Our Team

Dr Sanjay Sareen - Dental Practitioner

(BDS(London), PgCert Dental Education, Postgraduate Diploma in oral surgery(RCS), FHEA, MAcadMEd, GDC number: 177761)

Sanjay Sareen qualified from Kings College London. In his time there, he received several letters of excellence in Conservative Dentistry and Dental Radiography. He is extremely passionate and professional but also exceptionally warm and will go out of his way to deliver the very best treatment experience for his patients.

He has a special interest in cosmetic and implant dentistry. He developed an interest in dental implants from an early stage in his career. He has been taught and mentored by some of the most prestigious implantologists in the world, such as Dr Goran Urde and Nik Sisodia. He also has a keen interest in cosmetic dentistry and has completed his one year certificate course in Cosmetic Dentistry and Aesthetic Restorative Dentistry.

He has a holistic approach to take care of the patient’s dental needs and enjoys treating nervous patients and children. He is a confident dentist with plenty of experience of treating both NHS and private patients. He is always keen to keep his skills refreshed and renewed with frequent training.

He has combined his passion for dentistry with his devotion to teaching by becoming an educational supervisor for Basildon scheme at the health education east of England. This role involves teaching, mentoring, assessing and Foundation Dentists.

Sanjay is very passionate about teaching and wants to help develop the young dentists into competent, confident and caring practitioners at the end of their training year. When enjoying a little downtime from his enjoyably busy work life, Sanjay loves catching the latest movies, exploring our vibrant capital city and socialising with friends and playing sports.

Mr Sunny Sareen - Dental Practitioner

(BDS(London), MJDF (England), Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Education, FHEA, MAcadMEd) GDC number 177765)

Sunny Sareen qualified from King's College London. He completed a year of vocational training in Leicester. He has worked in general Practice for over 9 years and has been an honorary clinical tutor at the prestigious King's College London Hospital, which has given him greater insight into lifelong learning and teaching.

Sunny is very passionate about teaching and has been appointed as a vocational trainer by the Health Education England for newly qualified dentists in the last few years. He has completed postgraduate diploma in dental education and currently studying in restorative and aesthetic dentistry at diploma level. He has also been awarded fellowship at the Higher Education Academy. He has also completed his postgraduate examinations to gain the MJDF and gaining membership at the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons.

He is a passionate caring dentist who has a keen interest in cosmetic dentistry and endodontics. He enjoys treating and improving smiles using different orthodontic systems such as the Inman aligner, fastbraces, clear aligners and Invisalign. He has attended several courses and training in orthodontics and aesthetic dentistry.

He is committed to continual professional development and strongly believes in post graduate training to improve patient care. He has a holistic approach to take care of the patients’ dental needs and enjoys treating nervous patients and children.

Away from dentistry Sunny enjoys spending time with family, playing football and cricket, travelling and eating out.

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Dr Mahendran Rajeevan- Dental Practitioner

Dentist with Special Interest in Endodontics, BDS, MSc Endodontic Practice, PG Cert Dental Education. GDC number: 79866

Raj, as he likes to be called, graduated from the Royal London Hospital in 2001 and has completed a Masters degree in Endodontic Practice at Queen Mary University of London.

He has developed a great passion for endodontic treatment and is an active member of the British Endodontic Society, regularly keeping up to date with developments in endodontics. During his MSc, his research projects focused on the use of Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Endodontics and also the management of patients with persistent dentoalveolar pain, and is currently working on publishing his research in scientific journals.

Raj attends the Smile dental practice regularly to treat complex endodontic cases. He also dedicates part of his time to training young dentists in general practice.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and is also an avid runner currently training for the London Marathon.

Dr Riz Syed - Dental Practitioner

BDS (Royal London Hospital, 1999), GDC number: 77092

Dr Syed qualified in 1999 at the Royal London Hospital and then worked in the Oral Maxillo-facial surgical department. Following this, he worked in numerous specialist surgical practices for a number of years. He then completed a restorative and implant training course.

Dr Syed has successfully completed extensive post-graduate studies in both implant and restorative dentistry. He has trained extensively in both America (UCLA), Europe, Brazil and South Africa in advanced soft and hard tissue management and has completed an advanced training course in oral plastic surgery in Dallas, Texas. He has also trained at the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons. He has established many implant referral centres across the country.

His practice also includes sinus grafting, surgical crown lenghtening and hard and soft tissue grafting. Dr Syed lectures both nationally and internationally on all aspects of implant dentistry including hard and soft management and immediate loading. He is also a visiting surgeon to numerous surgeries across UK.

As a national implant mentor he has helped to train implant surgery to numerous surgeons across the UK and is regularly consulted for treatment planning complex cases.

Dr Syed is one of the lead surgeons in the UK offering immediate same day teeth (all-on - four) and zygomatic implants for patients with severe bone loss.

He is a member of the Association of Dental implantology (ADI), International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Mr Harsh Patel - Practice Manager

I’m Harsh Patel, originally from Gujarat, India, and currently the Dental Practice Manager at Smile Dental Centre. My academic journey includes an MSc in International Business Management (CMI Level 7) from the University of East London, a BSc in Chemistry from Sardar Patel University, and a Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology from Dharmsinh Desai University.

I bring a strong foundation in healthcare management, having previously excelled as a Pharmacy Manager, where I developed my leadership, management, and interpersonal skills. I pride myself on my ability to navigate complex challenges with critical thinking and ensure seamless operations while delivering exceptional patient care.

I am deeply committed to creating a welcoming and professional environment at Smile Dental Centre. My expertise in optimizing practice efficiency through innovative IT solutions, combined with my passion for customer service, helps maintain our high standards of care and patient satisfaction.

Outside of work, I enjoy pursuing my love for cinematography and photography, capturing moments that allow me to express my creativity and artistic vision.

Miss Molly Tonge - Hygienist

I qualified as a dental hygienist in 2018. I have been working at Smile Dental Centre since 2018, with a great team of people in a job I thoroughly enjoy.

Since working here, I have furthered my career by undertaking a degree in Oral Health Science. I am now also a qualified Dental Therapist. I have a wider range of skills, so I can offer the best quality service to my patients.

I am passionate about dental hygiene and the importance of disease prevention. I enjoy talking to patients and setting treatment plans. I especially enjoy treating anxious patients,helping them alleviate their fears about attending the dentist. I get great satisfaction seeing them return for further appointments.

My main objective is to give you the smile you deserve!

Miss Sowmya Kanumuru -Dental Hygienist

I completed my Bachelor's degree in dentistry and currently practicing as a dental hygienist since 2020. I am very dedicated and keen on providing all the care and support needed to ensure patients are satisfied with a happier smile and healthier gums.

I am attending many courses to expand my clinical knowledge to improve patient care and help my patients achieve excellent oral hygiene care.

Away from work I enjoy travelling, learning Carnatic music, painting and reading books.

Erika Benninghoff - Dental Receptionist

Erika has been a receptionist at Smile Dental Centre for over eight years. She is a very friendly, caring person and will always try her best to help any patient that needs assistance.

She graduated from a university in South Africa, worked in the pharmaceutical industry for many years and then moved to England permanently 10 years ago.

Erika is a passionate gardener and does gardening whenever she can spare the time. She is the longest serving member of the team and feels like the "mother hen" to the rest of her colleagues. She speaks fluent English and Afrikaans.

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Teresa Ingledew – Qualified Dental Nurse/Administrator

Teresa has worked at Smile Dental Centre for few years and has completed her Dental Nurse qualification to very high standard.

Teresa is involved in reception and assists with all adhoc admin tasks due to her previous employments in Admin & Childcare. Teresa assists in the training of new trainee personnel, she is the oldest member of the team but the youngest of heart. Teresa enjoys watching films & reading, hates gardening with a passion!

Sammy Benenzuidenhout- Head Administrator

Sammy joined Smile Dental Centre more than two years ago to beat the empty nest syndrome when her twins went to university. Sammy is a very popular member of the team and she is always happy to help with a smile.

Sammy studied journalism in South Africa and and worked as a reporter for at a local newspaper. She went on to become an educational book editor for many years before moving to England twenty years ago.

Sammy is a keen Ebayer, enjoys travelling, watching movies, decorating her home , crafting and spending time with family and friends. She is fluent in English and Afrikaans.