Dan Hegarty

I have been a patient at BowLane Dental since it opened – I was one of the very first patients, I believe. Iwas looking to have some cosmetic dentistry carried out at the time andavailability was not as widespread as it is now.

My existing dentist didn’toffer any cosmetic treatments, so I searched online and Bow Lane was a chancefinding. Its search ranking was excellent and it had an attractive website,showing a modern and up-to-date practice in the City that I found appealing andwas convenient from my place of work.

I remember being veryimpressed by the thoroughness of my initial assessment and the detail of therecommended dental plan. My initial treatments were tooth whitening and lingualbraces that were fitted to the back of my teeth making them ‘invisible’. I’ve sincehad a combination of veneers, implants and crowns. One of my treatments tookplace at the Eastman Hospital where a dental expert from the US was visiting. Torefine his own technique, James fitted some of my veneers under this expert’sguidance. Not only was the cosmetic result most pleasing, but I was veryimpressed by James’ approach to his own professional development. James’approach to dentistry is technically admirable and forms part of a widerapproach to oral & general health.

James is a charismatic,dynamic and driven man with lots of ideas – certainly more than your ‘averagedentist’. Right from the start the practice has been at the cutting edge withits technology, IT, dental imaging and treatment range. The utmost quality andcalibre of care has been maintained throughout the past 20 years that I havebeen a patient. I have personally benefited from James going the extra mile ona number of occasions when I have contacted him out-of-hours and received botha prompt reply and treatment.

Bow Lane Dental is James’baby. He sets the tone with his high energy and quality innovations. He hassuccessfully recruited a very good team of dental nurses, dental hygienists,technicians and dental practitioners around him. The team includes experts and specialistsin general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, periodontics and orthodontics. I havealso benefited from excellent dental hygiene care and advice from ChristineArran (dental hygienist) throughout my time at Bow Lane.

The practice is complementedby its relationship with an excellent on-site dental laboratory and the team isblessed with welcoming, efficient receptionists who have always made me feel athome. The leadership of James, the quality of his clinical colleagues and thewelcoming approach of the reception team all come together in making Bow Lane areally special place. In fact, I feel privileged to be a patient of thispractice.

Set in the delightful BowLane, close to St Paul’s Cathedral, this beautiful practice is tastefullydecorated and very comfortable. James ensures those important extras are inplace too, such as plentiful supplies of water, a comfortable waiting area andan array of quirky artwork to admire – some of which feature himself!

James is very used tospeaking at conferences and to dentists from around the world. He is aconfident orator, lecturer and teacher. He is great on camera and an excellentcommunicator on social media platforms. Such communications are complemented byBow Lane’s regular practice newsletters.

I admire James Goolnik for his eclecticism,including his philanthropic and environmental projects.

Proceeds from his book,“Brush”, helped Dentaid finance a hospital dental surgery and a mobile dentalclinic in Malawi.

He also wrote “Kick Sugar”with Jenny Phillips (nutritionist) and TV chefs Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi. Thisbook is part of James’ interest in helping people to eat more healthily and hehas a passion for supporting parents in reducing the amount of sugar consumed bychildren. The charity benefiting from “Kick Sugar” is the RewardsProject. At the time of writing thistestimonial, James is working with 487 schools and nurseries to severely reducesugar from children’s diets. The vision is “to change the reward culture inschools, so that staff stop using sugar (and food) as a reward for good behaviouror performance. We will shift the reward culture in schools and nurseriestowards alternative nonfood-based rewards that establish life-long healthyeating habits for children”.

James’ other passions includeenvironmental issues – sustainability, carbon offsetting and removing plasticfrom the environment wherever possible. James and Bow Lane have partnered with rePurposeGlobal. This is the world’s leadingplastic action platform, a global coalition of people and companies dedicatedto reducing waste, reviving lives and restoring nature’s balance. James’ viewsare expressed on the practice’s website – “We have a strong commitment to ourenvironmental responsibilities and will continually review our policies anddecisions to ensure we are doing everything reasonable to limit ourenvironmental impact”.

Before the pandemic around 20of us attended a cookery evening with James and celebrity chef andrestauranteur, Giancarlo Caldesi, who runs La Cucina Caldesi Cookery School inMarylebone. It was a fun evening where we learned about healthy cooking andeating, both of which are close to James’ heart and fit well into his holistic approachto dental & general health.

James and his team get toknow you as a person. There is always some pleasant “small talk” about family,friends and activities which puts you at ease in the dental chair. I  have always felt very secure at Bow Lane,confident that I shall receive the very best treatment at all times.

If James was running arestaurant, it would be Michelin starred!

I am a very satisfied patientand advocate of the practice. I have been happy to recommend James and his teamto some family members, friends and work colleagues.

In summary, it has been adelight to have been a patient of James Goolnik and his colleagues at Bow LaneDental. I congratulate the team on the excellence achieved during the past 20years. I look forward to remaining a patient and have no doubt that James willremain an innovative practitioner and an inspiration to others both within, andbeyond, his profession. Still in his early 50s, James has already achieved somuch and, I feel sure, still has much to give to so many people and projects. Ishall watch this space with interest!

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