Peter Walter Smith, who featured in Vital in 2012 in From spare room to superman (summer issue), is celebrating two milestones this year: his 80th birthday and 65 years in the dental profession.

Peter is the owner of Acodent Dental Laboratory in Little Lever, Bolton, the UK's largest independent dental laboratory, which employs over 90 people.

Turning 80 on 31 May 2013, Peter said: ‘Over the years my biggest contribution to dentistry is probably the hundreds of people I have trained to do the job properly. I gain satisfaction from seeing these people develop – some moving on to start their own laboratories – and keeping the client happy, the company profitable, keeping an eye on the staff's interest in the company and trying to be sure we are running a “happy ship”’.

According to his colleagues, Peter still has the commitment and energy of a 21-year-old. His aims for the future are to see the laboratory continue to produce the best possible dental appliances and services for dentists and patients; to open first class dental surgeries on-site for dentists to bring their patients; and with their state-of-the-art equipment, to maintain the lab's high standing in the dental community.