When I first took over Black Swan Dental Spa, I knew how to be a good dentist. What I did not know and nobody teaches you at dental school, is how to be the kind of dentist private patients want to see. That had nothing to do with how well I could prep a crown or plan a case. It came down to how I spoke to people, made them feel and showed that our team cared about them as much as their teeth.
If you are moving into private dentistry or trying to stand out in an area full of other practices, clinical skills will only get you so far. Private dentistry is personal. People are paying for an experience, not just a result. That means how you carry yourself, the words you choose and how you connect with each patient matter far more than you might think.
This shift has only accelerated in the last few years. According to the British Dental Association1, around 30% of adults in the UK struggle to access NHS dental care and many have turned to private dentistry instead. These patients are not just paying for convenience. They want something better and a service that feels professional but also personal.
One of the first things I learned was how quickly patients form opinions. When they sit in the chair, they have already decided whether they like your practice. That first phone call, the first email and the moment they step into reception are the moments that determine whether they will ever trust you enough to proceed with treatment.
At Black Swan, we completely changed the way we welcomed people. The old approach was too clinical. You could have swapped our reception desk with one from a GP surgery and nobody would have noticed the difference. That had to go. Instead, we treated every patient like a guest. They were offered a drink, greeted by name and made to feel like they belonged there, not like they were passing through. That personal touch carried through to the way we handled consultations. Too many dentists overwhelm patients with technical talk. It is tempting, as we spent years learning the terminology and techniques. However, patients do not want a lecture. They want to feel reassured. They want to know you understand what they are worried about: cost, pain, or even embarrassment.
I made a rule with my team: No jargon, pressure, or assumptions. Every treatment conversation starts with a simple question: What would you like to change? That puts the focus on the patient, not the dentist. From there, it is about listening more than talking, ensuring the patient feels in control, and offering advice in plain, honest language.
Soft skills do not stop with patient conversations. They shape the way you lead your team, too. When I first took over, Black Swan had seven staff and now, we are nearly at 40. You cannot build a team like that without learning to motivate people, manage problems before they get out of hand and ensure everyone feels valued. Private practice is not a solo act. The patient experience depends on your whole team. The receptionist answers the phone, the nurse chats with them before the dentist comes in, and the treatment coordinator discusses payment options. If those people are not confident, comfortable and well-trained, the patient immediately feels it.
The same applies when things go wrong. Even with the best planning, mistakes happen. Patients might feel their appointment was rushed or the treatment outcome was not exactly what they expected. Soft skills are what get you through those moments. Knowing how to handle complaints calmly, apologise without being defensive, and show patients you are listening can turn a problem into a chance to build even stronger trust. The rise of social media and online reviews has made this even more important. Research shows that over 70% of patients consider online reviews crucial when selecting a dentist2. Every interaction matters because every patient has the power to share their experience with hundreds of others.
Dentistry is changing, and private patients have more choices than ever. There are now over 6,500 private dental practices in the UK3, which is growing yearly. Patients are not just looking for the best clinical work. They are looking for someone they feel comfortable with and would happily recommend to friends. Clinical skills might bring them through the door, but soft skills make them stay. I am not saying this to knock essential clinical training. But if you want to succeed in private dentistry, you need both. The problem is that dental school does not teach soft skills. You must learn them yourself or get help from people who have been through it before.
That is precisely why I set up Private Dental Mentor. When I started, I had to figure all this out through trial and error and made plenty of mistakes. Private Dental Mentor ensures that the next generation does not have to. Our courses focus on everything dentists need to thrive in private practice: the treatments, the conversations, the team leadership and the patient experience. Private dentistry is about people, not just teeth. If you want to build a loyal patient base, grow a flourishing practice and enjoy the career you have worked so hard for, you need to be more than a great dentist. You need to be the kind of person patients feel good about trusting. That is what soft skills give you, which is why they are worth learning.
1.British Dental Association (2023). Patients struggling to access NHS dentistry at record levels. Available at: https://bda.org/news-centre
2.Doctify (2023). Why dental practices need patient feedback to thrive. Available at: https://www.doctify.com/uk/blog/posts/why-dental-practices-need-patient-feedback-to-thrive
3.Christie & Co (2024). Dental Market Review 2024. Available at: https://www.christie.com/news-resources/press-releases/dental-market-review-2024-press-release/
Get in touch now, and we’ll help you find the perfect course to kickstart your professional journey into private practice.
On Sunday 20th September 2026, members of the Private Dental Mentor (PDM) Institute community will be stepping away from the dental chair and into the mud as they take on Tough Mudder London South at Holmbush Estate.
Whether you’re a dental student, a newly qualified dentist, or several years into practice, you’ve probably wondered at some point:
“Do I actually need a mentor?”
Black Swan Dental Spa, the award-winning private dental practice owned by Dr Ahmad Nounu – founder and Clinical Director of Private Dental Mentor is proud to announce its entry into the Private Dentistry Awards 2026.
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