The Dental Surgery is pleased to announce that one of our fantastic dentists, Simon Nocton will be one of the speakers at the Dentistry LIVE event held on 7-8 June 2013 at the QEII Conference Centre, London in the heart of Westminster. Simon will be running the session on GP + Implantology = Revenue, Personal Development and Business Sense.

“If you want to learn about cutting edge methods, approaches and technologies in all fields then Dentistry LIVE is where you, and your colleagues, should be.

Offering 16 hours CPD and your core subjects covered this year with our CPD Essentials track meaning your whole year’s CPD requirement is covered across the two days.”

Click here to view Simon’s info on the Dentistry LIVE website

• Qualified as a dentist in 1987.
• Following 4 years in training roles in London Teaching Hospitals as an Oral Surgeon, began role in Private dental practice in the City of London in 1991, whilst keeping a part time teaching position for the next 10 years to Undergraduates at Guy’s Hospital.
• He first studied implant dentistry in 1990 and undertook a year’s implant study course in 1992, placing his first implant in general practice at that time.
  Simon has lectured widely on aesthetic and restorative dentistry in Europe and the UK.
• Since then Simon was one of the first in the UK to be awarded an ITI bursary in 1995 to study at the University of Freiburg.
• He now runs a successful referral only practice for both the placement and restoration of implants.
• As a member of the ADI and an Educator for the ITI he also mentors and gives guidance at his practice.
• Away from dentistry Simon is married with 2 children and has a smallholding in Kent breeding pedigree Dexter cattle.

Once again I am hauling my ageing body around the streets of London  - yes that time again for the London Marathon.

As always I am running this in support for the breast cancer campaign.

This is the main Charity that I support, this is the disease of our generation, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t directly or indirectly been affected by it.

I would be grateful for your support. Please click here to view my fundraising page

Back in 1998 The Dental Surgery was located in Plantation House, a landmark City building, and the owners British Land plc decided to redevelop the site (Plantation Place). This gave us an opportunity to relocate and redevelop and, after a lengthy process of viewing and negotiations, we decided to relocate to the Corn Exchange.

The Corn Exchange is a very special building; it has been the backdrop for countless films, television programmes and music videos. The Gwyneth Paltrow film Sliding Doors, for example, was filmed here and the glass elevators that lead to our surgery were used in one of the major scenes. It’s an iconic building; a special, unique place, unlike other sites it had parking inside and outside the building, which is ideal for the patients who have more sophisticated dentistry.

We actually decided to remodel and renovate The Dental Surgery four years ago, when the space next to our Corn Exchange offices became available. We had outgrown our offices as they were. We both felt we could and needed to improve on what we had, again for us, for the team and for the patient journey. The space next door was ideal for us as it had good lighting and, being adjacent, we thought it would marry easily into our existing space.

Then followed four very frustrating years of negotiations with our landlords – and many thousands of pounds – to successfully gain a lease for the new space. The landlords were incredibly difficult and didn’t appreciate that the only person who the space was of any interest to was us. They also ignored the fact that the biggest recession for 80 years was in full flow! We are incredibly grateful to our main negotiator Colin Hargreaves and our lawyers Rochman Landau for the deal that was finally struck.

Once we finally resolved terms, which eventually worked out very favourably for us, we were able to commence the planning and design stage of the process.

The big issues when you’re in a City building revolve around landlords and consent, which aren’t particularly difficult to organise but they can be frustratingly slow to resolve. In our case, it took about six to eight weeks to obtain authorisation. We surrendered our existing lease in April 2011 and took a new 15-year lease on the combined space.

The building work started in June 2011 and was effectively completed in January 2012. We benefited from having a very familiar team to work with – we’ve known Mark Wheatstone and Darren Hare of The Dental Directory for 20 years. They’ve helped us with four major projects in that time, including the build and fit-out of seven surgeries in 1991 in Plantation House and the initial 11-surgery build when we first moved to the Corn Exchange in 1998. During this time we’ve all developed both personally and professionally and, in a sense, grown up together. This brings an understanding and trust with mutual respect that would be impossible to put a value on. Also, the rest of the 1998 team were on board: Robert Bird, the design and project manager, and Clive Thomas and his team at Oakleys, who were the builders.

The look and feel of the new practice evolved over time and was very much a team effort, as indeed everything is here. In particular, our Practice Manager Bridget McGrade was heavily involved in the whole process and we’re very grateful for her dedication and hard work in making it happen as smoothly as it did. Andrew Robinson at Mindcorp, our marketing and PR company, also had considerable input on the new style and branding.
 
More than anything, we did not want the premises to look like ‘a dental surgery’, so we introduced beautiful thick, curved marble walls in the reception area and waiting room. Smooth on one side, and textured on the other. The ‘leaves’ theme continues throughout the practice, including our new stationery. As for the colour scheme, there’s a nice contrast between the earthy, neutral shades in the main areas and the blue theme that we’ve introduced in the dentists’ and hygienists’ rooms.

We’ve also updated the staff uniforms. Before, we had green for the dentists and mauve for the hygienists. Now, we’re all wearing the same blue coloured uniforms so there’s no demarcation between staff members, emphasising that we’re all part of the same team.

As previously mentioned, our first project at the Corn Exchange was a completely new build – it was literally an office space with no walls – whereas this time we were looking at a refurbishment, but that is actually more difficult to do. We were integrating a lot of new space, but we still had to work within the constraints of what was already there. Plus, we wanted to do it all properly – not just glossy fronts for the patients, we wanted it to look right ‘behind the scenes’ as well.

As we saw it, the difficulty was twofold. Firstly, marrying the old and the new together seamlessly and, secondly, how to keep functioning as a dental practice during the project. We addressed the first point by redoing the whole of the existing premises and, through strict organisation and the support of our wonderful patients, successfully managed the second point: we didn’t close down for a single day.

We really do have the nicest patients in the world; they took a genuine interest in what we were trying to achieve and it made the transition so much easier. We set up a temporary waiting room in what is now our administration area and we’ve had nothing but positive feedback from our patients about the new-look practice.

A major criticism we had of our old operation was that everyone had to enter and exit the practice through the same door. Added to this, the reception area and waiting room were in very close proximity. As a result, it could get very busy, sometimes seeming like grand central station. Patients were able to hear conversations about financial matters and treatment issues as they sat in the waiting area– absolutely not the ‘first impression’ we wanted to achieve.

The original layout had one long corridor which completely divided the dental surgeries and hygienists’ areas – literally splitting the team – and was one of the priority areas to rectify.

Now, we have a much better flow where patients come in, are welcomed at reception and they relax in the waiting area. We have a greeting team who can help with any queries and make sure that patients are comfortable and kept informed, telling them if the practitioner is running on time, for example. Patients are called, collected from the main meet and greet area by their dentist or hygienist and, upon completion of the appointment, delivered to the main administration area, where further appointments are made, monies collected and so on, in a more private area.

We’ve added a separate door for our team members to access the new staff room, which means they can go on their break or exit the practice without passing through the waiting room or reception. Their coats and bags are there, so patients aren’t disturbed by any bustle, or see the team without their uniform on, allowing us to maintain a very professional image at all times.

The refurbishment enabled us to gain three extra surgeries taking us up to 14; all of which had to be visually high impact and aesthetic as well as functional and compliant with industry regulations. Each surgery also has the latest equipment, such as remote controlled cameras, as well as strips of blue lighting that not only fits the new theme but also gives a feeling of daylight.

We have a separate room dedicated to our state-of-the-art CT scanner and we’re very proud of our new central sterilising and disinfecting area, which is potentially one of the best in the country. It’s all about getting the staff and the systems right.

There were relatively few companies involved in the project and that suited us very well. We dealt with the financial side ourselves and the rest of it just flowed because we’ve established such good working relationships with our contacts.

Our accountants and lawyers advised us to borrow part of the funding because the interest rates have been so low for so long. It was the first time we’ve borrowed money and our bank was delighted. The overall cost was around a million pounds and the bank loan funded half of that.

We quickly adapted to our new surroundings. There was no need to change any systems or structures, apart from taking on new members of staff. We appointed a new receptionist, two more members of the central sterilising area, a hygienist and a half dentist (three additional days of dentistry).

Looking back at the project, although we are very pleased with the outcome, there are a few things we would do differently. Closer monitoring of the cost and timeline, for example, to reduce surprises and frustrations, and managing expectations – we thought it’d be quicker to accomplish.

Overall, however, we’re incredibly proud of our staff and their behaviour, attitude and response both during the project and afterwards. We’ve seen them grow dramatically, getting involved and taking ownership and we can tell how much they want the practice to grow, improve and succeed. Some of the team members have been here for 20 years and they still managed to surprise and impress us.

We have worked together at The Dental Surgery for 20 years and we both aspire to be the very best in our profession. We have shared ethics and morals, which we hold as very sacred and have been lucky enough build a team around us that share these qualities. Currently, we not only have a team of 40 staff that we’re very proud of, but also a physical practice that has no peers. In fact, it has been suggested by someone in the profession that ours is probably the best practice in the UK.

The Dental Surgery is our legacy. However, the journey is not yet finished. We continually want to develop for ourselves, for the team and especially for our amazing patients.

Authors: Shaun Smith and Simon Nocton, Partners at The Dental Surgery

Shaun Smith graduated from Otago (New Zealand) in 1983 and joined The Dental Surgery in 1989. With extensive experience and post-graduate education in most areas of dentistry, his special areas of interest are the management of complicated restorative cases, stress-related dental problems and difficult cosmetic cases.

Simon Nocton qualified in 1987 and received the fellowship of Dental Implantology in 1992. He previously combined teaching at Guy’s Dental Hospital and private practice, but now maintains one of the leading implant referral practices in the UK and lectures nationally and internationally on all aspects of implant dentistry.

For more information simply contact your local Dental Directory Representative, call 0800 585 586, or alternatively visit:
www.dental-directory.co.uk.

The Daily Mail has recently interview one of our dentist, Simon Nocton, at our award winning practice at the Corn Exchange in the city of London EC3.

Simon Nocton is one of the United Kingdom’s leading Implantologists with over 20 years of experience in placing implants.  “Oh how implant dentistry has changed – it has advanced from being peripheral to main stream dentistry to becoming an essential tool for the replacement of missing teeth”

As Simon discusses, implant and cosmetic dentistry was once seen as only the preserve of the rich and famous. As with all advances in medical science this aspect of dentistry is at an interesting time in its development. “One of the unexpected change in this area of dentistry is how Implantology is diverging and becoming somewhat polarized – those people and dentists who pursue the most faithful reproduction of nature with the replacement of individual teeth, and those that simply want to be rid of the difficulties of teeth – and opt for the wholesale removal of multiple teeth; appealing as this may sound I am sure this approach is full of problems stored up for the future.”

While Simon, few of his patients know the 48 year old as Dr Nocton, gives a guided tour of their state of the art clinic, it is clear that he knows not only his dentistry, but also with his team, understands the Psychology that goes with such an intimate science. “Looking after our patient is such a great privilege, all of our team get to know the patients well, understanding both their needs and even the strange yet important social stigma of loosing teeth.”

The clinic is one of the most modern in the UK and whilst busy, somehow retains an air of calmness.  As treatment co-ordinator Danielle Venning, who has the responsibility of greeting and later discussing and unraveling some of the journey that makes up tooth replacement explains “the whole patient experience that makes Simon’s treatment different to many, his empathy as much as his expertise was the reason why my own Mother opted to travel from Edinburgh to London for her treatment.”  However Danielle has also has a air of calm that reflects the clinics understated elegance.

Beneath the crisp and calm veneer of this dental practice lies a high tech approach. “As we teach and mentor dentist from our practice operating at the cutting edge of technology with all the latest techniques and 3 dimensional imaging is not only helpful for us as surgeons but it provides enormous benefits to our patients in terms of predictability of treatment whilst ensuring the most appropriate of options are offered.

As Simon leaves to treat his next patient, I hear laughter from within his surgery, a rare but welcome sign that there is something different about The Dental Surgery.

Authors: Shaun Smith and Simon Nocton, Partners at The Dental Surgery

Shaun Smith graduated from Otago (New Zealand) in 1983 and joined The Dental Surgery in 1989. With extensive experience and post-graduate education in most areas of dentistry, his special areas of interest are the management of complicated restorative cases, stress-related dental problems and difficult cosmetic cases.

Simon Nocton qualified in 1987 and received the fellowship of Dental Implantology in 1992. He previously combined teaching at Guy’s Dental Hospital and private practice, but now maintains one of the leading implant referral practices in the UK and lectures nationally and internationally on all aspects of implant dentistry.

How We Did It Article

We have always believed in striving to be the best that we can, for us, for the patients and for the whole team. This requires us to continually invest in education, technology and staff training. In 1989 The Dental Surgery was a run down two-man NHS practice, today it is “possibly the best practice in the UK” with 14 surgeries, 30,000 private patients, and 200+ new patients a month! This growth was achieved without a marketing campaign, with the exception of one of the first dental websites, www.thedentalsurgery.co.uk (1997). We think the numbers prove that our approach is right, which is to treat people with respect and dignity, treating them with the best of ethics and morals, whilst communicating the need, implications and costs of the treatment transparently.

Back in 1998 The Dental Surgery was located in Plantation House, a landmark City building, and the owners British Land plc decided to redevelop the site (Plantation Place). This gave us an opportunity to relocate and redevelop and, after a lengthy process of viewing and negotiations, we decided to relocate to the Corn Exchange.

The Corn Exchange is a very special building; it has been the backdrop for countless films, television programmes and music videos. The Gwyneth Paltrow film Sliding Doors, for example, was filmed here and the glass elevators that lead to our surgery were used in one of the major scenes. It’s an iconic building; a special, unique place, unlike other sites it had parking inside and outside the building, which is ideal for the patients who have more sophisticated dentistry.

We actually decided to remodel and renovate The Dental Surgery four years ago, when the space next to our Corn Exchange offices became available. We had outgrown our offices as they were. We both felt we could and needed to improve on what we had, again for us, for the team and for the patient journey. The space next door was ideal for us as it had good lighting and, being adjacent, we thought it would marry easily into our existing space.

Then followed four very frustrating years of negotiations with our landlords – and many thousands of pounds – to successfully gain a lease for the new space. The landlords were incredibly difficult and didn’t appreciate that the only person who the space was of any interest to was us. They also ignored the fact that the biggest recession for 80 years was in full flow! We are incredibly grateful to our main negotiator Colin Hargreaves and our lawyers Rochman Landau for the deal that was finally struck.

Once we finally resolved terms, which eventually worked out very favourably for us, we were able to commence the planning and design stage of the process.

The big issues when you’re in a City building revolve around landlords and consent, which aren’t particularly difficult to organise but they can be frustratingly slow to resolve. In our case, it took about six to eight weeks to obtain authorisation. We surrendered our existing lease in April 2011 and took a new 15-year lease on the combined space.

The building work started in June 2011 and was effectively completed in January 2012. We benefited from having a very familiar team to work with – we’ve known Mark Wheatstone and Darren Hare of The Dental Directory for 20 years. They’ve helped us with four major projects in that time, including the build and fit-out of seven surgeries in 1991 in Plantation House and the initial 11-surgery build when we first moved to the Corn Exchange in 1998. During this time we’ve all developed both personally and professionally and, in a sense, grown up together. This brings an understanding and trust with mutual respect that would be impossible to put a value on. Also, the rest of the 1998 team were on board: Robert Bird, the design and project manager, and Clive Thomas and his team at Oakleys, who were the builders.

The look and feel of the new practice evolved over time and was very much a team effort, as indeed everything is here. In particular, our Practice Manager Bridget McGrade was heavily involved in the whole process and we’re very grateful for her dedication and hard work in making it happen as smoothly as it did. Andrew Robinson at Mindcorp, our marketing and PR company, also had considerable input on the new style and branding.
 
More than anything, we did not want the premises to look like ‘a dental surgery’, so we introduced beautiful thick, curved marble walls in the reception area and waiting room. Smooth on one side, and textured on the other. The ‘leaves’ theme continues throughout the practice, including our new stationery. As for the colour scheme, there’s a nice contrast between the earthy, neutral shades in the main areas and the blue theme that we’ve introduced in the dentists’ and hygienists’ rooms.

We’ve also updated the staff uniforms. Before, we had green for the dentists and mauve for the hygienists. Now, we’re all wearing the same blue coloured uniforms so there’s no demarcation between staff members, emphasising that we’re all part of the same team.

As previously mentioned, our first project at the Corn Exchange was a completely new build – it was literally an office space with no walls – whereas this time we were looking at a refurbishment, but that is actually more difficult to do. We were integrating a lot of new space, but we still had to work within the constraints of what was already there. Plus, we wanted to do it all properly – not just glossy fronts for the patients, we wanted it to look right ‘behind the scenes’ as well.

As we saw it, the difficulty was twofold. Firstly, marrying the old and the new together seamlessly and, secondly, how to keep functioning as a dental practice during the project. We addressed the first point by redoing the whole of the existing premises and, through strict organisation and the support of our wonderful patients, successfully managed the second point: we didn’t close down for a single day.

We really do have the nicest patients in the world; they took a genuine interest in what we were trying to achieve and it made the transition so much easier. We set up a temporary waiting room in what is now our administration area and we’ve had nothing but positive feedback from our patients about the new-look practice.

A major criticism we had of our old operation was that everyone had to enter and exit the practice through the same door. Added to this, the reception area and waiting room were in very close proximity. As a result, it could get very busy, sometimes seeming like grand central station. Patients were able to hear conversations about financial matters and treatment issues as they sat in the waiting area– absolutely not the ‘first impression’ we wanted to achieve.

The original layout had one long corridor which completely divided the dental surgeries and hygienists’ areas – literally splitting the team – and was one of the priority areas to rectify.

Now, we have a much better flow where patients come in, are welcomed at reception and they relax in the waiting area. We have a greeting team who can help with any queries and make sure that patients are comfortable and kept informed, telling them if the practitioner is running on time, for example. Patients are called, collected from the main meet and greet area by their dentist or hygienist and, upon completion of the appointment, delivered to the main administration area, where further appointments are made, monies collected and so on, in a more private area.

We’ve added a separate door for our team members to access the new staff room, which means they can go on their break or exit the practice without passing through the waiting room or reception. Their coats and bags are there, so patients aren’t disturbed by any bustle, or see the team without their uniform on, allowing us to maintain a very professional image at all times.

The refurbishment enabled us to gain three extra surgeries taking us up to 14; all of which had to be visually high impact and aesthetic as well as functional and compliant with industry regulations. Each surgery also has the latest equipment, such as remote controlled cameras, as well as strips of blue lighting that not only fits the new theme but also gives a feeling of daylight.

We have a separate room dedicated to our state-of-the-art CT scanner and we’re very proud of our new central sterilising and disinfecting area, which is potentially one of the best in the country. It’s all about getting the staff and the systems right.

There were relatively few companies involved in the project and that suited us very well. We dealt with the financial side ourselves and the rest of it just flowed because we’ve established such good working relationships with our contacts.

Our accountants and lawyers advised us to borrow part of the funding because the interest rates have been so low for so long. It was the first time we’ve borrowed money and our bank was delighted. The overall cost was around a million pounds and the bank loan funded half of that.

We quickly adapted to our new surroundings. There was no need to change any systems or structures, apart from taking on new members of staff. We appointed a new receptionist, two more members of the central sterilising area, a hygienist and a half dentist (three additional days of dentistry).

Looking back at the project, although we are very pleased with the outcome, there are a few things we would do differently. Closer monitoring of the cost and timeline, for example, to reduce surprises and frustrations, and managing expectations – we thought it’d be quicker to accomplish.

Overall, however, we’re incredibly proud of our staff and their behaviour, attitude and response both during the project and afterwards. We’ve seen them grow dramatically, getting involved and taking ownership and we can tell how much they want the practice to grow, improve and succeed. Some of the team members have been here for 20 years and they still managed to surprise and impress us.

We have worked together at The Dental Surgery for 20 years and we both aspire to be the very best in our profession. We have shared ethics and morals, which we hold as very sacred and have been lucky enough build a team around us that share these qualities. Currently, we not only have a team of 40 staff that we’re very proud of, but also a physical practice that has no peers. In fact, it has been suggested by someone in the profession that ours is probably the best practice in the UK.

The Dental Surgery is our legacy. However, the journey is not yet finished. We continually want to develop for ourselves, for the team and especially for our amazing patients.

• Virtually all adults (99.7%) believe a smile is an important social asset
• Ninety six percent of adults believe an attractive smile makes a person more appealing
• Three quarters of adults (74%) feel an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chance for career success

AACD National Survey
Andrew Mckamie DDS, Editorial board member, Dental Product Shopper
Teeth whitening – a brilliant idea Oct 2010

It’s that time of year; Christmas shopping; the time when we wonder what we are going to get for loved ones or even a Christmas treat for ourselves.
Why not give the gift of a winning smile this Christmas.
At The Dental Surgery we are offering vouchers for our three  most popular whitening treatments

• Professional in-office whitening Zoom 2: £450
• Professional home whitening with custom trays: £295
• Combined Zoom 2 and l home whitening: £550

If you want to give a great smile to someone you love this christmas, pick up our special christmas whitening gift vouchers. Either pick them up in surgery or order them over the phone.

The Dental Surgery christmas gift vouchers are enough to put a smile on anybody’s face!

Contact us on 020 7680 1800 to order yours today.

Dental emergencies are what bring even the most reluctant person to our Dental Surgery, here at the Corn Exchange, Mark Lane. Among the many different types of dental emergencies, pain and broken teeth are among the most common. Certainly the most appropriate course of action is to see us immediately. Since this is not always possible, we would like to provide you with measures that you could take at home to temporarily cope with a dental emergency until you can get to the dentist.

A painful tooth is most commonly caused by an untreated cavity that spreads to infect the tiny nerves and blood vessels within it. The tooth will be sensitive to cold, then hot foods or beverages, later to biting down, and finally it will begin to hurt all the time. The best way to manage this before you see one of our dentists is to avoid eating on the side of the mouth with the painful tooth. You should not have any hot, cold or sweet foods, and you should take over-the-counter pain medication. In general, the more a tooth is bothering you before you visit our dentist, the more difficult it is to treat you comfortably. So, the sooner you get to the Dental Surgery, the better.

Broken teeth are another reason that people come to the dentist. Teeth break for many different reasons. Teeth can break when eating hard foods such as pretzels or chewing ice, from trauma during an accident, or because a cavity has weakened the tooth. If you cannot get to our surgery soon, avoid eating on the side of the mouth with the broken tooth, and eliminate hot and cold food or beverages. If there is a sharp edge of the tooth that is irritating you cheek or gum, put a piece of wax or a small piece of sugarless bubble gum over it. Some pharmacies carry over the counter temporary filling material that can be placed on the broken tooth until you get to the dentist.

Always remember that broken teeth are highly susceptible to cavities and deeper infections that may require root canal therapy or extraction if treatment is delayed. Here, at The Dental Surgery we repair broken teeth as soon as possible, regardless of whether you feel pain or not. It is important that you are able to reach us quickly in the event of a dental emergency. We will always make sure that we are available to you for advice and treatment in the event of a dental emergency.

Well, if you need emergency treatment and you are in the EC1, EC2, EC3, E1 and E14 area, then you are in luck. The Dental Surgery was recently voted Dental Practice of the Year by Private Dentistry magazine.

We see all emergencies the same day and have the largest Private Dental practice in the UK. Here, at the Corn Exchange in the heart of the City, The Dental surgery offers a wide range of treatments: anything from dentistry for children to tooth whitening and implants.

Please see the links below to read more about he services we offer:

• Emergency Service
• Cosmetics
  • Tooth Whitening
  • Restoration
  • Veneers
  • Crowns
  • Missing Teeth
  • Orthodontics
  • Invisalign
• Implants
• Oral Health
  • Fresh Breath
  • Gum Disease
  • Hygienists

We are very excited to announce that The Dental Surgery has won the award at the Private Dentistry Awards. We are now officially the Most Attractive Practice of the Year 2012/2013!

The team at The Dental Surgery is extremely proud to have won this prestigious award which recognises the staff’s hard work, commitment, clinical excellence and exceptional patient care!

We would like to congratulate other winners for getting their recognition in the other categories.