Michael Stern, past chairman of Alpha Omega (London) recently celebrated his 90th birthday in 2023 and to mark this occasion, he had a leisurely chat with Diana Spencer about his life story and his experiences as a dentist together with his observations on the changes in practice over the years.
DS: Why did you choose dentistry?
MS: I had a great deal of treatment as a child with a really good dentist who explained everything to me and even showed me the work being done in the Dental laboratory. I reached the age of 17 and was wondering about a career and my mum suggested applying to dental school. I was accepted at King's in 1952 and qualified in 1957
DS: What was your first job after qualifying?
MS: I started as an associate at Bragg Associates in Gresham Road, Brixton. It was the biggest NHS practice in London at that time; He had 30 dentists working there. It was open 24/7 The National Health Service had started in 1948. The best days for dentistry were right at the beginning when all treatment was completely free. In the early 1950’s £1 was levied then £1.50 then it rose to £4.00 and kept going up...
Dentists at that time were very well remunerated as all treatment was paid for by the Government and there was so much work to do! Bragg managed to gross over £1 million in the 50’s which was a huge amount!
DS: When did you start by yourself?
MS: A run-down part-time dental practice in Wandsworth Road came on the market and that is where I started and I built it up from there.
Later on, in 1962, the council was building some office premises further down the road. I applied to open the practice there and opened a 3 surgery unit. By 1965 I had two assistants working full time plus a hygienist and a part-time assistant on Saturdays. By 1970 I was married with a young family and to avoid the monotony of a whole-time NHS practice, I also had a half-day session at the Middlesex hospital doing oral surgery and later a half day in Harley Street for advanced crown and bridge work for my private patients.
In 1977 I saw the announcement of the MGDS exam and decided to apply. It was while studying for this that I rethought the whole concept of what a practice should be… as the jargon goes... was it ergonomically efficient?
Fate took a hand when a particularly destructive break-in and robbery at the practice took place. There was considerable damage to the equipment. So I decided to start from scratch with a new layout and completely new equipment for 4 handed dentistry which was the latest idea then in dental practice.
In the small but very well-used space, the 4 surgeries were operational with three full-time surgeons, a hygienist and a part-time surgeon as well. I incorporated all the latest equipment … OPG, air conditioning mobile suction units etc.
It was written up in the Dental Practice magazine which generated interest and people came to see how it worked.
Then in the early 80’s it came to the attention of a couple of Dentists from South Africa, Lou Prades and Frank Becker and they offered to buy me out!
The goodwill was calculated and agreed upon by Cottrells and without any argument by the purchasers. … They just wrote a cheque and I walked!
DS So what did you do then?
MS: Well, my accountant said I didn’t have to work again, but I like to keep busy, I was only in my 50s after all! At that time they were looking for volunteer dentists in Ashkelon, so I upped sticks with Jill and went over for quite some time.
On returning…. I wondered what to do next. I was asked to teach, esp. post-grads, (Barnet general) more about the business of running a practice, but then I slowly drifted back into clinical work, as a locum and I carried on like this until I retired at 83. I felt at some point that I should have retired earlier and checked with the GDC. They sent someone over to check my work and said it was fine… carry on!
I joined Adnan Al-Killidar's multiple Marble Arch Medical and Dental practice in around 1995 as a senior associate for 2-3 days each week till finally fully retiring in 2015 at the age of 83.
DS: And what about Alpha Omega?
MS: I attended AO a few times to keep up with friends. I was chairman of Alpha Omega on 2 occasions 1983/84 and 1989/90 and each time submitted my year programme to Alpha Omega headquarters in the USA with the result that the London Chapter of Alpha Omega won the prestigious Chapter Efficiency award for 1983/84 and 1989/90.
We often had committee meetings at my home and occasionally the meetings were very passionate and occasionally ended up with shouting and slammed doors!
In my time I tried to expand the social side… wives and partners for charity… Alpha Omega was very much family orientated. But since CPD became a thing... they tend to come for the scientific education more!
I never experienced any kind of anti-Semitism during my professional career and when I wound down my dental career at a mainly Arabic-orientated surgery in the Edgware Road I was treated with considerable respect.
DS: Advice for a dental student/ young dentist?
MS: When I was a student talking about money was frowned upon and advertising was forbidden. I believe students should have instruction in the business side of dentistry, practising economically with a viable business plan.
Sadly even now, it is not taught at all… the academics don’t like to talk about money!
DS: you will be pleased to hear that we have now set up a young AO group and we incorporate not only teaching clinical skills but how to be financially comfortable without being stressed!
DS: What are you doing these days?
MS: Sadly, my wife Jill died a few years ago, so I keep myself busy with social groups, especially bridge clubs. I learned to play bridge about 15 years ago and joined the MCC bridge club. I now represent the club when playing other clubs.
The Australian cricket team brought their bridge team… we beat them, and we have the ashes in a ceremonial box!!!! It certainly keeps my brain working.
I love to be with my family and many grandchildren. And I meet friends mainly from the bridge … for meals or go on a cruise, for great companionship.
I attend St John’s Wood Synagogue bridge club on Monday afternoons, 100 people and 90% of women get invited to their homes for tea, chats, and bridge … all very pleasant.
I have no complaints!!
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