Owner and principal dentist at Maida Smiles Clinic
To celebrate our clinic’s first birthday, our team hosted an open week full of events aiming to educate anyone curious to find out more about what really goes on behind the scenes of our dental practice. Our devoted members of staff held several clubs, competitions and talks on key topics such as oral cancer prevention, gave out tips to great oral hygiene and guides to teeth whitening.
Many local residents from St John’s Wood, Maida Vale, Paddington, Westbourne Park, Kilburn and South Hampstead attended these.
In between the buzzing schedule, greeting patients and announcing this year’s prize winners, I noticed Dr Pedro Gutierres had ten minutes to spare and I decided to make the best of it. This short interview is a summary of the challenges, lessons and opportunities that come with running your own dental practice.
What have been the main challenges you faced this year?
Our main challenges so far have been making sure we are visible in the ever-so-competitive market while offering prices that are actually quite reasonable. However, local commuters and a percentage of the general public interested in our services would immediately associate our state-of-the-art boutique-style clinic with unaffordable dentistry. In response, we have gone to great lengths to ensure that potential patients perceive us as a reasonably priced dental care provider. Just recently, we made our fees transparent and available online, in addition to the readily available price list at our front desk. Although changing public perceptions can sometimes prove challenging, we will continue to deliver quality dental care at an affordable price
How did you build your team?
Gradually. It started with people I used to work with years back, as well as some local contacts made. I believe that having the right people is the key to excellence, especially given the services we offer. Even though our team is small, I can really see how proud my staff are to be a part of Maida Smiles. Our sense of unity means that we all contribute towards the same goal..to provide world-class high quality dental care.
What drives you to continue during the tough times?
When I first decided to go into dentistry, my goal was to be able to help people on a day to day basis. Since then, meeting new people and transforming their lives for the better has remained my number one incentive. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the privilege to open my own dental clinic in such a charming London neighbourhood. It has been an absolute thrill to engage with the local community and feel so welcome since opening our doors one year ago. I am grateful for all the positive feedback from our neighbours, parents who drop their children off at local schools and even artists that have visited us in the past 12 months! The overall reviews we have received are the tell-tale sign we are moving in the right direction.
How do you define success?
My personal idea of success is setting yourself realistic goals and working as hard as you can to consistently meet them. It is great to have new and exciting ideas, but it is not always easy to take action and transform those thoughts into reality
Can you describe your most memorable experience along the way?
Maida Smiles Clinic has its doors open to anyone, who would like to come in, but it was such an excitement the first time we welcomed a patient who turned out to be a global musician and superstar! We were unaware of who the person booking the appointment was, up until the moment he walked in. Located in such close proximity of the well-known Abbey Road, home of the world’s most famous recording studios only meant one thing – local residents, who are also notable artists! That was, without a shadow of a doubt, an experience to remember for my whole team and I, and we hope the good impression we made set the tone for many future visits.
