September marks our 1 year anniversary of the opening of Lancashire Smiles Dental, the fresh, modern, family friendly dental practice near the Fylde coast in Lancashire. Once a former carpet showroom, now a thriving practice, Lancashire Smiles is one of a kind. As 2025 comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on what has been a truly special year for our practice.
Lancashire Smiles opens
Dr Arnold Gangaidzo opened the practice doors in September 2024 to the local community, with two trainee dental nurses, a receptionist, himself and a practice manager. From the moment we opened our doors, our mission has been simple. This is to bring modern, compassionate and high-quality dental care to Lancashire, helping every patient feel confident about their smile. Our team puts 100% into everything they do at work, ensuring that every patient leaves with a smile on their face. As we look back on our first year, we’re filled with gratitude for the trust, support, and smiles we’ve shared along the way.
Our Milestones
It’s been an amazing journey since our very first patient walked through the door!
Here are some of the highlights from our first 12 months: Many patients seen for routine check-ups, general dentistry and smile makeovers. Our team has grown! We’ve welcomed new staff members who share our commitment to exceptional care. We have also received an overwhelming amount of positive patient feedback. Thank you for trusting us with your dental health.
Achievements and Awards
The trainee nurses, Megan and Grace are soon to qualify, after a year of training and successfully completing their assessments. The trainee nurses had no clinical or dental background and have developed to become capable dental care professionals. They have also been heavily involved within the practice, supporting work experience students, assisting with oral health days, school visits and ensuring patients are supported during their visits. Emma, our Head Nurse has been supporting the trainee nurses and is involved in consults for patients considering implants, teeth straightening or a smile makeover. Jess is our Front of House and she has been pivotal in welcoming all our patients and booking appointments.
We have reached over 1000 patients, which is a huge milestone for us.
We entered for the Dentistry UK awards, where Grace Brindle won the Dental Apprentice Of The Year 2025. We were also finalists for 7 private dentistry awards; Dental Therapist Of The Year (Yvonne Wainwright Stringer), Practice Manager Of The Year (Clare Weston), Young Dentist (Arnold Gangaidzo and Stewart McLean), Team Of The Year (Team), New Practice (Team), Practice Of The Year (Lancashire Smiles). We were proud of Dr. Stewart McLean who won the best young dentist award. Dr. Arnold Gangaidzo has been named in Dentistry top 50 list for making an impact on UK dentistry. Our practice has also been featured in the Private Dentistry News publication, where our story is presented over two pages.
Community
Being part of the fylde community is something we are proud of. Earlier this year, we sponsored a team of cyclists to raise funds for a local school, Pear Tree House. Clare and Megan both completed a sponsored sky-dive, Megan donating to Young Lives vs Cancer and Clare donating to Clatterbridge Cancer Charity. We also sponsored a local girls football team. In October, we hosted a free children’s oral health day, where we focussed on oral health education and provided children with free examinations. We also hosted a series of games and fun activities for the children with goodie bags provided. In the future, we are looking to host more education days for families and we will be supporting more local charities. Keep updated on any events on our social media.
What Next?
With patient lists growing, we are looking to open our third surgery for more space. We are also looking to hire more staff, one being a new trainee nurse. We will continue contributing to the community, through creating a fundraising event to support our local community, early next year. Dr Arnold is also looking to invite more community leaders to feature on the Lancashire Smiles video podcast. We are also looking to work more closely with schools in the area to provide oral health education and dental careers advice.
Final Words
From routine check ups to smile makeovers, from new patients to familiar faces, every visit, conversation, and smile shared in our practice this year has made Lancashire Smiles the warm and welcoming place it is.
We’d like to thank you, our wonderful patients, for your loyalty, positivity, and continued support. You’re the reason we love what we do. As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited for another year of caring for our community, celebrating healthy smiles, and continuing to grow together.
Here’s to another year of Lancashire Smiles all around!
With love and gratitude,
The Lancashire Smiles Dental Team
