Two friends, one dental school desk, and the North East practice they built when they came home

There’s a quiet assumption that elite cosmetic dentistry happens in London. As of June 2026, The Cosmetic Dental Clinic in Durham and Newcastle is led by two friends, Dr Andy Stafford and Dr Darren Cannell, who met at Newcastle’s dental school in 1996, trained at the highest level abroad, then brought that standard home to the North East.

Most practice “about” pages read the same. Years of experience, a friendly team, a commitment to care. Fine words, but they could belong to anyone.

This story couldn’t.

It started at a dental school desk in 1996

Picture two students at Newcastle University Dental School, both starting out, both ambitious in a way that doesn’t always make you popular. Andy Stafford and Darren Cannell met there in 1996. They became close friends. They graduated together in 2001, both with a BDS from Newcastle, and Dr Cannell picked up the James Coltman Award for skill in operative dentistry along the way.

Plenty of friendships from university fade once work begins. Theirs went the other direction. They shared an idea of what dentistry could be, and they decided to chase it together rather than drift into separate careers.

Here’s the thing about that. A practice built by two friends with a shared standard tends to behave differently from one assembled by chance. There’s a single vision underneath it, agreed on years before the doors ever opened.

Why they trained abroad before opening anything

Before they built a practice, they went to learn from the best in the world.

Both pursued advanced training with leading dentists in the United States. Dr Cannell studied at the Spear Campus in Arizona, one of the most respected centres for cosmetic and restorative training anywhere, and later trained at the Malo Clinic in Portugal, a name that carries real weight in implant and full-mouth work. Dr Stafford trained at the Malo Clinic too, and went on to complete an MSc in Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry with distinction at the University of Manchester in 2014.

Why does any of this matter to a patient sitting in Durham wondering about veneers?

Because cosmetic dentistry is a field where almost anyone can call themselves a cosmetic dentist. There’s no shortcut you can see from the waiting room. The only real signal is where someone trained and how far they pushed it. These two went a very long way.

Two different talents, pointed at the same result

What makes the partnership work is that they aren’t the same dentist twice.

Dr Stafford is the technologist. His Master’s dissertation looked at the success of CAD/CAM materials made by the CEREC system, the same technology he now lectures on to clinicians around the world. He sits on the Invisalign Expert Panel. His instinct is to make a good outcome predictable, to take the guesswork out, to let a patient see the result before treatment begins rather than hoping for the best.

Dr Cannell is the artist. He achieved the Highest Achiever Award during his Master’s, and he approaches a smile the way a craftsman approaches a commission, with an eye for harmony and balance. His aim is the moment a patient sees their new smile and recognises it as unmistakably their own, just the best version of it.

Engineering and artistry. You want both, and most practices give you one.

What “100% precision” actually looks like

Precision is an easy word to put on a wall. It’s harder to deliver.

At the clinic it means two specific things. First, digital smile design, software that lets you preview your finished smile before a single tooth is touched. You’re not agreeing to a result you’ve only imagined. You’re co-creating one you can actually see, then approving it.

Second, an on-site ceramics lab. Most practices send your crown or veneer work off to an external lab and wait weeks for it to come back. Here, the CEREC system designs and mills ceramic restorations in-house, which means more control over the fit, the colour, and the timing. When the lab is down the corridor rather than in another city, the dentist who treated you also oversees the thing that goes back in your mouth.

That’s the difference between hoping a result turns out well and engineering it so it does.

A team built around the founders’ standard

Two people can only treat so many patients. So the partnership grew into a team, and each member covers a particular kind of need.

Dr Neal Heaher focuses on dental implants and bone regeneration, with an MSc in Dental Implantology completed with distinction and advanced training in Budapest under a pioneer in the field. Dr Elle Reid has built a reputation as the champion for nervous patients, combining gentle, minimally invasive care with composite bonding and Invisalign. Dr Mathew Sims focuses on minimally invasive work, bonding and Invisalign. Dr Nigel Parkash handles advanced aesthetic restorative cases, and Dr David Bretton covers endodontics and restorative dentistry.

You can meet the full team of clinicians and read about their training. The point is that whatever brings you in, from a single chipped tooth to a full smile makeover, there’s someone whose focus fits.

So, do you really need to go to London?

No. That’s rather the whole point.

The reason the founders trained abroad and came back was to prove that world-class cosmetic dentistry could be delivered in the North East, in Durham and Newcastle, by people who grew up understanding the place. You get the international training, the digital precision, the in-house lab and the Diamond Apex Invisalign credentials without the train fare and the hotel.

If you’ve been quietly assuming the good stuff happens elsewhere, this practice is a fairly direct argument that it doesn’t have to.

FAQ

Who founded The Cosmetic Dental Clinic?

Dr Andy Stafford and Dr Darren Cannell, two friends who met at Newcastle University Dental School in 1996 and graduated together in 2001. They trained internationally, including at the Malo Clinic in Portugal and the Spear Campus in Arizona, then opened the practice in the North East in 2006. Both still lead the clinic as Clinical Directors today.

What makes this different from other cosmetic dentists in the North East?

The combination is unusual. You have two founders with international training and Master’s degrees, a technology-led approach through digital smile design and an on-site CEREC ceramics lab, and Diamond Apex Invisalign status. Few North East practices hold that mix of credentials, and the founders deliberately built it to match standards usually associated with London.

Where are the clinics based?

The Cosmetic Dental Clinic has two city-centre sites in the North East, one in Durham and one in Newcastle. Both offer the same approach to cosmetic, restorative and orthodontic care. You can choose whichever is easier to reach, and the team will confirm which clinicians and treatments are available at each when you book.

Do I need a referral to be seen?

No referral is needed for cosmetic, restorative or Invisalign treatment. You can contact the practice directly and book a consultation. If you’ve been referred by another dentist for implant or complex work, that’s welcome too, and the team will coordinate with your referring practice where it helps your care.

What treatments do the founders personally provide?

Dr Stafford focuses on restorative and aesthetic dentistry, CEREC ceramics and Invisalign, and sits on the Invisalign Expert Panel. Dr Cannell focuses on smile design, aesthetic dentistry, implants and Invisalign as a Diamond Apex provider. At your consultation, the team will match you to the clinician whose focus best fits what you want to achieve.

What to do next

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably curious whether the result you have in mind is possible closer to home than you thought. It usually is. Book a consultation at The Cosmetic Dental Clinic in Durham or Newcastle, and one of the team will look at your teeth, talk through your options, and show you what’s achievable before you commit to anything.

Call 0191 375 0191 or use the contact page to arrange a time that suits you.