Atlantic Dental Care’s Cathy reflects on a whirlwind first year in business in Strandhill
DON’T just treat your smile, treat your soul. That is the motto of a new and fast growing dental clinic based in Strandhill.
Cathy Clyne of Atlantic Dental Care is a native of of the seaside village but moved to Edinburgh where she learned her trade, met her husband and started a family before the call to return to the north-west proved too strong.
“I spent 10 years working in Edinburgh but had always wanted to be back home with a family and that chance came along in 2017.
“My husband and I both took up work opportunities in Boyle, having seen the potential at home for a better work-life balance.”
Starting a business her own was also a long-term ambition of Cathy’s. Long-term became short-term when Covid-19 propelled the dream forward, allowing her to turn what could have been a crisis into an opportunity – even if everyone didn’t see it that way at the time.
“The seeds were sown during the first lockdown. I had left my old job and by January 2021 I was open after nine months of planning.
“People definitely thought it was a crazy idea because it was too early to fully know the consequences that were to come from Covid.
“Dentists had stayed open for emergency work but there was always going to be a big backlog for people seeking maintenance work.
“Since the day we opened we have thankfully been very busy with so many people making up for that lost time to keep their teeth in the best condition they can.”
Their status as a new clinic in early 2021 served Atlantic Dental Care well, providing a new option for many people seeking their long-overdue appointments. The idyllic location also plays its part.
“Being a relatively new clinic a lot of people came to us because there wasn’t a big queue of appointments. “We also found a lot of people who had come back to Sligo after a number of years away came to us as they were looking for a new dentist.
“Our location also has that appeal of being a place where you can relax and put your mind at ease before your appointment or unwind afterwards.” Having found their feet with normality slowly returning, but business was moving quickly as their first year proved to move forward at frightening pace, such was the numbers of clients they had gained in a short space of time.
“2021 was a very quick year. We got through a lot of work with a small team. Things got especially busy during the summer and it just seemed to suddenly be December before we even knew it.
“After a year in business I am glad to say I have no regrets, things are only looking up and I get to work the way I want to.”
One of the lesser spoken about impacts of the pandemic was the loss of access to dental care and the deterioration many people experienced as a result.
While many people may feel embarrassed about the condition of their teeth since their last trip to the dentist, Cathy says that there is no need to fear judgement under the circumstances and that anyone considering that long-awaited return to the dentist can expect to be treated by an understanding team whose main goal is to help. “Because of the pandemic plenty of people will have fallen out of certain habits when it comes to dental care because they did not have that access to their dentist.
“If you did have a setback in the condition of your teeth and feel a bit embarrassed about going back, you shouldn’t.
“It is a natural thing to happen given the circumstances we were living in. The main aim of any dentist is to help, there is no judgement.
“It may feel a bit like going to confession but you will be glad you did it.” Atlantic Dental Care, based in Strandhill, is open from Monday to Friday. Opening times vary. To make an appointment visit www.atlanticdentalcare.ie.
Marilin North, Martina Hamilton, Lorna Watkins, Heidi Wickham and Cormac O’Leary at the Hamilton Gallery, Castle Street.