When dentist Paul Saliba and his family decided to make the move to Spain it was the first time had pulled himself up…by the roots! Here he talks to Dave Bull about the experiences the family had as they settled in Spain with a new business to run.
Deciding to leave the UK with a young family is never easy especially when you are already running a successful dental practice, but Paul Saliba did just this, arriving in Alicante in 2003. Paul talks about why he moved to Spain and how great a decision it has been for him and his family.
Paul and his wife Sally were living in the southwest of England; a very beautiful part of the country; however after waking to yet another rainy summer Sunday morning they felt that maybe they should look again at their long held daydream of moving to sunnier climes. However, weather was not the solitary reason for contemplating a move. Paul’s children were aged just eight and six years old and as any parents, they wanted the best life possible for their two young boys. They had been to Spain on holiday on a number of occasion and had always been impressed with the way family life seemed to take precedence over here. It was lovely to see children of all ages spending time with the elder generations and noted that children were always made to feel welcome wherever they were, rather than the second class citizens as so often happens in UK.
One of Paul and Sally’s main concerns was for the boys’ education and they opted to send them to a British school giving them the choice of continuing there careers either in UK or in Spain. Eight years later, they still have not left the school they had joined when they first arrived in Spain, the eldest just successfully completing his GCSEs.
However there were professional reasons too for the move. Paul had managed to build up a successful practice in the Cornwall however which each passing year found that red tape and paperwork was taking up more and more of his working day. Frequent changes in the NHS contract for dentist had restricted more and more Paul’s ability to offer a full range of treatments to his patients; things were somewhat better privately but often the cost to patients was prohibitive.
Paul started investigating different areas of Spain and finding an already working Dental Practice for sale on the Costa Blanca really set things in motion and in 2003 the British Dental Practice was formed.
It was by no means easy starting off. Despite buying into a fully functioning practice (originally set up in 1990) he would have lots of paperwork to work through during the first year but he finally managed to buy full ownership of the practice. Starting off with a very basic knowledge of the Spanish language, Paul had to get used to Spanish suppliers and technicians who, as we all know, have a different way of doing things than we may be used to in UK. Over the years this has no longer become a problem, and once you get used to the system, all obstacles can be overcome allowing the development of a successful business.
Paul has always strived to provide the highest level patient care and top quality dental treatment on all levels. He brings 20 years of experience from UK and now offers the highest standard of dental care to all patients, whether they only require a simple scale and polish or far more extensive crowns, bridges or cosmetic treatment.
Paul always specialised with nervous patients, assisting them to overcome their fears and offering a comfortable and sympathetic dental experience. He has endeavoured to give the British Dental Practice as relaxing atmosphere as possible. Sympathetic staff will offer full explanation of all treatments possible (and the relevant costs) in a language that the patients can understand. He also believes that it important to treat each patient as an individual tailoring each treatment plan to their different needs, desires and expectations however maintaining the flexibility to change things should the need arise. Once again it is the professional freedom to prescribe treatment according to the patient’s needs, which ultimately means happy patients.
Paul loves the way his family has taken to Spanish life with the children having a mix of both British and Spanish cultures. The boys love being outdoors and playing all sorts of sports, are perfectly at home in any restaurant or when talking to adults and see family life as particularly important. However they will still be supporting England at the European championships next summer, much to the annoyance of their many Spanish friends.
Heading home after a day at the British Dental Practice will often mean a walk on the beach or a dip in the pool for Paul; not a pleasure he was likely to enjoy back in UK.
