The tale of ‘thon gruesome tooth’ and the lengths we'll go to, to put patients at ease
Posted on 30 March, 2019 by Hillsborough Dental
When setting up practice in 1998, I designed a logo which I felt perfectly summed up our business.
It was the same sort of sign that hundreds of other dentists also thought would perfectly sum up their business, so there’s no prizes for guessing - it was indeed a tooth.
But I was very proud of our lovely tooth logo, which hung on the sign above our front door and also appeared on our business cards. It was set on a rich black background and fitted with a fine high-quality gold crown which I felt reflected the high standard of my work and care.
Pride comes before a fall…
All was well for years until one day a neighbour of the practice called in to deliver a parcel. With just a few words, she burst my bubble!
During the course of conversation, she described my sign as “thon gruesome tooth!”
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see…
I’d never thought of it from her point of view before, but I suppose it is a bit unnatural to see a tooth completely detached from your head with its roots on full display.
So, as a professional committed to minimising people’s anxieties about their dental visits, during our 2012 refurbishment I decided it was time for ‘thon gruesome tooth’ to go.
I needed a new logo, but this time I brought the experts in!
I called on the excellent graphic designer, Catherine O’Brien, Creative Director of Think Studio. Catherine is a design and marketing specialist for many leading businesses and hotels, including the beautiful Lough Erne Resort. After thoroughly analysing the type of dental practice we have, along with our values and ethos, she came up with the idea of a pearl in an oyster.
It seemed perfect, for the natural pearl is a precious jewel; and because of the similarities in colour, lustre, pearlescence and fluorescence, we often call teeth our "pearly whites". Having studied teeth in fine detail for over thirty years now, I believe they are even more spectacularly beautiful than pearls.
No grit, no pearl…
The pearl and oyster logo is a little bit more obscure than ‘the tooth,’ but I feel it represents us on deeper levels too, as it also conveys the idea of a unique practice with hidden qualities that only those who look inside will find. Hence the strap line “More Than Meets the Eye”.
These hidden qualities lie in our professionalism, care and warmth, but also in our ability to deliver services not always available in other practices.
Being able to offer these sort of services - such as composite artistry (a non-invasive technique to improve the look of problematic teeth), smile restoration, adult orthodontics and clear aligners, treatments to address headache and facial pain due to bite alignment problems, venous lake blemish removal for beautiful lips, and facial aesthetics to name just some - doesn’t come easy.
It comes only with a commitment to, and investment in, continued training world-wide in these new techniques, along with investment in specialist equipment and a desire to stay ahead of the curve in terms of dental advances.
Discover the hidden gem
If you’re a patient at Hillsborough Dental, we hope you’ve already experienced some of our hidden qualities and know that we go the extra mile to ensure your comfort.
If you’re not a patient, but this sounds like the sort of practice you’d like to belong too, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact the practice (028) 92688388 or admin@hillsboroughdental.co.uk or follow the enquire now link to ask a question.
