When Charley Mitchell, Chief Operating Officer of Together Dental, made the leap from pharmacy to dentistry, it wasn’t just a career move - it was a mission.
Staying in healthcare was non-negotiable. But the challenge he found in dentistry wasn’t one he expected: access.
“In pharmacy, access was a given. In dentistry, access itself is the problem we need to solve.”
It’s this gap - between patients and the care they need - that Charley has spent the past two years relentlessly working to close.
Leading operations across 36 practices, he’s taken a careful, consistent approach: build strong foundations, but never lose the human touch.
“When I joined, we had 34 sites doing 34 different things. We needed a Together Dental way - something that wasn’t just branded, but lived every day.”
Technology has been a vital part of that transformation. Moving systems to the cloud, standardising processes, and creating real-time visibility across practices has turned Together Dental into a group that can scale - without sacrificing quality.
A big part of this is the MPC Action Today Dashboard, rolled out to give front-line teams absolute clarity.
“Two years ago, we had no reporting. Now every manager knows exactly what action to take, every day. It’s red, it’s green, it’s clear.”
But Charley is quick to point out: real innovation isn't about chasing shiny new tools. It’s about making technology serve clinicians, not the other way around.
“The best technology doesn’t feel like tech. It just makes patients' lives - and dentists’ lives - easier.”
Adopting AI has been one of Together Dental’s biggest moves. From AI-powered X-rays that help patients understand their treatment needs, to voice-driven clinical notes that save clinicians precious time, Charley sees AI as a quiet revolution - not a loud one.
“It’s about freeing clinicians to be more human with patients, not less.”
Beyond technology, Together Dental’s boldest transformation has been in rethinking its workforce.
Instead of relying solely on traditional dentists, Charley led a shift towards a multidisciplinary approach - fully empowering hygienists and dental therapists to work to the top of their scope.
“Change the mindset, and you change the outcome. That’s what turned around our recruitment challenges.”
Looking ahead, Charley remains optimistic about dentistry’s future - but realistic about the pace of change.
He sees NHS dentistry evolving, private options growing, and technology accelerating - but only if collaboration becomes the norm, not the exception.
“If you think collaboration is optional, you’re already behind. The future belongs to those who work together.”
As the conversation closed, Charley’s advice was simple, but powerful:
Embrace change, collaborate widely, and stay relentlessly focused on what matters - better care, for every patient.