Talking Technology and Toothbrushing: Meet Dr Alex Poli

Originally from the UK and previously based in Western Australia, Dr Poli recently relocated to the Gold Coast to join our Merrimac practice. He tells us he’s looking forward to meeting new patients in Queensland - and with his calm and easygoing demeanour, there’s no doubt that everyone from families to nervous patients and Merrimac regulars will enjoy being treated by him.

We caught up with Dr Poli to chat about his path into dentistry, the aspects he enjoys most about his work, and what he gets up to outside of the practice. He also shares a handy toothbrushing tip to help you improve your dental health.

Dr Poli, tell us a bit about your background and how you got into dentistry

I grew up in Leeds, in the north of England, and during our last year of high school, we had to do a stint of work experience. When the time came to complete mine, I was randomly assigned to a local dental practice - and ended up loving every minute of it!

After thoroughly enjoying my time during the two-week work experience period, I left the practice determined to pursue a career in dentistry. All these years later, here I am in Australia working as a dentist.

You recently moved from WA to our Merrimac practice on the Gold Coast - what made you decide to relocate and what are you looking forward to about your new role?

My wife’s family are based here on the Gold Coast and after all the isolation we endured in WA during Covid, we made the decision to move closer to them. We have a 15-month-old son and my brother-in-law recently had a baby too, so we’re really looking forward to seeing the boys grow up together.

In terms of my new role here in Merrimac, I’m excited about having the opportunity to take on more responsibility, as well as being able to develop the practice to its full potential. We’ll be aiming to provide a wider range of services and offer the best standard of care and service to our patients.

Which aspects of dentistry do you enjoy the most?

I’m particularly interested in how technology can be leveraged to improve aspects such as the accuracy and consistency of dental work. Tools such as digital planning, 3D printing and in-practice milling techniques can assist with the way we plan and execute a range of dental treatments, from implants to Invisalign®.

Here at Merrimac, for example, we’ve recently invested in a CBCT scanner - this allows us to take in-house scans for dental implants, making the implant journey more streamlined for patients.

In general, I really enjoy all aspects of dentistry, especially cosmetic dentistry, implants, and short-term orthodontic treatments like Invisalign®.

Do you have any oral health tips to share with our patients?

This one may surprise some people! My number one oral health tip is “don’t rinse your mouth out after brushing”. Instead, leave the toothpaste in your mouth so it can keep on working its magic, rather than rinsing it away down the sink.

What hobbies do you have outside of work?

Well, having a 15-month-old definitely limits my free time, so I’d say my little boy Roman has become my main hobby! But as there’s nothing I enjoy more than playing with him, that’s totally fine by me. I do try to sneak in an early gym session at 5am before he wakes up though.