Welcome to 2015 everyone and I wanted to start the year off by introducing our new and very amazing dentist, Thomas Buckland!

He has already made a fantastic impact on the surgery and our patients love him, so if you are you looking for a lovely, enthusiastic and highly skilled dentist, then read on….


Hi Tom Could you please introduce yourself and tell us an exciting fact about you…

Hi I am Tom I am 27 years old and have recently moved from London. This is not my first job with Martin Southon. I used to be Martins dental nurse 10 years ago and have now switched chairs and have become a dentist.
Do you have any interesting hobbies?
I have been rock climbing for about 7 years. I have been on a few rock climbing holidays to Thailand, Vietnam and France.
Do you have a favourite procedure that you enjoy doing?
I enjoy root canal treatments. I like all the gadgets that you can use. Root canal treatments is the most common treatment to solve tooth ache apart from extracting the tooth and no one likes losing teeth!
Have you always wanted to be a dentist?
No! when I was growing up I wanted to be a builder or engineer. I first became interested in dentistry when I became a dental nurse. Gradually I came to realise that dentistry is just like being a builder but on a much smaller scale.
Why do you like being a dentist?
I like fixing things and in dentistry you get to do this all day long. I also like how many people I get to meet and talk to. Everybody is different and unique with their own stories.
Have you got any funny stories about being a dentist or your training to be one that you can share with us? ( change names if included or just say patient)
I was at dental school treating a patient when out the corner of my eye a spider ran across the patients cheek and was heading towards their mouth. My nurse wide eyed tried to Hoover it up with the suction but missed. The spider ran into the patients mouth where I squashed it with the mirror. Luckily the patient was none the wiser.
Why do you like working with Martin at the St Stephens Dental surgery?
Martin is a great boss because as he has a good sense of humour and is very relaxed and gives me freedom to try new treatments, new products and allow me to treat my patients in the way that I like. St Stephens as a dental practice is fantastic. The practice is the best equipped and most modern practice I have ever worked in and I feel that having nicer surroundings means you work harder to provide first class dental care.

Do you have a life motto or saying that you like to live by?
Life is not fair, get used to it.
If you could chose 5 people to invite to a dinner party who would they be and why? ( can be dead or alive and can be famous or not famous)
My childhood dentist so I can show him that you can be a nice dentist.
Joe Simpson, rock climber and mountaineer who was the author of touching the void. If you have not read his story do so.
Ricky Gervais to add some humour
Mary Berry so she can make dessert.
Stephen Fry as the man seems to know something about everything.

What are your goals over the next 5 years? (work, life etc)
Join the gym.
Eat healthier
Restore a classic car or motorcycle
Become proficient at placing and restoring implants
Gain more training in sedation for dentistry