From Newcastle Degree to OBE: Simon Stretton-Downes' Lifelong Mission to Change Lives Through Dentistry

The heat clings to every corner of the Monrovia clinic, sticky and humid, as Simon Stretton-Downes leans over the dental chair, demonstrating a delicate procedure.

Around him, a group of students huddle close, eyes wide as they try to follow his every movement. Their eagerness is palpable, the room buzzing with quiet curiosity. For Simon, it’s moments like these that remind him why he fell in love with dentistry – it’s about people, not just teeth – a philosophy that has guided him from Newcastle University to the far corners of Africa. 

Faith, Love and Africa 

Newcastle was also where he was introduced to his faith. “I started to get involved with the Christian Union and became a Christian.” This newfound faith quickly became a guiding force in his life, influencing both his personal and professional choices. And then there was Grace, another defining aspect of Simon’s university career – meeting his future wife. He describes how his faith, Grace’s African roots, and his time as a dental student came together to shape the path they would later take. 

No Time to Waste 

After initial plans didn’t go smoothly - a locum in Nigeria fell through at the last minute. Simon started as a house officer at Newcastle Dental School the day before his graduation. “I literally started on the 1st of July and graduated on the 2nd,” he reminisces. “The first thing I had to do was apply for a week off for my honeymoon because we were getting married on the 9th.” In the years that followed, Simon built up experience working across the UK, developing his clinical skills. Then, ready for a new challenge, he and his wife finally decided to take the leap overseas, first to Ethiopia. “We thought it would be two years,” he recalls, “but it turned into eight and a half,” he adds, explaining how growing restrictions eventually forced them home. 

A Calling to Return Overseas 

Despite being forced to leave Ethiopia, Simon’s eight years there had cemented his passion for providing dental care to deprived areas – and he knew his work overseas wasn’t over. Back in the UK, he focused on raising a family and developing his career, but the pull to return overseas never faded. Fourteen years later, in 2014, Simon and Grace finally decided it was time to return to their mission. They visited both Nepal and Liberia, ultimately choosing the latter.

“We came away from there thinking, we can make a difference here,” Simon recalls. And that they did – teaching, mentoring, and providing dental care to thousands of people who’d never had access. He tells the story of Anne, who arrived with a painful swelling on her palate, “It was filling her mouth. It was bleeding, she had to hold a bucket underneath.” With limited options, Simon arranged surgery in Guinea and improvised a denture so she could drink and smile again. “She’s alive and well, eight years on, having had an aggressive cancer in her mouth,” he says, shaking his head in disbelief as he recalls her recent clinic visit. 

Life in Liberia was rewarding but relentless. “It’s always sticky – hot and sweaty,” he says. Miscommunications were frequent: “Often patients would look to the dental assistant and ask, ‘What the man say?’” He jokes, “Learning Liberian English was a bit like trying to understand a broad Geordie.” It’s clear his Newcastle experiences never quite left him. 

From Liberia to Windsor Castle 

In June 2021, Simon’s dedication was officially recognised with an OBE. “When I got the email, I thought it was a scam,” he laughs, recalling how Grace had secretly known for months. Collecting the honour came with its own chaos – “I had my chainsaw in the boot of my car,” Simon joked, explaining how he’d planned to visit their woodland afterwards. “We pull into Windsor Castle, and they said, ‘Oh, I’m sorry sir, you can’t take this chainsaw in’.”  

Advice for the Next Generation 

Sitting in his home office, looking forward to his retirement, Simon looks back at his lengthy career, his advice to anyone hoping to follow in his footsteps? “Be confident in your own skills. If you can’t do it in the UK, don’t try it in another country where you don’t have the back up.” Equally, he notes, “Have a reason for why you go, because there will be challenges, so you need a reason to sustain you when it gets difficult.” It’s simple advice, but for Simon, it carries the weight of a lifetime spent changing lives.