"Come and tell us what you're not happy with, and we'll see what we can do for you."

It's a simple patient-led ethos, but one which Thornley Park dental has stuck to since its foundation in 2018. 

This dental practice is based on 673 Manchester Road, just past Reddish. 

As a private practice, it offers a wide range of general and cosmetic options, as affordably as possible, and "without ever compromising on quality". 

We visited this local family-run business to find out more about what makes it unique, and what it can offer to people considering joining a new practice. 

Left to right: Associate dentist Dr Tom Humphreys, principal dentist Dr Sharan Suthar, and principal dentist Dr Alan Worrall (Image - Alasdair Perry)

The first thing to note is that there has been a dentist on this site since 1993, and indeed that many of the staff and patients were at the practice before it changed hands in 2018. 

Dr Sharan Suthar, co-founder and principal dentist, stressed that the fundamental principles have remained unchanged, despite the change in management.

"The reason patients have stayed is because the belief and sincerity have stayed the same", she said. "The relationships that we establish are lifelong."

Sharan herself started on the site 15 years ago, and has been seeing some of her patients since they were babies. 

"We don't want to sit in judgement of people. We just want to tell them what's there, and educate them."

However, the practice has by no means remained stagnant. 

Dr Alan Worrall, also co-founder and principal dentist, described the big changes that came about with the change in management. 

This included a full refurbishment, with new digital x-rays, dentist chairs, treatment rooms, sterilising equipment and more. 

As the team argues, it represents a huge upsurge in quality for the practice. 

Complimenting this quality is the massive breadth of experience of the clinicians, with specialisms in a huge range of treatments, both cosmetic and general. 

Associate dentist Dr Tom Humphreys said that his role is not to tell people off - rather, it is to give them an honest account on what the state of their mouth is, and some suggestions based on that (Image - Alasdair Perry)

As associate dentist Dr Tom Humphreys explains: "Modern training means I have a much greater focus on managing anxiety, and making procedures as painless as possible. 

"I've done quite a lot of work on painless injections, for example; people don't realise it can be so comfortable."

Certainly, the team members stress that they can do much to reduce anxiety around dentistry - whether people are embarrassed about not having gone for a long while, or are scared of procedure. 

As Alan points out: "We don't want to sit in judgement of people. We just want to tell them what's there, and educate them."

"The relationships that we establish with patients are lifelong."

And what kinds of services are on offer? 

Thornley Park is and remains a general dentist, and so if you're after something as simple as a routine checkup, or perhaps more advanced dental surgery, you can find it here, and with excellent quality. 

However, you can also find cosmetic dentistry here - that is, however, only if the customer wants it, and the team stress that you will not be given the 'hard sell' if you do not. 

"We'll give you an honest, open breakdown of what you need clinically", Sharan explains.

"Things like composite bonding and whitening are totally available - and we're really good at it - but we're not going to forcibly sell it to you as soon as you walk through the door."

The team members share decades of experience between them (Images - Alasdair Perry)

Given that this practice is no longer an NHS dentist, the practice has more latitude for these kinds of cosmetic procedures. 

Speaking of the shift to a private practice, the team says it was a very difficult decision, but a necessary one to keep the business afloat. 

NHS dentists receive a lump sum each year, to cover services. However, as Alan explains: "About 2020, that lump sum stopped covering what it was supposed to cover. So we did what we could to try and carry on providing NHS dentistry for patients, working six days a week, lunchtimes, as many hours as we could just to keep the business afloat. 

"It got to the point where even doing all that extra work, the funding wasn't covering what we needed it to cover. If we carried on providing NHS dentistry, the business would have to fold."

Dental nurse Owen Muriel (centre) helps patients choose the best plan of action - the decision will always be patient-led (Image - Alasdair Perry)

He added: "All this other stuff that comes along with it - more clinical freedom, for example - that has been a side effect of that decision. 

"But the main reason was if we'd have carried on, this business would have folded, and this area wouldn't have had a dentist."

As Tom adds: "When we can provide a service that's comfortable for us, and that allows us to spend the time that we need to, the quality goes up, the level of care goes up, people's experience goes up."

Sharan similarly states: "There is a cost difference, but that's reflected in the quality of service, the amount of time the patient can spend with a clinician, and also the quality of the equipment."

And so if you're looking for a new dentist, this independent business is a great place to consider. A range of plans and pricing options are available depending on your need - have a look at the Thornley Park website for more information.

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