Practice Name: Lodge Dental
Equipment Sales Specialist: Robert Maxwell
Date Completed: January 2023
Most people don’t particularly look forward to going to the dentist, so we wanted to create a more appealing, comfortable and fun experience for our patients.
Lodge Dental has been providing dentistry in south Wales since 2007 with a focus on affordable dental treatments, performed by outstanding dentists and hygienists. After establishing two successful practices in Abergavenny and New Inn, we set out to try something different: to create a centre of excellence for dentistry in Wales.
With this end goal in mind, we drew up a five-year strategy that we broke down into manageable steps, along with the tactics necessary to achieve each one.
The project got underway when we purchased a three-storey Edwardian building adjacent to our existing Abergavenny practice.
We planned to gut the inside and build from scratch a state-of-the-art referral practice and training centre.
With the support of Gary Mountjoy, Robert Maxwell (Max) and Arwel Thomas from Henry Schein Dental, who had helped us equip our other practices, we planned to create a specialist referral practice and training facility that employed the latest digital dental technology.
Our aim was to encourage experienced dentists and specialists to apply to work at the practice and use the training space to showcase their skills and train others. It would also support one of our core aims of encouraging networking and building meaningful relationships in the industry.
My experience in property development convinced me that the only way to achieve a high-end result was to gut and rebuild. The COVID-19 pandemic provided the opportunity to do just that – to create an entirely different layout and achieve something special.
After obtaining planning permission and changing the registered use of the building, we used the pandemic months to carry out the majority of the work. We employed an architect and interior designer to create the new layout of the building and inspire the right look and feel for the interior, while Max from Henry Schein Dental, worked closely with us to design the new surgery layout.
We had already decided upon an L-shaped surgery design, and the team was able to incorporate this idea into some excellent designs for us.
Henry Schein Dental has an extensive range of products and the team has always offered us the best possible solutions for our practices, so it made sense for us to buy our equipment through them to create a state-of-the-art facility. This included a CBCT scanner, dental chairs and surgery equipment in addition to consumables. They also advised us on the placement of equipment, carried out the installation and organised training.
Most people don’t particularly look forward to going to the dentist, so we wanted to create a more appealing, comfortable and fun experience for our patients. We fitted our rooms with Dentsply Sirona Intego dental chairs, monitors on the wall in front of the patient and also on the ceiling. The wall monitor makes it easy for our dentists to show patients any X-rays, photographs or videos.
While the ceiling monitor shows Netflix or moving art to provide the patient with something to look at and take their mind off their treatment.
We fitted our training centre with a powerful AV system that facilitates presentations, recording and filming within the training room. Cameras can be used to livestream from the surgery onto the large 91-inch monitors in the training area, and the presenter is then able to pause the video and draw on the screen to annotate what they are doing, which creates an interactive training experience.
Lastly, it was important to us that we create a site that encourages other dentists to visit, see what we’re doing and meet other dentists. Our drive to build a community for dentists in south Wales is a large part of our wider ethos as a business and what differentiates us from other practices. We installed a coffee and cocktail bar to create a social feel to the training area.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic provided us with a window of opportunity to transform the building and create a fresh layout, it also brought its challenges.
We had to obtain planning permission, apply to change the use of the building, source all the materials and employ tradespeople throughout the various lockdowns, hampered by the many restrictions caused by the pandemic response.
The biggest challenge was having building work going on at the same time as being a functioning practice and seeing patients.
In the end, we made it possible to continue building work without closing the business by doing a lot of work at weekends and in the evenings, and by meticulous planning.
After around three years of development, our new state-of-the-art dental referral practice and training centre fully opened in January 2023.
The plan had always been to create the ideal building and install the best equipment to attract specialist dentists to the practice – and that is what happened.
We have already begun hosting study club evenings, formal training and corporate hospitality events. For one of these events, we invited a local Michelin star chef to produce a fine dining menu, offering an interesting and fun occasion that was something different in the world of dentistry.
We held our official grand opening in late spring, making use of our large car park and marquee to welcome long-standing patients and local businesses to take a look at our brand new facilities.
We also got involved in Abergavenny’s famous food festival in September, an event that draws many of the UK’s food celebrities to town.
The ongoing support from Max, Gary and Arwel means that we are able to keep updating our facilities with the latest technology. Our latest trial is the 3shape Trios 5 intraoral scanner, and who knows what will follow!
At Lodge Dental, we are committed to delivering excellence in patient care and customer service. From the moment a patient steps through our doors, they are treated as a valued member of our family.
Our ethos is grounded in a deep sense of integrity and professionalism, and we pride ourselves on maintaining the highest standards of clinical excellence.
We understand that visiting the dentist can be a daunting experience, and we strive to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that puts patients at ease. Our team of highly trained professionals is dedicated to providing personalised care and attention to every patient, ensuring they feel comfortable and confident throughout their treatment journey.
At the heart of our practice is a commitment to succeed. We are passionate about achieving the best possible outcomes for our patients, and we invest in the latest technology and techniques to ensure that we are at the forefront of our field. Whether a patient requires cosmetic dentistry, restorative dentistry, dental implants, endodontics, oral surgery, or Invisalign expertise, they can trust that they are in the best possible hands at Lodge Dental.
Above all, we are a family-run business, and we bring a sense of warmth and compassion to everything that we do. Our patients are not just numbers to us – they are individuals with their own needs and concerns, and we are honoured to be a part of their journey towards optimal oral health.
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Henry Schein UK Holdings Limited t/a Henry Schein Dental is a limited company registered in England and Wales under registration number 11584480 and VAT registration number 573778979. Its registered office is Medcare House, Centurion Close, Gillingham Business Park, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 0SB.
Henry Schein UK Holdings Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is entered on the Financial Services Register under firm reference number 708571. Henry Schein UK Holdings Limited is a credit broker and not a lender.
