Dental practice in Sleaford unveils its expanded premises

Treeline Dental, which has had a clinic on Southgate since 2018, has taken over the former Blanchards Coffee Shop premises on the corner of Boston Road and converted them into an extension of its practice.

The new facility, called Treeline Dental Suite, has been open for six months after a ‘soft launch, according Dr Jimmy Palahey, the owner of the business along with wife, Navjit Jandu, who is also a clinical director and dentist.

He explained they had been awaiting final approval from the Care Quality Commission and wanted to check patients were happy with the arrangements before approaching Lincolnshire’s Integrated Care Board to sign off on the premises being used for more NHS patients.

The new suite was officially opened by MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham Dr Caroline Johnson.

Dr Palahey said: “We opened it because we needed more capacity. Our workforce were keen to take on more patients.”

They now have up to 8,000 patients on their books, with 20 dentists and clinical staff in Sleaford, out of 250 staff across all their practices in the East Midlands.

Dr Palahey said Lincolnshire has seen a lot of problems in recruiting and retaining enough dentists, but Treeline have been bucking the trend, successful in attracting dentists, which he puts down to the business’s excellent training pathways.

Dr Palahey said being spread across two sites had enabled them to explore different patient pathways to experience. Whereas over the road at Treeline Dental they have gone for a more traditional, clean, clinical look, he said that within the new premises, which is a Grade II Listed building, they have gone for a more luxury, premium approach to the decor which includes a reception area and two more dental surgeries complete with relaxing cloud images on the ceiling, adding to the four existing surgeries across the road. Here they can offer more cosmetic work such as teeth whitening and straightening in an environment more suited to the investment by the patient. However patients may be seen at either premises depending on where the clinician has been based to work. The computer and telephone systems are linked too.

He said they aimed to be as sustainable as possible, improving energy efficiency while being true to its historic character.

"We have been sympathetic to the original design and kept some of the original woodwork features and doorway. North Kesteven District Council have worked very closely with us. We have refurbished the outside of the building to be in keeping with their initiatives to revive the conservation area and of course we have the mural on the side of the building on which we worked with the council,” he said.

Dr Palahey wanted it to be an asset to the town.

Having inspected the new facilities, Dr Johnson commented: “The aesthetics in here are lovely. You come in and it is a really quality environment which is important when people are sometimes scared of the dentist.”

She said that the comfortable surrounds would help to put patients at ease.

"It is really impressive, expanding NHS capacity within Sleaford which is great for patients. Many constituents have written to me about access to dentistry.” The practice is currently full to adult patients on the NHS but can accept children and dependents.