New Plymouth Dental Clinic uses innovative design in a city centre retail space

A new £5m dental clinic in Plymouth is opening following a major transformation project. Kendall Kingscott led on the design with their 1 Team delivering architecture, building surveying, quantity surveying, project management and principal designer.. The scheme has converted a former High Street retail unit into a fully functional clinical environment, designed to support high quality dental care and improve dental access for the local community, while supporting learning for the next generation of dentists and dental therapists.

Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise - a subsidiary of the University of Plymouth - has taken a 20-year lease on Plymouth City Council's former First Stop Shop in New George Street. The conversion required a complete rethinking of the space to meet clinical standards while remaining welcoming and accessible to patients. Kendall Kingscott’s design prioritises patient flow, modern treatment facilities and efficient working areas for clinicians, ensuring that both staff and dental trainees can deliver care effectively.

Once open, the clinic will provide appointments for people without an NHS dentist and urgent, same day appointments for people experiencing pain, infection or trauma. Its location makes it easy for residents to attend, supporting efforts to increase access to essential dental services.

The facility will also serve as a training environment for final-year student dentists and dental therapists from the University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Dental School, allowing students to gain supervised experience in a setting very similar to that which they will enter when they qualify. 

Well done to everyone involved in this unique transformation project, including Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise, University of Plymouth and Devon Contractors. It is expected to make a significant contribution to improving dental provision in the city, as well as showcasing how well-designed spaces can support care in a convenient location for the community while meeting high clinical standards.