Finding a dentist you are both happy with and trust, is like winning the lottery. With so many stories of botched cosmetic procedures and dodgy dental work, it’s important that you know that you are getting the best treatment out there. For the past year I have been a patient at Smile Architect in Harley Street, a private practice owned and run by Dr Adam Slade.
Adam is a very experienced dental surgeon and has extensive experience in Prosthodontics and implant placement. He was awarded Master of Clinical Dentistry (Prosthodontics) in 2004 from London University having studied at Guy’s King’s and St Thomas’ Dental Institute to add to his other dental qualifications. I first met Adam when I was working on a documentary series which saw patients who had medical treatment disasters corrected. Adam was the resident dental expert correcting their smiles. It was then that I watched some of his more invasive and technically skilled work first-hand. Our case studies would arrive with very complicated issues, many needing all their teeth removed. Then after several hours in the chair they would leave with a full mouth of perfectly implanted teeth – changing the whole look of their face and also giving them confidence that they had lacked for a very long time.
Adam says, ‘I tend to deal with the larger, more complex cases. Anything from cosmetic cases through to total reconstructions. The service that we provide is very much a bespoke service. It is tailored to each individual’s needs, with care and attention to detail. Quality dentistry can only be delivered spending time getting things totally right for that patient.’
When I became a patient of Adam’s I just needed some minor cosmetic work and after a short consultation my treatment plan was agreed. Following some tooth whitening, I agreed to having clear aligners to straighten both my upper and lower teeth. For me one of the best things about Smile Architect is that they have some of the latest technical equipment, which not only speeds things up during the appointment but makes it much more comfortable for the patient. Many places still use a form of mould and trays to take casts of the teeth to create the aligners, but at Smile Architect they have a 3D machine which uses a gun to scan the mouth and instantly brings the images up onto a screen. This is much less invasive for the patient but also means the images can be digitally manipulated showing possible enhancements and immediately sent to the lab. Adam says, ‘We have all the routine dental equipment that you would expect to see in a surgery, but in addition we have quite a lot of technical equipment that enhances dentistry, including 3D radiography, 3D intraoral scanners, digital bite analysis, The ability to have and use this technology really enhances the experience for patients.’
By changing my aligners every two weeks, my teeth gradually moved to the desired position and my whole orthodontics only took about 12 weeks. I am so pleased with the outcome and how they look, plus I have also had a lot of compliments. I have the utmost trust in Adam as a dentist, to the point that on some occasions I forget to even ask him what procedure he is carrying out that day, and I never would disagree with his opinion on what should be done or not done. This has come from seeing him perform some of the most incredible transformations on people and how reassured he makes me feel when I am in the chair. Adam says, ‘The advice I give to my patients is to communicate. Sometimes people can feel a little intimidated when they are with the dentist, it can feel a little bit scary, but they don’t need to worry. Communication is key and we need to understand what you want. If we can get that communication in place, which is what we strive to do, then we can deliver the excellent service you deserve.’
The staff at the surgery are also very attentive and the aftercare is phenomenal. The surgery spaces are clean, bright and well equipped with all the latest mod cons, including probably the most comfortable (and expensive) dentist chair you will sit in.
So if you are in need of a check-up, a spot of cosmetic work or a full blown mouth transformation then my suggestion would be to make an appointment at Smile Architect at 111 Harley Street – you won’t be disappointed.
