British Ambassador Andy Garth, officiating at the opening of the new English-speaking Smile Clinic in Bratislava, complete with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
After nine years of treating UK patients, under the brand name “Dental Holiday”, Smile Clinic Slovakia has opened a new English-speaking dental clinic in Bratislava city center, located in Tower 115 (the tallest building in Bratislava), near the Slovak National Theater on the banks of the River Danube. A perfect location for expats living in Bratislava and the surrounding area.
Just like the flagship clinic in the spa town of Piešťany, this state-of-the-art dental clinic in Bratislava is designed with the very latest in dentistry technology for the expat International community. Smile Clinic Slovakia has treated over 3,000 UK patients since 2006, who have come abroad for their dental care treatment from renowned implantologist, Dr. Marek Salka. Dr. Salka, who trained and lived in the UK and has been in practice for over 14 years and speaks at various dental conferences and events abroad.
Dr. Salka, and his business manager, Daniel Shaw, co-founders of Smile Clinic Slovakia, started the dental practice in Piešťany with only four staff members and are completely amazed by the demand for English-speaking dental treatment abroad. The growth of the clinic in Piešťany is what spurred this dynamic-duo to start a new clinic in the expat haven of Bratislava.
This tremendous amount of growth now includes up to 30 English-speaking dental care professionals combined in both clinics, this multi-language staff includes the clinic’s driver Dano who picks up patients at Bratislava airport and drives them to and from the airport to the clinic in Piešťany. The clinics boast 3 hygienists, 3 care plan managers, seven dentists, eight nursing care specialists and six lab technicians, and of course, they all speak English plus other languages as well.
“Bratislava is known for its expat community, and therefore is the perfect place for an English-speaking dental office, and our location is in the city’s fastest growing area,” states Daniel Shaw. “The clinic has been seeing International patients in and around Bratislava, plus patients from Vienna and parts of Hungary as well as Slovak clients”.
Smile Clinic, “Dental Holiday” was a finalist in the IMTJ International Dental Clinic awards in London last year and both clinic facilities are GCR Internationally Accredited.
Here is Daniel’s speech at the Smile Clinic opening ceremony:
Honorable ambassador, friends, family & colleagues. Thank you to all of you for coming and for giving us the chance to thank you personally for your help & support in making the Bratislava Smile Clinic a reality. Both Marek & I are humbled and honored.
Almost 10 years Dr. Marek and I have been working together, to provide our best for our patients from Great Britain and locally in Piešťany, and it a great privilege that we now have the chance to do the same here in Bratislava as well.
I would like to say a big thanks to both our patients both local and international who have put their money where their mouth is and trusted us with their smiles, as without them, we would never have had the opportunity build this 2nd clinic.
Special thanks today go to:
First and foremost – our wives Katka & Olga for their constant support of our partnership & patience with us.
Michaela Gregusova & Natalia Drgova – for getting through 1 year of paperwork and legalities
The architects AT26 & construction team “Weldmont” for putting the building you see here together
Jirko & the team from DoctorsEyes for their technological support
And lastly, but most importantly, our ever-growing Smile Clinic family of doctors, nurses, admin & laboratory staff who make our clinic what it is everyday for our patients.
I would like to ask the honourable ambassador to cut the ribbon, and officially declare our dental clinic in Bratislava as open!
