Meet the team

Meet the team at Specialist Implant Clinic

Andre Hattingh

André Hattingh qualified as a dentist in 1991. He spent four and a half year...

André Hattingh qualified as a dentist in 1991. He spent four and a half years in general dental NHS practice before deciding to specialise in 1996. He then completed a 4 year full-time clinical Master’s degree at the University of Pretoria in Periodontics and Oral Medicine, which he achieved with distinction. His post-graduate studies also included dental implantology which allowed him to place 104 dental implants in the last 2 years of his training. This provided him with in-depth knowledge in periodontology and dental implantology. His Master’s degree dissertation involved research in the field of bone regeneration and in 2022 he completed a PhD at Ghent University. His PhD thesis was in implantology, investigating the use of wide diameter dental implants placed at the time of molar tooth removal. As a specialist periodontist he has been treating patients on a referral basis from dental colleagues for the last 24 years. André Hattingh is registered as a specialist in Periodontics with the General Dental Council. www.gdc-uk.org ( Registration number 66706 ) He is also a member of the following professional organisations: The British Society of Periodontology. www.bsperio.org The American Academy of Periodontology. www.perio.org The British Association of Dental Implants. www.adi.org.uk The American Academy of Osseointegration. www.osseo.org

Werda Hattingh

I’m very fortunate to have Werda as both my life & business partner. With qua...

I’m very fortunate to have Werda as both my life & business partner. With qualifications in accountancy & dental technology, she has consistently worked hard to make valuable contributions since the development of our early practice and was specifically instrumental in the overall success of our practice relocation project, when she managed most and many aspects for the project: premises acquisition, planning, design, sourcing, research, finance, administration & project management. At work Werda manages the financial & general aspects of the practice and at home her main focus is to take care of our two beautiful daughters, our 3 cats and me - not necessarily in that order!

Arna Irgens

Arna is a highly experienced Oral Surgeon and has been practicing oral surgery s...

Arna is a highly experienced Oral Surgeon and has been practicing oral surgery since graduating in 1993 from Glasgow University. She has gained years of experience working in the Oral and Maxillofacial surgical units in NHS hospitals in Glasgow, Bath, Falkirk, Eastbourne and Brighton. She currently enjoys working as an Associate Specialist in the Oral and Maxillofacial Unit in Brighton where she has been since 1998. She is a Fellow of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons and on the Oral Surgery Specialist list. Her memberships include British Association of Oral Surgeons and Association of British Academic Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. She performs all aspects of oral surgery including simple dental or surgical extractions, third molar extractions, removal of cysts, minor soft tissue surgery (including frenectomies, removal of polyps, biopsies etc).

Gajen Raveendran

Gaj finished his undergraduate dental training in 2015 from Bart's and the Royal...

Gaj finished his undergraduate dental training in 2015 from Bart's and the Royal London Hospital. Following this he spent a year working as a NHS foundation dentist in the competitive South East London deanery. Whilst working in general practice, Gaj spent the next two years doing a postgraduate diploma in clinical implant dentistry from Newcastle University, which he completed with merit. Having found a passion for periodontology and implantology, Gaj decided to enhance and formalize his skills by embarking upon specialist training. He was accepted onto the specialist training programme in periodontology at the prestigious Eastman Dental Institute, University College London Hospital. Here he completed a Masters in Clinical Dentistry, whilst working as a specialty registrar in the periodontology department at UCLH. Following completion of his specialist training, Gaj sat the Membership in Periodontics from the Royal College of Surgeons of England in order to fulfill one of the criteria to become a specialist in periodontology. Additionally, he is accredited by the European Federation of Periodontology and was awarded their Certificate of completion of Specialist training in Periodontology and Implantology. He is proficient in all aspects of both fields and is accepting referrals for treatment of gum disease, coverage of gum recession, treatment of gummy smiles and rehabilitation of missing teeth with dental implants. As of May 2024 Gaj will be returning to UCLH as a specialty dentist and clinical lecturer. In addition to being a capable clinician, Gaj has also engaged in research. His research was nominated for the UCL Dean's Research Prize. He has also presented globally. Outside of dentistry, Gaj is an avid football fan and is happy to talk about all things Arsenal.

Lorna Roberts

Lorna has been a member of the team since 2001 – gaining her dental nurse qual...

Lorna has been a member of the team since 2001 – gaining her dental nurse qualification and continuing to further her studies at the Eastman Dental Hospital in the subject of dental hygiene, qualifying and working with Andre Hattingh since 2007 as a dental hygienist. She enjoys an active life outside of work hours and thrives in being outdoors.

Sui Ho

Sui is one of the specialist dental nurses and has been assisting André since 2...

Sui is one of the specialist dental nurses and has been assisting André since 2017. After an early career in retail, catering and a dabble in finance, Sui started her dental career in 2013, qualifying in 2014, she is also certified in Radiography and Oral Hygiene Education. Apart from implant and periodontal dentistry, Sui also has extensive experience in general, cosmetic and orthodontic dentistry. Sui uses her super organisation skills to help the practice run smoothly. In her spare time, Sui enjoys epic movies and shopping for shoes.

Gemma Thomas

Gemma joined the Specialist Implant Clinic in January 2024. For the last 10 year...

Gemma joined the Specialist Implant Clinic in January 2024. For the last 10 years she has worked as the head nurse of a dental implant clinic in London and brings with her a wealth of experience having worked in private practice for 25 years. Gemma is also a qualified dental radiographer. In her spare time Gemma enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Nikki

Receptionist Nikki joined the Specialist Implant Clinic in 2021 as our main rec...

Receptionist Nikki joined the Specialist Implant Clinic in 2021 as our main receptionist having previously worked with Dr Hattingh. She has extensive dental reception experience and valuable knowledge having qualified and worked as a dental nurse. She enjoys caring and supporting all our patients throughout their treatment and dealing with all the bookings and any queries. Outside of work she enjoys travelling and spending precious time with her wonderful family.

Lisa

After many successful years in administrative and secretarial roles within the P...

After many successful years in administrative and secretarial roles within the Port of London Authority and the NHS, Lisa joined Specialist Implant Clinic in March 2022. Alongside secretarial support to the specialists at the clinic, Lisa also covers reception for the periodontist, where she thrives on interacting with patients. Outside of work, Lisa enjoys spending time with family and friends, and has a passion for nature and the outdoors.

Elizabeth Gummer

Audio Typist Description and image to follow...

Audio Typist Description and image to follow

I received the most outstanding professional care at my first appointment with Dr. Hattingh, and afterwards at each stage of the implants procedure. Dr. Hattingh is a true perfectionist. Very kind also, with a genuine gentle manner too. I am delighted with outcome of the implants. The whole environment of the Specialist Implant Clinic is wonderful, including Nikki at the reception. A huge thank you to everyone.