About us: Support staff
Melanie Edwards
(Practice Manager)
GDC No.110742
Melanie joins us after spending 18 years as Practice manager of a dental practice in her home town of Hereford.
Her duties as practice manager are wide and varied, but essentially she ensures the smooth running of the practice. She is dually qualified in both management and as a dental nurse and so will be a central cog in the wheel that is Wood Lane Dentistry. She is there to be able to answer your questions and act as a liaison between staff, patients and clinicians. We are extremely lucky to have such a well qualified addition to our team.
Outside of dentistry Melanie says ‘…I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I also enjoy reading fiction, especially crime novels and being in the great outdoors. I have also enjoyed being heavily involved in the PTA of my daughters school, helping to raise funds and bringing the school community together.’ Her partner is the deputy head of a local school and she has one daughter.
Karen Ferris
Karen joined in 1994 and works on reception. Karen lives locally and has always been a happy face on the desk. She has two grown up sons.
Trish Rockell
Trish joined the practice in 1997 and is our Head receptionist. She is also responsible for much of the practice administration.
Her hard work has ensured that waiting lists are kept to a minimum despite being lucky enough to have a busy patient list. Our booking system also means that we can usually see patients in pain within 24 hours.
Maria Bean
(Dental Health Educator, sessions vary)
GDC No.130118
Maria is dually qualified as a dental nurse and as a Dental Health Educator.
As eduction and prevention is at the heart of the practice Maria plays a major role at Wood Lane Dentistry. She runs the Dental Health Unit where she both sees patients and organises our prevention work in the community.
Away from Dentistry she is married with a son. She is also a swimming teacher and has run a local boys football team for many years.
Mandy Newton
GDC No. 106908
Mandy joined us in 1996 and is a very experienced dental surgery assistant and an invaluable member of our team.
She is married with two sons, one who works for a local IT company and the other who is a serving member of the armed forces.
Nadia Shafi
GDC No. 138773
Nadia is the Richards ever smiling right hand woman. She has been a dental nurse since 2003.
She loves her role here caring for our patients and the challenges her profession brings.
Emma Richards
Emma became a dental nurse in 2010 after leaving her career as a chef. She was born and raised here in Sonning Common.
Sue
Sue is Richard's wife and now works in the practice to give holiday cover when it is needed.