A rare practice ready for referrals
Kalyani Dental Lounge in Glasgow is a practice with a unique identity and is perfectly equipped to offer a bespoke referral service
About the practice
Kalyani Dental Lounge is located at 200 Bath Street, Glasgow. It’s a unique, distinctive practice that’s particularly suited to serve the group’s desire to be a leader in referral treatment.
About the owner
The owner is Michael Tang who qualified at Glasgow in 2002. Michael has a special interest in dental implant treatment and the digital workflow. He first became a partner in a practice in 2006. During that time he started visiting other practices to undertake implants. From 2015 he has acquired several more practices and is now involved in a group of six clinics.
Michael said: “We don’t look to radically alter the practices we acquire. Instead, we identify what they’re good at and grow those areas, as well as working to remedy any weaknesses.
“Similarly, we keep the original identity. Patients, staff and dentists seem to be more comfortable with that. We treat every practice individually. It’s not a case of replicating a single formula, but assessing each practice on its
own merits.”
Does the practice have an interesting history?
Kalyani Dental Lounge has been in existence since 1996. It’s a small, high-end private practice with a quirky history. It was originally set up as a dental practice and gallery. We liked that and were keen to keep that distinct character, while fully modernising the facilities and equipment.
What prompted you to take over the practice?
We decided to take over the clinic due to its excellent central location, which is great for access for our partner clinics. We also loved the historic philosophy of creating the most relaxed atmosphere and the best possible quality dentistry for patients.
What changes did you put in place?
We undertook a major reconfiguration of the practice. In essence, the only things we didn’t touch were those restricted by the building’s ‘B-listed’ status. The surgery layout was completely revamped, necessitating the knocking down of some internal walls. In all, work took about four months.
We added a CBCT scanner, intraoral scanner, 3D printers, state-of-the-art sedation and sterilisation facilities. We also improved our teeth-whitening treatment options, added facilities for processing blood for plasma rich fibrin to aid surgery and for facial aesthetic treatments. The facilities now allow treatment to follow a modern digital workflow philosophy, with implants planned digitally and surgical guides printed in-house.
We accept referrals for all aspects of implant treatment, including for CBCT scans and printing of surgical guides. We also run courses of the restoration of implants which has benefitted many colleagues.
Which companies did the work?
The majority of the refurbishment work was carried out by IWT Dental + Services. Modwood supplied and fitted all cabinetry, while Henry Schein supplied all sundries.
Did you require any planning permission or finance? If so, how did those processes go?
Finance was obtained via Barclays and Performance Finance and everything went very smoothly.
Can you tell us about staff at the practice and their areas of special interest
Our associate is Ambigai Jeyabalan, who has a special interest in adult orthodontics and smile makeovers. Susanne Wilson is our hygienist, and she is particularly experienced with nervous patients and those who have special needs.
What sort of training do you provide?
We make sure our team receive training in all aspects of the patient journey, from how patients are greeted and answering the phone,
to clinical treatments. We look at everything because we firmly believe that it’s attention to detail that makes the difference.
Are there any facilities specifically designed for the benefit of employees?
The whole practice is geared towards providing a relaxed environment for patients and staff (see next page).
What facilities make the experience of visiting the practice good for patients?
From the minute patients walk through the door we provide a relaxing atmosphere with very comfortable decor, oils burning, and specially chosen music. Bottled water and tea/coffee are available. Anyone waiting can use a specially dedicated lounge, choosing their own DVD or CD.
The experience and expertise of the staff, as well as the state-of-the-art nature of the equipment, assures patients they are getting the best possible service.
Plus, the practice is completely digital. Everything is planned on a computer and 3D-printed. There are no impressions – it’s all intraoral scans. We believe this gives patients a better experience and better treatment.
Can you describe the ethos of the practice
The patient has to feel special. The treatment they receive should feel very different to what they have experienced elsewhere.
How do you see the future for the practice?
Continue accepting referrals and building relationships with colleagues at other clinics and working together to provide quality treatments.
We want to work more closely with dental colleagues to build our referral base, and be on the lookout for most up to date treatment to give patients better and more comfortable treatment.
For implant referrals, we can either carry out the treatment from start to finish, or we can refer the patient back to the referring dentist to undertake the restorative aspect of the treatment – we provide training and unlimited support to our referring dentists. This depends on the preference of the referring dentist and case complexity.
Referrals can be made on our portal
www.dentalpractice.com/dentist-referrals
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