a dental technician who specialises in creating crowns and bridges and Christine would help him in his laboratory. She is therefore has wide knowledge and experience of the all-important "behind the scenes" work in dental practices.
Following some time living in Wimborne she settled in Southampton where she is nearer to her daughter and her first grandchild.
Gemma McLennan has moved to the area from Inverness where she was in the first graduates of the new School of Dental Hygiene in Inverness. She brings a glorious freshness to the practice while she is taking further studies towards becoming a dental therapist.
Although Gemma is an accomplished bagpipe muscian she thankfully doesn't ultilise these skills during practice hours.
Karen Avery has recently joined the practice as Clive's dental nurse and she brings a wide range of experience with her in both dentistry and the care of disabled adults.
You may have noticed a plaque on the gate post informing you that we are members of the Good Practice Scheme, run by the British Dental Association, and wondered what it is all about. To quote the British Dental Association;
“The Scheme supports dental teams with their commitment to working to nationally agreed standards of good practice in the delivery of dental care”.
With new legislation coming at our profession in ever increasing piles, this Scheme helps to assure us that we are working to proper standards and that we are complying with this mountain of legislation.
The Scheme has the stated requirements that:
1. We aim to provide dental care of consistently good quality;
2. We only provide care that meets your needs and wishes;
3. We aim to make treatment as comfortable and convenient as possible;
4. We look after your general health and safety while you are with us;
5. We follow the BDA’s guidelines on infection control;
6. We check for mouth cancer;
7. We continue constant professional development to keep our skills and knowledge up-to-date;
8. We train all staff in practice work systems;
9. We welcome feedback and deal promptly with complaints;
10. We are aware of the need to work safely under General Dental Council guidelines.
Prior to joining this Scheme, the practice was the smallest business in the country to ever be given the Investors in People Award.
Our preferred method of contact is by telephone, our telephone number is 023-8033-3383
Alternatively you can send us an email at CliveMarks@BedfordPlaceDentist.co.uk
You can find us at 56 Bedford Place, Southampton, Hants, SO15 2DT.
There is a public car park opposite the practice, where parking is available for up to two hours. There are also a few free parking spaces nearby for the same length of time. Parking for longer times is available in the nearby multi-storey car parks (Salisbury Street & Grosvenor Square), with the one in Salisbury Street being more expensive but more secure.
Once you are in Bedford Place, we are at the north end of the street, where you will be able to locate us by our unique Golden Tooth seeming to hang over the pavement between the first floor windows of our building's bow frontage.