Myyrmäen Hammaslääkäriasema is a widely-known dental clinic and one of the original tenants of the shopping centre Myyrmanni – located in the same premises since 1994. Pia Helander acquired the clinic’s business from the founders who were first her colleagues for ten years. During this time, she became familiar with both customers and business premises.
According to Pia Helander, the best things about her job are customers and mastering the craft of dental care. All patient encounters are important, and her aim is always to provide the most comfortable treatment experience possible. Years ago, her career began literally next door.
- Kotka was my hometown and in the same apartment house where I lived with my parents there was a dentist's office. After my matriculation exam, I applied for a vacancy there. I was hired and served as a receptionist for a year. My enthusiasm and motivation originate from there. I was accepted as a student in the university next year, and this is how my career started.
Even for an adult, going to the dentist is often a stressful thought. Therefore, a familiar doctor is an important and trusted person for many of us. A long customer relationship can bring many benefits in addition to dental care, because the professional also pays attention to the client's general well-being.
- We have customer relationships that have lasted for decades. The business was founded in Myyrmäki in the 1970s, and the second and third generations are booking appointments already. Sometimes, for example, we notice some changes in the appearance of a familiar customer that they have not even noticed themselves, and we bring it up, says Pia Helander.
Location is key in all service businesses
Today, there are 20 oral health care professionals working with Helander at the dental clinic. The team includes general dentists, specialist dentists, dental hygienists and dental nurses. The premises have always been on the third floor. It is easy for her to list the benefits of Myyrmanni: the location and accessibility of the shopping centre is very good, and the proximity of the railway station makes it easy to approach by own means or by public transport.
- We have had no need to look for new premises so far. The shopping centre has all the basic services, which makes it easy to take care of different things on the same visit. We have customers from the whole capital region – Espoo, Helsinki, and Vantaa. Some have moved out of Uusimaa province and still come to the familiar dentist.
- To be exact, people come here even from further away. We even have a long-term customer who currently lives in Paris and comes to Myyrmanni for an appointment when in Finland, tells Helander.
The dental entrepreneur is concerned about the future of dental care.
- There are differences in the availability and resources of public health services in the various regions across Finland. Therefore, in public dental services the emphasis is nowadays too much on acute treatment instead of preventive care. The private sector can still carry out long-term customer follow-up and we can draw up a personal treatment plan according to the needs of each customer. Also, we can book the appointments with flexible schedule, which is of course ideal for the patient, Helander sums up.
