Dr Andrew McGregor

Andrew is the Principal of Park Orthodontics and graduated from Glasgow University in 2002 with both science and dental degrees.

He completed an intercalated degree, studying dentistry for the first two years at university, and then studying cellular and molecular pathology (2 years honours degree) for a further two years before returning for his studies in dentistry.

The scientific study was there to complement his dental degree; he learned about scientific research and methodology, how to appraise scientific evidence and write up theses and scientific papers; it ultimately made Andrew a much more ‘evidence-based’ orthodontist in a world where new gadgets and appliances that do very little, are marketed well.

For five years, Andrew worked in hospitals where he shadowed in clinics that involved facial surgery cases, incorporated orthodontics as part of the restorative process, and worked in family dental practices.

Andrew moved to Australia to teach dental students at the University of Sydney for two years. Here, he appreciated seeing dental students grow, develop, and enjoy oral surgery. He quickly learned the importance of keeping his knowledge up-to-date and the relevance of doing so when in a teaching role.

His move to Australia gave him a beautiful opportunity to teach undergraduates full-time and broaden his horizons, allowing him to experience a different culture. While there, he tried to learn to surf but happily says he failed!

Andrew was thrilled to spend valuable time with orthodontic registrars while gaining new experiences in the clinic, the time spent in Australia opened his eyes to the world of orthodontics, and the enjoyment he found in teaching has become part of the culture within the Park Orthodontics practice.

Andrew never enjoyed ‘drilling and filling’ as a regular dentist, so he looked for something which would involve problem-solving and deliver elevated levels of job satisfaction. He found that his future career lay in Orthodontics.

Andrew completed his three years of orthodontic specialist training in 2010, gaining his master’s degree and Membership in Orthodontics, and has worked at Park Orthodontics ever since.

As an orthodontic specialist, he has treated thousands of patients with various orthodontic issues, treatments that he has provided range from simple bite correction in children to complex smile and bite makeovers in adults.

Andrew has achieved a great deal in his career. He has presented at international meetings, including the 2018 & 2020 Scottish Orthodontic Symposiums, and was shortlisted for Scottish Dentist of the Year in 2017 and 2018.

Andrew has also published research and audit papers in international journals and is one of the few orthodontists in Scotland to have treated over one hundred patients with lingual (behind the teeth) braces. He is also an Elite Damon provider.

In 2019, Andrew became a consultant for one of the UK’s leading orthodontic training facilities, Identiti Orthodontics. In this role, he teaches family dentists the basics of orthodontic treatment and provides daily support for dentists across the U.K. in a national online forum.

In addition, he is a named specialist to support dentists practising Invisalign in Glasgow and the West of Scotland.

When a previous Principal retired, Andrew was asked if he would like to take over Park Orthodontics; he knew it was a fantastic opportunity and saw the potential to modernise and develop a long-standing practice into something unique.

It is the busiest that he has ever been, and he is surprised at how much he enjoys working towards improving and increasing all that the practice can do to surpass patient expectations.

Although he says he is done with exams now, he admits that he frequently attends orthodontic courses, pushing the boundaries with new techniques like Invisalign and anchorage devices. He says that it is more about helping the less experienced develop now.

Andrew teaches orthodontics to the associates and orthodontic therapists at Park Orthodontics.

Senior nurses mentor trainee nurses and have dedicated weekly time to do this. The Park Orthodontics team are bringing in their fifth trainee nurse in two years and is also training two orthodontic therapists this year.

Andrew employs orthodontic therapists at Park Orthodontics, a relatively new role in the dental profession. Andrew is proud to have orthodontic therapists as part of his team.

He says that having qualified and empathetic individuals conducting most of the orthodontic work allows the team leaders to focus on developing the team and practice and finding orthodontic solutions for new patient enquiries.

The orthodontic therapists at Park Orthodontics are always closely supervised by specialists.

Andrew and his fellow orthodontists at Park Orthodontics work closely with referring dentists and often co-plan complex cases involving implants and other restorations.

Aside from orthodontics, Andrew is proud that the practice offers whitening, laboratory-made veneers and crowns, and composite bonding when the referring dentist cannot provide these services to patients.

Keen to provide the best services possible to their patients, Park Orthodontics also uses facial aesthetic treatments to complement orthodontic results; for example, it can plump up thin lips, reduce smile gumminess, and reduce jaw clenching.

Andrew is a member of the British Orthodontic Society, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and the Scottish Orthodontic Specialists Group.

In the rare moments when Andrew isn’t studying or working, he enjoys playing golf, running, and spending time with his wife, three wonderful children, and his beloved dog, Bagel.