Meet The Member - UK Dental Specialists
We spoke with our members UK Dental Specialists about their vision to bring hospital-level specialist dentistry to St Albans. Since 2009, the clinic has grown into a leading multi-specialist centre, offering advanced dental care and facial aesthetics with a strong commitment to excellence and the local community.
Could you share the story behind the practice? How did UK Dental Specialists begin and how has it evolved into the clinic it is today?
UK Dental Specialists was founded in 2009 by my brother Massimo and me. We have lived in St Albans for over 20 years and proudly call it home. Originally from Italy, we both trained and worked in London, including in the West End and at Guy’s Dental Hospital, one of the UK’s most prestigious teaching hospitals, where I also taught undergraduate and postgraduate dentists.
While working in London, we saw many patients being referred to Harley Street and Wimpole Street for advanced and specialist care. At the same time, we noticed that patients from Hertfordshire and surrounding counties were travelling long distances for treatment that simply wasn’t available locally. We recognised a real gap: the need for outstanding specialist dental care closer to home.
With that vision, we decided to build a brand-new clinic from scratch in St Albans. Massimo led the organisational and operational side of the practice, while I focused on clinical care, initially accepting referrals for complex root canal treatment. Very quickly, it became clear that there was a significant unmet need in the community for advanced dentistry that could not be delivered in a typical high-street practice.
Over time, colleagues from hospital consultant and specialist backgrounds joined the practice, sharing the same values and commitment to excellence. Today, UK Dental Specialists is a true multi-specialist centre offering endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant dentistry, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry, oral surgery and facial aesthetics — all under one roof.
Every clinician at UKDS is on the General Dental Council’s Specialist Register, reflecting additional years of training and the highest standards of care. With 16 specialists, over 40 staff members, and state-of-the-art technology including CBCT scanners, microscopes, digital workflows and in-house laboratories, the clinic has grown into something truly unique — not only in Hertfordshire, but nationally.
UK Dental Specialists focuses on advanced and specialist care. What do you find most rewarding about supporting patients through complex or long-term treatment?
Every patient who walks through our doors has a story. Many arrive feeling anxious, frustrated, or having been told that their problem is too complex or cannot be solved. Taking the time to listen to each individual — not just clinically, but emotionally — is at the heart of what we do.
We want every patient’s journey to become a success story. From the first conversation with our treatment coordinators through to specialist consultations and treatment completion, patients are supported every step of the way. Clinical excellence is essential, but making patients feel safe, listened to and empowered is just as important.
We are humbled by the feedback we receive — over 700 five-star Google reviews — many of which describe life-changing outcomes. Seeing patients regain confidence, comfort and quality of life is incredibly rewarding. As a local practice, it is especially meaningful to meet former patients years later in the streets of St Albans and still be thanked for the care they received.
Being based in St Albans, how does the local community influence the way you operate and deliver care?
St Albans is home for us. Massimo and I live here, our children attend local schools, and many of our clinicians and team members also live locally. That creates a strong sense of responsibility: we are caring for our neighbours, not anonymous patients.
We are actively involved in the community — supporting local events, enjoying the city’s food festivals, parks and restaurants, and proudly backing St Albans City Football Club. You will often see members of the UKDS team out and about in the city, which reinforces the personal connection we have with our patients.
At the same time, St Albans’ excellent transport links mean we are ideally positioned to receive referrals from across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, North London and beyond. This allows us to serve both our local community and a wider regional population while maintaining a distinctly local identity.
What values guide UK Dental Specialists in terms of clinical excellence, patient care and professional integrity?
Listening always comes first. We focus on what patients want to achieve, what they truly need, and what is in their best long-term interest. From there, we build a shared journey supported by our specialists, nurses, treatment coordinators and administrative team.
Clinical excellence, transparency and integrity guide every decision. We combine advanced expertise with empathy, recognising that complex dentistry often comes with emotional challenges as well as clinical ones. Patient feedback plays a vital role in keeping us accountable and continually improving.
We read and personally respond to every review because every patient matters. Each success story fuels our commitment to do better, aim higher and continue delivering outstanding care.
UK Dental Specialists also offers facial aesthetics. How does this complement your dental services?
Facial aesthetics was introduced naturally alongside our dental services. Many patients seek not only oral health but improved confidence and facial harmony. Providing these treatments within a medical, clinical environment felt like a logical and ethical extension of our work.
Patients often tell us they want facial aesthetic treatment delivered by highly trained clinicians, not in a non-medical setting. At UKDS, treatments are provided by qualified professionals with advanced anatomical knowledge, offering a level of safety, precision and reassurance that patients value.
The results are often immediate and deeply emotional — seeing a patient regain confidence in their appearance is incredibly fulfilling. Importantly, we aim to offer something very different from typical high-street beauty services: clinically led, ethical and focused on natural, high-quality outcomes.
Specialist dentistry can feel daunting. How do you help patients feel informed, reassured and supported?
We fully recognise that advanced dental treatment can feel daunting, particularly at the start. That is why education and communication are central to our approach.
We provide extensive information through videos, podcasts and social media before patients even attend the clinic. By reducing the “fear of the unknown,” patients often arrive already feeling reassured. Once they begin their journey, they are supported by a dedicated treatment coordinator who remains their point of contact throughout.
For anxious patients, we offer a full range of sedation options, including IV sedation and inhalation sedation, as well as specialist paediatric care. This ensures that every patient — adult or child — can receive treatment in a calm, supportive environment.
How does bringing multiple dental specialists together benefit patients and outcomes?
UK Dental Specialists functions much like a mini hospital. Specialists and consultants regularly collaborate, discuss cases and plan treatment together to ensure every detail is considered. Many of our specialists have worked together at UKDS for over a decade, and several also hold consultant and specialist posts within NHS hospitals across the country.
This continuity is important to patients. The same clinicians who deliver accountable, evidence-based care in prestigious NHS hospital roles bring that experience, discipline and clinical governance directly into our private practice in St Albans. It allows patients to benefit from hospital-level expertise in a more personal, calm and accessible setting.
Patients gain the reassurance of multiple expert opinions working together under one roof, rather than fragmented care across different locations. This collaborative approach leads to more balanced decision-making, clearer treatment plans and consistently better long-term outcomes.
Dentistry and facial aesthetics evolve rapidly. How do you stay at the forefront?
All UKDS clinicians are on the GDC Specialist Register, and many are also hospital consultants, educators and researchers. Several contribute to published research and help shape advancements in their fields.
We continually invest in the latest technology — from 3D imaging and digital scanners to same-day restorations and advanced smile design. We also run an in-house academy, hosting regular lectures and training sessions for referring dentists, helping raise standards of care beyond our own practice.
What sets UK Dental Specialists apart for new patients or those considering facial aesthetics for the first time?
Patients often tell us it is the combination of exceptional expertise and genuine care. We listen carefully, never rush decisions, and tailor every treatment plan to the individual.
For facial aesthetics in particular, patients appreciate knowing their treatment is delivered by highly trained clinicians in a medical environment, rather than an unregulated setting. This reassurance makes the experience not only safer, but far more positive and confidence-building.
As part of the St Albans community, how do you engage beyond the practice?
Being part of St Albans is something we are deeply proud of. We support local schools, events and charities, and enjoy strong relationships with neighbouring businesses and dental practices.
Living and working in the same city creates a unique sense of connection and accountability. Delivering care to the community we love — and seeing the positive impact it has on people’s lives — is one of the most rewarding aspects of what we do.