Articles Of Interest

Stratford House Dental Practice is a place with a long history that starts in the first decade of 20th century.
Our premise is a Victorian building that was erected around 1860. For the first 50 years it was a residential home until in 1911 William Airlie, artificial teeth maker, opened his business here. Around 1915 another teeth maker started his practice on Stratford Road – 21 years old Stanley Montague Watts. Initially he worked at number 71 but soon he moved to our premises and worked here till he passed away.
At the beginning of his career Stanley Montague Watts called by the patients ’’Monty’’ was a teeth maker but soon he started advertising himself as a dentist.
‘’Monty’s’’ career at number 36 had to be put on hold for a short while during I World War, as he was summoned to the army in 1918. His service in Royal Navy didn’t last long and he was released by 1919.
During his career the practice had one surgery which opened up to a conservatory. ‘’Monty’’ would only work while there was daylight – with no dental light and with a hand-levered chair. In the reception area there was a fireplace that was in use.
However, Dr Watts made a few changes to the premises. Most likely in the late 1930’s the new doors were installed and presumably around 1950’s the bay window and the porch over the door was added.
The doors that are still serving as a main entrance to the practice are not a standard one and they hold own history. They came from Admiralty Yacht ‘’Enchantress’’ on which Winston Churchill made his voyages in 1911 while he was First Lord of Admiralty. So it is really not a joke when we say that Winston Churchill once walked through the doors of our practice!
Dr Watts was working at our practice till his death in 1977. He was one of the last unqualified dentists practicing dentistry in United Kingdom.
After his death, the practice was closed and stayed empty for almost a year. In 1978 the practice was bought by Dr David Raftery. At the same time the dental lab was established on the first floor where Alan Saunders, dental technician, was working. His son Damon followed his footsteps, and he is still lab technician used by our practice till this date.
Over 40 years the practice changed hands four times. In 2018 it was bought by Dr Mital Patel and Mr Hitesh Patel.
2021 marks 110 years of our surgery which makes us one of the oldest practices in Milton Keynes.