Practice News

Farewell Gemma…

dental clinic leicester
It is with deep regret, we will be saying goodbye to Gemma Breeze, a valuable team member at Smile Essential, who will be leaving Leicester to start a new life in London.

Gemma has worked at the practice since 2008 and during this time has grown not just in her dental nursing role but been able develop her skills and knowledge in providing the social media and marketing here at Smile Essential.

Gemma has been committed and dedicated to the practice and during her time has inspired many of us to be able to reach our potential and achieve ours goals.

She will be sadly missed and we wish her all the very best and success for the future and her next challenge that lies ahead.

Christmas Opening Times at Smile Essential Dental Practice 2015

leicester dental practice opening times over christmas

We would like to wish all of our patients and associates a very merry christmas and happy new year!

We hope you don’t need our services this Christmas but incase you do please see our opening hours below and give us a call as soon as we open. This ensures that we can arrange enough time to resolve your problem at this busy time of year.

Monday 21st December 2015- usual opening hours

Tuesday 22nd December 2015 – usual opening hours

Wednesday 23rd December 2015- usual opening hours

Thursday 24th December 2015- 8.30am-3pm

Friday 25th December 2015- closed

Monday 28th December 2015- closed

Tuesday 29th December 2015- 8.30am-3pm

Wednesday 30th December 2015- 9am-3pm

Thursday 31st December 2015- 8.30-3pm

Friday 1st January 2016- closed

Monday 4th January 2016- usual opening hours

If you are a registered patient and require emergency treatment outside of our opening hours then please call and listen to our emergency service answer message on 0116 2891317.

Getting to know head dental nurse Emilia

head dental nurse at leicester dental practice
Emilia is a popular member of the the dental team and an integral one. She is constantly expanding her dental knowledge and skills. Emilia is always cooking up a storm in the kitchen and bringing some in for us to try!

When did you join the Smile Essential team? May 2007

Tell us a bit about yourself? I love cooking and sharing my cooking knowledge with others. I also enjoy travelling and learning about other cultures, cuisines and languages.

Your role? I am a head nurse in Smile Essential and a qualified Oral Health Educator .You can often see me working with the dentist in the surgery. Very often I work in the office updating different systems and policies including decontamination or CQC.

Favourite part of your Role? Being able to advice patient about oral health. Sometimes simple steps can change people’s lives and I love being a part of it. I am a peoples person and I love having catch up with patients on their six monthly dental health checks.

Least favourite part of your job? Working when it is sunny outside

What do you like about being part of the Smile Essential team? We all are very good friends. Everyone is always very helpful and kind. There are many hobbies we all have in common like cooking and travelling, but the best one its passion for dentistry.

What do you like about working in dentistry? Relationship I have with patients and being able to help people in gaining their confidence back.

When you were little what was your dream job? I wanted to be a police officer and catch all the baddies

Do you have any pets? Not a present, however my long term plan is to have blue staffordshire bull terrier called Bruno

Favourite film? Taken

Favourite TV programme? Come Dine with me

How important do you think a good smile is? It’s essential

Why is good dental health important? to be able to smile with confidence and when looking back on the pictures taken on holiday etc you can smile back at them.

How important are regular dental health visits? They are very important, as we can prevent for anything wrong happening in the mouth by providing the right oral hygiene and diet advice. Prevention is better than cure!

Our newest dental team member…

leicester dental nurse

Meet Alice our newest and youngest dental team member. Alice is training to become a dental nurse and brings something really special to Smile Essential Dental Practice. Her bubbly nature and giggles keeps us all young at heart.

When did you join the Smile Essential team: 22nd of June 2015 

 Tell us a bit about yourself: I’m 16 and just finished my GCSE year, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

Your role: trainee dental nurse/ apprentice.

Favourite part of your role? Learning new things and coming out my shell and getting involved with patients and making sure every patient is calm and feels comfortable.

Least favourite part of your job? Being so busy all of the time it’s a job where you are constantly on the go.

What do you like about being part of the Smile Essential team? The team are so kind and caring and just so bubbly. They are also very supportive with my training and they will help me the best they can.

What do you like about working in dentistry? Everyday is different and so interesting

When you were little what was your dream job? A police officer/ dog handler

Do you have any pets? A golden Labrador called Buster and a Chinese dwarf hamster called Barry 

Favourite film? Life as we know it or Cinderella story, I cant decide!

Favourite TV programme? The only way is Essex and Love island

How important do you think a good smile is? I think a good smile is so important because it makes a person feel so much more confident and happy within themselves and makes them look so friendly and caring.

Why is good dental health important? Because every day people see your teeth and it’s always good to have an amazingly friendly smile

How important are regular dental health visits? They are very important because we make sure everything in your mouth is healthy and in good condition and if not we will fix it to make it perfect again. 

The 5 do’s and don’ts of selfie taking…

tips from your dentist on celeb smiles

2014 was dubbed the year of the selfie and whilst you might expect hundreds of selfies from the likes of celebs in the pic, what about us mere mortals?

Selfies are a fun way of documenting a moment in time and nowadays with social media it’s great to share your everyday experiences and adventures with friends and family. A picture says a thousand words and all that…

If you’re new to taking selfies you might have realised it’s not as easy it looks, well actually we mean yeah it’s easy but it’s not so easy to do it and look good!

Even selfie goddesses like Kim Kardashian can reportedly take up to 300 selfies to find the perfect one, so have a read of our 5 do and don’t tips below to snap your perfect picture and avoid selfie disaster!

Do get the lighting right:
Lighting can be one of the best way to make your selfie look wow. Try and take your photo an hour either side of sunrise or sunset, these are called the magic hours and will help to show you in the right light.

Dont hold the camera too low:
Get yourself positioned and hold your camera up just above your head, it generally looks better if you are looking up at the camera. Holding it to low so the camera is looking up is rarely flattering and you can see right up your nose!

Do move about:
Looking dead on into the camera probably isn’t the most flattering shot for most of us. Hold the camera slightly to the side and move your arm or head around until your picture perfect!

Don’t take yourself too seriously:
The best selfies are always fun and lighthearted so pull a funny face or a big smile. Everyone loves to fool around, if a picture says a 1000 words then make sure those words are fun and loveable.

Do set the scene:
Remember to make sure your background is suitable for what you’re trying to portray or better still make it interesting, say hmmmm, like at a dental practice… #dentistselfie

After a little practice with the above dos and don’ts you’ll soon be happy snapping in no time.

Say hello to Dawn…

dental practice manager dawn

Say Hello to Dawn Massey

Dawn has been with the practice so long she is considered to be part of the furniture and we wouldn’t know what to do without her!

As well as being the longest serving team member at Smile Essential Dental Practice she is also the most senior. Her wise ways ensure that we stay on the top of all protocols and procedures to offer you outstanding dental care.

When did you join the Smile Essential team: May 1986

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Your role: Practice Manager

Favourite part of your Role: having a smooth running day, helping patients & team to achieve their goals

Least favourite part of your job: paperwork pile

What do you like about being part of the Smile Essential team: The team are great, fun, friendly, enjoy team social events and team interaction generally.

What do you like about working in dentistry: it’s amazing to see a patient at the start of their journey and to follow through this journey with a patient to the end result.

When you were little what was your dream job: Nurse

Do you have any pets: 1 dog called Henry, Japanese Coy carp, tropical fish tank, 4 birds (java birds)

Favourite film: Flashdance

Favourite TV programme: Game of thrones

How important do you think a good smile is: One of the most important things, it’s one of the first things people see when they meet you for the first time.

Why is good dental health important: So that your teeth last a lifetime and you can smile with confidence

How important are regular dental health visits: very important.

Say hello to Annamarie…

annamarie is part of our leicester dental team

Meet Annamarie one of our multiplayers at Smile Essential. We say this because Annamarie carries out a multitude of jobs at Smile Essential Dental Practice making her a strong, well rounded and valuable team member.

Annamarie loves football and when she isn’t supporting her children playing football she is helping to organise and support a number of football clubs in Leicester. The rest of the time she helps to keep us at Smile Essential organised!

Meet Annamarie

When did you join the Smile Essential team: Monday 12th August 2013

Tell us a bit about yourself: I am a very outgoing confident person with a big personality, I enjoys spending time with my family. We are a very sport orientated family and we spend most weekends at a football match.

Your role: Dental nurse/ Receptionist

Favourite part of your Role: I love being a dental nurse as it’s very hands on and I enjoy getting involved with patients cases.

Least favourite part of your job: I’m not keen on reception work, I prefer to be in surgery assisting the dentist.

What do you like about being part of the Smile Essential team: working as a team as together everyone achieves more.

What do you like about working in dentistry: I enjoy cosmetic dentistry and seeing patients on their journey to looking and feeling better.

When you were little what was your dream job: Air Hostess

Do you have any pets: no

Favourite film: fifty shades of grey and dirty dancing

Favourite TV programme: TOWIE, Ex on the beach, soaps

How important do you think a good smile is? Very important as it makes you feel more confident.

Why is good dental health important? Dental health is important as it can affect general health if not maintained in the correct way.

How important are regular dental health visits: Very important as you only have one set of permanent teeth.

Meet Sophie…

dental clinic leicester

Meet Sophie one of our newest team members at Smile Essential Dental Practice. Sophie is a really happy character and although she is one of the newest team members she has become an integral part of the Smile Essential team.

Sophie is always willing to go the extra mile and recently took part in our National Smile Month campaign pictured above.

People visiting our dental clinic are met by Sophie’s warm smile (not the one in the photo!) and relaxed by her gentle nature, ensuring your trip to the dentist is smooth from start to finish.

Meet Sophie…

When did you join the Smile Essential team: Monday 13th April 2015

Tell us a bit about yourself: I am very outgoing person and love to socialize with different kinds of people. I love going to restaurants, shopping and spending time with my family and friends.

Your role: Receptionist

Favourite part of your Role: I really enjoy meeting new people and chatting to patients

Least favourite part of your job: Getting out the record cards we need for appointments!

What do you like about being part of the Smile Essential team: Working as part of a team, I love the team spirit of Smile Essential.

What do you like about working in dentistry: Seeing patients achieve something they have always wanted, seeing their confidence grow and being privilege to be involved in the journey with them.

When you were little what was your dream job: Being a police officer.

Do you have any pets: Yes, a ginger dog called Saffron.

Favourite film: A Cinderella Story.

Favourite TV programme: TOWIE, Keeping Up With the Kardashians and Ex On The Beach.

How important do you think a good smile is: Very important, it really improves your appearance and your confidence as a result.

Why is good dental health important: Dental health is very important. Not maintaining good dental care can cause you a lot of problems and could lead to you having pain. It’s also very important for your own general health to keep your teeth, mouth and gums healthy.

How important are regular dental health visits: Regular dental health visits are very important as going to the dentist regularly will make sure your teeth are kept on top of and it will prevent any problems in the future.

Overdue your dental health check? Sophie is ready to take your call 0116 2891317