Enthusiasm. It’s impossible to start any conversation about the Roy Morris Dental Excellence surgery in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire without acknowledging the enthusiasm of founder and principal, Roy Morris. With over 40 years experience at the cutting edge of his field, he is more excited about making a difference in patients’ health, happiness and confidence than he has ever been.
This is reflected in the constant improvements within his surgery, and the dedication to go above and beyond for patients. But mostly, his enthusiasm is relayed in his own smile – particularly when he’s talking about all things dental.
You’ve been at the top of your field for many years, so maybe we should start at the beginning. What initially drew you to dentistry, and have you seen your passions change over the years?
Firstly, I’ve always been passionate about helping people. In rebuilding smiles, we’re able to help rebuild people’s lives. My passion has always been for aesthetic dentistry. I define this as enhancing the natural beauty within a patient’s smile. It’s in recent years that the tools and techniques available have caught up with the passion!
I also love the creativity within dentistry. We’ve always been committed to innovation and pioneering new treatments. We’ve been specialists in implantology for 28 years. I was one of the first dentists in the country to graduate in this field, and we’ve placed thousands of dental implants for patients. We were one of the first practices to embrace Invisalign (invisible orthodontics) when it first became available in this country. And I’ve really enjoyed seeing our practice become a digital practice. We do our own 3D modelling, in-house CT scans and laser scans, and digital x-rays.
Our practice has built up a reputation for being able to help anybody, no matter how big or small the issue, and this is something we’re proud of. In some ways, we’ve come to be known as a ‘last ditch saloon’! When nobody else has been able to fix a patient’s complex problems, we can. I’m more passionate about dentistry now than I’ve ever been, and I enjoy the job just as much as when I first started out – if not more.
The word ‘excellence’ is in the name of your practice. What does excellence in dentistry look like in a post lockdown world?
We’ve always prided ourselves on being a best practice clinic and so throughout the pandemic, we’ve been especially well placed to continue safely seeing and treating patients. For example, years ago we made a decision to have a separate sterilising room, specifically to maintain the highest levels of sterilisation, staffed by a dedicated sterilisation technician. Hygiene has always been our top priority – never more so then now.
When Freedom Day came along, nothing changed in our approach. We chose to remain just as committed to our safety protocols. We see it that we have a duty of care to the most vulnerable patient who walks through our doors. We continue to triage our patients, both online and upon arrival. All staff members wear masks, and patients are also required to do so. And we took the step of installing an industry standard air purification system. We truly want every patient who walks through our doors to feel confident that every measure to keep them safe has been taken.
What’s your vision for a patient’s experience at your practice?
We do everything we can to make our patients feel as comfortable as possible. We value friendliness, and our entire team is committed to making the patient feel at home, as well as to delivering the outcome they require. We want our patients to feel that no job is too big or too small. And we want to cater to their holistic experience – we treat patients as ‘people’ and not simply as ‘mouths’. It’s a principle for me that we treat our patients the way we would want to be treated. That goes for myself and for everybody who works for the practice. And I stand by that as my name is on the door!
I set up this practice with the intention of it being a Centre of Excellence, where every thing we do is based on excellence. That ambition has never changed. And so this commitment to the highest standards drives us to keep innovating. It’s in our DNA.
Has the value of a great smile changed in a world with masks and Zoom calls?
Yes – because it’s more valuable now then ever! Thanks to Zoom, we’re all used to seeing ourselves far more than before. Before it was just other people who saw our smile, but now we see it staring back at us on screen all the time. And social media has similarly increased the value of a great smile. One of the few things that you can’t fake is a smile. And so we dedicate ourselves to helping people feel comfortable with their smile, whether in real life or on screen; with a mask or without a mask. Even when your smile is covered up, it’s impossible to dim the confidence that accompanies it. The demands of 21st century dentistry are ever-changing, but we’re definitely ready for them.