The gentle dentist,

61 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9HE

"I’m terrified of dentists and so, despite the cost, I chose the Gentle Dentist because of the promise of mindful care. It didn’t take me long to realise that Toni isn’t blessed with patience or, for that matter, gentleness - which, I realise, sounds comically ironic, given the name of her business. It is, unfortunately, the case. Nonetheless, my first few appointments with her were almost painless, as promised. Though I didn’t appreciate the verbal and physical micro-aggressions she directed at her staff, or her being short with me at times when I was in the chair, I put up with it - my teeth were finally getting fixed. It wasn’t until my last two visits that I became explicitly aware that Toni isn’t a gentle person, let alone a gentle dentist. She not only did cause me severe pain when working on one of my molars, but she then reacted to me experiencing and communicating it by denying that my pain was real. She showed me no patience or empathy while I was suffering, as if she lacked basic understanding of what human fear and pain feel like, and how to deal with them. During that same procedure, one of the mouth guards used to hold the mouth open slipped and bounced off my teeth on other side of my mouth. While I have no doubt this was a genuine accident, and none of my teeth were damaged, I believe it was the cause of the following: I left the practice without being notified of any serious complications but, nonetheless, with an abrasion on the gum surrounding the tooth Toni worked on. This within a couple of days turned into a huge painful ulcer, and over the following two weeks kept me up at night, was unbearable when eating or drinking and prevented me from working, leading to loss of income. Not to mention the psychological distress of having such an experience when I was already wary of dentists. When two weeks later I went back to see Toni, I was asked to come an hour later at short notice, following which I was kept waiting for about 45 minutes. When my time and patience ran out and I complained, I was told it was simply what happened when they were busy and was then treated to an “I don’t know you want me to do?”. An apology, or a genuine acknowledgment of my long wait would have been a great start, especially given the condition I had been left in by the dentist herself. After examining my gum, Toni denied that what occurred was a malpractice on her part and blamed the wound on my HIV status. Now… while it is true that I am living with HIV, I am on effective treatment and #undetectable. This means I can’t pass HIV to others and prevents me from being immuno-suppressed, which is what the dentist claimed to be the cause of the ulcer. I have been HIV positive for 8 years and I have NEVER had any health problems. I have also been deeply involved in HIV advocacy, as well as being in regular HIV care. I know the subject well enough to be certain that the ulcer was not a result of my status, but instead - of Toni’s negligent practice. And even if Toni’s claim was valid and my HIV status did indeed put me at risk of such a complication, she knew that I was HIV positive and she hadn’t informed me of any potential risks, prior to or after the unfortunate procedure. During our last conversation, Toni kept deflecting my concerns and refused to entertain the very notion that she may have been responsible for what happened. She then accused me of being aggressive when I directly challenged her professional integrity. Of course, it goes without saying that I never went back to this practice but that’s not the end of the story. Following the incident, I now have a strip of missing gum right where the ulcer was. It’s a constant reminder that I placed my well-being in the hands of an experienced yet complacent and ill-mannered practitioner - a care provider unable to provide what they offer and unwilling to care about customer feedback, even when it’s “Ow, it hurts!”."

"I have been visiting The Gentle Dentist for some time for myself and my family and I can’t thank them enough for the excellent service, care and attention to detail. My son in particular was very nervous after an awful experience elsewhere but Toni and the team treated him like a Prince. We’ve all had various services and have been over the moon with everything. Special mention to Sally on the front desk who can’t be more accommodating, she’s fabulous. Toni, Chris, Karine and Sally, thank you all so much!"

"As soon as I walked through the door I felt at ease. The whole experience is a warm, caring environment and everyone in the practice is there for me. It’s a very pleasant experience. Sally with her caring, kind and patience is able to provide guidance about what is required and Toni was able to to show me everything as the pictures and x-rays taken was evidence of the necessary treatment. A very happy customer."

"Toni, Chris, Sally and the team have been amazing over the many years our family has been with the practice. They helped me get back on track with taking care of my teeth but also made sure i was set up to have a positive association with making regular visits to the practice. I would say they're no nonsense but in a caring way so you understand the options and outcomes available to you. Sally always works hard to squeeze you in to appointments or work out the best payment plan if it's required. Chris actually made me look forward to going to a hygienist for the first time ever and you can tell she loves her job. It's clear Toni expects the best service and experience for her patients which explains why the core team have been together for so long. It really is like a family there."