Peter J. Bishop, B.D.S., L.D.S.R.C.S.

Peter qualified at The Bristol Dental Hospital in 1973 and started work at the High Street as an associate.  Two years later he bought the practice.

Early in his career he developed a strong interest in occlusal therapy which is the study of how the teeth meet and the effects this has on the jaw joints, the muscles and the rest of the body.  Peter recognised that, in patients with a bite problem, there was a high incidence of headaches, arm pains, neck and shoulder pain and back problems.  In order to study this, he spent much time at The Pankey Institute in Miami, Florida, which is the centre of excellence for Occlusal studies.  He has also spent time studying at the Pain Clinic, at The University of Miami, and with personal tuition from many excellent leading practitioners* with a large experience in the field.

Because of his knowledge in this field, the majority of his patients are referred by other dentists, doctors, chiropractors and osteopaths and many by patients who have been helped by his expertise.  However, he is very happy to see patients without a referral.

Tied in with the occlusal work, he has also trained in Functional Orthopaedic Orthodontics with Dr. J. Wellington “Skip” Truitt (Gainesville, Texas). This is also known as “non-extraction” orthodontics because the focus is on developing the jaws to the correct size, allowing enough space for all of the teeth to be correctly aligned. By starting this work early, in children, many of the bite problems that Peter diagnoses and treats in adults are avoided. It also produces beautiful, wide smiles and attractive profiles.

Peter started The Bristol Dental Study Club in 1981 to encourage post-graduate learning on these particular subjects amongst his peers. He is a member of the American Equilibration Society, The British Society of Occlusal Studies, and a founder member and organizer of The Dental Chiropractic Study Group in the UK.  He has organized many courses for UK dentists with speakers from the USA, and still remains actively interested in studying, treating and preventing dental dysfunction.

* with thanks to: Dr. Henry Tanner (deceased), Dr. Michael Kadair, Dr. Henry Gremillion, Dr. Parker Mahan, Dr. Ron Presswood, Dr. Fred Cory, Dr. Pete Dawson, Dr. Alvin Fillastre et al.

Charlotte J. Bishop, B.D.S.

Qualified from Birmingham Dental School in 2000, Charlotte enjoys providing all types of dental care with a particular interest in Orthodontics, Root Canal Therapy, care of nervous patients, and rehabilitation of unstable and uncomfortable mouths.

Since joining the practice in 2001, Charlotte has taken every opportunity to learn from her father’s wealth of experience and knowledge, and regularly goes on courses to further her own skills.

She has a gentle touch, a caring approach, and sets herself very high standards in everything she does. Charlotte is a member of the American Equilibration Society and British Society for Occlusal Studies. She has completed the Clinical Foundation in Orthopaedics and Orthodontics courses, and is also involved with the Dental-Chiropractic Study Group.

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Jill Bishop

Jill began running the practice soon after Peter purchased it in 1975 and was Practice Manager for over 30 years.  She now plays a mainly advisory role, but still has a keen interest in the business she helped to shape. Jill ensures that the traditional values of service and patient care are maintained by all of the staff, and supports Nicola in her management role.

Nicola Colgan

Nicola joined the practice in May 2009 as receptionist & manager. Having recently moved from Central London, Nicola has 14 years experience in dentistry and has worked with numerous specialists throughout that time.

Originally trained as a dental nurse, Nicola is highly skilled at looking after both our patients and our staff. She ensures the smooth running of the practice each day, whilst being our patients’ first point of contact, helping with all their queries and requirements. 

Nicola has enjoyed returning to a family run practice and has been re-focusing on the function of teeth. She is learning more about the overall impact the teeth can have on the rest of the body and has found it quite incredible the problems that can be alleviated by biting correctly.

Suzzie Oakley: Dental Surgery Assistant

Suzzie joined us from Cornwall and began her training at the Bristol Dental Hospital in June 2008. Her lively personality and friendly approach has ensured her popularity with the team and our patients. She mostly works with Peter, but also assists with the laboratory and reception.

Gisella Vettese: Dental Surgery Assistant

Gisella became part of the team in 2007 and gained her National Certificate in Dental Nursing from Bristol Dental Hospital in 2008. With a cheerful disposition and calm approach Gisella is very skilled at looking after all her patients' needs. Working primarily with Charlotte, they have formed a close-knit team of two in the surgery

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44 High Street, Bristol, BS1 2AZ.   Tel: 0117 9260265   Fax: 0117 9494490