The Educational Supervisor: Lena Shah has been at Acorn Dental since 2016, and has been an educational supervisor for two years. 

I qualified from the University of Birmingham in 2005, and started foundation training as a joint educational supervisor with the practice owner -  Manoj Parmar who had been an educational supervisor for the previous 12 years.  Following the first year, I continued the role as a sole trainer and during this time have completed a PGCert in Medical Education which has equipped me to be able to teach foundation dentists in the way that best suits their preferred learning style and tailored to their individual needs.

At Acorn, we very much believe in supporting all team members with their continuing professional development to enable us to deliver the best possible care to our patients.  During my time at the practice I have completed the necessary training for facial aesthetic treatments such as dermal fillers and botulinum toxin and am looking forward to starting a PGCert in Restorative Dentistry later this year.

I find dental foundation training fun, rewarding and most of all enjoy seeing my foundation dentists develop their clinical skills and grow in confidence throughout this very important year in their professional lives.  

The Practice: Acorn Dental is a busy mixed NHS and private practice located in a residential area within South Birmingham. The practice was first established in 1967 and was bought by Manoj Parmar 20 years ago.  During this time the practice has trained 27 foundation dentists and still remains one of the oldest and revered training practices in Birmingham.  We attract patients from all walks of life ranging from families with young children for general dentistry in addition to those seeking more advanced treatment.  The practice also accepts referrals from other practices.  
There are four fully equipped air-conditioned surgeries over two floors complete with Software of Excellence and digital xrays, as well as specialist equipment such as a microscope. There is a decontamination room, spacious staff room and an office brimming with dental literature. We are proud to provide our foundation dentist with a newly refurbished surgery, an experienced dental nurse, and of course the very best range of materials and equipment including rotary NiTi. 
We have a team of dentists who with their own individual skills are collectively are able to provide a multidisciplinary approach to complex treatment planning.  Services provided include: dental implants, composite bonding and smile makeovers, endodontics and facial aesthetics.  The dentists within the team are very experienced and passionate about their chosen area of interest within dentistry, and are dedicated to offering guidance to our foundation dentist. Our closely affiliated dental laboratory are also engaged in helping our foundation dentist develop their skills from the technical perspective.  
 

The Area: Moseley is a suburb of South Birmingham, 3 miles south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants close by. The area also has a number of boutiques and other independent retailers. We are a 20 minute drive from Birmingham city centre, and have two local train stations both within 10-15 minutes walking distance, as well as on the circuit for several bus routes.  The practice has plenty of parking on the nearby streets and limited parking on the drive