A little about me and my passion outside of dentistry
My name is Tony Atkins.
I began a fantastic life in Dentistry at the tender age of 16 in the West End of London.
As a young apprentice, I was fascinated by literally everything that went into the fabrication of all dental appliances.
Studying at Lambeth College from 1997 – 2001 where I qualified with distinction, winning the Mike Kempton Cup and GC Award for outstanding work in restorative Crown and Bridge.
In 2001 I became a founding member of Dents and Dental Excellence, founded by Anthony Laurie, and spent many happy years there until I began working for Mike Kedge at Kedge and Quince, where my career continued to progress in complex restorative work with a focus on teaching. It was here that I formed a relationship with Panadent where I lectured for them using Vita Porcelains specifically, teaching Technicians on Aesthetics and Gnathological principles.
If memory serves I believe I gave my lecture titled “A B C” (Aesthetics Be Creative) at the tender age of 20. Lecturing is something I really enjoyed so much so I performed that role for Panadent for some 11 years, lecturing all over the UK. That was until I began family life and as a result, I began to prefer life behind the scenes. These days, I love nothing more than to help those around me achieve their dreams and ambitions. But those years gone by, I still look back on with great fondness, and now that my children are older, it is something I may return to in the future.
Anyway now to the present
and future!
I feel so honoured to be part of what is such a fantastic team at Ceramic Designs Lab, so much so that I literally look forward to whatever the day may bring. Working with such a dynamic team really keeps my fire burning where I look forward to many many more years to come!
Now my life outside of Dentistry is so busy!
In fact, that is an understatement… A married man and father to three children and four guinea pigs, I have to juggle work and family life with my other burning passions. Those are photography and fishing, more specifically carp fishing, and is something I have done since the age of five where I fished the Thames at Teddington with my older brother.
My fishing takes me miles away from the stresses and strains of everyday life, to some of the most magical places where I can truly enjoy the peace and quiet and the nature around me.
Catching something is just a bonus.
I suppose that hunger to achieve is just in my nature, and having got so much from my fishing I felt compelled to give something back, to help those around me. So in 2017 I became a Committee member for the British Airways Angling Society.
This is a very special club that comes by way of invite-only, subsequently working my way towards the position of Head Fishery Officer for all of British Airways Waters and sites.
A post I am immensely proud of.
In addition to managing all those sites, I also by request now look after several other nature reserves in the Wraysbury area.
In 2019 I completed a basic Aquaculture and fishery management course to allow me to look more closely at the natural environment I enjoy spending so much time in.
On top of that, I fulfilled a childhood dream in writing a three-part series for Carpworld Magazine amassing some 20k words over the three parts. I have to say that walking into local newsagents and seeing your name on the front cover of a magazine was a very strange experience, especially as I like to keep myself to myself.
Writing and photography are things I have enjoyed for a number of years and continue to do so…
I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief insight into my life inside and outside of Dentistry.
From the blog
Winners of Best Dental Laboratory Award
We are proud to be winners in the category of Best Dental Laboratory at this year's Dentistry Awards. It is a great honour, and we thank everyone who has been a part of our journey. Thank you also to FMC and dentistry.co.uk for a great event! Jon Dolding, CDL...
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