A DENTIST is celebrating a step forward for tooth care in East Lancashire after his surgery was named the best in the North West.

East Lancashire is known to have some of the worst dental health in the UK, with exceptionally high rates of tooth decay.

But Magicsmiles Dental Studios in Cherry Tree, Blackburn aims to change that reputation.

In just three years it has become the town’s first award-winning surgery, clinching the Best Practice in the North West title at the 2011 Dentistry Awards, after two top ten finishes in the Private Dentistry Awards.

Shabirakhter Patel, 43, who set up the private clinic, said: “It’s really good for Blackburn because Blackburn is renowned right across Europe as one of the worst places for dental health and the North West is the worst region in the UK.

“To be an award-winning practice here, knowing our demographic, it means a lot.”

The first mercury free dental practice in Blackburn, Magicsmiles provides routine dental treatments and more complex procedures.

Shabirakhter, a dentist of around 20 years experience, said he set up Magicsmiles in 2008 to treat people aged 18 and above after becoming frustrated with NHS services.

It now has around 300 patients on its books and capacity for 600.

He said: “Usually at some stage in your career people say to you ‘you’ve got to put up with this’. I got to an age when I thought ‘there is a lot of good you can do as a dentist – let other people do the things I don’t want to do’.

“Magicsmiles was purpose built, so that way every aspect of the patient’s experience was designed ahead of them coming here.

“We treat people from Lancashire. But we also get people coming here from Bristol, Cardiff and Cheshire.

“I give myself time between clinics to make sure all the management side of things is taken care of, so we’re never behind in our work and I’m only ever a few hours away from dealing with something.

“We never double book, everybody has a minimum of a half hour appointment so they get our full attention and the staff are really friendly.

“We have a team of four and I’m the only dentist so people know they will see me. It is and always will be a very personal service.”