Orthodontics training (HELON)

There are three Consultant Orthodontists at QVH. Non -consultant staff include Associate Specialists, Post CCST Trainees (Orthodontic Consultant Trainees), Specialty Registrars, Hospital Practitioners (Orthodontists) and an Orthodontic Therapist.

The department is closely linked with the Orthodontic Training Programme at King’s College London, with trainees having linked appointments, allowing clinical training both at QVH and at Guy’s Hospital London. The academic support for the Orthodontic Specialty Registrars and Post CCST trainees is provided by King’s College London.

Clinical experience and teaching for trainees

The Orthodontic department provides advice to General Practitioners and Specialist Practitioners in primary care. We have an International reputation for the management of Orthodontics requiring multidisciplinary care, and are a leading unit in the country for Orthognathic Surgery.

The department runs Multidisciplinary clinics for Orthognathic Surgery, Hypodontia Sleep Apnoea, and hosts Multidisciplinary Cleft Lip and Palate Clinics for the South Thames Cleft Service.

We have an excellent on-site laboratory providing advice and the manufacture of contemporary orthodontic appliances. This close partnership allows the ability to link both the clinical and technical aspects of orthodontic care.

Academic teaching

Academic teaching is provided by King’s College London for both Specialty Registrars and Post CCST Trainees, this includes participation in the pan-London Lecture Programme.

The StR posts are three year joint appointments with King’s College London and involve undertaking an MSc in Orthodontics with a Research Component. The MSc is awarded by King’s College London.

The training programme prepares trainees to undertake the Membership in Orthodontics including the Conjoint Membership Examination in Orthodontics, Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and the Master of Science in Orthodontics, King’s College London.

The Post CCST Training appointments are for two years and enable trainees to prepare for the ISFE in Orthodontics, prior to a career as a Hospital Consultant.

We have a strong team approach in the department and clinical teaching is provided by Consultants and Associate Specialists. Post CCST trainees and StRs are encouraged to develop their teaching skills by teaching junior colleagues and other members of the team including Dental care Professionals (DCPs).

Audit and research

Trainees are expected to undertake audit projects within the department. The department links in with the South Eastern Regional Orthodontic Audit Group. The department Audit Lead is Alex Cash.

All trainees are encouraged to be involved in Departmental Research, with all StRs undertaking an MSc Research Project. The department Research and Development Lead is Sofia Ahmad.

Research in the Department has included clinical and biomaterial research related to the Specialist areas of interest of all three consultants.

Orthodontic study group

The Trust hosts a local Orthodontic Study Group which is run by Sofia Ahmad in conjunction with local Orthodontic Specialist Practitioners. This group meets for evening meetings approximately four times a year.

Dr Lindsay Winchester

Specialist interests: Jaw deformity; adult and children’s orthodontics; snoring and sleep apnoea

Dr Winchester qualified with honours in dentistry, paediatrics and orthodontics from Guy’s Hospital Dental School in 1981. After qualifying she spent several years obtaining a broad postgraduate education in many areas of surgery including maxillofacial surgery, oral medicine, restorative dentistry, children’s dentistry and orthodontics.

She has held posts of Regional Advisor in Orthodontics for the Royal College of Surgeons, Chair of the Specialty Training Committee in Orthodontics for South Thames and examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons in Orthodontics. She is actively involved in teaching and lecturing in this country and internationally.

Dr Winchester has been the previous clinical lead for the orthodontic department at QVH for over 20 years and her hospital role includes providing advice and treatment of all cases including the full range of orthodontic treatment for adults and children. She remains the Clinical Lead for orthognathic treatment (jaw deformity).

She has recently been awarded the Ballard Medal for Services to Orthodontics by the British Orthodontic Society.

Her patients are delighted with the results, and recent feedback showed that 100% are glad they had their treatment.

Lindsay’s patient feedback (30 patients)
Satisfied/completely satisfied: 100%
Explaining your condition and treatment: 100%

Her special interests include:

Jaw deformity: Lindsay has a particular interest in the management of jaw and facial deformity and works closely with the maxillofacial surgeons in the management of complex cases.

Children’s orthodontics: The management of all children with a variety of different orthodontic problems, including the early management of jaw deformity.

Adult patients: Lindsay has a vast experience in treating adults patients and is often asked for second opinions on management of complex cases.

Snoring and sleep apnoea: She works closely with the sleep disorder centre in the management of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea and snoring, using mandibular advancement splints.

Page last updated: 5 February 2024.

Miss Sofia Ahmad

Specialist interests: Children’s Orthodontics, Hypodontia (Treatment for Developmentally absent teeth), Orthognathic (Jaw Surgery Treatment), and Sleep Apnoea.

Miss Sofia Ahmad graduated from King’s College Dental Hospital London, with distinctions in orthodontics and paediatric dentistry. She went on to gain an MSc in orthodontics with distinction from the University of London and Membership in Orthodontics from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Miss Ahmad has completed the Intercollegiate Specialty Fellowship Examination in Orthodontics.

At Queen Victoria Hospital she leads the hypodontia (developmentally absent / missing teeth) multidisciplinary service and at Guy’s and St Thomas’ in London is a member of the Hypodontia Team, leading on the development and running of Hypodontia Courses for specialty trainees. She works closely with Consultants in Restorative Dentistry to plan the treatment for patients with hypodontia.

Miss Ahmad is also involved in multidisciplinary care of patients requiring orthodontics and orthognathic (jaw surgery) and leads the QVH Jaw Surgery patient information evenings for patients considering jaw surgery treatment.

She has an interest in shared decision making and has been involved in research and audit looking at patient information resources.

Miss Ahmad is currently the Clinical Director for Clinical Governance at the Queen Victoria Hospital, and has an interest in human factors.

Miss Ahmad is passionate about teaching and training and has co-authored an Orthodontic textbook Clinical Cases in Orthodontics. She continues to be involved in dental education and has examined previously for the MJDF and is currently an appointed Examiner for the Membership in Orthodontics for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Her publications includes:

Sobie Akram, Spyridon N Papageorgiou, Patricia A K Set, Martyn T Cobourne , Sofia Ahmad, A questionnaire-based survey exploring attitudes to human factors within the orthodontic team, British Dental Journal  2023 May;234(10):736. doi: 10.1038/s41415-023-5888-4.

Akram, N. Shah, S. Ahmad, Patient Information – Is It Ever Enough? A prospective Audit of Information Provision for Orthognathic Treatment at The Queen Victoria Hospital (QVH), East Grinstead, British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2020.

Catt SL, Ahmad S, Collyer J, Hardwick L, Shah N, Winchester L. Quality of life and communication in orthognathic treatment. J Orthod. 2018 Jun;45(2):65-70. doi: 10.1080/14653125.2018.1458949. Epub 2018 Apr 11. PMID: 29638192.

Bhamrah G, Ahmad S, NiMhurchadha S. Internet discussion forums, an information and support resource for orthognathic patients. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2015 Jan;147(1):89-96. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2014.08.020. PMID: 25533076.

Miss Ahmad receives consistently high praise from her patients for the quality of their care and treatment. Her patient feedback, January-March 2020 (13 cases):

Happy with the results: 100%
Took longer than expected: 15%
Satisfied/completely satisfied: 100%
Sufficient information: 93%.

Qualifications: BSc BDS MSc (Lond) MOrth FDSOrth RCS (Eng)

Mr Alex Cash

Specialist interests: Management of adult and child routine and complex orthodontics cases with super specialist interest in cleft lip and palate and jaw disproportion.

Mr Cash is the clinical director of the orthodontic service at the Queen Victoria Hospital and the lead orthodontic consultant for cleft care in South East England. He works both at QVH and in London at St. Thomas’, the central hub for the South Thames Cleft Service.

He took his first posts in paediatric dentistry, orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery after graduating from Guy’s Dental Hospital in 1993. Before specialising in orthodontics, he continued his general professional training and postgraduate education with further experience in a busy London dental practice and gained excellent surgical experience at the Royal Berkshire hospital in Reading and St. George’s Hospital in London.

Alex completed his specialist orthodontic training in the centres at Guy’s, Kingston and QVH, presenting a biomaterials thesis as part of his Masters in 2000. Alex was appointed consultant orthodontist at Guy’s & St. Thomas’ and QVH in 2003 where he enjoys clinical work, leadership and the teaching of both postgraduates and undergraduates.

Alex is a past chairman of the South East Regional Orthodontic and the South Thames Cleft Lip and Palate Audit and Outcome Groups. He continues to be involved with the British Orthodontic Society and he is a past chairman of the Training Grades Group. Alex has also been the Secretary General of the Federation of European Orthodontists for the past eight years. Alex is a Royal College of Surgeons and King’s College London examiner on the post graduate program and has spent much time teaching and supervising many postgraduate MSc theses and several PhD theses as well.

Alex is a past chairman of the South East Regional Orthodontic and the South Thames Cleft Lip and Palate Outcome and Audit Groups and represented his peers when chairman of the Training Grades Group of the British Orthodontic Society. He works for his specialist society and sits on British Orthodontic Society committees.

Alex’s areas of specialist clinical interest are in the management of both routine orthodontic cases as well as more complex facial concerns including cleft lip and palate and jaw disproportion. He works closely with his maxillofacial and plastic surgery colleagues and also with local general and specialist practitioners in all areas of paediatric and adult orthodontics. Alex enjoys placing the patient at the centre of their care to enable the best possible clinical outcome.