From Barn to Boutique
Discover how David Drew and Dr. Keely Thorne transformed a rustic barn into a luxury dental retreat, as featured in The Probe magazine in collaboration with NSK.
Born from a Barn
David Drew explains how The Dental Barns, as well as the equipment they use and the way in which patients are treated, all reflects the philosophy he shares with his wife and principal dentist Keely Thorne.
What experience are you providing patients with at The Dental Barns, and what makes your practice different?
We believe everyone deserves to feel good about their smile.
For us, that means removing the fears patients may have—whether they need to get their oral health under control or want to improve their smile aesthetically. Our core values are Excellence, Wellness, and Bespoke care—always underlined with transparency.
We’ve looked closely at the entire patient journey and challenged ourselves to reduce stress, increase transparency, and improve overall wellbeing.
How does your setting and environment align with this philosophy?
Anxiety is a big barrier between patients and their confidence.
To help overcome this, we stepped away from the traditional dental setting, which often triggers negative memories—be it the sights, sounds, or smells.
Our surroundings couldn’t be further from that. Set in a rural, rustic barn, we offer ample free parking, no high street hustle, and calming countryside views.
It’s the perfect setting to instil relaxation instead of anxiety.
How do your goals shape the suppliers you choose?
Everything must run smoothly and feel comfortable for the patient.
To deliver this, we need top-quality equipment that supports a seamless, stress-free experience.
Our suppliers must be reliable, supportive, and deliver exceptional quality tools and consumables.
How NSK Helps Us Deliver Calm, Predictable Dentistry
You’ve invested in equipment from NSK—what’s been your experience?
We unified our main handpiece and decontamination equipment with NSK.
It was a decision based on product quality and the excellent service offered.
So far, we’ve had no handpiece failures and not a single autoclave failure over 700+ cycles.
Which NSK handpiece is Keely’s favourite?
Keely loves the NSK Ti-Max Z95L 1:5 Speed Increasing Contra-Angle Handpiece.
It feels high quality in the hand, has a comfortable weight, and doesn’t cause fatigue during long treatments.
It’s also quiet, which is especially important for our nervous patient group.
How does NSK equipment support your cosmetic dentistry treatments?
Our handpieces go through long, demanding procedures like full-day composite bonding cases.
They’re durable and precise—both essential qualities for aesthetic work that involves lots of polishing and adjustment.
Infection control is crucial—how does NSK equipment help with this?
Space is limited in our decon room, so efficiency and footprint were top priorities.
The iClave Plus is compact yet spacious inside and offers flexible cycles. Features like auto-drain have improved our workflow.
The iCare oiling unit was a must—it removes messy manual steps and ensures consistent handpiece care. It’s so easy, it’s almost enjoyable to use.
NSK provided a one-stop solution, and every product met our expectations.
Do you have a service plan for your NSK equipment?
We currently have annual servicing and calibration for the iClave Plus, having just completed our first year.
We haven’t needed a service plan yet, but staying true to our philosophy, it’s something we’ll look into to avoid disruptions in the patient journey.
Read the full article at The Probe, coming soon...
Read the full artical at NSK
