Why it matters who moves your teeth
Almost any dentist can offer clear aligners now. Far fewer have spent three additional years training in nothing but the movement of teeth.
That difference doesn't show up in the first few months. It shows up at the end - in whether your bite works as well as it looks, and whether the result is still there in ten years' time.
A specialist orthodontist is a dentist who has completed years of further postgraduate training and is listed on the General Dental Council's specialist register.
At Park Lane, that is who plans your treatment - whether you are seven or fifty-seven, and whether you end up in fixed braces or clear aligners.
You will see the same faces from start to finish
We are a family-run practice in Tilehurst rather than part of a chain, and it is deliberately calm here. That sounds like a small thing. Our more anxious patients tell us it is the thing that settled them.
Meet our professional orthodontic team
Sameer Patel
GDC Number: 76060
Sameer is a Tatler-recommended dentist and also the CEO and clinical director of Elleven Dental, the award-winning dental practice in London, as well as Park Lane Orthodontics.
He was born and brought up in Reading and was a Reading School boy before attending Birmingham University, Oxford University and UCL.
He believes in clinical excellence using a minimally invasive approach where orthodontics is the key and foundation for any smile. You may even have seen his smiles on billboards across the UK.
We are really lucky to have him here as our clinical director, pushing Park Lane Orthodontics to Harley Street quality in Berkshire.
As a smile architect, he will plan your smile using the cornerstones of health, function and aesthetics.
”Clinical excellence is a journey, not a destination.” - Dr Sameer Patel
Shivani Patel
Shivani is a consultant orthodontist. Working from the well-reputed Elleven Dental, London and Blandy House in Henley, she enjoys treatment planning for patients requiring multidisciplinary care centred around orthodontics.
She is a big believer in face-driven dentistry and always strives to work closely with her handpicked periodontal, restorative and oral surgery teams to ensure her patients attain the highest standard of dental wellness: function and aesthetics.
She is a multi-award-winning specialist (Aesthetic and Private Dental Awards 2011-2020), a Diamond Apex Invisalign provider, and was named in the UK Dentistry Top 50 in 2022 and 2023.
Aside from her clinical commitments, she is often seen lecturing at dentistry conferences and also a keen editor and contributor to the Clinical Dentistry, Private Dentistry and Dentistry magazines.
With her love of teaching and interest in the future growth of the profession, Shivani lectures to orthodontic postgraduates and orthodontic therapists at UCLan and GKT, and she examines for the Royal College of Surgeons. She is also honoured to be on the interview panel for the GKT Dental Institute and is now an integral part of the judging panel for the Private Dentistry Awards, UK.
Her continued love for learning, teaching and personal growth leads her to believe that “we are not what we know, but what we are willing to learn.”
Ben Buffham
Having owned the practice with his wife Paula for 16 years, Ben is an asset to Park Lane Orthodontics and has been integral in helping develop the reputation of the practice. He continues to work here in partnership with the practice’s new owners and is committed to delivering the highest level of dental and orthodontic care.
He is interested in the more complex aspects of orthodontics, such as missing and impacted teeth and multidisciplinary cases, working with other dental colleagues in order to obtain excellent results. His range of experience supports this, as he is renowned for his highly skilled work and is also an associate of another practice - Exeter Advanced Dentistry. Having helped hundreds of patients to achieve perfect straightened smiles, Ben is continuously keeping up to date with the latest industry trends and developments.
Paula Buffham
Paula Buffham is an enthusiastic and dedicated individual in orthodontics, delivering care to every single one of her patients with skill and precision.
She is a Diamond Apex Invisalign provider and has a wide range of expertise in fixed and removable braces, offering high-quality tooth straightening services to adults, teenagers and younger patients. She has the proven ability to completely transform a smile. Along with her husband Ben Buffham, she has been a partner at Park Lane Orthodontics for 16 years, and was integral in building the fantastic reputation the practice enjoys. She continues to work here in partnership with the practice’s new owners.
Jo Kryulko
Sonja Hills
Book your consultation in Reading
Our emphasis is not only on the best orthodontic result, but a special focus is placed upon how orthodontic treatment will affect your long-term facial aesthetics. If you are 18 or over, a full new patient consultation is £150 and covers everything you need. For 10 to 17 year olds we offer a complimentary screening. Either way, it is a chance to see the practice and meet the orthodontic team.
