2020 - Dentistry

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW Highlighting best practice

to be appreciated by my patients and, quite often, only advice or reassurance over the phone is required rather than an actual appointment. Living relatively close to Forest Dental, I am able to open the practice at weekends and evenings for emergencies as and when needed. I am keen to ensure that my patients are well cared for and not left in discomfort. In an area such as Loughton, which has many dental practices in a two-mile radius, we feel that this level of service differentiates us from the competition. As a mother of two, my working day has to fit in around my other priorities. Although the hours I offer are limited – we are open four days a week – the attention I provide to my patients is unlimited. Through the 24-hour call monitoring, swift personal call-backs to patients and opening for emergency appointments, we have all bases covered. We are proud to have received the highest possible scores from our periodic reviews by the CQC and continually strive to retain this level of rating. We provide a responsive and tailored service to our patients, including regular visits to the laboratories that we use for patient work to discuss with the technicians the specifics of each individual case. Forest Dental uses local laboratories as far as possible for patient work as we are committed to supporting local businesses. Limited hours, unlimited attention

We are passionate about keeping up to date with the latest techniques and innovations

I only recruit motivated and talented people. Forest Dental’s current nurse, Victoria May, provides a vital chairside role in the overall patient experience and, coming from a Harley Street practice, understands the need for clinical excellence. Approximately five years ago we decided to replace our receptionist with a virtual PA company. This change was implemented to enable us to provide a 24-hour service to patients. Our virtual PA company answers calls throughout the day and night and then forwards a consolidated list to me detailing which patients have called and providing me with a brief summary of the reason for their call. I personally return each and every one of these calls, which enables me to prioritise, discerning whether a same-day emergency appointment is needed or if the issue is more routine in nature. This approach seems 24-hour service

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We feel that our level of personalised service differentiates us from the competition

“ Cosmetic improvement of a dark front tooth involving root canal treatment, teeth whitening, porcelain crown (with bespoke lab shade matching)

42 | FOREST DENTAL LOUGHTON