The Educational Supervisor: Jim Jim Peirson has practiced general dentistry from the same building since qualifying in 1982. He took the practice over in 1988 and changed it radically to make it more preventive and with a greater reliance on support staff. From 2005 he looked after four successive foundation dentists followed by two overseas dentists seeking foundation training through equivalence and recently gained a Post Graduate Certificate in Dental Education. With over 34 years experience of full time NHS and mixed practice he has encountered most dental situations and lived through many and various system changes. Over the years he has been interested and gained significant experience in minor oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, orthodontics, TMJ and occlusion. With the recent advances in composites and bonding techniques he has got quite excited about the flexibility of these materials and uses them extensively day to day in numerous situations.

Outside dentistry he has a wife and four grown up children. One of his daughters qualified as a hygienist and joined the practice last September. He attends a local church where he has played a varying role over the years. In the warmer months he is frequently seen riding on a lawnmower or cutting hedges on the top of a ladder. In the colder months he is often seen with various implements mending radiators. Recently this year he took to a pair of skis and joined a group of dentists in the French Alps.

The Practice:  There has been a dental practice on the site since 1934. It is situated on a busy radial road running out of the city of Norwich on the north side, serving the local community over generations and is very much a family practice. Successive dentists expanded it from one terraced house to two and then to four in 2011. Though not all currently in use there are a total of nine surgeries and an oral hygiene education room, two waiting rooms, separate staff facilities and a small lab. During the 2011 changes a dedicated sterilisation room was set up as well as disabled access facilities. There are two offices, including one close to the foundation dentist surgery, which has its own computer and internet access.

Some of the dentists operate a two room system, which enables the dentists to spend more of their time on clinical dentistry and frees the support staff to spend more time on patient care and administration.
We have weekly short staff meetings to keep the staff updated and a longer monthly one which includes an element of training.
With a blend of NHS and private treatment it appeals to a wide variety of patients.

The Area: Norwich is a fine city and is one of the major centres in East Anglia. There is a rich variety of unspoilt architecture as well as a wealth of recreational, art, cultural, shopping, social and sporting activities to enjoy. As a focal point it is easy to reach out to the extensive Norfolk coastline and Broads and possible to spend many weekends 'getting away'. Many people come to the area and settle, though having never been here before.

Other Points of Interest: Several past trainees have taken advantage of an offer to stay the year in the trainer's house, which is large enough to get away, but close enough to extend the training day when needed.
There are villas in Cyprus and Turkey which are available at reduced rent in the summer months.