Teeth time line celebrates 20 years and digital age

FIXING teeth for 20 years torque orthodontist Dr Peter Monckton has had many Mackay’s residents opening their mouths wide.

Torque Orthodontics Dr Peter Monckton and hygienist Alarna Pungar view 3D images on an Itero scanner. Picture: Tony Martin

FIXING TEETH for 20 years torque orthodontist Dr Peter Monckton has had many Mackay's residents opening their mouths wide.

He's watched his dentistry octuple in size, after moving to Mackay and starting off with as little as one chair and staff member.

"(Just one as the) receptionist and nurse, and then my wife and my mother were doing a few jobs, but it quickly grew," he said.

Now with as many as 15 staff, his workspace has grown from one dental chair to six.

However, the size of his team isn't the only thing that's changed.

His technique, equipment and options have altered.

"It's really the digital age. We still take moulds of teeth, but (now) we have a digital scanner," he said.

"The modules are (now) produced by computers and cat-scan technology, rather than by pulling out moulds in plaster.

"Initially we used to take slides and photos of people on film and had to run down to the pharmacy to get them developed.

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"Now, you have a digital camera and you can take as many photos as you like."

Along with a takeover in technology, Dr Monckton said his patients were his most memorable experience.

"Most people have just got a few crooked teeth, but there are some significant people that have got syndromes, cleft palates, with a little more to tell," he said.

Practice manager Mary Blakeney said enjoyed meeting people and watching every patient's journey, after joining his side 13 years ago.

"There are families where we are treating mum, dad and the kids," Ms Blakeney said.

"We've got families we've treated for three generations (and) we're definitely treating some of our initial patients' kids now."

For the next 20 years, Dr Monckton said Torque Orthodontics aimed to expand to bigger and better things, such as a new building space.

"I'd certainly like to leave a legacy in the place and we've been looking for the right person," Dr Monckton said.

"As soon as we find the right person, we can build a freehold building."

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Originally published as Teeth time line celebrates 20 years and digital age