I've been a dentist for more than 25 years and in that time I've worked in hospitals, community services and general practices. I started my own practice five years ago; it's a great opportunity to make a difference to the Tower Hamlets community in London. It's a very diverse area: I see people who are working in the City, who live in the surrounding estates, as well as mothers, children, the elderly. It's a privilege to deal with such a wide variety of people.

Monday is usually a busy day, with a mixture of new patients and various treatments. Fillings, crowns, dentures – we never know what to expect. There are a lot of positive points to NHS dentistry – it's patient-focused, affordable and gives quality care. The challenging part is the amount of paperwork, which can be time-consuming.

I like to feel I am making a difference to people. A lot of patients come in feeling vulnerable or scared but leave having had a good experience. This week I had a man who came in with broken front teeth. He never used to like smiling and the fact that I could do something about it made him happy. And this, in turn, encouraged me.

As the principal of the practice, I have an early start on Tuesdays to catch up with my admin work, which I do in the mornings – the rest of my day is a normal clinic. Every Wednesday I train a dental nursing student, and this Wednesday evening I went on to attend the NHS Tower Hamlets dental conference. It was a good opportunity to share ideas with other dental colleagues.

On Thursday I had 25 patients booked on my day list, which is about normal, as well as two slots for emergency patients – one with broken teeth, the other with swollen gums caused by buried wisdom teeth. In a job like this you work and think fast, but you still have to be compassionate and patient. I don't see myself treating just the teeth, but the person as a whole. We put a lot of emphasis on prevention, which is why we are always giving individuals advice. I sometimes find it frustrating when patients don't want to take responsibility for looking after their teeth. We tell them that they should look after them as much as any other part of their body. Most people are scared of dentists because they associate them with pain. They leave it for too long before doing anything and then more work is needed. We encourage patients to visit the dentist as regularly as possible, usually between six months and one year.

On Friday, it's more admin work, though this week I had the afternoon off, which was an exception. I would normally have another clinic. I love dentistry – it feels like a mixture of art and science.

www.freshspringsdentalpractice.co.uk

As told to Anita Sethi