Meet The Team

I loved every minute at University. It was apparent to me that after uni was when you begin to learn your craft.

To that end my analysis suggested that joining the military, and in particular The Royal Air Force, would provide me with a career pathway of working and, very crucially, learning from excellent clinicians. The Air Force at that time had been very progressive. I learned that they were the body that introduced the concept of dental hygienists to the profession!
I had a wonderful boss at Cranwell, Colin Brookes. He taught me all about PREVENTATIVE DENTISTRY – a great benefit to those budding fast jet pilots at the flying school, the Budgies.

RAF Germany was next. I was the junior in a team of four with Iain McIntyre and Graham Smart as mentors – both outstanding clinicians. Germany at that time was the land of opportunity for dentists and whilst I was tempted to stay in the RAF, I had a great offer to go into German private practice. It really was fantastic. The dental technology available was some of the best in the world. We avoided extracting teeth and created happy, functional smiles. There were some situations, though, for which not even their resource and technology could provide the answers.

Then I read about DENTAL IMPLANTS. My boss said YES, go learn about it.
I did, at the Medical College of Georgia 1988-89 and there I met one of the most wonderful, generous people of my life. Dr Hilt Tatum saw something in me. He took me under his wing, taught me and treated me like a son. Over a period of 5 years I spent many weeks a year with him at the Edward White Hospital complex in Florida soaking up knowledge and experience.

I remember a lady from Chicago. She had had implants placed in her 80s and was now in her 90s, still mobile and fit. She said, “with dental implants I can eat good food. Before my implants I could only eat soft trash and afterwards I began to be able to eat good, healthy and nutritious food. You are what you eat and I feel great – all down to Dr Tatum’s wonderful implants”. This was repeated time and time again. The message was clear – this was the future!

Since then I have become an experienced implant dentist. I have to thank Dr Tatum for showing me how.

In Germany I also met the eminent English orthodontist, Dr Winston Senior. I also thank him and his students, David Barry and Chiara Menghi, for their superb support in helping me to re-create people’s dentition – giving our patients back their health, function, aesthetics, self-confidence and self-respect.

Member of the AAID (American Association of Implant Dentistry), ADI (Association of Dental Implants), SPOH (Society for Preservation of Oral Health) and SAAD (Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry)

In 2004, I joined the team at Barkhill Dental Clinic. I knew straight away that Barkhill was an outstanding practice with a progressive vision and I was very excited to begin working at the practice.

I am interested in many areas of dentistry and have undertaken additional training in:

Intermediate/advanced techniques of facial aesthetics (facial: furrows, wrinkles, contours)
Conscious sedation for anxious patients
Paediatric dentistry
I have also gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in orthodontics, working closely with our Orthodontist, Dr Chiara Menghi-Barry and the late Dr David Barry.

Since joining Barkhill Dental Practice, I have also been blessed with three lovely children. I very much enjoy family life, camping and walks together and simply time spent at home together.

In my spare time I enjoy reading, wood carving, piano, mountain biking, running, karate, camping and walking trips and gardening.

In Ravenna I attended the same grammar schools as my parents and then moved to Bologna University to study dentistry. I got my dental degree with honours in 1989. My interest in Orthodontics started many years ago, when, as a teenager, I had to get braces. Unfortunately, the dentist who treated me decided to take teeth out whereas nowadays it probably wouldn’t be done. The treatment was unsuccessful and as a result I had to be retreated. Unfortunately, an ideal result could not be obtained any more. This personal negative experience dictated my future path, as I decided I wanted to become an Orthodontic Specialist to be able to deliver to each individual patient the correct treatment to the highest standard.

So, after a couple of years work as a General Dentist, I entered the three year orthodontic programme at the Aarhus Royal Dental College in Denmark with Professor Birte Melsen. In 1995 I passed the Danish board exam for Orthodontics and one year later I got a Masters degree with a research work on Biomechanics.

After Denmark I moved to Germany, where I shared an Orthodontic practice with my late husband Dr David A. Barry for almost twelve years, and where my three children were born.

In 2007 we moved to Italy.

David worked as an Orthodontic Specialist at Barkhill for over ten years, and as the practice expanded I was asked to join the team.

Due to the continuing success of the practice, I have been travelling to England every month since 2006 to work at Barkhill, and I am proud to be part of it!

Experience: Member of the ASIO (Associazione Italiana Specialisti in Ortodonzia)

I have vast experience working in a general practice setting carrying out a variety of treatments. Passionate, caring and a bit of a perfectionist, I can make the quest for a beautiful smile both attainable and fun. I particularly enjoy cosmetic dentistry as well as treating anxious patients. I have also successfully completed a diploma in hypnotherapy and have been trained in using the cosmetic tooth alignment system Invisalign.

I always strive to be kind and caring with patients and have been endorsed and recommended by many. My aim is to build good rapport with patients, whether young or old, and always try to make them feel comfortable and respected.

He is also involved in the development of the "Advanced General Dental Surgeon" qualification from the Royal College of Surgeons.

His scope of practice is limited to dental implants which involves simple single implants and advanced bone grafting to complex cases involving fitting screw retained full mouth bridges immediately onto implants.

He is currently the Treasurer for the Association of Dental Implantology.

He also received additional training in the United States as a visiting resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, affiliated to Harvard Medical & Dental School as well as University of Chicago Medical Centre.

He was the director of MSc programme in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Eastman Hospital 1998-2002. From 2003-2011 worked as a Consultant/Senior Lecturer and Director of the Oral Surgery training programme at Birmingham Dental Hospital. He also ran an independent training programme in implant dentistry at the Tatum Institute in London from 2006-2016. He currently works as a specialist Oral Surgeon at supporting primary care dentist also provides regular mentorship and surgical support in Implant Dentistry, oral surgery and intravenous sedation to several of his past trainees.

I also have a great interest in human psychology and behaviour. Following part one BSc in Psychology at Cardiff University, I decided to pursue a career in Maxillofacial Surgery, gaining degrees in both Dentistry and Medicine at Sheffield University. I am presently consulting at Barkhill Clinic in West Yorkshire.

My main areas of interest are Oral Surgery, treating dental phobic patients by using a variety of sedation techniques, Facial Aesthetics, Reconstructive Oral Surgery, Aesthetic Dentistry, Dentofacial Orthopedics and Implantology.

I enjoy combining these disciplines to be able to offer a truly holistic approach to orofacial rejuvenation and rehabilitation.

In my spare time I enjoy travelling and participating in a variety of sports such as skiing, swimming, cycling and clay pigeon shooting.

Naila has not only gained a Diploma in Dental Hygiene and Therapy at the University of Leeds in 2016 but also a National Diploma in Dental Nursing NEBDN in 2012.

Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family.

I have had the opportunity to work in a very diverse team at Barkhill and have gained an extra sedation qualification. I am now working towards my cannulation qualification too.

In my spare time I enjoy going for walks, reading and spending time with family and friends.

When I'm not at work I enjoy spending time in my allotment growing veg and spending time with my friends and family.

I am qualified in sedation and work closely with our oral surgeons where I see lots of nervous patients and am able to reassure them and put them at ease throughout their treatment.

I also work alongside our orthodontists where I love seeing the difference a straighter smile can make.
When not at work I enjoy spending time with my family and friends going on holiday and visiting new places.