Meet Our Team

Amal became the principal dentist at York House Dental Practice in 2016. He has a particular interest in advanced cosmetics, implants and restorative dentistry, having attended numerous postgraduate courses under the guidance of some of the most prominent clinicians in both the UK and Europe.

Dentistry found him early. At sixteen or seventeen, weighing a career in business and finance against something more hands-on, he shadowed a family friend who was a dentist. On that placement he watched a patient arrive in pain, have a temporary filling placed and leave with a smile. He has described that moment as the one that decided it.

He is the implant lead and the restorative dentist at the practice: the first point of contact at an implant consultation, and the clinician who fits the abutment and crown once the implant has healed. He has been doing that restorative work for well over a decade, and he prefers to explain it on a model, because some people understand far better when they can see.

He practises minimally invasive dentistry, believing in removing as little tooth structure as possible and in the practice philosophy of keeping ‘teeth for life’. He is well versed in botulinum toxin and dermal fillers for facial rejuvenation and is an approved Invisalign practitioner.

Amal has built a reputation on a caring, calming manner and the ability to treat the most nervous of patients. He is a member of the British Dental Association and the Association of Dental Implantology. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, going to the gym and travelling. Dr Amal Patel is registered with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office), registration reference ZA204412.

Andy trained at Sheffield and came to dentistry through an interest in science and a liking for practical work; the profession seemed to combine both. He enjoys all aspects of dentistry but has a particular interest in minimally invasive and preventive dentistry, conserving as much of your natural tooth as possible using the latest resin bonding and adhesive dentistry techniques.

For Andy, minimally invasive dentistry means aiming to conserve as much natural tooth tissue as possible rather than doing heavy preparation of the teeth. Natural teeth with little or no work done to them, in his view, are much better than extensive work that needs time and money to keep going. The myth he most wants to correct is that tooth loss is inevitable with age. He does not think it is.

Andy has a caring and gentle approach and will try to allay any anxieties or fears you may have about dental treatment. His method is to explain what he is going to do and how, and to make clear that you are in control and can stop him at any point. He attends regular postgraduate courses to keep up with the latest ideas in dentistry and is a member of the British Dental Association.

Outside the surgery, Andy enjoys walking, gardening and city breaks. He is married with a grown-up son.

Since qualifying from King’s College, London in 2004, Manisha has built up practice in both the NHS and the private sector. She came to dentistry through a school work-experience placement she went into not expecting to enjoy at all; what changed her mind was the relationships with patients, the detail of the craft, and a placement dentist who turned out to be a great mentor.

She is experienced at delivering a wide range of general and cosmetic treatments, including composite bonding, veneers, whitening, Invisalign to straighten the front teeth, and muscle-relaxing injections and fillers. She has a particular interest in dental aesthetics, holds the MJDF postgraduate qualification and is undertaking a Diploma in Aesthetic and Restorative Dentistry.

Her approach is minimally invasive where appropriate. The materials available today are far better than they were even ten or fifteen years ago, but, as she puts it to patients, nothing is quite as strong as the enamel on your teeth, so that is what she wants to preserve. Sometimes a smile can be improved simply by moving teeth, without adding anything to them at all.

Manisha is known for her friendly, caring and relaxed manner and is particularly good with nervous patients. She has no fixed system for anxious patients; she reads how each person is on the day, tells them at the outset what will not happen, agrees hand signals before laying the chair back, and uses breathing techniques around X-rays. She does not treat teenagers for Invisalign and refers them to an orthodontist.

Away from the practice she is a mother, lives in Hertfordshire surrounded by nature, enjoys long walks, theatre, concerts and nineties music, and once danced on Strictly Come Dancing.

Dr Dhillon is a Dental Phobia Certified Dentist with over 19 years of experience. He qualified in London in 2005, worked in Buckinghamshire and then as a foundation trainer for newly qualified dentists, took an opportunity in Oxfordshire, and has practised across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. He joined York House in 2024, drawn by a practice close to home and a team he describes as lovely, and is here two days a week.

He comes from a family in the medical profession and has always been artistic; what won him over to dentistry was that every patient and every case is different, and that even a filling leaves room to put your own signature on it. He holds a Certificate in Implant Dentistry, is a member of the International Team for Implantology and the IAS Academy, providing orthodontics and clear aligners such as Invisalign and Inman Aligners, and has completed the Howard Stein Advanced Restorative Dental Course. His own implant work is simple, single-tooth work; more complex cases are referred to the practice’s visiting implant surgeon.

With nervous and phobic patients he starts by finding the root of the fear, then takes small steps: a short first visit just for a clean, showing and explaining every instrument before it is used, a phone call in the evening to check in, and five minutes set aside before the next appointment. He is an active member of Dental Trauma UK and advises on managing dental injuries.

Ricky places empathy at the centre of his care and describes himself as a generally spiritual person who tries to treat every patient as he would his own family. He promotes personal development, mental wellbeing and self-care.

He has two daughters who play hockey and netball, and in his spare time he enjoys reading, seminars and courses on personal development.

Dr Charan Nijhar brings over 19 years of dental experience to York House, having earned her Bachelor of Dental Surgery from King’s College London in 2006. What drew her to dentistry was the combination of art and science: working with her hands, and the theory behind it. A few years after qualifying she took a year-long postgraduate course in advanced operative aesthetic and restorative dentistry, which she describes as pivotal, because it let her see patients and go back to mentors stage by stage.

Her clinical expertise lies in minimally invasive, aesthetic and restorative dentistry. She is highly skilled in white fillings, ceramic onlays, veneers, tooth whitening and Invisalign, and continually advances her skills through professional training. Dr Nijhar also provides skin rejuvenation treatments such as polynucleotides and microneedling with exosomes.

With a ‘teeth for life’ philosophy, she plans treatment as a journey rather than a quick fix, asking where a patient will be in one, five and ten years and choosing the option that should last the longest. She uses intraoral photographs and scans at every stage because a picture lets patients see for themselves. She values clear communication and joint decisions, and her calm, empathetic manner helps even the most nervous patients feel at ease; she looks for the one moment that caused the anxiety, and matches the remedy to it.

As a mother of three, she understands the importance of building good dental habits early and connects well with younger patients, making dental visits a positive experience. Outside the clinic she enjoys painting, sewing, yoga and growing her own tea garden, blending herbal infusions from hand-picked leaves.

Ilija completed postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Medicine – University of Novi Sad acquiring a professional title – Doctor of Dentistry in 2013. Enthusiastic and dedicated dentist with commitment to providing excellence in patient care together with a gentle, calm and caring approach. He has been working as associate Dentist in a Private Practice in London with extensive experience in Restorative Dentistry and special interest in Endodontics (Root Canal Treatment). He spends one to two days a month at York House accepting endodontic referral.