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Meet the Riverside Dental Team

At Riverside Dental, we pride ourselves on our exemplary levels of skill, experience and patient care. We can only achieve this by having the very best team of professionals working with us.

Everybody at Riverside dental is welcoming and extremely professional.

Ashleigh Smith

Meet our team

Practice principle

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Dr Bim Sawhney

Dental Surgeon and Practice Principal
BDS (Hons) Lond MJDF RCS (Eng)

GDC number: 83670

Bim graduated with honours in dentistry at the world-renowned Guy’s Hospital, now part of King's College Hospital, London in 2004. He has worked in both the NHS and private practices in Norwich and London, giving him vast experience in all aspects of the profession.

In 2008, Bim became one of the youngest members of the teaching staff at Guy’s Hospital, part of the prestigious King’s College Hospital, London where he previously studied. In addition to leading the team at Riverside Dental, he has lectured to qualified dentists on cosmetic dentistry, especially tooth whitening, at various venues in East Anglia, including the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, Addenbrookes, Ipswich Hospital and Kings Lynn Hospital.

In 2011, Bim set up Riverside Dental, his own private practice in a fantastic location in the heart of Norwich City. At Riverside Dental, he leads and teaches a team dedicated to excellence. In the first year of opening, he was shortlisted for Best Young Dentist, and the practice was shortlisted as Best Practice (East) at the Dentistry Awards. Since then, the practice has been highly commended and won numerous other awards, including Best Customer Service and Clinicians. The practice has grown exponentially year after year and now has a multi-disciplinary team of over 20 professionals.

In 2012, he was selected to be one of the official dentists at the spectacular London 2012 Olympic Games. Based at the Athlete’s Village, he volunteered his time to treat the athletes, their teams and their officials. The whole experience was unforgettable and, to this day, a career high!For the past four years, following further advanced training in teeth straightening methods from the world-renowned IAS academy in London, he has limited his scope of practice to Invisalign, fixed brace treatment, and combined cosmetic cases.

In 2024, he became the 1st and only Cosmetic Dentist in Norfolk to be awarded Diamond Expert status by Invisalign, a truly remarkable feat, and no more than he and the practice deserved due to the commitment to excellence they both strive for. He currently treats over 200 cosmetic cases per year, ranging from minor, simple cases that can take 3 months to complex smile makeovers that take 2-3 years. His patient’s benefit from his 20 years of clinical experience as well as his teaching, being an ex-university and post-graduate lecturer. Due to his level of expertise, he has provided smile makeovers to some of Norwich City Football Club’s playing and management staff, leading Norwich business owners and even local dentists themselves! He currently accepts patients who have been referred by other dentists (as far away as Birmingham!) as well as self-referrals.

Bim continues to further his knowledge by attending regular courses, both at home and abroad, run by world-renowned clinicians and speakers. As the reputation of Riverside Dental has grown, Bim’s cosmetic dentistry services have also grown in demand.

Bim is married with three young children. In his limited spare time, he enjoys travelling and keeping fit by playing as much sport as possible.

Due to his clinical & teaching experience in teeth whitening, Bim currently accepts referrals from other Norfolk dentists for teeth whitening and other cosmetic procedures. For more information please contact the practice.

Dr Bim Sawhney

Dental Surgeon and Practice Principal
BDS (Hons) Lond MJDF RCS (Eng)

GDC number: 83670

Bim graduated with honours in dentistry at the world-renowned Guy’s Hospital, now part of King's College Hospital, London in 2004. He has worked in both the NHS and in private practices in Norwich and London, giving him a vast amount of experience in all aspects of the profession.

In 2008, Bim became one of the youngest members of the teaching staff at Guy’s Hospital, part of the prestigious King’s College Hospital, London where he previously studied. In addition to leading the team at Riverside Dental, he has lectured to qualified dentists on cosmetic dentistry, especially tooth whitening, at various venues in East Anglia, including the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, Addenbrookes, Ipswich Hospital and Kings Lynn Hospital.

In 2011, Bim set up Riverside Dental, his own private practice in a fantastic location in the heart of Norwich City. At Riverside Dental, he leads and teaches a team dedicated to excellence. In the first year of opening, he was shortlisted for Best Young Dentist and the practice was shortlisted as Best Practice (East) at the Dentistry Awards. Since then, the practice has been highly commended and won numerous other awards, including for best customer service. The practice has grown exponentially year on year and now has a multi-disciplinary team of over 20 professionals.

Bim has a special interest in adult orthodontics and is an Invisalign Platinum Elite Provider, an honour given to only a handful of dentists in the country once a certain number of cases have been achieved. He already has one post-graduate Diploma from the Royal College of Surgeons, England and now is embarking on a second one, this time in orthodontics (teeth straightening). In addition he also routinely carries out teeth whitening and advanced cosmetic treatments such as composite bonding, dental implants, crown restorations and smile makeovers.

Bim continues to further his knowledge by attending regular courses, both at home and abroad, run by world-renowned clinicians and speakers. This includes travelling to Boston, USA for implant training to spending 2011/12 completing the year-long Aesthetic Dentistry & Cosmetic Dentistry Course run by Dr Chris Orr, past president of the British Academy for Cosmetic Dentists. The current Diploma he is studying for is run by the IAS Academy, based in London.

In 2012 he was selected to be one of the official dentist’s at the spectacular London 2012 Olympic Games. Based at the Athlete’s Village, he volunteered his time to treat the athletes, their teams and their officials. The whole experience was an unforgettable one and to this day, a career high!

As the reputation of Riverside Dental has grown, Bim’s cosmetic dentistry services have also grown in demand. He has provided smile makeovers to some of Norwich City Football Club’s playing and management staff, leading Norwich business owners and even local dentists themselves! The majority of his work comes from referrals and word of mouth and he looks forward to continuing to transform smiles for Norwich residents in the future. 

Bim is married with two young children. In his limited spare time, he enjoys travelling, and keeping fit by playing as much sport as possible. 

Due to his clinical & teaching experience in teeth whitening, Bim currently accepts referrals from other Norfolk dentists for teeth whitening and other cosmetic procedures. For more information please contact the practice.

Meet our team

Dr Bim Sawhney

Dental Surgeon and Practice Principal
BDS (Hons) Lond MJDF RCS (Eng)

GDC number: 83670

Bim graduated with honours in dentistry at the world-renowned Guy’s Hospital, now part of King's College Hospital, London in 2004. He has worked in both the NHS and in private practices in Norwich and London, giving him a vast amount of experience in all aspects of the profession.

In 2008, Bim became one of the youngest members of the teaching staff at Guy’s Hospital, part of the prestigious King’s College Hospital, London where he previously studied. In addition to leading the team at Riverside Dental, he has lectured to qualified dentists on cosmetic dentistry, especially tooth whitening, at various venues in East Anglia, including the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, Addenbrookes, Ipswich Hospital and Kings Lynn Hospital.

In 2011, Bim set up Riverside Dental, his own private practice in a fantastic location in the heart of Norwich City. At Riverside Dental, he leads and teaches a team dedicated to excellence. In the first year of opening, he was shortlisted for Best Young Dentist and the practice was shortlisted as Best Practice (East) at the Dentistry Awards. Since then, the practice has been highly commended and won numerous other awards, including for best customer service. The practice has grown exponentially year on year and now has a multi-disciplinary team of over 20 professionals.

Bim has a special interest in adult orthodontics and is an Invisalign Platinum Elite Provider, an honour given to only a handful of dentists in the country once a certain number of cases have been achieved. He already has one post-graduate Diploma from the Royal College of Surgeons, England and now is embarking on a second one, this time in orthodontics (teeth straightening). In addition he also routinely carries out teeth whitening and advanced cosmetic treatments such as composite bonding, dental implants, crown restorations and smile makeovers.

Bim continues to further his knowledge by attending regular courses, both at home and abroad, run by world-renowned clinicians and speakers. This includes travelling to Boston, USA for implant training to spending 2011/12 completing the year-long Aesthetic Dentistry & Cosmetic Dentistry Course run by Dr Chris Orr, past president of the British Academy for Cosmetic Dentists. The current Diploma he is studying for is run by the IAS Academy, based in London.

In 2012 he was selected to be one of the official dentist’s at the spectacular London 2012 Olympic Games. Based at the Athlete’s Village, he volunteered his time to treat the athletes, their teams and their officials. The whole experience was an unforgettable one and to this day, a career high!

As the reputation of Riverside Dental has grown, Bim’s cosmetic dentistry services have also grown in demand. He has provided smile makeovers to some of Norwich City Football Club’s playing and management staff, leading Norwich business owners and even local dentists themselves! The majority of his work comes from referrals and word of mouth and he looks forward to continuing to transform smiles for Norwich residents in the future. 

Bim is married with two young children. In his limited spare time, he enjoys travelling, and keeping fit by playing as much sport as possible. 

Due to his clinical & teaching experience in teeth whitening, Bim currently accepts referrals from other Norfolk dentists for teeth whitening and other cosmetic procedures. For more information please contact the practice.

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DR Detelina Kovacheva

Associate Dentist
DDM, Sofia (2000)

GDC number: 145779

Detelina graduated from the Medical University of Sofia in 2000 and worked in private practice in Bulgaria until moving to the UK with her family in 2008. She had several roles in Norfolk treating both NHS and private patients before joining Riverside Dental in January 2019.

Detelina is a gentle, sympathetic and caring dentist and believes dental treatment can be a straightforward and stress-free experience . Detelina’s family has a long history in dentistry, and it was always her dream to become a dentist. She is always ready to listen to her patients' concerns, and is passionate about working with them to achieve the best for their dental health, help them feel confident and love their smile.

Detelina enjoys all aspects of general dentistry and prides herself on performing treatments to the highest standards. She continues to upgrade her dental skills and knowledge by regularly taking part in theoretical and practical courses, and becoming familiar with the newest materials and techniques in dentistry. 

Detelina enjoys treating patients using Cfast- Cosmetically Focused Adult Straight Teeth (a fixed , quick and effective way to correct mis-alignment of teeth in the smile zone- the front 6 teeth) and has recently attended the very popular Smilefast Course. SmileFast is a ground -breaking new concept in delivering excellent results for patients looking to improve the appearance of their teeth, simplifying and accelerating the smile makeover process using composite bonding in a predictable, affordable and less invasive way.

In her spare time Detelina enjoys walking in the Norfolk countryside , swimming, relaxing in the sauna and spending time with family. She is also interested in new scientific research, particularly how lifestyle and nutrition can increase longevity and help reduce chronic disease.

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Dr Naj Imam 

Associate and Cosmetic Dentist
BSc (Hons) BDS (Hons)
MJDF PGCert (Prosth) PGCert (Aesth. Med)

GDC number: 211308

Naj is the newest addition to our team, having joined in February 2021. Naj graduated from King’s College London in 2011 - the same prestigious university as our principal, Dr Bim Sawhney. He even found time during his dental degree to take a year out and obtain another bachelor’s degree in growing teeth using stem cells. This research was subsequently published in internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals. 

From there, Naj worked in both general dentistry and head and neck surgery in North London before going in search of a sunnier climate. He moved to Australia in 2013 where he worked exclusively in private practice near both Melbourne and Sydney, all while enjoying the lifestyle and benefits that Oz had to offer! He now counts scuba diving among his passions. 

While in Australia, Naj obtained a postgraduate certificate in prosthodontics and aesthetic medicine. After 7 years in Australia, he decided to come back to the UK to be closer to friends and family, and set down permanent roots in the Norwich community.

Naj is an enthusiastic, award-winning dentist who takes great pride in his work and his role at Riverside Dental. When he isn’t creating amazing smiles, he enjoys racquet sports, graphic design, travelling and looking after his cat!

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Dr Adrian Knight

Associate Dentist
BChD (Hons) Leeds

GDC number: 83409

Adrian graduated top of his class with honours from the University of Leeds in 2004, winning prizes in oral surgery, restorative dentistry, and prosthodontics. He is interested in dental materials and novel preventative dental products and has presented at the annual meeting of The British Society for Oral and Dental Research.

Adrian has worked in general practice in East Anglia for the past 17 years, gaining a vast amount of experience in general dentistry and tooth whitening. He enjoys the variety of general and family dentistry, and is also interested in minimally invasive adhesive dentistry. In his spare time Adrian enjoys reading, Caribbean music and exploring the Norfolk countryside. We are delighted to have him as part of the team at Riverside Dental.

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Dr Sean Khine

Endodontist
BDS MSc Endo (Merit)

GDC number: 83679

Sean graduated from the prestigious Guy’s, King’s and St.Thomas’ Dental Institute, London in 2004 in the same year as our principal, Dr Bim Sawhney. He has more than 10 years of experience in general dental practice in the UK. 

Sean was awarded Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons, London in 2007. In 2011, he commenced a 3-year Master of Science (MSc) degree in Endodontic Practice at the Queen Mary University of London Dental Institute and subsequently graduated with Merit in 2014. 

Sean now provides endodontic treatment for patients at our practice. His clinical interests include root canal retreatments and facial pain. He has also held a part-time position of ‘Specialty Dentist in Endodontics’ at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel. Sean lectures on endodontics part-time to postgraduate dental students at the QMUL Dental Institute and is a member of the British Endodontic Society.

In his spare time Sean likes to travel, play the guitar and follow various sports, especially horse racing.

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Dr Reza Khosravi

Oral Surgeon and Sedationist
BDS (Manchester), MSc Oral Surgery (UCLan), MFDSRCS (Edinburgh)

GDC number: 77732

Reza obtained his Dentistry Degree at the University Dental Hospital of Manchester in 2000 and was one of 10 UK dental students to win the AstraZeneca Research Award, which sponsored his research elective at the University of Florida, USA.His extensive postgraduate training includes:

  • MSc in Oral Surgery (UCLan, 2017)

  • Membership Exam of Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh, 2005)

  • National Board Dental Examinations, awarded by the American Dental Association (Chicago, 2004)

  • Sedation & Control of Anxiety in Dentistry (St Barts. Hospital London, 2003)

  • Dental Implantology PGCert. (Tipton Academy, Manchester, 2002)

Reza worked as an Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon (Senior House Officer and Staff Grade Surgeon) in more than 15 hospitals in England, Wales and Ireland (ROI) between 2004 and 2016 before joining Riverside Dental. In 2009 he achieved a full membership of the British Association of Oral Surgeons (BAOS).

Dr Reza Khosravi is uniquely qualified to provide exceptional patient experiences in oral surgery, dental sedation and implantology.

Qualifications aside, he is an exceptionally caring and understanding dental surgeon focused on a patient-centric service. “Every patient that I see is an opportunity for me to help resolve their dental problem in the most comfortable way possible”.

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Emily Johnston

Dental Hygienist

GDC number: 270045

Emily began her career in Dentistry in 2015, training as a dental nurse in NHS and privately owned practices in Norwich. She went on to complete a post qualification in Radiography in 2018 for dental care professionals and enrolled on an Access to Higher Education course in Health while working full time. This enabled Emily to continue her educational training and gain entry onto the highly competitive BSc degree in Dental Hygiene at Teesside University in 2021.

While studying full time at university, Emily continued working as a dental nurse for a dental group at various practices, and also as a car delivery driver in the North East of England. These experiences took Emily around the whole region of Teesside, Cleveland and the surrounding area.

Emily returned to Norwich after completing her degree, where she lives with her long-haired ginger cat named ‘Cheese’. In her spare time Emily enjoys reading, watching movies, playing video games and dining out. Emily also loves supporting local independent cafes and enjoys drinking coffee and eating biscuits.

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Daniel Mclean

Orthodontic Therapist
DipOrth RCS

GDC number: 199246

Daniel has worked in Dentistry since 2005, first qualifying as a Dental Nurse in 2010. After relocating to Bristol, he got his diploma in Orthodontic therapy through the Royal College of Surgeons in 2012.

Daniel has worked in NHS and private practises in various cities including Bristol and Cambridge. After moving back to Norfolk, Daniel is very happy to be part of our team here in Norwich now.

He finds Orthodontics very rewarding and enjoys the challenges involved too. With his hard working attitude and friendly persona he is always striving to be at the top of his game.

In his spare time he enjoys days out with his family, martial arts, rugby and working on cars.

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Cheryl Thorpe

Business Development Manager

GDC number: 143952

Cheryl has worked within Dentistry for the last 15 years, qualifying as a Dental Nurse in 2008, during her time as a trainee nurse, she worked alongside Dr Sawhney (Riverside Dental Practice Owner).Shortly after qualifying she gained employment within another practice, where she quickly progressed to be Head Dental Nurse.

In 2010 an exciting opportunity arose for her to be the Practice Manager of a brand new NHS Dental Practice, she was a big part of the initial set up and development of the practice, including the surgery / reception layouts, colour scheme, staff recruitment and training. On the opening of the practice Cheryl was the only qualified nurse, she supported all new trainees in their development to achieve their qualifications, as well as training the reception team. During this time she obtained her Diploma in Dental Practice Management, graduating in Birmingham.

In 2014 Cheryl had her first child, returning to work Part time, then in 2018 had her second child, again returning to work part time, clearly her previous achievements had not gone unnoticed, she was offered a position to be a Cluster / CQC Manager, this involved overseeing 7 Practices (NHS & Private) ensuring the Practices ran smoothly, supported the Practice Managers and ensuring the practices were compliant with all CQC regulations, which she happily accepted and was a role which she very much enjoyed.

Over the years Cheryl and Dr Sawhney kept in touch, then during the end part of 2020, she was offered the position of Business Development Manager, she joined the Riverside Dental Team in January 2021, and has settled in extremely well, enjoying her new role, we look forward to many prosperous years as a team.

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Lucy CookE 

Head Receptionist

Lucy is a highly experienced head receptionist, having worked in the dental industry for the last 11 years as a senior receptionist, practice manager and treatment coordinator. Her areas of expertise are ensuring a smooth workflow for patients having cosmetic dentistry and in particular, Invisalign

Lucy is the point of contact for all patients from the very beginning of their journey with us to the completion of their treatment, and her vast knowledge makes her a firm favourite amongst the patients and our team. She is also the "go-to" for our finance packages, which she helped to develop.

In her spare time, Lucy loves spending time with her family, reading and socialising.

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Rebecca Mclean

Treatment and Marketing Coordinator

Rebecca has recently joined Riverside Dental to support our patients through their treatment journey and to help expand our online social media presence on all platforms. She has worked closely with employers previously taking on the day-to-day running of these platforms and creating their content. Rebecca is new to the dental industry but loves variety and a challenge. She also works as a Hairstylist with 15 years of experience and as a Bridal Stylist too!

Rebecca enjoys the creative side of this role and getting the team together to have fun with it too. In her spare time, she loves gardening and spending quality time with her family.

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Samantha Lansdell

Samantha joined the dental industry after working for the past 20 years in retail. Samantha prides herself on her customer service and her administration skills.

In her spare time, she enjoys going on walks and spending time with family.  

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Rose Maclean

Receptionist

Alexandra joined the team after graduating from university in Birmingham. Having grown up in the area she is very familiar with Norwich, especially Riverside. Alexandra is an organised individual who loves working with people and has always had an interest with oral hygiene.

In her spare time Alexandra enjoys reading, painting and spending time with family and friends.

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Louise barfoot

Receptionist

Amber joined the team after relocating to Norfolk. Having worked in previous customer service roles, she wanted to use her knowledge and experience in the dental industry. Amber has a friendly, welcoming manner and is always willing to go the extra mile for patients.

Amber’s hobbies include, walking, crabbing and spending time with her pet rabbit.

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Nancy Bussey

Head Dental Nurse

GDC number: 273123

Nancy has been working as a dental nurse since 2015, and qualified in 2017. She had extensive experience working in both NHS and private practice before joining us at Riverside Dental. Nancy has a special interest in oral hygiene and the prevention of gum disease/periodontitis. 

In her free time, Nancy enjoys crossfit, trips to the coast and spending time with her friends.

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Joana Santos

Dental Nurse

GDC number: 189720

Joana has over 20 years of experience in dental nursing and gained her National Certificate in 2002. She he initially started working in the private sector then moving to NHS where she worked for the last 12 years. Joana has recently moved from London and joined Riverside Dental Practice. Joana is very dedicated to her patients and always aims to put their minds at rest and give them the best experience possible.  

In her spare time Joana likes spending time with her children and going for walks on the beach.

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Molly Tills

Dental Nurse

GDC number: 297966

Molly has joined Riverside Dental as a trainee dental nurse and has now achieved her diploma. Molly decided she wanted to become a dental nurse as she is extremely compassionate, enjoys looking after patients and loves seeing the processes of all of the different treatments that we offer at our Norwich dental practice. 

You’ll find Molly working alongside our other dental nurses, gaining experience and developing her knowledge. When she’s not working, Molly enjoys watching and playing football.

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Lily Thomas

Trainee Dental Nurse

Lily has always liked the idea of working as a Dental Nurse and when the opportunity arose within the practice, she knew she had to apply. Lily is working towards her National Diploma in Dental Nursing and is due to take her exams shortly. She finds looking after patients and making them feel comfortable during their treatment very rewarding.

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Mia Waplington

Trainee Dental Nurse

Mia is currently working towards her National Diploma in Dental Nursing, she is excited about pursuing her career in Dental Nursing. Mia gets most satisfaction from her role knowing that the patient has had a good experience whilst at the practice and they are happy with the treatment provided.

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Dr Sean Khine

Endodontist
BDS MSc Endo (Merit)

GDC number: 83679

Sean graduated from the prestigious Guy’s, King’s and St.Thomas’ Dental Institute, London in 2004 in the same year as our principal, Dr Bim Sawhney. He has more than 10 years of experience in general dental practice in the UK. 

Sean was awarded Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons, London in 2007. In 2011, he commenced a 3-year Master of Science (MSc) degree in Endodontic Practice at the Queen Mary University of London Dental Institute and subsequently graduated with Merit in 2014. 

Sean now provides endodontic treatment for patients at our practice. His clinical interests include root canal retreatments and facial pain. He has also held a part-time position of ‘Specialty Dentist in Endodontics’ at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel. Sean lectures on endodontics part-time to postgraduate dental students at the QMUL Dental Institute and is a member of the British Endodontic Society.

In his spare time Sean likes to travel, play the guitar and follow various sports, especially horse racing.

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