A Fergus dental clinic has been recognized on the national level.
Castlemore Dental, at 93 Parkside Dr., was one of 18 nation-wide recipients of the Canadian Business Excellence Award for Private Businesses.
“We had a nomination through a patient so that was a very nice surprise,” said Dr. Raj Khanuja, adding the application was quite lengthy.
He said he didn’t believe it when Excellence Canada called to say the dental clinic had actually won the award.
“To get nominated it is a very nice thing to hear – that somebody thought of us to that level – but to actually win something, that’s like landing on the moon.”
He explained the award looks at different aspects of small businesses including, patient satisfaction, relationships with staff and utilized technology.
“We keep evolving as the technology changes and in dentistry it’s changing at a very fast rate,” Khanuja said.
The practice now uses 3D CT scans and printers to more accurately design and place dental implants.
Staff satisfaction is also a focus of Castlemore Dental. Three times a year the office shuts down and the staff is treated to an adventure. They have gone to Orillia for a scenic tour in a water airplane and to Niagara Falls for a helicopter ride.
“We really appreciate them because without these staff we can only go so far and appreciating once a year I think is just not enough,” Khanuja said.
“It does take time effort and money to do that, but we don’t see turnaround in this staff and they are self-motivated, self-perpetuating.
“You can’t make them do it, they have to want to do it and that comes from within.”
Receiving the award was a very humbling experience for Khanuja.
“I look at it as a reinforcement and motivation to continue to provide excellence and quality of care and exceed it,” he said. “It is a nice thing that we got recognized, but it is a motivation booster for me and my staff to continue and be excellent in every possible way we can.”
The clinic held a celebration with Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong on hand on March 24.
