How I did it Dr Raluca Mihoc of Poole Dental Practice explains how a little determination can go a long way!

Background

I completed my MSc degree and PhD at University College London in 2007. I then went back to Romania to work for a couple of years before returning to the UK in 2010 with the intention of setting up my own practice. It was then that I joined forces with my business partner Dr George Michalos, and together we set about trying to find the ideal location to set up our ideal dental practice.

When it came to the choice of location, I knew I wanted to live and work in Poole as I had lived there for 6 months a few years before while my husband was training to be a neurosurgeon. From experience then I knew I liked the location and I felt comfortable in the environment. George was also keen to work in the area so we set about looking at many different practices that were for sale before settling on our final location on the high street.

Though the practice is on the first floor, we were both very keen to move in as the price and location were great and we both saw the fantastic potential that the building had to offer. This was because in its original state the practice only had a single surgery, but it had lots of space. Our aim then was to take advantage of the space available to fit more surgeries while at the same time modernising the whole building, and adding some much needed light to the dark and out-dated design.

Neither George nor myself had a specific ‘vision’ as such for the final practice – we just knew about the space we had available and how we wanted the rooms to be set out. This was because our aim initially was to fit out two complete surgeries, with a third set up and ready for the equipment to be brought in once we had enough patients.

Getting started

Before we started with the project, very early one we decided how we wanted the rooms set out, and the walls we would need to put in to set the practice out how we wanted it. 

The main thing I remember about the original practice was just how old it was. Everything was just so dark, and the surgery that was there was spacious but very out-dated, with carpets on the floor, and very little natural light. The first thing we did then was bring in builders to set about laying out the building as we planned it. This process took about two months in total, clearing everything out, adding in the extra walls, putting in all the necessary plumbing and wiring and so forth.

While this was going on we spoke to a number of different companies to see which company could best help us modernise our practice and give us all the help and support we would needed. We spoke to a great many companies, asking them essentially ‘what can you give us?’ and ‘what can you do to help us?’

In the end we decided to work with Clark Dental, as they came highly recommended to us, and were able to meet all our needs in terms of setting up the two surgeries, plus preparing the third room for an additional surgery at a later date.

The whole process was very smooth. The team came in with plans and together we agreed on how we wanted everything laid out, and they then installed the two surgeries to our exact specifications, along with a sterilisation room and all the fittings necessary to prepare the third surgery.

We chose our equipment based on recommendation mainly, though my business partner George did visit the BDTA exhibition to get some ideas on the sorts of things that might work well in our practice, such as our superb A-Dec dental units.

One of the most useful pieces of equipment we have invested in has been the Nomad portable x-ray system. Because we were starting with two surgeries with a third to be installed in the future, we opted for the Nomad as it allows us to move it easily between surgeries, rather than having a large, bulky unit that’s fixed in one place. I must say it’s definitely been worth the investment, as it means we don’t waste patients’ time, and it also means that we don’t need another x-ray when we do finally come to use the third surgery. Overall I’ve been very impressed with the unit, and it’s been an excellent purchase.

Setbacks

As with any project of this kind I think there’s always going to be some sort of difficulty along the way, whether it be in terms of finance, planning, regulation or whatever else may spring up. In our particular case we had a major problem with the roof, which brought about significant delays to the project. The main problem that as a first floor premises, we weren’t sure if the roof was going to collapse in on us, so we needed to have full investigations carried out, both for our own peace of mind, and also in order to make sure we met the building regulations. Though this did set us back a little bit in our plan, the builders were absolutely great, and we managed to resolve the problem with as little difficulty as we could have expected.

The project complete

To fully appreciate the change that’s come over Poole Dental Practice you really need to understand just how old and dark the original building was. The practice was at least twenty or thirty years old when we bought it and in that time very little work had been done to it. Now the project is complete however it’s like working in a completely new environment! The old patients who come here are really impressed with the changes that have taken place. Before the project the space was there in the building, but it was a very dark and unfriendly place, with old paintings and a couch in the waiting room. Now it’s bright and airy. In fact it’s absolutely beautiful. The patients really are amazed by what we have achieved, and both George and I find it is a much nicer place for us to work. Everything now is so up-to-date, coming in to work is a pleasure.

Lessons learnt

Over the course of the project, we’ve learnt quite a lot. For a start you have to have a very clear mind about what you want to achieve. Unless you do this it can be very easy for your budget to start to escalate and things will soon get out of control. Before you start you should also make sure you have good references for all the contractors you use such as builders and equipment suppliers. For me this is really important, as it means you know you can rely on the people you are using to help you with your project. References really are very important!

Organisation and planning are also very important. You also need to be flexible enough to understand that sometimes, things will come up along the way that you just can’t prepare for. Our problem with the roof is one such example of this. If you find yourself in a situation like this you’ve just got to keep on going and not let these little problems hold you back.

With hard work and determination, you can achieve everything you desire for your dental practice. From my own experience with Poole Dental Practice I can definitely say all the hard work was worth it. I am now very much looking forward to opening our third surgery in the coming year!

For more information call Clark Dental on 01268 733 146, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.clarkdental.co.uk