What does a Spa bring to mind?
Relaxation, a calm and tranquil environment. The smell of aromatherapy oils and nothing louder than the trickle of water or perhaps soothing music.
Hardly the stuff of a traditional dental surgery and the very reason it was chosen by Dr Paula Brennan as an important part of her brand, Wave Dental Spa in Weybridge.
Fast forward two years and hundreds of customers will testify to their love of a practice that looks more like an Apple Store than a dentist.
So why the change to WeLoveTeeth?
Few people enjoy visiting the dentist which is why I went to such great lengths to change their perception of what one could be like. That challenge continues but now the time is right to really broaden our appeal.
In steps Dominic Brennan, Paula’s husband and a very handy addition to the team. Having spent more than twenty years in some of the world’s largest advertising agencies he’s a ‘creative’ who’s won numerous awards and knows a fair bit about building brands.
Wave felt right to an important group of people that Paula was trying to reach,” Dominic explains. “But a Spa is synonymous with a retreat that excludes children. And that’s one thing Paula certainly doesn’t want to do.
So we went back to the drawing board and looked again at what people didn’t like about visiting the dentist. The same things came up again and again: Pain, price and convenience.
Was Dominic surprised by the research he did?
The strength of feeling among members of the public was stronger than almost any research I’ve done before. They didn’t dislike visiting their existing dentist… they HATED it!
And yet Paula and her team clearly love what they do.
“WeLoveTeeth literally stands for the feeling of the people who work there. It’s the perfect antidote to the way others view dentistry”.
But isn’t this merely a way of glossing over the hidden truth?
We’ve done far more than simply redesign a logo and website. Huge effort went into tackling what people don’t like about visiting the dentist. Our prices are the best around. And customers can find them quickly and easily. Nothing is hidden behind technical jargon or under the receptionist’s desk.
We built this room specifically to give people the chance to sit down and discuss treatment; away from any scary medical equipment.
Paula is keen to talk about her innovations.
Some people are terrified of needles, so we have a system for administering anaesthetic that doesn’t require a syringe at all. If a customer can’t bare the sound of a dental drill we can offer a laser instead. Even our Hygienist can remove plaque or calculus without sharp instruments.
We are already open 6 days a week,” says Paula, “But aiming for 7 and some very early and late appointments. It’s what the commuters of Weybridge would love, so that’s what we have to provide.
Is Paula planning on sleeping at her business to satisfy demand?
We are already searching for additional members of the team. But that’s not something I’m prepared to rush.
So it really is bye bye to Wave.
There’s a great deal that’s changed but quite a lot that won’t. We are still in this lovely building with floor to ceiling glass. A relaxing environment which smells lovely as you walk in. You’ll still be offered a cappuccino by our receptionist and it will never feel like a dental surgery.
Paula and Dominic are right. There really is a lot to love about WeLoveTeeth.