Charlotte Stilwell – a pioneering dental professional
Charlotte Stilwell is a model of a modern day dentist, having blazed a trail in the early days of implant dentistry. She is an advocate for excellence in patient care and a mentor to young professionals. She has also mastered the balancing act between work and family.
She was just three years old when her father recognized the skills of dentist. Her Dad spent a lot of time at the dental school in Copenhagen that he supplied with x-ray films. Charlotte’s creativity and concentration in building complex Lego structures reminded him of the dental students. The dream took hold and she never looked back. Even now she says, “Dentistry is both my day job, and my hobby.”
When Charlotte finished dental school, Implantology was something entirely new. It wasn’t until 1995 that she encountered patients with existing implants. It was with trepidation that she began a steep learning curve in order to treat them. She recalls, “This was in the early days of managing patients with existing implants and associated complications. They were challenging and difficult and I remember that they made me feel, at age 37, that I now knew what it was to be a grown up.” Her apprehensions about the process were relieved with the help of several generous mentors who equipped her with their own growing knowledge in the field. Dr. Julia Davis and Dr. John Besford, both prosthodontists, and Dr. Stephen Dover, an oral surgeon, guided Charlotte and introduced her to the International Team for Implantology (www.iti.org.) Trevor Brooker an experienced prosthetic technician was also an important teacher along with the representatives from Straumann who were a constant source of information and support.
Those first difficult cases turned out to be a rewarding education. Charlotte now runs her own London practice where she plans and restores implants that are placed by a surgical colleague. She has found that planning her own cases and working in tandem with a surgeon is much easier than the early days. She enjoys her specialty practice now, as much as her general work, and takes special pleasure contributing to teaching at the University of Geneva, and designing curriculum as a member of the ITI Education Committee. She is also the Editor of the ITI Online Academy (academy.iti.org).
Charlotte is an enthusiastic champion of implant dentistry. She explains, “It is a treatment that can offer significant improvement of quality of life to our patients.” About women she adds, “With the increasing percentages of women dentists worldwide, I feel we have a collective professional duty to offer (our patients) a whole spectrum of dental options… this means a substantial number of us must become involved in implant dentistry.” Further, “For a professional wanting to expand in dentistry implantology is a worthwhile step and readily available through flexible education options.” Like dentistry, parenting is a rewarding and challenging career. Charlotte found them to be an ideal match. It was the combination of support from her husband Matthew and a flexible practice schedule that allowed her to be really involved with her kids, Thomas and Cecilia during their school years. Now that they’re grown she has time for teaching, mentoring, riding horses, running and traveling.
About the International Team for Implantology (ITI)
The ITI, Straumann’s scientific partner, is a global association of professionals in implant dentistry. In 40 years, the ITI has built a reputation for scientific rigor combined with concern for the welfare of patients. Its objectives are the promotion and dissemination of knowledge about implant dentistry and related fields. The ITI’s purpose is to engage and inspire the global dental profession to strive for excellence in implant dentistry for the benefit of the patient. It provides comprehensive, quality education in implant dentistry and supports and facilitates cutting-edge research in this and related fields. The ITI has more than 18,000 Fellows & Members (2021), 31 national and regional Sections, more than 700 Study Clubs all over the world and has dedicated more than USD 55 million to research since 1988 (2021). Website: www.iti.org
