It’s hard to believe that this year marks 10 years since I took over at Grosvenor Dental Practice. Although it’s a cliché, the years genuinely have flown by. I look back now and am grateful for how both the practice team and patients welcomed me and immediately made me feel part of the community.
Building on Strong Foundations
I took over a fantastic team that had built a great reputation and trust with the people it served. It was important for me to maintain that faith and make sure that moving forward we always focus on patients. My vision was to move the practice forward, to offer a wider range of treatments and modernise the practice while respecting its 100-year heritage.
The most significant aspect of all that I inherited was the staff, with a wealth of experience and years of relationships built with the patients. I am proud to say that we still have the core of that team at the practice, while others moved on to pursue careers as varied as general adult healthcare and veterinary nursing! Last year we tragically lost one of the practice’s most recognisable and longest-serving team members when Heather passed away after a short illness. She remains deeply missed by both the team and our patients
Relationships That Last
Over 10 years at Grosvenor I have built great relationships with patients of all ages. From patients who first visited after researching me online, to children who are now adults starting careers and families of their own. Serving a population for a decade is a real privilege, watching families grow and flourish, and treating three and even four generations of the same family! I thank all my patients for their trust and loyalty over the years.
How Dentistry Has Changed
A decade is a long time in dentistry, although the core of what we offer remains the same –the responsibility of improving our patients’ health and giving genuine advice and guidance so they can make the most of their smile. The tools and technology we have available to us has changed a great deal, we’ve moved from an analogue world to a digital one with small Xray films replaced with computerised displays, and traditional messy dental impressions replaced with a versatile digital scanner which creates 3D models of the mouth in minutes.
Hand in hand with these innovations has come a wider range of treatments we can offer, with new cosmetic options such as teeth straightening, Invisalign and composite bonding, and more complex treatments being offered in house – complex root canals and dental implants. All of this allows us to offer patients more comprehensive care and – more importantly- that continuity of care with a team they are familiar with and trust.
Evolving the Practice
Visitors to the practice over the years will have noticed changes and improvements to the surgeries with new dental chairs and layouts that make the most of the beautiful Victorian building and creating a more calming treatment environment, and most recently the newly refurbished reception and waiting areas helping to make the practice more welcoming and comfortable.
Like many healthcare settings, the COVID pandemic brought huge challenges and uncertainty for the practice. Despite this, I was continually reminded how lucky I am to work alongside such a supportive team and care for such loyal and understanding patients.
The Rewards of Practice Ownership
Owning a dental practice is about far more than teeth. Over the last 10 years I’ve come to appreciate how much trust patients place in us, often at vulnerable moments in their lives. Whether it’s helping somebody out of pain, restoring confidence in their smile, or supporting nervous patients through treatment, it never stops being rewarding.
I’ve also taken great pride in building a practice culture centred around kindness, honesty and continuity. Watching team members grow professionally, while maintaining the friendly atmosphere patients know and trust, has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of the journey.
Looking Ahead
While dentistry and technology will continue to evolve, the values at the heart of Grosvenor Dental Practice remain the same — putting patients first, building lasting relationships and creating a welcoming environment for everyone who walks through the door.
I feel incredibly grateful for the support, trust and loyalty shown to me and the team over the last 10 years, and I’m excited to see what the next chapter brings.
