Double win at the Private Dentistry Awards 2025

We are absolutely thrilled to share some wonderful news with you.

Earlier this month, we announced that Gentle Touch had been named a regional finalist in four categories at the prestigious Private Dentistry Awards 2025. On Friday evening, members of our team and the Aplin family travelled to London for the awards ceremony. It’s incredibly exciting to let you know we came away with not one but two awards, plus a Highly Commended.

We won Best Practice in Scotland & Northern Ireland and Patient Care in Scotland & Northern Ireland. We also received a Highly Commended for Team of the Year in our region.

To say we are proud is an understatement.

These awards mean so much to us because they recognise everything we work hard to achieve every day. That includes everything from our clinical innovation to the small touches that make your visits more comfortable and personal. The Patient Care award, in particular, feels like the ultimate recognition that what we do is making a real difference to the people who matter most: you, our patients.

Our Principal Dentist, Amber Aplin, is delighted with the result. She said: “When I acquired the practice nine years ago, I dreamed of transforming how we deliver dental care in our community. I also had a private ambition to make The Gentle Touch the best dental practice in the Scottish Borders. To now be awarded Best Practice across the whole of Scotland and Northern Ireland really is beyond anything I could have imagined. And winning the Patient Care award means everything — because ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. This belongs to every single person at The Gentle Touch, and to our wonderful patients who make coming to work such a joy.”

It’s been an extraordinary year at The Gentle Touch. We became the UK’s first fully biomimetic practice, with every single one of our clinicians now trained in these advanced techniques that help us save teeth and deliver longer-lasting results. We’ve also embedded our pioneering therapist-led care model, which allows our patients to see a familiar face regularly and receive unhurried, personal attention at every visit. Behind the scenes, we’ve launched our Biomimetic Academy to share what we’ve learned with dental professionals across the UK.

These awards wouldn’t be possible without the dedication, skill and genuine kindness that every member of our team brings to work each day — from our reception team to our nurses, Dental Therapists and Dentists. The Highly Commended for Team of the Year is a fitting reflection of the warm, caring environment they create together.

We also want to thank our patients for trusting us with your dental care and for all the kind words and reviews you share. Your support means the world to us and has been a key part of our award submissions.

We will continue to do what we do best: providing exceptional, gentle dental care with your long-term health and happiness at the heart of everything.

To our brilliant patients, thank you for being part of our Gentle Touch family!