Charlotte Lloyd speaks to Dental Beauty Swanley practice owner, Dev Patel, about winning Best Practice London at The Dentistry Awards 2016.
Charlotte Lloyd (CL): How do you feel to have won Best Practice London?
Dev Patel (DP): Fantastic! I am very pleased and also shocked to have won this prestigious award so soon after taking over this practice. I took over and rebranded the practice into Dental Beauty Swanley a year ago and to have won this award against long-standing, high-end practices in central London, was an amazing surprise.
All our friends, family and most importantly our patients are absolutely thrilled. Our practice would not have been such a success without the hard work of our amazing team, so I was very happy they could all share the evening with us.
CL: Did you enjoy the evening?
DP: Yes, it was a fantastic event as usual. We thoroughly enjoyed the venue, service and entertainment. Although, I have to say that this year was 10 times better than previous years, not only because we won an amazing award, but because our whole team came along with us. We always love coming to these events as they bring like-minded dental professionals together and celebrate their successes. The event has always been a great weekend away!
CL: Why did you choose to enter The Dentistry Awards?
DP: The Dentistry Awards are the largest awards ceremony in dentistry, so we had to apply! It’s a great opportunity to showcase your work to a large range of people all over the UK.
CL: What do The Dentistry Awards mean to you?
DP: The Dentistry Awards mean a lot to us. We are so grateful to have received such a prestigious award. The award means a lot to our practice and team. We are now not only recognised by our patients and peers as an award-winning practice but also, it feels good to have achieved so much in less than a year and reward our team for all their hard work.
CL: What is the secret to a successful practice?
DP: One of the most important aspects of a successful practice is the team. Having a team who understand the practice ethos and vision is essential. Investing in anything to improve patient comfort, clinical results and the overall patient experience.
Also, it is very important to ensure patients are happy and that the team goes above and beyond to ensure that this is kept consistent.
CL: What feedback have you received from your patients since winning your award?
DP: The feedback has been overwhelming! Just like us, all our patients were all very proud and happy that we won such a prestigious award. Most of them have seen the awards and felt almost like they won the award too!
CL: Have you got any advice you would like to pass onto dentists who are thinking of entering The Dentistry Awards next year?
DP: I would recommend everyone to definitely apply. The Dentistry Awards provides a great platform for all dentists to showcase the best of their work. I would advise that you make sure you leave enough time to get all the necessary documentation together and present it well. Winning an award at The Dentistry Awards is something I will always treasure so thank you very much.
