Pictured: (l-r) Hanish Chotai and Conrad Hoy 

A Leicestershire dental practice is expanding and moving to new premises after securing a £550,000 loan from Lloyds TSB Commercial.

Established in 2003, Desford Dental Care provides a full dental service and alternative treatments to more than 6,000 local patients.

The practice, owned by Hanish and Shilpa Chotai, currently has five dentists operating from two dental chairs. The loan provided by Lloyds TSB Commercial will give them the space to double this to four dental chairs and employ a further two dental therapists and a treatment co-ordinator.

The move, which is targeted for completion in the autumn, will not only benefit the business and its customers, but will also be a positive move for the post-graduate training scheme offered at the practice by increasing the opportunities and contact time for foundation dentists.

Hanish Chotai, practice principal at Desford Dental Care, said: "The larger practice will allow us to give an even better service for our patients, with greater access to all our staff. It will allow us to provide specialist treatments in a state-of-the-art environment as well as late evening appointments and a greater number of patient parking spaces. We hope to extend our hygiene treatments and concentrate even more on the prevention of dental decay.

"The new premises will also prove a great asset to not only the practice, but the community in Desford as a whole. Thanks to Lloyds TSB Commercial and all our other partners, the extra space and updated facilities will allow us to provide local people with a more efficient service with a greater capacity for appointments.

"The bank has been instrumental in the expansion. The loan is allowing us to move out of our leased premises into a freehold property, giving us the security and space to really drive the business forward."

Conrad Hoy, relationship manager at Lloyds TSB Commercial, said: "Dental practises like Desford Dental Care are a vital part of the community and we are proud to have been able to provide them with the funding to better serve the local people.

"It is fantastic to see a business thriving during these difficult times and it is great to hear their plans for further expansion in the future.

"We are committed to supporting SMEs, particularly in the healthcare sector, and Desford Dental care is a prime example of a business that provides an excellent service, has a robust business plan and also provides training and support to its staff so that they can grow along with it."