KEEPING teeth youthful for life is a key aim of the new owners of a Basingstoke dental practice.

Husband-and-wife team Harry Gill and Sandy Dau have taken over Marshalls Dental Practice which had been operated by Philip Marshall, in Cliddesden Road, for 35 years.

However, Mr Marshall is still providing a helping hand with the practice, working a couple of days a week as an associate.

The new owners, who have moved to Basingstoke from Knightsbridge, are keen to bring the practice up-to-date with digital technology and a new name – Omnia Dental.

Dr Dau, who graduated with distinction from St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, brings with her 10 years’ experience in private healthcare, having treated more than 10,000 patients. She has also had extensive training in aesthetic and cosmetic dentistry.

Bringing management skills and a marketing drive, Mr Gill, who is a non-clinical partner, works in a fast growing financial services company in the City.

Delighted to be in Basingstoke, where she anticipates patients will be less transient than in London, Dr Dau has had a warm welcome from long-term local patients.

“The patients that I have seen have been so fantastic – and almost every single one is super excited about the changes we are making.

“The biggest thing at the moment which is really interesting to patients is when they are having their X-rays taken. It’s all digital radiography – so their X-rays are taken and ready in real time.”

The team is also embracing digital oral cameras, so patients can see the state of their teeth via a TV screen.

Speaking as someone who isn’t a dental practitioner and who can appreciate the patient’s side of things, Mr Gill said: “Sometimes X-rays can be quite scary to look at, where people like me won’t understand what all those cracks and lines are.

“But looking on a TV screen, the dentist is better able to explain what is being examined.

“What we are trying to do is get back to the core of making life better for the patients first.

“Our real focus is on keeping teeth youthful for life, and with that can come preventative dentistry, cosmetic dentistry or restorative dentistry, if you need these services.”

Dr Dau said: “If people are given the right advice, and if they are given preventative advice, to tell them what to do on a daily basis when they get home as well as seeing a hygienist regularly, to keep their teeth really clean, they can keep their costs down.”