NHS dental practice opens in Littlehampton – and it's accepting thousands of new patients

One Smile Dental – Littlehampton has opened on Beach Road, in the centre of town. The practice has been designed to provide modern, welcoming NHS dental services with the potential to support approximately 24,000 patients in the area.

Led by Farha Mohamed, Founder and Managing Director of One Smile Dental, and her business partner, local dentist Amit Patel, the team includes dentists, hygienists and support staff. Together, they have launched the new practice and will expand further later this year with the opening of another site in Bognor Regis.

These new developments are part of a dental recovery plan being delivered by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Across the year, new contracts have been offered, the number of dental treatments and appointments have increased, and new initiatives have been running to offer urgent dental support and to encourage children and young people to look after their teeth.

As a result, Surrey and Sussex is ranked second ICB nationally for the increase in the number of adults receiving NHS dental treatment.

Further to this, latest data shows that dental practices across Surrey and Sussex delivered more than 1.74 million courses of NHS treatment in 2025/26, over 134,000 more than the previous year. More than 156,000 urgent treatments were also delivered, an increase of around 17,000 on 2024/25.

With the opening of two new practices in Arun, the aim is that this will continue to rise.

One Smile Dental – Littlehampton celebrated its official opening on Friday, October 16, with Alison Griffiths MP, Littlehampton Town Mayor Maralyn May and Karen McDowell, Chief Executive of NHS Surrey and Sussex, joining the One Smile Dental team to mark the occasion.

Farha Mohamed, founder and managing director of One Smile Dental, said: “Opening our new One Smile Dental practices in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis is an incredibly proud moment for us. Access to NHS dentistry is something I feel very passionately about and we know just how difficult it has been for many families to find an NHS dentist. Our aim has always been to make quality dental care accessible to everyone, regardless of their circumstances.

“These practices are about much more than simply opening new doors. They are about giving local families access to the dental care they desperately need, creating employment opportunities and building practices that become an important part of their communities.

“I am incredibly grateful to NHS Surrey and Sussex for their support and to our amazing team, who have worked tirelessly to bring these practices to life. We are excited about the difference we can make to people's lives.”

Alison Griffith MP, said: “I’ve heard from many residents across Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, and our villages who’ve struggled to find an NHS dentist. Some have spent months trying to secure an appointment. Nobody should have to live with dental pain or worry about how they’ll afford treatment. That’s why I’m absolutely delighted to see One Smile Dental opening its doors in Littlehampton.

“I want to congratulate Farha, Amit, and the whole team for what they’ve achieved. It’s really encouraging to see the work NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB has been doing to improve dental provision now translating into new NHS services for local people. I particularly welcome the focus on helping children feel comfortable and confident visiting the dentist from an early age.

“I’ve been raising the shortage of NHS dentistry in Parliament and working closely with local NHS leaders because this really matters to families across our communities. There’s still much more to do, but this is a significant step forward. With another practice planned for Bognor Regis, I’m determined to keep working with the ICB to make sure more residents can get the NHS dental care they need.”

As an example of the steps they are taking to support local people to access dental care, the practice is running dedicated Bluey-themed children's sessions to support younger patients feel more comfortable and confident about visiting the dentist.

Farha continues: “Through our dedicated children's clinics, we want to create positive experiences from a young age, helping children build confidence and develop a healthy relationship with dentistry that stays with them for life.

“For me, this is what One Smile Dental is all about. It's not just about increasing access to NHS dentistry, but changing people's experiences of dental care. Whether that's helping someone who has been living in pain for months or giving a child the confidence to visit a dentist without fear, these are the things that make all the hard work worthwhile.”

NHS Surrey and Sussex Chief Executive, Karen McDowell, said: “The opening of this new practice is a really positive development for local people and an important part of our wider work to improve access to NHS dental care.

"We know there is more to do, which is why we are maintaining a strong focus on delivery, working with dental teams and partners to increase capacity, tackle areas of greatest need and make sure people can get the care they need.

"This new service is an important step forward and I want to thank everyone who has helped make it possible.”

See onesmiledentallittlehampton.co.uk/ and onesmiledentalbognorregis.co.uk/