Pearly Whites

Project Overview

• Services Provided by Hague Dental

• Interior Design
• Technical CAD Layouts
• Bespoke medical-grade cabinetry
• Surgery, decon, and plant room equipment
• Project Management
• Dental Engineering

Pearly Whites is a family-owned NHS and private dental practice on Munster Road in Fulham, SW6, built on a simple philosophy: to treat every patient as they would their own family. Formerly known as Perfect Smile, the practice was acquired by Dr Lia Melconian and Managing Director Grant Goodstein, who set out to create a modern, welcoming environment that reflected their vision for exceptional patient care. Working in partnership with Hague Dental, they undertook a comprehensive refurbishment to transform the practice. We spoke with Grant about the journey and asked him the following questions:

Getting Started

When did you first come across Hague, and what prompted you to begin exploring a refurbishment project?

We first came across Hague via the Dentalogy podcast. The story they shared was very inspiring to me as an aspiring entrepreneur alongside my wife. To see a successful husband-wife team making a difference in dentistry was something that I connected with. When Lia and I finally had the opportunity to become practice owners, it was very clear that the look and feel of practice we acquired was not in line with what we wanted to communicate in terms of the kind of care we were looking to offer to our community. We were recommended Uv at Divo Interiors, and in our conversations with Uv he recommended Hague as someone to consider partnering with for equipment and design.

What were the main challenges or opportunities within your practice that led you to consider making changes?

The practice we bought was more than 20 years old and hadn’t been very well looked after. We knew we had an issue when we realised our dental chairs were older than a couple members of our team. The practice had some demons and what we needed was an exorcism. We felt that a comprehensive refurb that made our patients say “Wow” was essential to achieving this.

What made you choose Hague as your partner for the project?

Ultimately the Hague’s are why we chose Hague. On a dawn-break site visit, Jim arrived promptly, listened intently, and began mapping out solutions tailored to our vision. A few days later, Jim and Kirsty welcomed us into their showroom on a Saturday morning, ensuring the visit fit our busy schedule. Their hospitality was so warm that we invited my mum to join, and she left convinced, just as we were, that we’d found honest partners who truly cared about our success.

Vision & Design

What was your vision for the practice, and what were you hoping to achieve through the refurbishment?

We wanted to have a dental practice that didn’t feel like a dental practice. The dentist can feel really scary for a huge portion of the population, about 50% feel anxious about attending. So we wanted our practice to feel more like a home than clinical. We made the unconventional choice, with inspiration from Kirsty and team, to prominently feature warm, terracotta colours rather than the typical stark whites you may find in many modern, high end dental offices. We wanted patients to walk through the door and feel like they were being welcomed into the home of a close friend rather than a transactional visit. Comfort was also incredibly important, both inside and outside of the chair.

How did Hague help bring your ideas to life, from the initial concepts through to the finished result?

Kirsty was immensely influential in this process. She listened to what we had to say and actually led us down a path that was quite a bit different from the original inspiration pictures we brought her. We found the Pinterest boards she built us + the renders to be very helpful, especially given this was our first time doing anything like this.

Delivery & Experience

How would you describe the design, planning, and delivery process?

We found the design and planning elements of the project to be quite smooth. We felt that we were supported by Kirsty at every step of the design and planning journey. There were a few hiccups during the delivery process, but nothing that couldn’t ultimately be sorted.

How did our team support you throughout the project, including the sourcing and procurement of furniture, fixtures, and finishes?

We found the sourcing and procurement element to be really helpful for us as well. As busy practice owners, it’s difficult to find the time for the smaller elements of the project and having Hague’s design team assisting with that portion was quite valuable for us.

What aspects of the project did you find most valuable or beneficial?

One other thing I’d note was that for a project this big and expensive, cost was a worry. Hague was able to connect us with a few different finance partners that helped structure this into reasonable monthly payments over the course of years, and as such, were able to make a project of this scope a reality in our early days.

The Results

How has the new environment changed the experience for your patients?

Patients have been absolutely blown away. It’s not infrequently that patients walk right by the practice at first when coming in for their appointments because it’s literally unrecognizable (exactly as we hoped!). Patients tell us they find the environment friendly, warm, and relaxing and unlike anything they’ve ever experience at the dentist.

What impact has the refurbishment had on your team and the day-to-day running of the practice?

Our team loves having a beautiful space to work in each day! When we were first interviewing new members to join our team, we organised the interviews at a cafe near our flat because we were embarrassed at the state of the practice and were worried the appearance would scare potential team members away. We can now have them to the practice with pride so they can experience the Pearly Whites difference.

Have you noticed any measurable improvements since the project was completed, such as patient feedback, team morale, treatment uptake, enquiries, or operational efficiency?

Yes, across all measure. NPS is 91 (60+ is world class), CSAT is 99, we have a happy team, and the financial results have been better than we could’ve hoped for. We are so glad we made the decision to do a full refurbishment of our practice.

How have the refurbished surgeries improved the clinical experience for you and your team? Why did you choose Belmont equipment?

Yes, part of our vision was to offer additional treatments at the practice that had not been offered previously. Things like complex veneer cases, implants, etc. that involve patients sitting in the chairs for hours at a time. It was REALLY important to us that our patients would be comfortable! We get consistent compliments on the comfort of our Belmont Eurus chairs and are very happy with our decision. Something else we did was put television screens on the ceiling of every operatory. When paired with our noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones, it makes the experience of a visit to the dentist for treatment a whole lot more enjoyable and relaxing for patients.

Has the new shopfront improved the visibility of the practice or helped attract new patients?

Yes, we had a TON of trouble finding a partner to do our shopfront redesign when we originally tried to handle it ourselves. We ultimately decided it was worth spending that bit extra to have Hague manage this, and we’re very glad we did. They did an excellent job, and we definitely have seen growth in walk-in new patient enquiries since the redesign.

Favourite Features

What are your favourite elements of the design, and why?

We love the colours and the textured wallpapers. It truly is different than any dental practice we’ve ever seen before and gives the exact warm, welcoming and friendly feel that we were aiming for.

Is there a particular feature or area of the practice that receives the most compliments from patients?

Patients compliment the lovely textures (everyone touches the wallpaper which makes us laugh!) and also the TVs on the ceiling. It’s kind of annoying to sit in a dental chair for an hour or two with your mouth open and it’s so nice to have your favourite TV show or movie to distract you while you’re doing it.

Reflections

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

A few things we would’ve done differently. I think there were a couple areas that were a bit overdesigned. The biggest one would’ve been not doing the custom benches and just going with individual chairs and/or sofas. While the wrapping is definitely a cool look, it’s not as hard wearing as we had hoped and is consistently peeling away. I think overall we probably would’ve gone with a bit more simplicity if we could do it over again.

What advice would you give to other practice owners considering a refurbishment or redesign project?

The way your practice looks is an extension of the care that you provide. Prioritize it!

What are your top tips for ensuring a successful refurbishment?

Start with the way you want your patients to feel when they walk in the door and work backwards from there. Don’t be afraid to invest in the things that will be used every day, especially when it comes to patient and staff comfort. Pay attention to every small detail.

Working with Hague

What did Hague do particularly well throughout the project?

The level of care from Jim and Kirsty personally surpassed our expectations. They have been incredibly available, responsive and helpful throughout.

In one sentence, how would you describe the value of working with Hague?

The value of working with Hague was finding honest partners in Jim and Kirsty who listened, cared, and brought a vision to life we couldn’t have realised on our own.

Builder: Divo Dental