The Briars Dental Centre

Principal Dentist

Dr Victoria Holden

BDS | DIPMFGDP | DIPIMPDENT RCS (ENG) | DIPFFGDP(UK) | LLM PGDIPLOMA

(CLEAR ALIGNER THERAPY)

GDC Number: 76125

She looks after general dental patients at the Briars providing restorative, cosmetic and implant treatments. She is also experienced in the use of botulimun toxin and hyaluronic acid dermal fillers for the treatment of facial lines and wrinkles. Victoria grew up in Northumberland and obtained her BDS from Sheffield Dental School, qualifying in 1999. She returned to the North East to complete her vocational training after which she went to work in a family dental practice for 4 years. During this time she underwent a Further Professional Training program consisting of modules in Orthodontics, Sedation, Oral Surgery and Advanced Prosthodontics. Once this was completed, she tackled a year long restorative certificate in Manchester alongside a course in cosmetic dentistry before moving to the South in 2004. She obtained the MFGDP(UK) qualification from the Royal College of Surgeons in 2006.

He grew up here in Newbury, Berkshire, attending Speenhamland, then Kennet schools. He served an apprenticeship with the large Newbury based dental laboratory Broughton and Tyrell, gaining a B-Tec Diploma to qualify as a Dental Technician in 1987. He then left the UK to travel and spent a year in Australia. When Nick French returned to the UK he was offered a training position at the world-renowned Maxillo-Facial prosthetic department at Queen Mary’s University Hospital, Roehampton in London. Whilst in the department he made oral and facial prostheses for people who had undergone surgery for oral and/or facial cancer or trauma. During this time Nicholas gained his Higher National Diploma in Maxillo-Facial Prosthetics and Technology.

Associate Dentist - Special Interest in Restorative Dentistry

BDS (BRIST) | MSC (LLEEDS) | MFDS RCS (ENG) | FFGDP (UK)

GDC Number: 82133

Nicola was brought up in Berkshire and qualified from the University of Bristol in 2003.

Following a post in Oral Surgery in Cambridge, she returned to General Dental Practice in 2005.

She has been awarded the Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery and a Fellowship of the Faculty of General Dental Practice by the Royal College of Surgeons of England. In 2014 she completed an MSc in Restorative Dentistry from the University of Leeds with distinction.

Nicola has examined for the Royal College of Surgeons of England and taught undergraduate students at the University of Bristol. She appraises dentists throughout the Thames Valley for Health Education England.

As well as providing general dentistry, her particular interests are the treatment of tooth wear, prosthodontics and aesthetic dentistry, including tooth whitening and composite bonding. She often treats multi-disciplinary cases in conjunction with the specialist practitioners at The Briars.

Nicola has a minimally invasive, caring and holistic approach to dentistry and treats patients of all ages, especially those who may be apprehensive. She enjoys improving her patients’ confidence by helping them to achieve healthy and bright smiles.

Outside of dentistry, Nicola enjoys cookery, clay pigeon shooting and spending time in the countryside with her family and dog.

Associate Dentist

BDS, 

GDC Number: 85320

Richard grew up in Chesterfield, very close to the Peak District, and went to the University of Manchester, graduating in 2005.

He still loves to holiday in the area with his family. Now living in Old Basing, most of his spare time is spent with the family or renovating the house and garden. He loves the outdoors, especially camping and biking. He is also involved in local politics and is a Parent Governor at Old Basing Infant School.

Richard is accomplished in both NHS and private dentistry. He left the NHS after 10 years as it no longer supported career development, whilst private dentistry allows a greater range of treatments. As a private general dentist, he is able to get to know his patients and tailor treatments to the individual.

As your dentist, Richard’s goal is to ensure you remain completely comfortable throughout your experience. He always discusses any proposed treatment in plain language, not technical jargon. He strives for the highest quality dentistry with the least patient discomfort. He likes to involve patients in treatment planning and decisions, working together as a team to find the solutions to their dental problems that will work best for them. It is a cliché, but he really does treat every patient as he would wish to be treated himself.

His particular areas of interest include preventative and ‘minimal intervention’ dentistry, which reduces the need for more invasive treatments and looks towards maintaining a healthy mouth for life. He is competent in all areas of general dentistry, including orthodontics and implants, and can cater for all ages.

Many people find dentistry very daunting, and he uses a range of simple techniques to reduce your anxiety. It is important that things are taken at the pace you need, ensuring you are always comfortable.

If you would like to meet Richard, you would be very welcome. We hope your first appointment together can be a simple consultation to discuss your requirements, but if you should be experiencing pain and need an emergency appointment, then we would be glad to help as soon as possible.

Associate Dentist

BDS, 

GDC Number: 103407

Afif qualified in 2006 from Sheffield university. After completing his training he returned to Berkshire and began his career offering exceptional dental care to his patients.

With 18 years of experience providing general and cosmetic dentistry with in interest in root canal treatment he has joined Our practice to continue to provide an excellent service in a relaxed and approachable chair side manner. Afif likes to take the time required to address your dental needs in an honest and trusted environment. His passion to help save teeth has reflected in attending a multitude of courses and develop his interest in conservative dentistry

In 2022 Afif was awarded a distinction in clinical diploma in endodontics from King’s College University London. This reinforced his self-learning and accreditation to pursue a special interest in root canal therapy.

He has been using a microscope for 8 years now to help succeed with complex cases and to improve the successful outcomes of treatment.

To further aid his clinical skill and development he is a member of British association of microscope dentistry and British society of occlusal studies helping him to enhance his knowledge and clinical practice.

Afif now accepts referrals from local dentists and practices to provide exceptional care

He shares the same mindset of excellent clinical outcomes and patient support. He has been involved with several charity dental projects both abroad and in the UK including Bridge2Aid and Dentaid helping refugees and homeless . He enjoys keeping fit and exploring the outdoors including cycling and hiking. His dental skills are also put to great use with his hobbies restoring cars and cycles.