Dr Ismail Qazi had two main goals for his new dental practice.

To take the fear out of going to the dentist and to raise the standard of care.

From the public reaction so far it looks like he’s bang on target.

It was just three weeks ago that the 35-year-old launched Bourne Dental at SOBO and already hundreds of people have signed up.

The initial opening offer of £35 for a check-up lasting up to one hour may have been the draw for many but Ismail believes it’s more than that.

He said: “People are liking what they see and it’s really spreading through word of mouth.

“Patients are so surprised by the kind of service that we provide, compared to what they’re used to seeing.

“They sign up themselves, tell the person down the road and it spreads that way.”

It was Ismail’s wife, Naz Dawji, 33, who spotted the former accountant’s office in Parkwood Road, Southbourne, Bournemouth, while thumbing through Rightmove last Spring.

The couple immediately put an offer in to lease the building for 15 years with contracts exchanged in the summer.

Ismail said: “We noticed the property was on the corner of the main high street and in an ideal position.

“A lot of work was needed and so we decided to refurb it from the ground up with the work going through until December.”

The result, after an investment running into several hundreds of thousands of pounds is more akin to a spa than a dentist and deliberately so.

Ismail said: “I’ve been working in dentistry for over ten years and have got a good idea of the things that make people scared of the dentist.

“I’ve tried to accommodate every single one of those things.

“There are a lot of fears, like being trapped or feeling very claustrophobic.

“We’ve got a little arch as people walk in so it’s more open plan.

“We’ve gone for very earthy colours so it’s very calming and very neutral.

“We got interior designers to design the place to accommodate that kind of feel.

“I also thought hard about the patient journey, especially for those that are a bit nervous.

“They often haven’t spoken to a dentist in years so I thought consultation rooms were a great idea.

“You can chat in a non-clinical environment and they can get to know me and I can get to know them. It’s more like a café.

“Once I can find out more about what they’re after then I can talk to them in a more clinical environment.”

Ismail, who trained in Plymouth and has a special interest in root canal treatment, said he was very aware that for many people going to the dentist was something they dreaded.

He said: “The main thing I was really targeting, and why I opened, is the people who have been struggling to get a dentist and also those who are afraid to go to one.

“We’ve incorporated all sorts of things because little things make a difference.

“As an example the chairs in our surgery are more like a cradle so it’s not just the back that moves in the chair but the whole thing .

“It’s a very slow, gentle movement.

“A lot of people are scared of needles so we use a wand which looks more like a pen.

“It has sensors and lights up to tell you when you’re numb.

“A fear many people have is not just the injection but that they may feel something if it’s not numb.”

Initially Ismail will be joined by Dr Rasoul Najafi in the practice while Naz looks after all the back office functions.

Ismail said: “I want to do things to a very high standard and the people I’ve incorporated into the practice can all do that.

“I’ve worked with Rasoul and know his work very well.

“He used to work as a dental technician before becoming a dentist.

“People have followed him from miles and miles away, because he made them a denture or a bridge before.

“The stuff he can do is exceptional.

“From March I also hope to get Graham Browning, a specialist in prosthodontics, to help with implants and more complex cases.

“He’s been my mentor for many years.”

Ismail credited Naz – the couple have been married nine years – for the spa-like look and feel of the practice.

He said: “It’s turned out better than I expected.

“I’m very clinically-based. My focus is really the standard of care being provided.

“There are some aspects like the openness and the colours that I wanted to incorporate but Naz is very much aesthetically driven.

“Through her, and the interior designers, they have come up with something that I really could never have imagined.

“I was expecting to be sitting around twiddling my thumbs but anything but.

“The response so far has definitely exceeded our expectations.”

• bournedental.co.uk