Great demand as new dental surgery to open
Practice built from scratch
PEOPLE in need of dental work are being encouraged to seek help as a new practice prepares to open its doors in Wickham.
Damira Dental Studios, which already operates a group of 23 practices, will be opening its new practice, being built next to Wickham Surgery in Houghton Way, on March 8.
The practice has been months in the making, as it has been built from scratch, and will employ a practice manager, dentist, nurse, hygienist and receptionist across its four rooms, which it hopes to grow as demand increases.
Dentist Eduardo De Campo, who previously worked at Damira’s Sharland House practice in Fareham before going on to work in Southampton, has rejoined the company to work in Wickham.
Anushika Brogan, managing director, said there was a great demand in the area, which is expected to grow when new town Welborne is built nearby.
She said: ‘It was an opportunity that came our way as the general practice was in need of some kind of dental coverage.
‘Since we have been so busy in our Sharland House and West Street practices we knew there is a need to provide more services in this area.'
The dentist will not be taking on new NHS patients, but Anushika said they have set up a monthly plan in order to give people an affordable option - and take off the strain.
She said the Smile Plan Essential has proved popular with existing clients and has even seen NHS patients swap to it as it includes discounts on work such as white fillings or extractions which are not covered on the NHS.
‘The NHS doesn't have any funding to increase its provision so we are offering a planned provision of £15 per month, where people get two check ups and two hygienist visits per year, plus a 15 per cent discount on other work,’ she said.
‘Our NHS waiting list is two years long. We are trying to work on what we can do. There are a lot of people out there that do not have a dentist.
‘The doctor’s surgery has 13,000 patients and a lot of them have not got a dentist. There’s only one other dentist in Wickham. We have already been very busy.’
Damira’s expansion comes after the number of NHS dentists in Portsmouth has dropped by around a third between 2018/19 and 2019/20.