Indigo Dental ★9.9

An owner-run Wortley surgery where every dentist is a woman

Indigo Dental belongs to no group. Dr Sanaa Kader qualified with honours at Leeds Dental Institute in 2007, spent eight years in London, then returned in 2016 and took the practice over. Four dentists work at the chair and all four are women. NHS and private treatment run alongside each other.

Treatments and services

Everyday dentistry covers examinations, hygiene, white fillings, extractions, root canal therapy, crowns, bridges and dentures. Alongside it sit adult straightening with Invisalign or ClearCorrect aligners, composite smile design through SmileFast, porcelain veneers, Boutique whitening, implants and sports mouthguards. Botulinum toxin and dermal fillers are given on site. Emergency slots take pain, swelling, bleeding gums, abscesses, broken teeth and lost crowns.

Technology and direct access

Impression trays give way to an iTero scanner, which builds the model behind aligner planning and simulates the finished smile before anything starts. SmileFast cases are scanned here, designed digitally, then returned as a custom composite set fitted in one appointment. The practice works to a direct access protocol, so a hygiene or therapy appointment can be booked without seeing a dentist first.

The dentists

Sanaa Kader places implants and belongs to the Association of Dental Implantology, the International Team for Implantology and the College of General Dentistry. Glesni Hitchens, a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, trained at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and in North West trauma units, and is training further in adult orthodontics. Emelia Joyner came to dentistry through hygiene and therapy and works on gum disease, children and nervous patients. Farah Mushtaq handles extractions and dentures. Hygienist Ruhma Sajjad holds a dental degree from Pakistan.

Who it suits

Families in west Leeds wanting children and adults seen in one place. People kept from the chair for years by fear. Neurodivergent patients, who describe being asked about noise and pace before anything begins. There are no steps inside, the entrance takes a wheelchair, and a hearing loop is fitted.

Frequently asked questions

Is NHS dentistry available here? Yes, NHS and private care run together; room on the NHS list changes, so ring to check.

Can I see the hygienist without seeing a dentist? Yes, a direct access protocol is in place.

Which clear aligners are offered? Invisalign and ClearCorrect, both planned from an iTero scan.

I am frightened of the dentist. The patient sets the pace, each step is explained first, and phobia and sensory needs are part of the appointment.

Will a broken tooth be seen quickly? Emergency slots are held for pain, swelling and damage.

Opening hours