Alongside more than three decades in clinical practice, Dr Mark Bowes has built an extensive career in dental education, postgraduate teaching and international lecturing.
His teaching draws directly from his work in aesthetic, restorative and digital dentistry, with a focus on helping clinicians develop stronger diagnostic, treatment planning and clinical decision-making skills.
Dr Mark Bowes’ teaching has always been closely connected to his clinical work. The techniques, workflows and treatment philosophies he shares are grounded in decades of experience managing aesthetic, restorative and complex interdisciplinary cases.
His focus is not on teaching individual procedures, but on helping clinicians diagnose more comprehensively, plan treatment in the right sequence, and make better clinical decisions across an entire case.
By combining practical experience with advances in digital dentistry, minimally invasive treatment and restorative care, Mark’s teaching aims to give clinicians a clearer framework for delivering treatment that is both predictable and appropriate for the individual patient.
Dr Mark Bowes is Co-Founder and Course Director of the Restorative & Aesthetic Academy (RAA), established alongside Dr Jean van Lierop to provide advanced postgraduate education in restorative and aesthetic dentistry.
As South Africa’s first dedicated postgraduate academy in restorative and aesthetic dentistry, the RAA combines lectures, hands-on training, live demonstrations and mentorship, with teaching grounded in the realities of everyday clinical practice. Its extended programme spans seven modules covering areas including digital dentistry and Digital Smile Design, occlusion, orthodontics and endodontics, ceramic and direct restorative techniques, periodontics, implant dentistry and practice development.
Mark brings more than three decades of clinical experience to the programme, sharing the treatment philosophies, digital workflows and restorative techniques that continue to shape his own clinical practice.
He has been a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists since 1997 and is a speaker for the International Team for Implantology (ITI). In 2010, he founded the South African Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry (SAAAD) for which he is now past President. He was the Congress Chairman for the World International Federation of Esthetic Dentistry (IFED) held in Cape Town in 2015. Dr Bowes was also the Scientific chairman for SADA (South African Dental Association) from 2016 – 2022. In 2018 he founded the Digital Dentistry Society of South Africa (DDSSA) for which he remains President.
He is a founding member and Scientific Committee Member of the European Academy of Digital Dentistry, focusing on improving the knowledge of dental professionals through digital tools and workflows. He is also a silver member of the prestigious group Styleitaliano, an ambassador for Slow Dentistry Global Network®, as well as a global ambassador for empowerment and outreach organistaions: The Humble Smile Foundation, The Dental Wellness Trust and Greenviu.
Adult orthodontics plays an integral role in his minimally invasive practice. Dr. Bowes develops and teaches courses for removable adult orthodontics to both local and international groups. He also teaches Aesthetic and Restorative courses for the Implant and Aesthetic Academy (IAA). He has lectured extensively in Southern Africa and internationally, on all aspects of Aesthetic and Complex Restorative Dentistry, and is the clinical director for the Diploma in Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry, which he started in 2022 – the first of its kind in South Africa.
Dr Mark Bowes has lectured extensively in South Africa and internationally on aesthetic, restorative and digital dentistry, sharing both clinical techniques and the broader treatment philosophies that underpin his work.
His teaching has covered areas including Digital Smile Design, minimally invasive dentistry, interdisciplinary treatment planning and advanced restorative care, with a strong emphasis on translating complex concepts into practical clinical application.
Mark is also a World Digital Smile Design Master & Instructor and a registered speaker for the International Team for Implantology (ITI), reflecting his longstanding involvement in postgraduate education and professional development within dentistry.
Alongside his clinical and teaching work, Dr Mark Bowes has played an active role in the development of aesthetic, restorative and digital dentistry through professional organisations, scientific leadership and international collaboration.
His roles and contributions include:
His experience includes:
Founder & Past President, South African Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry (SAAAD) Founded in 2010 to support education and advancement in aesthetic dentistry in South Africa.
Founder & President, Digital Dentistry Society of South Africa (DDSSA) Established in 2018 to support greater understanding and adoption of digital dentistry and workflows.
Congress Chairman, IFED World Meeting, Cape Town 2015 Mark led the Cape Town meeting hosted by SAAAD, where he was serving as SAAAD President.
Scientific Chairman, South African Dental Association (SADA), 2016–2022
Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists since 1997.
Founding Member & Scientific Committee Member, European Academy of Digital Dentistry
Member, StyleItaliano Contributing to an international community focused on practical, predictable restorative dentistry.
Together, these roles reflect a career that has extended beyond clinical practice into education, professional development and the wider advancement of modern dentistry.
Mentorship has become an important part of Dr Mark Bowes’ contribution to dental education.
Through postgraduate teaching, hands-on training and ongoing professional development, he works with clinicians to build greater confidence in diagnosis, treatment planning and the management of more complex restorative and aesthetic cases.
His approach to mentorship goes beyond demonstrating techniques. The focus is on helping dentists understand why a particular treatment is appropriate, how different disciplines fit together, and how to make clinical decisions that are both predictable and patient-specific.
For Mark, developing better clinicians means encouraging thoughtful planning, continual learning and a more comprehensive approach to care.
