Meet our Orthodontists
With advanced Specialist qualifications, our team of highly skilled Orthodontists have extensive expertise and experience to help you achieve your best smile...
With advanced Specialist qualifications, our team of highly skilled Orthodontists have extensive expertise and experience to help you achieve your best smile...
Here at Bristol Dental Specialists, our Specialist Orthodontists Ben Cross, Bethan Lewis and Darren Hills, have all received specific additional orthodontic training. Because of this, they are listed on the GDC Specialist Register confirming that they have the skills and expertise to know exactly which treatment will be best for your teeth straightening needs.
We understand how the different features of the mouth and face interact to give us not just our looks but also influence how we eat, smile and develop.
Ben loves the journey his patients take throughout their treatment. Many patients start out concerned about the appearance and lack self-confidence. Part way through treatment, they start to feel much more positive about making self-improvement and by the time they finish they are beaming radiantly at everyone they meet.
Qualifying as a dentist form the university of Wales in 2002, Ben spent 15 happy years as a dentist in the British Army, working in Germany, Africa, Cyprus and Gibraltar. After a year working as a Senior House Officer in the maxillofacial surgery department in Portsmouth, he was selected to undertake 3 years further Specialist training in Orthodontics and completed this in 2011, he is now registered as a Specialist with the General Dental Council.
Ben is able to offer several aesthetic Orthodontic options to both children and adults. His focus during the consultation phase and treatment is to determine a patient’s dental desires and to address each of these individually.
He has a particular interest in multi-disciplinary dental treatment of adults with worn and compromised teeth, which is why he was thrilled to become a founding partner of Bristol Dental Specialists.
He is also delighted to offer Invisalign treatments (removable clear aligners) to children as well as adults. This is a relatively new offering in the UK and is increasing in popularity. It can work extremely well for children from 8 upwards who lack confidence due to the appearance of their mixed dentition or have lost functionality of the teeth and are unable to play an instrument, sing or perform as well as they would like.
Ben is also interested in developments in 3D imaging and completed his MSc dissertation on the accuracy of these techniques. He believes that the integration of these new technologies, can help with multi-disciplinary treatment planning, can make treatment more predictable and in some cases quicker. Setting Bristol Dental Specialists up from scratch has allowed us to integrate all of these technologies under one roof with top of the range x-ray and scanning machines.
Ben is a keen cyclist and lives a contented life with his wife and two children in the countryside near Bristol.
It’s fair to say that Beth loves her job and is proud to give patients the smile they have always wanted, whilst boosting their self-confidence - it’s the ultimate job satisfaction. Her relaxed manner puts patients at ease, delivering treatments with patient care at the forefront and her attention to detail second to none. She always aims to get the best possible result achievable and is passionate about her work.
Having qualified as a dentist in Bristol in 1998 and then completing her Specialist orthodontic training in Cardiff in 2005, Beth then moved back to Bristol to work in a Specialist orthodontic practice treating both children and adults alike. With 14 years’ experience, Beth has developed her skills in all types of braces, including ‘invisible’ braces such as Incognito lingual braces (fitted on the back of the teeth), Invisalign removable aligners as well as clear ceramic fixed braces on the front of the teeth.
Beth feels it is important to spend quality time with people and for her patients not to feel rushed, whether in the clinic with her, on the phone or at reception. For Beth it is not just about the treatment the patient receives, it is about the experience you have during your journey on creating your own smile. Beth always strives to provide excellent customer service which is what Bristol Dental Specialists is all about.
When she is not busy working, Beth loves spending time with her husband and two children. She loves food and tries to keep physically fit with running and swimming or an exercise class here and there. To keep relaxed mentally she enjoys yoga and meditation.
Darren believes that everyone deserves the self-confidence that an attractive smile provides and has delivered this to thousands of patients over his 25 year career as a specialist orthodontist.
After completing his dental degree at Bristol University in 1988, Darren undertook a series of hospital posts before completing a 3 year full-time Specialist orthodontic training programme at Cardiff University in 1996. He has worked continuously in private practice since 1996 and was registered as a Specialist by the General Dental Council in 1999.
He always takes great care to understand patients to enable him to offer a choice of bespoke treatment options that deliver the desired outcome, while fitting in with often busy lives, be it at school, work or just socially. Everyone has different priorities and each treatment is unique, both in terms of its specific aims and how it is delivered.
Darren offers many types of braces to all age groups. A majority of his work however has involved invisible braces (lingual technique) with huge success over the past 20 years. He has produced fantastic outcomes whilst undertaking the most complex of treatments. For many years Darren has worked closely alongside other Specialists and Dentists to ensure his patients achieve the very best results whilst conserving natural tooth tissue where possible.
Darren and his previous practices have won multiple industry awards, including Best UK Dental Practice, a testament to the level of detail and patient care provided. He has continuously sat on local dental committees for the last 20 years, lectured nationally and internationally, and in 2012 was voted the 8th most influential private practitioner in the UK.
In addition to the provision of quality, bespoke specialist treatments, Darren strongly champions the need for great customer care and a highly skilled, motivated and integrated team and this is the ethos behind Bristol Dental Specialists, of which Darren is a founding partner.
When not at work, Darren enjoys travelling and spending time with his wife and two young daughters. He is passionate about classic cars, architecture and is also a keen runner.
Charlotte prides herself on running a tight ship. She loves it when a practice runs to its highest potential in all areas which leads to excellent patient care.Charlotte started her career as a dental nurse in 2004 and gained her NEBDN National Certificate in 2006.
Charlotte has worked within both the NHS and private sectors, gaining experience working within implantology and oral surgery as well as cosmetic dentistry.
In 2014 after working as a dental nurse for 10 years, Charlotte opted for a change and took on the challenge of working her way up to a practice management role. In 2016 after obtaining her business qualifications, Charlotte reached her goal and has never looked back. She continues to study and is currently working towards her BIIAB Management and Leadership level 5 diploma as well as maintaining her registration as a dental nurse by undertaking her continued professional development.
Charlotte is a hard working, conscientious individual who thrives in a busy well run practice. Her caring and approachable ways make her the perfect Manager for the Bristol Dental Specialists team.
In her spare time, Charlotte enjoys surfing and yoga as well as travelling with her husband and socialising with friends and family.
Rebecca’s role for Bristol Dental Specialists is unique to her. A highly skilled and motivated member of the team who prides herself on her knowledge base and the level of care she is able to offer patients. Rebecca enjoys supporting patients through their dental journey by understanding their goals and gains huge satisfaction witnessing the end results.
Starting her dental nursing career in Glasgow, Rebecca qualified with a SVQ level 3 in Dental Nursing in 2011 and is registered with the General Dental Council. After working in a busy NHS practice in Glasgow, she returned to the Southwest where she gained experience working in the private sector and obtained a qualification in Oral Health Education. Eventually settling in Bristol, she joined an Orthodontic practice, here she gained further qualifications in both Impression taking and Dental Radiography.
Keen to play a more active role in the patient journey, Rebecca completed training as a treatment co-ordinator. Rebecca was also eager to maintain the clinical aspect of her work and has proceeded to study for her certificate in sedation nursing in order to further assist patients and their needs.
Within her treatment co-ordinator role at Bristol Dental Specialists, Rebecca is able to support patients throughout their journey and can (if requested) see patients in advance of a Specialist Clinician to provide a non-clinical consultation, this service is free of charge. As you can see by her list of credentials, Rebecca is extremely knowledgeable in many aspects of Specialist Dentistry so is well placed to help patients find the best treatment options for them. This valued information gives patients the understanding they need to ask the right questions during their clinical consultation and consider all options before consenting to treatment.
In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys travelling, hillwalking, Macramé and socialising with friends.
“The most rewarding part of my job is helping people to achieve confident smiles and be less anxious about dental procedures”
Born in Poland, Agnieszka started her dental nursing journey in 2015, qualified in 2016 in Szczecin and upgraded her qualifications in 2018 with National Examining Board for Dental Nurses.
After working in a busy NHS practice in Edinburgh, she moved to Bristol where she gained experience working in the mixed NHS/Private Orthodontic Dental Practice and obtained a qualification in impression taking. Agnieszka was also eager to maintain the clinical aspect of her work and has proceeded to study for her certificate in Dental Radiography in order to further assist patients and their needs.
For Agnieszka the most rewarding part of her job is helping people to achieve confident smiles and be less anxious about dental procedures.
Agnieszka is passionate about history, she graduated from University in Szczecin (Poland) with Bachelor of Arts in History & Archive Studies before deciding to enter the world of dental nursing.
In her spare time, Agnieszka loves travelling, exploring new places and keeping fit through swimming and yoga.
“I love seeing how patients transform during orthodontic treatment and finish with the smile they have always dreamed of”
Ami-Lee joined the Bristol Dental Specialists nursing team in 2020. After training at the Bristol Dental Hospital for 2 years, Ami-Lee earned a National Diploma in dental nursing in 2016 through the NEBDN. Mainly working in orthodontics, Ami-Lee has also assisted with dental implant treatments.
Ami-Lee was delighted to join Bristol Dental Specialists and is looking forward to expanding her knowledge in other areas of dentistry.
Ami-Lee loves seeing how orthodontic patients transform during treatment and finish with the smile they have always dreamed of.
In her spare time, Ami-Lee enjoys running, reading and baking.
Elizabeth left a career teaching abroad to be closer to her family back in Britain, finding a role in Bristol as a hotel receptionist which she enjoyed immensely. Seeking to make more of a difference to other’s lives, she joined Bristol Dental Specialists in February 2020, where she can use her experience to help patients feel comfortable, cared for and empowered to make decisions about their treatment.
Elizabeth has an air of calmness and drawing on her previous work with adults, teenagers and young children, Elizabeth is well equipped to put anyone at ease. Outside of work, Elizabeth enjoys reading, drawing and painting the city around her and travelling around Britain and abroad when she can.
Jessica began developing a career in customer service in 2012 which included gaining valuable people skills and gave an insight into the importance of quality service.
Later Jessica went on to fulfil the position of lead administrator, developing skills such as organisation and diary management.
Jessica is very much a people person and decided on a career ‘front of house’ so she can interact with patients and offer exceptional customer care.
Jessica also has a degree in television production and in her spare time she enjoys filming. She runs to keep fit, loves travelling to different countries and is a keen wildlife photographer.
“I love helping people and making them feel at ease”
Joining us in early 2020, Helen is a very calm and welcoming receptionist who has worked within customer service since 1983. She has been working in the health sector for several years now and loves helping people and making them feel at ease.
There have been many changes in Health care over the years, however Helen firmly believes that customer care should not change and she prides herself on her high standards of care.
Helen is married with two grown up children, and a chocolate Labrador. They all enjoy long walks and travelling. She loves watching wildlife, especially the hedgehogs and foxes in her garden.
To relax she enjoys Pilates, parkrun, reading and spending time with her family.
