Move takes crown

Feb 9 2010 by jez Davison, Evening Gazette

DENTAL technicians Stephen and Philip Wears are all smiles after expanding their Teesside business.

The duo set up Wears Dental Studio just over two years ago, making dental fittings such as dentures, crowns and bridges, bleaching trays and complex implants.

Initially based in High Leven, Yarm, the business moved to new premises in Middlesbrough’s Riverside Park a little over a year ago and has just completed a further relocation to larger premises in the same building - tripling the size of its workspace for its six staff.

The company, which has received help from Business Link, now delivers to dental practices throughout the North-east and North Yorkshire and has launched a new courier service supplying customers as far afield as Nottingham and Hull.

All this has been achieved in the face of fierce competition from overseas – especially the Far East.

Stephen, who plans to open more studios, says: “The problem for dental laboratories in this country is that we cannot compete on price.

“We do, however, compete very effectively on the basis that we are local, on our emphasis on close communication with the customer and on our rapid turnaround of work.

“We offer daily collection and delivery and a next day courier service and we can complete the majority of our dentures and crowns within a week.”

Stephen is in discussions with the University of Teesside to launch a new course for dental technicians and clinical dental technicians - on which he can send his staff.