The ethos behind the DRMR brand and our flagship clinic is to offer much more than just dentistry – we provide our clients with a full body transformation service. We embrace an all-round approach to aesthetic, mental and physical wellbeing. Our DRMR ‘Superclinic’ is where clients can find all these services under one roof.
Our comprehensive range of treatments includes general and cosmetic dentistry, aesthetic treatments, dietary advice, skincare, body transformation coaching and much more.
We strive to help you ‘be your best you’.
I started my career in dentistry 20 years ago after graduating from Guys Hospital. I’ve always been based around Knightsbridge since the early days of my career when I became the first dentist for Harrods and Harvey Nichols. Following this, I worked as an associate dentist at Lund Osler and The London Smile Clinic.
I always dreamed of setting up my own practice but friends often warned me it would be too much hard work and not worth the hassle. Something suddenly changed two years ago when my father sadly passed away. Life suddenly seemed all too short and I felt driven to seize the moment and turn my dream into reality. I reasoned if I could get through losing my dad then I could get through anything. It was the catalyst I needed to start setting up my own practice.
I knew from the start that I wanted to locate my clinic in Knightsbridge, so it was just a matter of waiting for the right property to come up. Client privacy was a key factor when selecting the location. The clinics at Harrods and Harvey Nichols both have private exits to maintain patient privacy and I wanted the DRMR clinic to offer its clients a similar level of discretion.
Having several international clients, from as far afield as New York and Saudi Arabia, means a central London location was paramount for us and one of the added bonuses of our location is the fact it can be easily accessed from Heathrow.
Another key element for me was natural light. I spent 20 years working in surgeries without windows, so one of my highest priorities was finding a property with lots of windows! The one I finally settled on is in a Victorian building with beautiful high ceilings, which help create the open and airy feeling I was striving for.
State-of-the-art technology enables the clinic to also be used as a training academy for my Veneer Course – Designing Smiles. A camera in the chair light enables live streaming of procedures with accompanying commentary. The large surgeries allow delegates to comfortably watch me while I work. The surgeries also feature voice-activated lights, blinds and music.
I did a lot of research to find the best people to work on the project. Several people had recommended Apollo Interiors for the build – I knew I needed a specialist dental fit out company with a lot of experience and Apollo couldn’t have come more highly recommended.
I did put the build out to tender and this just confirmed that Apollo Interiors were the right team for the job.
When it came to the design, because I was so keen to avoid a clinical feel to my practice, I decided to choose a designer that had no prior experience of creating dental clinics. This might sound counterintuitive but I was confident that Apollo had the expertise to deliver on the clinical build so the design team could have free rein.
Minifie Architects managed to fulfil my brief perfectly – creating a stunning clinic that feels anything but clinical. The beauty is in the detail – from the bespoke engraved reception desk to the touch-free gold wash basin. The whole place has an exclusive, luxury vibe.
There were certainly a few learnings from the project. When I decided to cherry pick contractors to create my own dream team, I hadn’t thought that supervising their coordination would be a project in itself! I decided mid-project to hire an independent project manager to supervise the build and from that point things became a lot easier.
Recruiting experts in their respective fields enabled me to create my dream clinic, but I hadn’t anticipated how much of a challenge it would be to coordinate them all. I wouldn’t change how I did things but next time I would definitely bring a project manager on board from the start.
Prior to the clinic launch I hadn’t undertaken any paid marketing activity. I have a strong following on social media, particularly Instagram, and on top of this many clients come through word of mouth. Being honoured with Dentist of the Year 2022 has also been a fantastic marketing opportunity for the DRMR brand.
To coincide with the launch of the new clinic, I will be ramping up my marketing and starting some paid marketing activity as well as focusing on our SEO.
All aspects of the new clinic have lived up to my expectation 100% and I couldn’t be happier with the finished result. It’s just as I had envisaged. Having a clear vision, conducting careful research, and recruiting the best contractors certainly helped. Yes, it was stressful at times, but I knew it was never going to be easy. Would I do it all again? Definitely! This certainly won’t be the last clinic I set up.
See PDF of article from Private Dentistry Magazine – drmr-private-dentistry-article
