BOSSES at a dental practice which has been providing urgent dental care for those in need during the coronavirus pandemic, say it has been a ‘privilege’ to play a part in helping the NHS.

Brothers Imran Tahir, Dr Shahzad Tahir and Dr Navid Tahir, who run Park House Dental in Accrington, were asked by the NHS in early April to open as an urgent dental centre to help care for emergency dental patients from Lancashire and Cumbria.

Dr Shahzad Tahir said: “It’s been a privilege to have been asked to open as an urgent dental centre in order to help those in need of emergency dental care.

“Our staff faced real risks of being exposed to coronavirus while treating patients at the height of the pandemic.

“However, we wanted to play our part and help the NHS in any way we could and stop dental emergency patients attending A&E when it was vital that hospitals were not over stretched.

“We are proud of the role our staff have played in helping the NHS.”

The brothers, from Accrington, purchased Park House Dental in July 2017, and also have a site in Whitworth.

Both practices have been operating as urgent dental centres since the start of April, when most surgeries in Lancashire were closed.

Since the acquisition of Park House Dental, Dr Tahir said they have made significant financial investment to extend and also modernise the practice, bringing it into the 21st century.

The brothers now have 17 dental surgeries within the two sites, a team of ten dentists, two dental hygienists and therapists, and 25 support staff.

Dr Tahir added: “We have also invested in digital dentistry, which involves moving away from paper-based clinical records to having computerised clinical records, using digital x-ray systems rather than old-fashioned wet film x-rays, using digital educational tools to advise patients what treatment is best for them, and making use of digital 3D laboratory work when making cosmetic crowns, veneers and bridges.”

As a result, the practice has been accredited as a training practice for newly-qualified dentists and also offers a range of private treatments such as smile makeovers and veneers and crowns.