Creating a calming environment for our patients

Preparing for the project

My motivation to set up a new clinic was to be able to implement all of the ideas I had gathered and developed while working as an associate to give the best experience to my patients.

The main goal was to make the practice feel as little like a dental practice as possible so that we could create a calming environment for our patients, allowing them to feel relaxed and at home. At the same time, I wanted to offer them the latest technology and the best quality of care.

My main worry was having to run the practice and everything that involves, as well as giving patients my undivided attention as well. The project took me a long time to prepare for, financially. Mentally, it was going through the pandemic that gave me the extra push to chase my dreams – because nothing was guaranteed.

From the very first conversation that I had with Matt Rowlingson from Clark Dental, I was really impressed with the service that I received and how bespoke things could be for the practice that I was building. The communication was always great and that gave me the confidence that, even after the project was finished with regards to aftercare and the maintenance side of things, I would be looked after.

Decision making around equipment

I had an idea of the equipment I wanted as I was lucky enough to have trialled some in the practice that I was working in as an associate. Then it was a case of me finding the best and the very latest versions of that equipment. Clark Dental helped me in my decisions to ensure I was choosing the right solutions for my own practice – the advice from the team was always bespoke, taking my unique needs into account at all stages.

The Axano treatment centre has taken intuition to the next level for a dental chair. I am still being amazed by the new features that it has. And, from a style perspective, it wows every patient that comes in. It is also practical and comfortable for the patient, which are incredibly important requirements.

I have had previous experience using the x-ray systems that I chose, and the team at Clark Dental offered advice and recommendations with regards to the specific models (Dentsply Sirona Xios Supreme digital x-ray kit and Nomad hand held x-ray machine) to allow me to meet the needs of the practice. Similarly, I was familiar with autoclaves and handpieces from W&H, and Clark Dental helped me to decide on the specific models.

The installation process was smooth and it was good to get to know the engineers during the process. I found it very interesting, they were great at explaining things – and I was able to take great progress pictures along the way which was helpful.

Reflecting on the experience

I was quite lucky as to not come across major challenges during the project, it went very smoothly. I believe this was a credit to Clark Dental – always being at the end of the phone and being flexible with my working day, especially considering that we were a busy clinic with patients every day. I had found it much more manageable than anticipated to balance these two sides of my work.

I definitely met my main goal with this project. It makes me happy every time I have a patient that comes in and gives feedback. Patients don’t feel like they’ve come to the dentist, and describe how relaxed they feel. I have also received feedback from other dentists who come and visit the practice to do training, who are also wowed by the quality of the equipment that we have. To them, everything looks and feels very premium which is fantastic.

Opening my new clinic has allowed me to create the work life balance which was difficult to achieve without having my own business. It has also given me an insight into the workings of owning and running a practice rather than solely clinical work. And I have been able to meet some really nice and helpful people in the industry.

My advice to others would be that, when you are creating a project like this, it’s important to build life-long relationships. This is because it’s not just a case of once you’ve built the practice that’s it, there is a lot of maintenance and things that might potentially go wrong. So, you need to be comfortable and feel safe that who you’ve chosen to work with are going to be able to deliver the aftercare that you may need.

I would definitely recommend Clark Dental, and when I opened up my second site, there was no question as to who I was going to use to install the equipment and support me there.

For more information call Clark Dental on 01268 733 146, email

info@clarkdental.co.uk or visit www.clarkdental.co.uk

Author:

Dr Teki Sowdani is the owner of and principal dentist at Teeth by Teki, a private aesthetic clinic in Islington which focusses on elevating patient care. Over the past 10 years, Teki has built his experience, skills, and social media presence, providing Invisalign and composite bonding to his patients.