Through the Keyhole--Surgery: Home

ABOUT THE DENTIST

Please introduce yourself and discuss what made you pursue a career in dentistry.
I’m David Tissera, a fully private dentist at Aura Dental in St Johns Wood. I like the hands-on aspect of dentistry that allows me to express my creativity, especially with aesthetic treatments.

What are your particular interests and skills in dentistry?
I’m interested in all aesthetic treatments, particularly anterior alignment orthodontics.

What’s your favourite procedure to carry out?
Smile makeovers.

Which university did you study at, and what qualifications do you have?
Kings College London. I also have a B.Sc. in biochemistry and physiology from Kings.

If you hadn’t become a dentist, what job do you think you would have had?
I enjoy both cooking and photography, so something within those spheres.

Who’s had the biggest influence in your career?
Dentist Chris Orr and his course in cosmetic dentistry and aesthetic restorative dentistry changed my approach to dentistry.

What could you not work without?
A pleasant and hardworking nurse.

What’s the biggest advancement you have seen in dentistry in your career?
Digital dentistry.

What would you like to see change in dentistry in the next 10 years?
Fairer indemnity fees; our European colleagues seem to have a much fairer fee structure.

What was most successful or rewarding experience in your professional life?
Starting up a private squat practice.

What’s your favourite film?
The Back to the Future trilogy.

What type of music do you listen to?
Depends on my mood, but a bit of rare groove can’t go wrong.

What would you like to see in future issues of DentaltownUK?
More CPD articles.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Do you work alongside other dentists? If so, what are their names and interests/skills?
Dr Antonio Rinaldi, endodontics and implant dentistry; Dr George Angelidakis, cosmetic dentistry; Dr Korosh Majidi, aesthetic orthodontics; Dr Golfam Khoshkhounejad, specialist orthodontist.

How many other members are on your dental team, and what are their roles
Two dental nurses, Mihaela Burden and Alma Rexha; two hygienists, Nicola Johns and Shashi Tadi; a practice manager, Leanne Carpenter; a practice administrator, Pubudu Rupasinghe; and a marketing manager, Amy Cuckoo.

What are the most important things about your team?

• Professionalism, ensuring work is carried out ethically, with integrity and dignity.
• Teamwork mentality.
• Using initiative.
• Dedication to doing the very best they can and always wanting to improve.
• Warm, caring, friendly and approachable.
• Dedication.
• Professionalism.
• Honesty.

Do you have team meetings? If so, what format do they take?

• Regular clinical meetings for clinicians to discuss patient cases.
• Weekly practice meetings for everyone to know what’s happening in other parts of the practice.
• 10-minute daily ‘huddles’ with staff to focus on the tasks and outcomes for the day.

What did you do on your most recent staff Christmas night out?

A post-clinic bottle of chocolate liqueur swiftly consumed by all, followed by dinner and drinks at our local bar, The Duke of York in St Johns Wood.

ABOUT THE PRACTICE

What’s is the name of your practice and where is it? How is it laid out— what’s the workflow like?
We have four dental suites, a decontamination room, three consultation suites, a reception/office area and a patient lounge, all set across approximately 2,500 square feet. Patients are invited to wait in our lounge where they can have a tea, coffee or water while they wait. Dentists use chair screens to show X-rays and scans and explain any problems and detail the treatment options. Patients can also use the chair screen to watch TV during longer treatment.

Do you play music in the practice? If so, what do you play?
The patient lounge usually has calming ‘spa’ music to help patients relax. The Buddha Bar Spa Music Collection has always been a popular choice! The dentists choose a variety of music in their surgeries, usually to suit the patients’ tastes.

What sets your practice apart from others?
Our practice is designed to make it look and feel less like a dental practice and more like a boutique hotel. We’ve equipped it with the latest technology and are able to provide all types of diagnostic tests, scans and dental treatment. These are all wrapped up by our core values, which we display in reception and patient lounge so our patients can be reminded of them and hold us to account.

• Integrity: Being ethical, honest and trustworthy in all we do.
• Genuine care: Putting the patient first with care that we adopt with our own families.
• Education: Educating our patients with facts so informed decisions can be made.
• Quality of service: Providing clinical, personal and technological development to offer outstanding clinical and personal service.
• No pressure: Leaving the patients to make a choice in their own time.

How do you market your practice?

• Google, Defacto Dentists and social media, using patient stories and testimonials.
• A referral scheme for existing patients.
• The ‘Aura in the Community’ initiative to raise awareness of dental issues (e.g., mouth cancer), break down dental phobias of the dentist and generally promote good oral hygiene.

What are you most proud of about your practice?
We’ve assembled a team of dentists and nonclinical staff that truly cares about the patients who come to the practice and is dedicated to making a person’s experience at the dentist memorable for the right reasons. The practice continues to grow on word of mouth recommendation, which we believe is still the gold standard.