Dento-Legal Advisors
Dento-Legal Advisors
At Densura, our Dento-Legal Advisors are experienced dental professionals who provide practical, empathetic support when issues arise. They help you navigate patient complaints, claims and dento-legal concerns with confidence, drawing on real-world clinical experience to offer clear, relevant advice.
Working closely with you and the wider Densura team, they aim to resolve matters early, reduce stress and support the best possible outcome for you and your practice.
Dr Julie-Anne Conway
With over a decade of experience at Densura, Julie-Anne now heads our dento-legal team. A Bristol graduate (1995), she brings a rich background in general practice, postgraduate education, and clinical leadership. She has mentored overseas dentists, worked as a clinical lead within a major dental corporate, and continues to maintain a part-time role as a clinical supervisor for third-year dental students.
In addition to her clinical expertise, Julie-Anne holds a Master’s degree in Law. Her extensive experience in legal matters, complaints handling, and claims management informs her work every day. Above all, she believes the heart of her role lies in understanding the stress and uncertainty that dentists face when dealing with complaints or regulatory challenges—and supporting them through it.
Dr Paul Cole
Our senior DLA Paul has been a dentist for over 35 years and is currently working in private general dental practice delivering a range of treatments including aligner orthodontics, implant placement and restoration, and general dentistry. This gives him a broad general experience and understanding of most dental issues for Dento-legal Advisor work.
He obtained an MBA in 2009 and an LLM in 2019. Paul has been on the GDC Fitness to Practise Panel as a dental member for 10 years and has been working with Densura since 2017.
Dr Sam Chegini
Sam graduated from The University of Manchester in 2012. Sam has undergone postgraduate training in Dental Implants in 2017. She has an interest in the legal aspects of dentistry and obtained a Masters in Medical Law from Cardiff University in 2022.
She works in general practice alongside her Dento-legal Advisor role. She is also a member of the GDC Fitness to Practise Panel.
Dr Shivani Patel
Shivani qualified from Barts and The London in 2006 and has worked in general practice ever since. She currently works as a GDP at a Bupa Dental Care practice one day a week where she also holds the role of Area Clinical Lead for Bupa Dental Care, supporting clinicians across two areas encompassing over 40 practices.
Shivani has been working as a Dento-legal Advisor with Densura since 2018.
Dr Denise Tulip
Denise is a practicing clinician on the NHS and has been for over 20 years. She has completed an LLM in healthcare law, works as an educational supervisor for Foundation Dentists. She also works as Area Clinical Lead for Bupa Dental Care in the North West.
Denise has worked with Densura as a Dento-legal Advisor since 2018.
Dr Fiona Patch
Fiona graduated in 1999 from University of Glasgow and completed her foundation year in Portsmouth. Since then, she has worked in a variety of dental practices (NHS, private and community) as a locum and as an Associate. Fiona also spent some time working in Australia including with the royal flying doctor service.
She currently works 2 days a week in a busy NHS practice, alongside being an educational supervisor for a foundation dental therapist. Fiona is a Training Programme Director for foundation dentists in Leicester and Northamptonshire.
She completed her MA in Dental Law & Ethics in 2024 and has worked as a Dento-legal Advisor at Densura since May 2023.
Dr India Beason
India graduated from Guys, Kings and St.Thomas’ Dental School in 2007. After graduating, she went on to work in general dental practice and obtained her MJDF qualification from the Royal College of Surgeons (2009) and her PgCert in Dental Law and Ethics from the University of Bedfordshire (2013). She also has a masters degree in Medical Law from Cardiff University (2018).
Dr Beason currently works in a variety of roles; a Dento-legal Advisor for Densura, a clinical advisor and clinical expert witness for the General Dental Council and a General Dental Practitioner within His Majesty’s Prison Service.
Dr Iain Bott
Iain qualified as a dentist in 2002 and achieved a Graduate Diploma in Law in 2012. He currently works as a dentist within Bupa Dental Care where he has previously held the role of Regional Clinical Director, his duties amongst other things included ensuring robust clinical governance and advising on complaints against clinicians.
Iain was previously a City of Westminster Councillor for 9 years, which saw him hold a number of roles including cabinet member for Sports, Culture and Communities, and sat as Chair of the Adult Services and Public Health Policy Scrutiny Committee, and helped develop the local approach to preventative dentistry. Iain has also previously worked within the prison dental service in the UK and Switzerland.
Iain has brought this vast range of experience to his role as Dento-Legal Advisor with
Densura since 2023.
Dr Ian Gordon
Ian is a practising dentist with over 40 years’ experience in clinical dentistry and the delivery and management of NHS dental services. He continues to work clinically one day per week.
Ian is Dental Director of Riverdale Healthcare, which operates approximately 60 dental practices across England, with a particular focus on NHS contract performance, operational delivery, financial and KPI delivery metrics and clinical governance. He Chair of North Yorkshire Local Dental Committee and serve as Special Adviser to the Executive Chair of the Association of Dental Groups (ADG), having previously been a Director of ADG. Clinically, his experience includes general dentistry and Invisalign aligner treatment.
Ian works as a Dento-legal Advisor for Densura one day per week.