22 May Essex dentistry & aesthetics practice becomes one of the UK’s most sustainable with Lloyds Bank support
An Essex-based dentistry & aesthetics practice is set to become one of the most sustainable in the UK as it prepares to move into brand-new premises with the help of a £1.5m loan from Lloyds Bank.
Bluebell Dentistry & Aesthetics Practice in Chigwell, which currently has 20,000 patients, is due to open its new hi-tech premises this summer. The move into a new, more sustainable building – which is primed to meet the government’s net-zero targets – comes as the business prepares for further expansion.
Features introduced as part of the £2.5m development include sensor lights that turn on and off automatically, 20 solar panels on the roof and fast EV charging points outside the practice. These measures have helped the practice to achieve an ‘A’ rating for its EPC and means it’s supporting patients’ impact on the environment.
To help reduce its carbon footprint, the practice aims to become completely paperless, with notices and advertisements displayed on interactive digital boards. To support bookings and online consultations, the business is also launching its own app to enable patients to be assessed without needing to travel into the practice.
Bluebell Dentistry & Aesthetics is also expanding the services it offers. Over the summer, it’s aiming to bolster the team by a third, hiring 10 new staff members to take its total team to 40. It will also introduce a range of new high-tech equipment, including a state-of-the-art air filtration system that will circulate fresh air every 10 minutes, keeping the sanitation quality similar to that of hospital standards.
Meanwhile, the new practice will also introduce high-definition 5D scanners to create digital impressions, while Biolase laser technology, the latest form of dental treatment, will deliver a virtually pain-free alternative to traditional dental techniques. The practice plans to use the new technology to extend its existing aesthetics and skin treatments to include medical grade skincare products, botox and fillers, through to EMsculpt Neo – the first and only non-invasive body procedure that reduces fat and increases muscle tone.
Dr Suki Shakthi, principal clinical director at Bluebell Dental & Aesthetics Practice, said: “Bluebell Dentistry & Aesthetics has evolved significantly since we started the practice 20 years ago. It has always been important for us to move towards a more sustainable business, with our goal to become carbon neutral. People are at the centre of how we run the practice, and our patients are consciously looking for more innovative ways to help the environment. Our new practice is designed with them in mind and to co-exist with the local community.
“Our ethos is to help our patients to be the very best version of themselves, offering them the very latest in dentistry and aesthetics treatments to make a positive change to their wellbeing. For us, Lloyds Bank has helped us achieve a similar feeling through the backing and belief they’ve invested in us to make our new practice a reality.”
Andy Knight, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, said: “Since opening in 2002, Bluebell has grown exponentially and expanded to become one of the most prominent dental care providers in the region. The opening of this bigger and better practice marks the next phase of their growth.
“This also marks a first for Lloyds Bank, as we’ve never supported the demolition of an existing practice and the development of a new, purpose-built dental practice from scratch. Dr Shakthi and her team are committed to working sustainably to make a difference to their environment, and we were compelled to support her ambitions to create one of the country’s most sustainable dentistry & aesthetics practices. We’ll continue to be by their side helping Bluebell continue to flourish going forward.”
