Not only have we won Practice of the Year in the prestigious national Probe Dental Awards 2024, but our very own Natalie Peary has been crowned Dental Therapist of the Year!
The winners and finalists were announced in a live-streamed presentation at midday on Thursday 23rd May in a broadcast hosted by BBC weather presenter and meteorologist Sarah Keith-Lucas.
Head of Marketing and Communications at Smile Together, Tracy Wilson, who had compiled and submitted the awards entries, said: “We’d gathered around a screen in a dental surgery at Truro Health Park to hear the outcome of the awards, with cake at the ready whether we were successful or not. When Sarah announced that we’d won Practice of the Year we were all somewhat stunned as this is such a coveted national award to win. Then when she announced Natalie as Therapist of the Year, the excitement in that room was wonderful – never has chocolate cake tasted so good!
We’re so proud of the whole Smile Together team for the difference they make every day to our patients and across our communities. This awards recognition is so justly deserved”.
Smile Together is an employee-owned dental CIC and certified B Corporation with a mission of tackling oral health inequality for healthier happier communities. Its dedicated Outreach Team (which was also shortlisted in the awards) frequently takes a mobile dental unit into the heart of local communities to make even more of a difference to those who need us most.
As Outreach Dental Therapist, Natalie makes a difference within the traditional surgery environment, providing treatment to paediatric patients and special care adults who have been referred into our service, and out in the community. She is so enthusiastic and passionate about prevention, education and reaching out to those patients who need us most and is central to creating and developing outreach projects to improve dental access for vulnerable groups, families and individuals, helping us build partnerships to enhance patient care and pathways.
Tracy continues: “The genuine pride in Natalie being crowned Therapist of the Year has been so lovely to see. She has such an inherent ability and desire to make people smile so not only do our patients love visiting her but everyone at Smile Together enjoys working with and alongside Natalie. She’s always so willing to go that extra mile, from supporting our clinical recruitment endeavours to featuring in promotional films and media interviews. We can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award”.
As winners of The Probe Dental Awards 2024, Natalie alongside Lucy our Outreach Administrator, joined judges and sponsors at The Ivy in London on Friday 5th July 2024 to celebrate our victory in style and be presented with trophies and certificates in person from The Probe team.
Smile Together is no stranger to The Probe Dental Awards, having been shortlisted in three categories in 2022 for Practice of the Year, Young Dentist of the Year and Dental Nurse of the Year, with Sarah Andrews highly commended in a strong and competitive field. Katie Rowe was crowned Dental Nurse of the Year in 2021 and our Smiles at Sea project won the 2019 Award for ‘Best Outreach or Charity Initiative’.
