Featured in Dentistry: How The Dental Barns Uses Technology to Build Trust
The Dental Barns was featured in Dentistry magazine's Practice Builder series, exploring how its bespoke Doctor Station combines digital imaging, 3D scanning, AI-supported diagnostics and patient-facing screens to make treatment easier to understand.
Featured in Dentistry Magazine
In June 2026, The Dental Barns was featured in Dentistry magazine's new Practice Builder series, with David Drew sharing the thinking behind our bespoke Doctor Station and the role technology plays in helping patients understand their care.
The feature focused on a simple principle that shaped the design of our surgeries from the beginning: patients should be able to see what we see, in a way that makes sense to them.
Building Trust Through Transparency
When The Dental Barns opened, one of our biggest priorities was earning trust quickly. Patients do not automatically feel confident simply because they have walked into a new practice. If someone is being asked to invest in their smile, health or confidence, they deserve to understand not only what is being recommended, but why.
That is why transparency and education sit at the centre of our appointments. Rather than relying on explanation alone, we wanted patients to be able to see the evidence themselves.
“The patient sees what we see, in a way they can understand.”
What Is the Doctor Station?
The Doctor Station is our integrated chairside technology system, built around the way our clinicians and nurses actually work. It brings together digital X-rays, intraoral photography, 3D scanning, AI-supported diagnostics, treatment-planning visuals, education and entertainment in one seamless setup.
Large patient-facing 4K screens allow us to move quickly between those different sources of information during an appointment. Instead of describing an area of concern, we can show it. Instead of asking a patient to imagine how a scan relates to their treatment, we can walk through it together on screen.
The same displays that can help somebody feel more relaxed at the start of an appointment can immediately become a visual communication and consent tool when it is time to discuss their oral health.
Technology That Works Together
The value of the Doctor Station is not simply the number of devices involved. The important part is that the technology works together without creating friction for the patient or clinical team.
Our setup includes Dürr Dental digital imaging and intraoral cameras, a 3Shape TRIOS 6 intraoral scanner with Dx Plus, Pearl AI-supported radiographic detection, dedicated touchscreen control and external clinician and nurse controls.
Rather than switching between disconnected systems or relying on awkward screen casting, the station was designed from the ground up as one integrated workflow.
An Investment in Communication
As highlighted in the Dentistry feature, the Doctor Station represents an investment of approximately £55,000, bringing together scanning, imaging, AI-supported diagnostics, patient-facing displays and the supporting infrastructure needed to make the experience feel seamless.
That investment is not about technology for technology's sake. Its purpose is communication. Good dentistry depends on patients feeling informed, comfortable and involved in decisions about their care.
When patients can clearly see an X-ray, an intraoral image or a 3D scan, the conversation changes. It becomes easier to explain what we are seeing, discuss options and answer questions in a way that feels open and collaborative.
Why This Matters to Patients
For us, advanced technology is most valuable when it makes dentistry feel simpler. It can reduce uncertainty, make complex information easier to understand and help patients feel more confident about the decisions they are making.
That principle continues to guide how we develop The Dental Barns: combining high standards of clinical care with technology that improves understanding rather than getting in the way of it.
The full feature, “Practice builder – The Doctor Station”, appeared in the June 2026 edition of Dentistry magazine.
About David Drew
David Drew is Co-Founder and Practice Manager of The Dental Barns in Lichfield. He leads the practice's operations, technology and patient experience, with a particular focus on integrating digital systems in ways that support both the clinical team and the people they care for.
At The Dental Barns in Lichfield, we’ve reimagined what private dentistry can feel like. Our patients choose us not just for results, but for the calm, luxurious experience that surrounds every visit. From the moment you arrive, you’ll notice the difference — a spa-like environment, thoughtful design, and a team that takes time to understand you. Our exclusive VIP approach means appointments are unhurried, comfort is prioritised, and advanced digital technology ensures precision in every treatment.
Whether you visit for Invisalign, composite bonding, veneers, or gentle hygiene therapy, every detail is considered — from the heated anaesthetic to the aromatherapy scents that make our space feel like home. Transparency, trust, and technology underpin everything we do, allowing patients to relax knowing they’re in expert hands.
Our Why VIP philosophy is simple: world-class dentistry, delivered with warmth, calm, and integrity. It’s why so many of our patients travel from across Staffordshire and the West Midlands to experience The Dental Barns difference.
