Since it was established in 1972, Curaprox has become a leading name in oral health.

“As a team, we pride ourselves on offering proven solutions that encourage best practice, correct technique and ensure an efficacious oral hygiene regimen – and that is why we are delighted to be expanding our service to the Irish market with a new team member,” says Richard Thomas, MD of Curaprox UK.

“Though we have had a presence in Ireland since 2014 supplying our products via two renowned distributors, our goal has always been to expand Curaprox UK. That is why we have recruited Orla Sheehy to look after Curaprox Ireland as a Senior Business Development Manager.”

Orla is originally from Carlow, and has worked as an Operations Manager for a dental equipment company and for GSK.

Over the coming months Curaprox will be increasing its support to oral healthcare professionals across Ireland through regional meetings and by attending exhibitions.

Orla will also be working very closely with iTOP tutor Barbara Derham as part of Curaprox’s efforts to increase its educational presence.

In the meantime, Curaprox will continue to produce oral healthcare products that are safe, gentle and effective.

To find out more, contact Orla on 085 1644648 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information please call 01480 862084, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.curaprox.co.uk

While our love of queuing may be integral to our national identity, the truth is that we, just like everyone else in the world, don’t really like having to wait. This is particularly true in the dental practice – with waiting times being a real bone of contention amongst patients.

Of course, it may be impossible to completely eliminate your waiting times – after all, dentistry is a very, very busy profession and, while you will undoubtedly do our best to see patients as quickly and efficiently as possible, the very nature of the work that you do necessitates a level of care that can sometimes result in delays.

Nevertheless, it is always important to strive to ensure that your waiting times in practice are not unacceptable – not only since you have a responsibility to your patients, but because it can also be damaging to the reputation and success of your practice.

Indeed, waiting times can be a very important factor for patients when choosing where to go for treatment. Nowadays, patients are well-informed, organised and far more discerning when it comes to choosing dental care, and are much more likely to conduct their own research before booking an appointment – and if they find reviews of your practice that mention a long waiting time, they may simply choose to go elsewhere.

You also have to remember that this can be true of your existing patients too. Unfortunately, loyalty to one’s dentists is largely a thing of the past. No matter how good the service they receive has been before, if your waiting times begin to increase, your current patients may just leave for a practice that is more convenient for them.

As such, being in control of your waiting times is key to providing consistently excellent customer service. To be a successful, thriving practice in what is becoming an increasingly competitive profession, customer service must be impeccable from the minute a patient first makes contact. Indeed, if a patient does not believe they have received the utmost service in this respect, even if the treatment itself was a success, their opinion of the practice in general may be ruined. After all, if you go to a restaurant and are served delicious food by a bad waiter who made you wait, it’s likely the poor service that will be remembered.

You should also remember that people lead increasingly busy lives nowadays, and sitting in a waiting room is simply a waste of their time – making it unsurprising that so many people are willing to forgo their dental treatments in the first place.

However, by carefully managing our waiting times, you can improve your customer service and strengthen your patients’ positive relationship with your practice. It’s also good for compliance too, since patients who are happy with the service they have received are likely to be more receptive to any advice they are given regarding their oral health. It will also encourage patients to continue attending your practice, helping you build a more personal relationship with them, one that is more communicative and trusting, which will give you the information needed to better treat their problems.

What’s more, managing waiting times will also benefit your staff. Without having to deal with consistently annoyed or impatient patients, your reception staff will be less stressed. They’ll also be able to more effectively get on with their work, without the disruptions caused by potential complaints.

Of course, to set reasonable waiting times, you have to be ruthlessly efficient about how you organise our appointment book. Using an online booking platform is an effective way of achieving this. With complete control, you can upload only the appointments you want to fill, for your patients to browse and book. This allows you to keep your daily and weekly workload at an optimal level, within your abilities to manage, and gives space for any emergencies, routine follow-ups or, in those unavoidable instances, delays. Online booking will take some of the pressure off your reception staffs too, so they can focus more on welcoming the patients who have come into the practice rather than dealing with busy phone lines and bookings.

AppointMentor from Welltime is a perfect example of this kind of system. It affords complete control of your practice’s appointment book, is accessible 24/7, 365 days a year; is easy to use, and simple for you to review and revise.

Ensuring your patients do not have to wait unduly long amounts of time for treatment is a fundamental aspect of good customer service. It will also help streamline your whole treatment system and strengthen the reputation and efficacy of your practice. Look for tools that can help you set reasonable waiting times: they allow people to get actively involved in making decisions about their care and get the most out of you, their dentist.

For more information, contact the Welltime team on 07999 991 337, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the website at www.welltime.co.uk.

Following the unveiling of the Government’s long-anticipated Childhood Obesity Strategy, the UK’s leading dental payment plan provider, Denplan, has criticised the plan for overlooking oral health.

“The strategy shows small steps in the right direction but has ultimately been widely slammed by campaigners as being ‘weak’ and ‘watered down’,” says Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Denplan. “Not only does the strategy omit the desired restriction on junk food advertising and multibuy promotions, it was also hugely disappointing to see that childhood tooth decay was only referenced once in the entire report. Although the strategy focuses on obesity, the knock-on effects of implementing tougher sugar restrictions on manufacturers and retailers could only have been positive for our children’s dental health too.”

The strategy fails in the eyes of many health experts, campaigners, and MPs to fully tackle the issue of unhealthy eating habits and does not impose tough enough restrictions on manufacturers and retailers.

Central to the Strategy is the Government’s ‘challenge’ to manufacturers and retailers to voluntarily reduce the sugar content of produce popular with children by 20 percent by 2020, with a five percent reduction in the first year. George Osborne’s already-announced sugar tax on soft drinks was also referenced in the plan, but the expected restrictions on junk food advertising during peak family TV shows and bans on supermarket cut-price promotions on unhealthy foods were ignored.

“It’s fair to say that the long-anticipated Childhood Obesity Strategy was expected to be a lot more robust,” says Henry. “Asking manufacturers and retailers to reduce sugar content on a voluntary basis may not achieve what is needed to both reduce childhood obesity and tooth decay. Far too many children experience tooth decay, and it remains the single most common reason for five to nine year olds in England to be admitted to hospital, with many of those children needing multiple tooth extractions under general anaesthetic.” [1]

About Denplan

Denplan is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist, with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million registered patients. Established in 1986 by two dentists who pioneered the concept of dental payment plans, Denplan has been at the heart of dental care for nearly 30 years and today the company is owned by Simplyhealth. Denplan has a wide range of dental plans for adults and children, enabling patients to budget for their private dental care by spreading the cost through a fixed monthly fee. We support regular attendance and preventive care, reducing the need for clinical intervention and helping patients to maintain healthy teeth and gums for life.

For further information visit www.denplan.co.uk. For oral health tips and advice visit www.myteeth.co.uk. Patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402   Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 328 3223

• Denplan Care: all routine and restorative care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Denplan Essentials: routine care only + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Plans for Children: routine and other agreed care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Membership Plan: registered with the dentist + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Denplan Emergency: worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover only
• Company Dental Plans: company funded, voluntary and flexible benefit schemes

Denplan also provides a range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme, Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme and Denplan Training, plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.

For more information about Denplan:

Sara Elliott

Denplan Press Office

Tel: 01962 828 194

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Johnson & Johnson, the makers of LISTERINE®, are delighted to bring you new online content, to help support the ongoing CPD needs of dental healthcare professionals in improving and maintaining the oral health of their patients.

This is free to complete and each module accounts for 1 hour of verifiable CPD.

Through our programme, we aim to deliver recent clinical findings, useful information for in-practice management of oral diseases and patient communication strategies for improved preventive home care, as well considering the effects of lifestyle and other external influences on your patients’ oral health.

Please visit http://www.listerineprofessional.co.uk/cpd-educational-programme to earn verifiable hours from our continuously expanding library, including our newest pieces on:

• The adjunctive benefits of a daily use mouthwash

• Evidence-based decision making

• Communicating with children

• Dr Elizabeth Kay: Psychology in communicating with patients.

In addition, soon to be made available are CPD articles on:

• Dental care for older patients

•  In support of prevention

Upon completing each module successfully, you can either select to save and print your certificate and/ or have a copy emailed to you directly.

For further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A dental chair is the focal point of any surgery: the central cog in a machine that allows for the provision of exceptional treatment. These products see almost constant use throughout the day and the average practitioner can expect to spend almost 27,000 hours with each chair over the course of their career. As such, it is vitally important for practitioners to choose wisely when selecting a new chair, to ensure that they are making a wise investment for the future.

The first consideration is reliability. Any savings made on a cheaper model will likely be lost if constant and expensive repairs are needed to maintain a chair’s ability to perform at its best, let alone the lost business caused by chair down-time. Investing in a dental chair that has renowned reliability will eliminate these unnecessary overheads. It will also provide essential peace of mind; indeed, being able to trust in the reliability of such an important piece of equipment is a factor that simply cannot be overstated.

It’s also important to invest in a chair that can stand the test of time – that’s future proof. Dentistry nowadays is advancing at an astronomical rate, with new innovations appearing on the market on an increasingly regular basis. This makes it very easy for some products to depreciate in value incredibly quickly. Therefore, a chair that can easily be adapted or updated to suit the rapidly changing needs of modern dentistry is a must.

On this basis, it is hard to beat an A-dec dental chair. With a longstanding reputation of unsurpassable quality, A-dec chairs are also easy to refresh and upgrade. They have both the durability to last for years and the flexibility to change when needed. This is something that Dr Wayne Williams, principal of Smile₂0 in Wokingham recently discovered. He says:

“I’ve had my A-dec 500 for 12 years. In fact, I think it was one of the first of this model to be installed in the UK. It’s an incredibly reliable chair – in over the decade I’ve worked with it, I’ve never felt the need to change it. Recently, however, I did make a small change: I had one of the new A-dec LED lights fitted.

“The upgrade process was very easy and it took less than an hour for our A-dec authorised dealer, Marz Dental Equipment Ltd., to come and do the installation. We’re so impressed that we are likely to do the same refreshing upgrade for our other chairs too – and I envisage being able to continue to use them for many years more!”

A-dec focusses on providing the equipment that dentists need to deliver first rate dentistry. Since modern dentists need the ability to be able to adapt to new technologies, techniques and materials, A-dec has worked hard to ensure that they have the products that allows them to do so.

With equipment solutions that allow for easy and innovative upgrades, A-dec has future proofed its chairs, allowing practitioners to change the individual aspects of their chairs to suit their individual needs, across many years of use.

And, indeed, Dr Williams’s example is simply the tip of the iceberg; A-dec chairs are extremely versatile, allowing practitioners to choose precisely the options that compliment their clinical preferences. For instance, another dentist, Dr Patricia Seyf from Seyf Dental in Barnes, has recently purchased an A-dec 500 without a cuspidor. She says: “Having no spittoon makes for a far more hygienic treatment centre. I can autoclave my funnels between each appointment and be completely assured that my surgery is cross-contamination compliant. It also allows me to have a direct, face-to-face conversation with the patient – something which I think is very important for putting them at ease and encouraging a strong patient-practitioner relationship.”

This level of customisation is indispensable. Practitioners can quite literally purchase the dental chair they need at the time – without having to worry about what is coming around the corner, since they also have the option to refresh and upgrade at a later date.

Investing in an A-dec chair is investing in your future in the dental profession. No matter what challenges or changes come about in the years to come, A-dec will continue to provide relevant and applicable options to those dentists aspiring to offer the very best dentistry.

For more information about A-dec Dental UK Ltd, visit

www.a-dec.co.uk or call on 0800 2332 85

Midlands based Theresa Riley has joined cost effective and technology embracing dental payment plan provider – Patient Plan Direct, heading up the company’s business development support in the Midlands. Theresa brings to Patient Plan Direct a huge amount of experience in nurturing practice’s private growth and the implementation and development of private dental plans.

Following an initial career in dental nursing, dental radiography and teaching, Theresa moved into dental corporate management and quickly advanced up the career ladder to run the specialist department within one of the UK’s largest dental corporates. Thereafter, Theresa has held several senior management and business consultancy roles, recently consulting on the design and implementation of a dental plan administration solution, thereafter introducing the plan solution at several practices either converting from NHS to Private or switching their plans from another plan provider.

With regards to her new role, Theresa commented; “I wanted to further expand my knowledge and work within the plan sector, but due to my previous consulting work it just wasn’t possible, so when the opportunity came along to join Patient Plan Direct, the company, role and team seemed the perfect fit. I can’t wait to get started”.

Simon Reynolds, commercial director of Patient Plan Direct explains; “As we continue to evolve and build on our strong reputation as a low cost plan provider offering first-class support, Theresa brings to the mix an unrivalled level of experience and knowledge. Theresa’s skills set will benefit the practices we already work with in further developing and growing their respective dental plans, as well as new practices not already working with Patient Plan Direct who wish to take advantage of maximising the profitability of a dental plan at their practice.”

Theresa added; “I was attracted to joining the Patient Plan Direct team after taking the time to understand more about their service proposition and technology. Patient Plan Direct’s streamlined, practice branded and web based approach to dental plan administration along with the support and advice that is delivered for £1 per patient per month is the right fit for so many practices both clinically, financially and operationally.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting Patient Plan Direct’s existing clients and seeing how I can help them grow their plan patient base further as well as connecting to new clients to see how our solution can benefit their practice whatever their objective; transferring from another plan provider to make significant cost savings, launching a plan for the first time or making a move away from the NHS.”

Patient Plan Direct is a highly cost effective dental plan provider working with over 300 practices nationwide, embracing 21st century web-based technology to offer a sophisticated solution to running practice-branded dental plans. Thanks to an administration fee of £1.00 per patient per month (including worldwide dental A&E cover and VAT), Patient Plan Direct often proves to be 2-3 times more cost effective than working with other plan providers.

Web: www.patientplandirect.co.uk

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel: 08448486888

Following the recent announcement that the US government is withdrawing its recommendation to floss from its dietary guidelines, based on the lack of definitive scientific studies to prove its effectiveness on gum disease and tooth decay, Denplan has shared its response.

“When talking about evidence and studies, it’s important to distinguish between the terms ‘flossing’ and ‘cleaning between teeth’,” says Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Denplan. “Floss, whether it’s tape or string, is only one of the methods to clean between teeth and some studies have shown that traditional floss is not always effective for some people. This is partly due to patients not always being able to use the floss correctly and the fact that a thin piece of floss might only remove a proportion of plaque and food particles between teeth. There is, however, strong evidence* to show that other methods of cleaning between teeth, such as interdental brushes, are highly effective in removing plaque and helping to prevent or treat gum disease.

“Tooth brushing only reaches around 70 percent of tooth surfaces, so if you’re not regularly removing plaque from in between your teeth, there will be bacteria building up and potentially causing problems. This includes an increased risk of gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath.

“It’s vitally important that patients don’t misinterpret the US government’s recent withdrawal of the recommendation to floss as a message that they only need to brush their teeth, and never clean in between them. We would strongly urge patients to follow an evidence-based approach continue to clean between their teeth, as advised by their dental team, using whatever method work best for them, be it floss, interdental brushes or waterpiks.”

*Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19820738

                 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19138177

About Henry Clover

Henry Clover joined the Professional Services team of Denplan in 1998, having worked as a dentist for 17 years looking after patients’ oral health in his own practice. He now holds the position of Director of Dental Policy at Simplyhealth and is also Chief Dental Officer at Denplan. Henry playing a vital role in Simplyhealth’s Leadership Team and is at the forefront of private dentistry liaising with more than 6,500 member dentists.

About Denplan

Denplan is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist, with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million registered patients. Established in 1986 by two dentists who pioneered the concept of dental payment plans, Denplan has been at the heart of dental care for nearly 30 years and today the company is owned by Simplyhealth. Denplan has a wide range of dental plans for adults and children, enabling patients to budget for their private dental care by spreading the cost through a fixed monthly fee. We support regular attendance and preventive care, reducing the need for clinical intervention and helping patients to maintain healthy teeth and gums for life.

For further information visit www.denplan.co.uk. For oral health tips and advice visit www.myteeth.co.uk. Patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402   Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 328 3223

• Denplan Care: all routine and restorative care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Denplan Essentials: routine care only + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Plans for Children: routine and other agreed care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Membership Plan: registered with the dentist + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Denplan Emergency: worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover only
• Company Dental Plans: company funded, voluntary and flexible benefit schemes

Denplan also provides a range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme, Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme and Denplan Training, plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.

For more information about Denplan:

Sara Elliott

Denplan Press Office

Tel: 01962 828 194

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

There are so many little things that can impact considerably on our life. The world has recently been subjected to the devastating effects of the tiny Aedes aegypti mosquito that is believed to be responsible for spreading the Zika virus, causing microcephaly in new-born babies. Equally, small gestures such as a friendly smile, a word of encouragement or a genuine ‘thank you’ can lift the spirits and really make a difference to the day. Minor things such as wearing our favourite jumper, having a good belly laugh or getting into a bed with clean sheets, can make a big impact on how we feel. Similarly, by making a slightly different lifestyle choice, taking a different attitude to a matter or discovering a slightly more efficient way of carrying out a task has the potential to make giant strides in our success.

It is not always possible to change or improve some things immediately but by beginning with small manageable activities there is much more chance of achieving bigger targets. Take the marathon runner as an example; most people cannot wake up one morning and decide they will run for 26 miles, they need to begin slowly and gradually to build and develop the stamina they need to run long distance. Another example is when we are faced with never-ending list of little jobs to do. It can soon become overwhelming even though they may not critical. However the completion of just one small task can make us feel a whole lot better. It is the same for dental patients, if they make regular appointments that only take a little time, they can avoid lengthy, more invasive treatments. Dental professionals constantly reinforce oral hygiene instructions because if patients pay attention to these details much larger dental issues can be prevented.

Inflammation of the gums or gingivitis is another case in point. As dental professionals will know, if detected early it can be treated successfully with relatively simple steps before it develops into more serious periodontal disease. When periodontal disease develops however, pockets form between the teeth and gums that collect plaque and rapidly breed perio-pathogenic bacteria. If this is not addressed damage to the supporting tissues can occur and ultimately lead to tooth loss. To treat these cases effectively, practitioners must first perform root surface debridement (RSD) to clear away toxins and often follow this with maintenance therapy to prevent recolonisation. PerioChip^® is an ideal adjunct for this purpose, because although very tiny, is able eliminate a wide spectrum of microbes. PerioChip^® can be placed directly into periodontal pockets of 5mm or deeper and slowly releases chlorhexidine digluconate to eliminate 99% of perio-pathogenic bacteria over 7-10 days.[1] This little chip then continues to suppress the growth of microflora for up to 11 weeks[2] allowing time for pockets to heal and the teeth to stabilise. Clinical studies showed a pocket reduction of more than 2mm in almost three quarters of patients when PerioChip^® was placed every three months in combination with RSD,^[3] which confirms that something very small can make a substantial difference.

PerioChip^® is available exclusively from Dexcel Dental, to order or for further information call 0800 013 2333 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Summary of product link;

http://www.old.health.gov.il/units/pharmacy/trufot/alonim/PerioChip_dr_1337488974840.pdf

The vast majority of dental practices in the UK have some form of practice management software. It’s important to uses these systems to their full potential in order to truly maximise return on investment.

Organisation for All

It is not unusual for a dental business to operate from several geographical locations. This can create challenges in terms of communication and co-ordination from one site to another. The premium practice management systems currently on the market can easily cater for such situations; they allow “multiple clinic set-ups” meaning information is held on one central system that can be accessed from any approved location.

It is not just multiple sites that can test the effectiveness of communication channels in a business, but also the management of every member of the dental team’s diary. Dental care professionals, treatment co-ordinators, oral health educators and even practice managers are taking on greater responsibilities and so have more duties when it comes to caring for and communicating with patients. It is therefore essential that the practice management software is accessible to the whole dental team and can incorporate each individual’s schedule, whether they be a clinical or non-clinical professional.

Patient Recalls and Communication

Patients are more dental-savvy now than ever before and with greater understanding of the options available come higher expectations and the greater need for clear and effective communication from the professional team.  Many systems allow for patient records to be sent to them via email and with accompanying e-material, such as information leaflets to aide treatment explanations and encourage informed consent. Cutting-edge practice management software can also make the patient recall process run smoothly if fully utilised, with minimal need for user intervention. Once a patient’s communication preference has been selected, the recare cycle can be highly automated helping to improve on revisit frequency.  The patient record will display when the recare appointment has been booked or an alert will be sent when it is due.

Further considerations when choosing a practice management system for your practice might include the reputation of the provider, as well as the training and on-going technical support available for the team. The CS R4+ practice management software from Carestream Dental, for example, offers outstanding customer service alongside all the benefits outlined above, plus the capability of delivering real-time data for highly accurate practice performance analysis. Find out more today.

For more information, contact Carestream Dental on 0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

For the latest news and updates, follow us on Twitter @CarestreamDentl and Facebook

Did you know that AllMedPro can assist you with any of the following products and services?

• Medical Indemnity Insurance (individuals and vicarious entity cover)
• Practice Insurance (buildings, contents, public & employers liability)
• Practice Overheads / Locum Cover
• Online Dental CPD & Document Resource Library
• Pressure Vessel Inspection Cover
• Property Owners Insurance (buy-to-let, holiday home, unoccupied)
• Home Insurance
• Hands & Eyes Insurance
• Directors & Officers Liability Insurance
• Dental Laboratories (including products liability)
• Aesthetics Medical Indemnity Insurance
• Private Medical Insurance
• Travel Insurance

We can also refer you to one of our specialist partner firms for:

• Financial Advice
• Legal Services
• Accountancy Services
• Practice Sales
• Patient Payment Plans

Just pick up the phone and give us a call to discuss any other insurance requirements you may have on 01793 820100

or email us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Top tips for finance

As the demand for high end, elective dentistry increases, so too does the importance of providing suitable finance options to your patients. Unfortunately, doing so is not necessarily a simple process – so here are a few helpful tips to help take the stress out of consumer credit.

#1 – Secure FCA authorisation

As of April 2014, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) took over the provision and management of consumer credit from the Office of Fair Trading. Now, it is mandatory that any institution that wishes to offer a deferred payment scheme is authorised by the FCA – which stringently upholds the guidelines that have been set out in the Consumer Credit Act. These rules apply unequivocally to all businesses and individuals who wish to offer any form of consumer credit, even if the treatment is ongoing.

#2 – Don’t try to do it yourself

The process of applying directly to the FCA in order to become fully authorised to offer consumer credit can be a complicated and drawn-out task. Not only are there many regulatory matters to tend to, but there are also regular reports that need to be sent and ongoing compliance factors that must be constantly addressed. This would, of course, be on top of the other administrative duties that a practice owner must account for.

As such, it might be wiser to look for providers that have been granted full permission to act as a Principal Firm and are in the position to authorise and manage a practice as an Appointed Representative on their behalf. From a legal perspective, and as a general guideline, the chosen financial provider should be able to:

• apply for and complete all FCA regulatory reports that must be made
• issue regulations and procedures designed to prevent any non-compliance
• carry the liability if anything goes wrong

#3 – Careful advertising

When advertising their new finance options to the public, practice owners must be particularly careful to comply with the FCA’s regulations in regards to financial promotions. Whether it’s in print or online, the FCA oversees all advertising with a great deal of scrutiny, to ensure that there are no misleading financial adverts on display, and that they comply with all of the rules.

To ensure this does not happen, it is worth working with a financial provider who fully understands the ins and outs of financial advertising – one who can ensure that all documentation and promotional materials are compliant before publication. Not only will this save time, but it will also help ensure full compliance.

#4 – Talk to the experts

Dental professionals are already busy enough without having to deal with the extra pressures and legal responsibilities inherent in patient finance. An easier option would be to give the matter to a team of experts who can manage the whole process on their behalf, securely and safely – so professionals can concentrate on providing nothing but the very highest quality dentistry to their patients.

As one of the UK’s leading providers of finance to dental practices, Chrysalis Finance is the ideal solution for you. Contact the team today to find out just how they could help arrange simple and secure patient finance.

For more information about Chrysalis Finance call us on 0333 32 32 230 or visit www.chrysalisfinance.com

Riz Akhtar, Co- Founder of dental specialists RA Accountants, has begun training for the marathon of his life - a seven-day, 250km footrace across the Atacama Desert in an aim to raise charitable funds for Bridge2Aid.

Taking place from 2-8 October this year, the 4deserts Atacama Crossing Challenge is a 250km race which crosses Atacama Desert, around San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. Riz will face 6-stages in seven days with almost four Marathons in four days, then 74 km and a final stage of 11 km.

As one of the few deserts on Earth that doesn’t receive any rain, Atacama is a plateau in South America, covering a 600-mile (1,000 km) strip of land on the Pacific coast of South America, west of the beautiful Andes Mountains. Whilst the desert has an awe-inspiring and unique landscape of salt lakes, volcanoes, lava flows and sand dunes, it is fifty-times dryer than Death Valley. He will have to endure unpredictable terrain, harsh climate and an altitude that averages at 2,500 meters (8,000 feet).

The one-week challenge is self-supported, which means he will have to carry his clothes, sleeping bag, mandatory equipment, medical/safety kit and seven days’ worth of food in his backpack whilst journeying across the desert.

Noting his decision on Bridge2Aid as the chosen charity Riz, he said,

“I have always admired the work that Bridge2Aid have done through the years and it is remarkable how they have made a huge impact on individuals especially through the act of educating and training.”

Bridge2Aid aims to free communities in the developing world from chronic pain by teaching vital new skills to rural health workers. Over 70% of the world has no access to any form of safe treatment for oral diseases and infections. People are abandoned to agony for months and years. They face life-threatening infections and pain that is so severe that they cannot work, go to school or feed their families. The charity’s aim is to provide a unique solution by providing intensive practical training to existing in emergency dental skills to treat and educate. 

Not a newbie to marathons, Riz previously completed the six day and six stage 250km 4Deserts Gobi challenge run across China’s eastern province of Xinjiang last year, in line with the launch of RA Accountants charity RA Foundation.

Stay updated with Riz’ progress and journey in October by searching #RAforB2A on Twitter and Facebook. For more information or to sponsor Riz Akhtar on his 4Deserts Atacama October challenge visit:

http://www.justgiving.com/RAforB2A

www.raaccountants.com

Systems for Dentists, leading UK dental practice management software specialists are breaking new ground as the first dental practice management software company to gain accreditation in Scotland for use of their Wireless Signature Pad technology in Scotland as a replacement of the paper GP17pr form.

The enterprising company are delighted to offer the solution to their rapidly expanding client base.

The accreditation allows Systems for Dentists to release the product for live use to dental practices from today, the 28^th of July 2016. That’s fantastic news for Dentists in Scotland who will now officially be able to use the technology to capture patient signatures electronically as acceptable evidence of a patient’s status for payment toward NHS treatment, willingness to have treatment and confirmation that they have received dental treatment under the NHS in Scotland.

Ryszard Jurowski Managing Director said today:

“We have been involved in this innovation from the very beginning, having assisted with the piloting of electronic signatures for this function. Many of our clients have been excited about finally being free of copious amount of paper, costly and time-consuming filing processes; which with our system, they can now replace with an efficient, robust and secure solution. I am delighted to be able to offer our clients this extra service, and look forward to hearing more success stories from our current and future clients.”

In addition to their Wireless Signature Pad, Systems for Dentists offer a fully featured and agile dental practice management system, which offers clients the benefits of reducing administration times, providing the perfect operational platform to assist accurate claiming of NHS Dental charges and increase dental practice productivity.

For further information contact:

Nathan Ross at Systems for Dentists

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Direct line; 0845 643 2828

The British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) has produced a post-Brexit manifesto, ‘Shaping the Future,’ which sets out the industry’s views on how government should positively influence the future for oral health, dentistry and the dental industry.

BDIA Policy and Public Affairs Director, Edmund Proffitt, comments, “There is a window of opportunity for the dental industry to share its positive vision for the future with key politicians, civil servants and decision makers. If Government can build the right regulatory environment and provide targeted investment in oral health it can make a significant contribution to protecting the UK’s oral health for years to come”.

‘Shaping the Future’ concentrates on six key areas:

-          Creating a favourable business environment

-          Investment in the nation’s oral health

-          Protecting patients

-          Investment in the NHS

-          Building a better future

-          Championing innovation

‘Shaping the Future’ is being circulated to key opinion formers within Government, political parties and the Government departments, as well senior civil servants, the NHS and other key opinion formers.

The document can be viewed here. 

BioHorizons is proud to announce that, Ken O’Brien, General Manager for the UK & Ireland, has raised over £3,200 by cycling from Malin Head ? Ireland’s most northerly point ? to Mizen Head in the south, in support of DKMS, an international charity dedicated to the fight against blood cancer.

Ken’s fiancée’s father sadly passed away from mantle cell non Hodgkin Lymphoma. His bravery spurred Ken on to raise awareness of blood cancer and to increase understanding of the need for stem cell donors On average, 72 people are diagnosed with blood cancer every day in the UK. What’s more, 2,000 people per year need a donor and only 50% of them will find a suitable match. If you can, please spread the message about stem cell donation among your colleagues, friends and families.

To make a donation, please go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Phelim-Shields. Ken, his fiancée Roisin Shields and DKMS would like to thank everyone for their kind support and donations. For further information, please visit www.dkms.org.uk or www.biohorizons.com. 

Denplan encourages families to Brush-Up this summer

For a second year, Denplan is running ‘The Big Summer Brush-Up’ to encourage families to make the most of the summer holidays to visit the dentist and spend time practising brushing techniques with their children. The national PR campaign is running for two months throughout July and August and Denplan is encouraging member practices to take part. This year, the PR campaign also features the inspiring Katie Piper, who will act as the campaign’s celebrity Mum ambassador.

A survey of parents of children aged 1-11 from Denplan, has revealed that almost a third (30%) of parents think that it is acceptable for a child to have experienced tooth decay before they have reached their teenage years[1].

According to the survey many parents try a multitude of methods to help their children manage their oral health effectively. However, 30% of parents surveyed stated that they think it is acceptable for a child to develop tooth decay due to the difficulty in controlling how effectively they clean their teeth on a daily basis.

Difficulties regulating children’s sugar consumption was also cited as a reason why many parents now accept tooth decay. Over a quarter (26%) of parents surveyed admit this with a further 29% of parents surveyed believing that potentially painful oral health conditions, such as tooth decay, are pre-determined by a family history of oral health complaints and weak teeth.

Worryingly, more than 1 in 10 parents (14%) claim that they think that decay in children’s teeth is acceptable as all children will inevitably lose their milk teeth as they develop.

These statistics come as the government announced plans to introduce a sugar tax on the soft drinks industry, due to come into effect by 2018. Denplan’s research suggests that the tax could be warmly welcomed by parents with almost half (45%) of parents surveyed claiming that they believe that tooth decay can be prevented by limiting the amount of sugar in a child's diet. A further 40% of parents believe that tooth decay can be prevented by ensuring that children regularly see their dentist for a check-up. Despite this, when asked what actions they take to prevent their child developing decay just 1 in 5 (18%) of parents said that they take their child to see the dentist once a year as soon as their first tooth appears.

Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Denplan comments: “As the poor state of children’s oral health continues to dominate the headlines, and dental caries continues to be one of the most common chronic (but also largely preventable) diseases in UK children, Denplan will continue to champion improvements in children’s oral health. 

“Whilst parents have the best of intentions with their children’s dental health, the research shows that it can be hard for parents to keep up good habits amongst a backdrop of hidden sugars in our food and drinks and children’s reluctance to follow a good oral health routine. Denplan’s Big Summer Brush-Up campaign, along with the accompanying materials Denplan has produced has been created to help practices support and guide families on their oral healthcare.  Providing the right advice and encouragement from an early age or even from when a child’s first tooth appears, could make a lifetime of difference when it comes to their oral health.”

Denplan’s ‘Little Book of Healthy Smiles’ has been produced, containing handy advice from dentists and tips on how to enthuse unwilling children to brush up on cleaning teeth, written for parents by parents. For further information and downloadable content such as a brushing chart and the Little Book of Healthy Smiles visit www.bigsummerbrushup.co.uk.

The Campbell Academy Directors – Colin Campbell and Andrew Legg

The first two members of the faculty to introduce are myself Colin Campbell and Andrew Legg.

Andrew has worked with me at the practice for the past four and a half years and has been an inspiration and an exceptional clinician providing superb treatment for our patients. He has embarked on a teaching career previously with Tipton Training and other independent providers and is now my Co-Director at The Campbell Academy. He has placed and restored thousands of dental implants from the most straightforward cases to the most complex and has a gentle skill of teaching which I have seen rarely in anyone else.

For my own part, my practice is limited to surgical implant dentistry. I am a Specialist in Oral Surgery with considerable experience within the ITI and the Leadership of the ITI within the UK. I have placed in the region of 4,000 dental implants and have restored approximately 1,000. I have been teaching in implant dentistry since 2000.

I have been the architect and designer of many implant courses previously for other organisations and now The Campbell Academy takes a considerable amount of my time in providing implant and dental education the way I think it should be done.

Michael Bornstein

I have blogged about Michael Bornstein on many occasions and Michael already teaches on The Campbell Academy CBCT course where he has generally been fantastically accepted as he was when he provided an ITI Study Club and Master Class for us in 2014.

It is a delight that Michael has agreed to come back to discuss imaging in implant dentistry and medical conditions and he will provide an exceptional level of teaching for people entering into implant dentistry, the like of which they would only usually get at Congresses in implant dentistry.

Colin Burns

Colin Burns and I have known each other for a considerable period of time having grown up in the same town in Scotland and we went to the same school. We also went to the same dental school although Colin was a few years ahead of me and then our paths crossed again on a course on implant dentistry some years ago.

Colin and I sat together on the Leadership Team of the ITI UK & Ireland Section where Colin is still the Study Club Co-Ordinator and he has an MSc in Implant Dentistry from the University of Warwick specialising in surface technology.

Colin is a fantastic clinician and a compassionate provider whose teaching skills are second to none. He has the ability to pass on concepts and ideas in a non-threatening, caring way and is a huge asset to The Campbell Academy. It is a huge privilege for us to work with him over the coming years.

Neil Poyser

Neil Poyser is one of our clinicians at The Campbell Clinic. Neil is a Consultant Restorative Dentist who will be providing the vast majority of the restorative component of The Year Implant Course. He has been placing and restoring implants for well over a decade from straightforward cases to huge complex cases in his head and neck service at Queens Medical Centre.

Chris Barrow

We will not overlook the need to be able to source and secure patients within your practice environment and to this end we have brought in one of the best known names in marketing in dentistry, Chris Barrow.

Chris has been active as a consultant, trainer and coach to the UK dental profession for over 22 years. His main focus now is on 7connections, a privately-owned company that provides coaching and mentorship in independent dentistry and also provides Lifecycle Marketing training and support services to clients.

Beatriz Sanchez

Beatriz is one of our dentists at the practice who is soon to finish her MSc in implant dentistry at the University of Central Lancashire. We feel it adds a great balance and roundness to the course to have younger speakers and younger members of the faculty.

For more information please contact:

0115 9823 919

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www.campbellacademy.co.uk

In May we launched the 2017 Year Implant Course. I guess it’s interesting that we get the opportunity to talk about ‘features and benefits’ which is real sales talk in an Alec Baldwin style. I guess though, if you want a list of features and benefits they are here and if you want to talk to us then our details are below.

What the course is:

1. A high quality introduction to straightforward implant dentistry provided by people with a passion for education.

2. An interactive, fluid, movable programme which responds to the needs of individuals to let them reach their greatest potential after one year.

3. A course which encourages online collaboration and discussion between delegates in between course modules to learn as much as possible.

4. A course which is heaped full of hands on and practical elements to get you better at basic surgical skills and into implant placement as soon as possible.

5. A course which is inextricably linked to mentoring and has a long term view of the five years it takes to become a fifty implants per year practitioner.

6. A course which is linked into a programme of more advanced courses afterwards, a mentoring scheme and contact with a group of people who want you to be better at implant dentistry and want you to provide ethical, honest, high quality implant dentistry for your patients.

7. The course is 12 days of lectures, discussion, practicals, thought provoking interaction, live hands on surgery on patients prepared by you and us and demonstrations.

What the course isn’t:

1. It’s not quick.

2. It’s not cheap.

3. It doesn’t tell you that after one year you will be able to place as many implants as you want on as many people as you want safely without any difficulties.

4. It’s not stack ‘em high and price ‘em low – it’s restricted to twelve people.

5. It’s not one guy talking at you all the time; it’s a host of individual high quality lecturers with different perspectives.

6. It’s not multi system, it’s based around the Straumann Dental Implant System. We strongly believe that if we teach you more than one system it may confuse you and you may have difficulty picking things up.

7. It’s not in London.

For more information please contact:

0115 9823 919

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www.campbellacademy.co.uk

The Year Implant Course is our blue ribbon course that is the top of the tree for us (at the present time). Our aim is to take ethical and competent dental practitioners and guide them on a path of development in implant dentistry to safely and confidently place fifty implants per year, year on year.

There is a pathway required to get to this, both in academic study and practical application and we hope to be able to set people on the right path after one year but not lose them in the crown afterwards. We keep in touch though various courses, activities and events which will see the vast majority of attendees though to the goal listed above.

Ours is not a short term, intensive, quick fix to get you into implant dentistry. If you’re looking for that you can find it in hundreds of different places and spend your money there. Ours is a course for grown up people who are open to discussion and development, who are thirsty to learn and have their patients best interests at heart. People who ‘graduate’ from this course will do well in implant dentistry, both spiritually and economically in the years to come.

Ours is not a programme that is set in stone, it’s small group teaching and we take on board the individual requirements. Ours is course where you continually discuss and share cases and experiences on our online discussion forum. We have a Spotify play list for the course.

You will likely make friends on the course that you will stay in contact with for many years to come and share the implant journey going forwards, certainly we hope you’ll do the same with us at The Campbell Academy.

Incidentally we would like you to bring your existing friends too – if you book as a pair your get 10% off and if you book as a four you get 20% off. People who know each other on courses are much more relaxed and learn better.

To download our NEW digital The Year Implant brochure please visit our website and  share this with anyone who might fit the profile of someone who wants to learn and be part of the next generation of implant dentists in the UK.

For more information or to book a place please contact:

0115 9823919    

 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.           www.campbellacademy.co.uk 

Now is the perfect time to take part in the NHS Confidence Monitor, organised by Practice Plan, offering all dental professionals the opportunity to communicate their views on the future of NHS dentistry.

Have you ever wondered what effect your responses to the survey may have on the future of dentistry? The truth is that the significance of having your say has never been plainer, with the GDC now taking notice of respondents’ confidence levels in NHS dentistry.

At a GDC meeting in June, it was duly noted on the agenda that, as a result of the Monitor’s results thus far, the GDC needs to consider the evidence of stress among dental professionals, the implications of this on morale among the profession and how the GDC should respond to these trends.*   

With this kind of proactive response from such a powerful governing body, it is more important than ever before that all dental team members – irrespective of whether they work in the NHS or private sector – have their say.

Commenting on the survey, dentist Judith Husband, a participant of Practice Plan’s Insights Panel, which meets to discuss each survey’s results, and a member of the BDA’s Principal Executive Committee, said: ‘As the first of its kind in the UK and leading the way in informing the dental team, it is wonderful that we are now in a position to use the data gathered to offer advice on a continuing basis, helping everyone working in dental practice to rise above any perceived challenges and improve the situation for professionals and patients alike.’

To take part in the latest NHS Confidence Monitor and share your thoughts, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PracticePlanNHSConfidenceMonitor4 before the closing date of 31st July 2016. The survey should take approximately three minutes of your time.

For detailed results from the last three surveys, visit www.nhsdentistryinsights.co.uk. Here you can also access the discussions from our previous Insights Panel, made up of key opinion leaders and experts from the dental profession who explore and debate the significance of the survey results and their implications for the future of the NHS.

* For full details visit http://bit.ly/29be2vS (see page 12, item 62).

In 2015 the dental implant market slowed to an overall growth of around 4% across the four biggest implant companies. The market appears to be consolidating at present and there are several possible reasons for this:-

1.     The level of litigation and fitness to practice cases has risen exponentially over recent years resulting in many practitioners treading with increasing caution over the treatment they provide.

2.    The implant market is forever being diluted by the number of companies selling implants. 

3.    Delegates on implant courses are leaving courses and not continuing the journey into surgery in practice. Industry figures quote up to 90% of surgical course delegates not going any further in placing implants in practice.

The philosophy at The Campbell Academy is to set delegates on a 5 year pathway to competency in implant dentistry. We have set a target of 90% of our delegates continuing to place implants after they have left one of our courses. Whether it be the three day Live Skills introduction course or our Year Implant course we have the infrastructure to support delegates as they develop their implant careers.

We work with Straumann, one of the biggest and most researched implant manufacturers in the world. Incidentally they experienced 10%+ growth in 2015, outperforming the other big companies! They provide amazing support to both The Academy and our course delegates and are instrumental in getting new implant dentists set up in their own practices.

Alongside our implant partners, Straumann, we have been instrumental in the formation of The Straumann Clinical Mentoring scheme. All our delegates will automatically feed into this scheme and be linked with a local mentor who will continue the journey they start with The Campbell Academy.

The philosophy and infrastructure that we have in place at The Campbell Academy will mean that a slowdown in implant growth is less likely to affect delegates who have set off on the right track from the outset.

For more information or to book a place please contact:

0115 9823919

 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.           www.campbellacademy.co.uk

Dentisan [Quadralene] is delighted to announce that Managing Director Andy Corley, has been invited to take part in the CBI’s MSB (Medium Sized Business) Summit 2016, entitled ‘Meeting the Productivity Challenge’.

This prestigious event, being held on 7 July in Central London, will explore the challenges that medium-sized businesses face in raising productivity and highlight some of the practical steps that such businesses can take to increase output and unlock new growth.

Designed for CEOs and senior leaders of MSBs, the Summit will include keynote and panel sessions and Andy will participate in one of the key case studies ‘Staying innovative in a growing business’.

Whilst companies such as Dentisan [Quadralene] have a proud legacy of developing new and exciting technologies and innovations, the UK as a whole underperforms when investing in Research & Development. Addressing this issue is essential for international competitiveness and plays a crucial role in making the UK a place in which to invest and grow a business. During the session Andy will highlight the steps Dentisan [Quadralene] has taken to become an innovator within its market, and explain the important role that R&D has played in its success.

Andy commented, “I am delighted to be taking part in such an important event. Innovation is central to our business ethos, and we could not succeed without significant investment in R&D. It has been a lynchpin of our business, and concentrating on innovation has helped us to both attract new employees and release the latent potential within our existing team. I am very much looking forward to sharing our experiences with other like-minded business leaders.”

For more information, visit www.dentisan.co.uk

Twitter: @DentisanLtd

Facebook: Dentisan Ltd

The Brexit vote has had an immediate and dramatic effect on the UK’s credit rating and the value of Sterling. The UK is now seen as a less safe place to invest in and less secure to lend money to.

PFM Dental Director, Jon Drysdale, says: “The decision to leave the EU could affect your plans to purchase a dental practice and makes it even more vital to have a robust business plan. Lenders will undoubtedly pass on the increased costs of borrowing although against this it unlikely the Bank of England will impose an interest rate rise.”

The UK remains one of the world’s largest and strongest economies with good banking liquidity, relatively low unemployment and perhaps the potential for improved terms with global export markets. If you subscribe to this view, the cost of borrowing money will probably stabilise and remain at a reasonable rate.

All of this emphasises the need for buyers to examine their business plan and the cost of running a business. Are you being realistic about the interest rate you can achieve? Do your projections stress test for rise in the cost of borrowing?

For more information about PFM Dental services go to: http://pfmdental.co.uk

Richard Lishman from Money4Dentists shares his thoughts on Brexit and what it will mean for Dentists in the UK.

So it’s happened. Voters in this country have supported a split from the European Union and, for the first time in just over forty years, the UK will be heading out into the future without its Continental neighbours.

When the news broke on the 24^th, there was a lot of panic and uncertainty. The FTSE 100 dropped approximately 8.7 per cent, the strength of the pound plummeted to levels unseen for almost 30 years and the Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced his plans to step down in October. A pall of hysteria seemed to envelop the country… but is it really that bad?

Well, the most important thing to remember is that nothing is going to happen over night. A lot of things are up in the air right now, but they will settle. The market has gone up and down for years but it has always normalised. If we look back to the Scottish referendum, the FTSE experienced similar turmoil, but it went back to normal quickly enough. The main thing is to stay calm and not be too hasty in despairing.

In some cases, there may even be a chance for people to make a little money. In terms of equities, some may stand to make money if they buy carefully whilst prices are down and wait patiently for when the market returns to normal. Indeed, by being careful and investing wisely there can be much to gain at the moment. Of course, many individuals may be tempted to sell rather than buy right now, but this is more a product of inexperience than financial foresight. People are anxious and when they start to see the risk, they can panic and make mistakes.

It would be far better to approach this change with consideration and patience. Once the market has settled and the smoke has cleared, people will almost certainly have forgotten about the day we Brexited.

For dentists, one of the most crucial things to remember is that people will always have teeth – whether they’re part of the EU or not. The population will not suddenly stop needing to go to the dentist. There may be an initial dip in attendance whilst uncertainty reigns, but this will more than likely return to normal in due course – dental pain, after all, is and likely always will be a constant.

One thing, however, that some dentists may need to consider, if they achieved their qualifications in the EU but now practise in Britain, is that these may not be valid once the UK become independent. Of course, this is an eventuality that is still a long way away from becoming a reality, but it is something that might be worth researching to cover your bases.

But on the other hand, there may even be a chance for the UK dental economy to flourish. UK dental laboratories could see an increase in business if practitioners no longer have the option to work with overseas laboratories due to quality and standards incompatibility. Similarly, dental tourism may begin to tail off if EU dental qualifications lose their value in the UK and flights abroad increase in price.  

There are a lot of negatives that could come out of Brexit, but there are also a lot of positives that can be found – and these are most certainly worth looking for. Of course, if you are ever uncertain or concerned about your financial situations in the days and weeks following Brexit, it is always worth contacting an Independent Financial Adviser for, if nothing else, a little reassurance.

For more information please call 0845 345 5060 or 0754DENTIST.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.money4dentists.com

Credit options are becoming increasingly important in UK dental practices. The increasing demand for elective dental treatments, combined with the ubiquitous search for cost-effectiveness, has made the provision of finance very attractive, and it can be an important USP for many practices.

However, even if a practice is offering credit options, it may be the case that they are not seeing the best return on this facility as possible.

This is simply due to the fact that many dental professionals lack the necessary marketing skills to properly promote the services they offer patients – and this could really be to their detriment. Indeed, opportunities missed through poor marketing can actually be the difference between a practice achieving and one that is excelling.

Your practice’s website is, perhaps, the most obvious place for you to start promoting your credit facilities. By making sure the information is easily accessible and easy to understand, any visitors to your website will immediately be informed of the options they have with you.

Similarly, maintaining a regular and consistent social media presence, in which patients are kept informed and included, can be a very efficient way of getting across a desired message. Posting information about credit options on your practice’s social media page is a sure-fire way of increasing your patients’ knowledge on how they can benefit from what you have to offer.

You could also include a message in your phone system’s ‘on hold’ message. Ideally, you don’t want your patients to be on hold for very long – but on the occasions where they do have to hold the line, it is good opportunity to promote your credit options (which will be far more useful to you, and less frustrating for your patients, than playing a tune like Greensleeves while they wait!).

Quite obviously, appreciating that these methods should and could be implemented and actually implementing them are two very different kettles of fish. Effective marketing takes time and considerable effort – two commodities that are too often in short supply for busy dental professionals. Therefore, it may be advantageous to recruit the services of an expert marketing team to help you come up with a consistent and appropriate strategy for your practice. Of course, it may present an upfront cost, but it is an investment that will almost certainly pay dividends in the future.

Of course, there is a very simple and effective solution: Chrysalis Finance, the UK’s only provider of simple, licence free credit options, also has the marketing savvy needed to help you and your practice get the very most out of their exceptional finance facility. Its services range from printable material, to assistance with your website, helping you ensure that your patients are up to date on the great finance options you can offer them.

For more information about Chrysalis Finance call us on 0333 32 32 230 or visit www.chrysalisfinance.com

Q. Would you like to reduce the cost of running your practices’ dental plans?

Q. Do you question the value of the fees your existing plan provider charges; Denplan, Practice Plan, DPAS, CODE, IndepenDent or another provider?

Q. Are you tired of admin fee increases applied by your exiting plan provider?

Q. Are you unsure of the exact fees you pay to your existing plan provider and would like help in completing a cost-benefit analysis?

If the answer is ‘Yes’ to any of above questions Patient Plan Direct would like to meet with you to explain and explore how they can help your practice achieve a successful plan provider transfer and save thousands in costs year on year thanks to a £1 per patient per month admin fee which includes: practice-branded solution, Worldwide Dental A&E cover, support from a dedicated client services team and business development manager, as well as plan promotional material and much more.

To contact Patient Plan Direct and book an exploratory meeting Call: 0844 848 6888 or Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Or to find out more visit www.patientplandirect.co.uk

No matter how many plan patients you currently have, Patient Plan Direct can help you make big cost savings.

Your practice could achieve the same benefits and results as the following sample of practices that have already transferred their dental plan administration to a practice-branded solution with Patient Plan Direct…

BV Owen Dental Practice, North Wales

• Almost 1,000 Care plan patients.
• Previously paid their plan provider nearly £2.50 per patient per month.
• High patient retention when transferring.
• Now saving over £15,000 per annum in plan admin fees.

“These cost savings have helped towards a practice refurbishment we had been keen to undertake for sometime. Patient Plan Direct deal with things quickly and proficiently and our plans run like clock work”

Read the full story HERE

High Street Dental Practice, West Sussex 

• Previously paying fees for access to services they did not require.
• Needed a provider that was flexible and low cost.
• Transferred to Patient Plan Direct with a high retention rate.
• Now saving thousands in costs.

“We found the transfer to be hassle free.  As proved by the loss of members in the transfer being less than 1%.  We have gained approximately 18% more members over the last 6 months. And it continues to grow”

Read the full story HERE

Farleigh Dental - North East Surrey

• Principal questioned the value of their previous plan provider shortly after purchasing practice
• Almost 1,500 plan patients.
• Needed an approach to running the practices’ dental plans that included simple and secure administration, low running costs, a quality A&E cover for patients and access to expertise to help with all things plan related as and when required.
• Transferred to Patient Plan Direct and significantly reduced plan administration costs by around 50% which represented huge operational cost savings.

“Did I lose lots of patients as a result of the transfer? No, we lost a handful of plan patients – no more than we would normally expect as a result of an annual price increase mailing to plan patients. Am I glad we took on the move? Absolutely”

Read the full story HERE

To show its dedication to the industry, Dental Elite recently pledged its support to the Annual Conference of Local Dental Committees 2016 for the fourth consecutive year.

As Gold Sponsor of the event, the leading practice sales agency was proud to be able to offer its knowledge and services to dental professionals debating about the wider issues of dentistry, having already acted for a large number of the attending delegates successfully in the past.

If you missed Dental Elite at the conference, don't worry – the team will be exhibiting at various top calendar events and supporting more local LDC meetings and study groups throughout the next year.

If you are interested in receiving support for your event, contact the team today.

For more information contact Dental Elite. Visit www.dentalelite.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01788 545 900

The BDA Benevolent Fund bought a smile to people’s faces at this year’s BDA Conference. They came armed with a photo-booth full of fun props to spread the word about how their support changes lives. Dentists from every corner of the UK need to know that if disaster strikes, they will not be alone. By giving one-off and regular grants to help those in need, the BDA Benevolent Fund is often the only lifeline when there is nothing else to hold on to. It’s not only about financial aid either, but support, comfort and friendship.

(Pictured above having fun with the Benevolent Fund is GDPUK's very own Michael Watson)

The fact is none of us is immune to sudden misfortune or a dramatic change in circumstances; a curveball can get thrown at any time. Think about it: how would you and your family cope if you had to stop work for any reason? Who would you turn to for help? The Fund is showing that, as a profession, we look after our own and will be there for colleagues who are going through dark times.

Conference delegates who stopped by the stand had the opportunity to meet with some of the Trustees, and find out about the diverse range of cases the charity has helped. Chronic illness and injury can mean lengthy time off work, as can family problems like divorce or bereavement and issues around personal debt. Sudden redundancy can set off a dramatic chain of events if the dentist is the breadwinner, with a family to support.

Modern dentists face a challenging and unique mix of pressures that can affect their mental wellbeing, such as ever-changing targets and regulations, keeping up-to-date with technology and techniques and making a decent living in a competitive industry. In its 2015 Annual Report, the Fund notes that a significant number of applicants had experienced stress-related illnesses. Accepting help is needed is the first (and probably the hardest) step, but once a dentist has made the call, their case has been assessed and a decision made, they can be sure of a timely intervention.

The testimonials from dentists who have been helped by the Fund really do speak for themselves. Recent recipients have said: “The way the profession has responded has been overwhelming,” “No-one can appreciate how important your work is until they need your help” and “There is a big light at the end of the tunnel and now I am confident I will come out at the other side”. Comments like these are reasons why raising awareness at industry events is so vital. An independent charity, the BDA Benevolent Fund is supported by a committee of volunteer dentists and, with no assistance from the government, is reliant on the generosity of donations. Behind the wigs, feather boas and cheesy grins, the BDA Conference was all about the essential promotion of Fund’s vital work.

The BDA Benevolent Fund exists to shine a light in times of trouble and show that brighter days can be just around the corner. Support the Fund and you will not only be helping dentists who have found themselves in desperate need, but you will be laying the foundations of support for future generations too. Find out more, then spread the word. Regular donations mean the Fund can reach out to even more people and the easiest way to donate is online, via the secure Just Giving page. One day, it might be you who has to make that call.

The BDA Benevolent Fund relies on your help to continue its work,
so please contact us on 020 7486 4994 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
or to give a donation today go to www.bdabenevolentfund.org.uk.

https://www.facebook.com/bdabenenevolentfund/
 

And if you are in need of help yourself, please contact us now.

All enquiries are considered in confidence.

Registered charity no. 208146

Up to 86% of patients are affected by food becoming trapped under their dentures.¹ This can lead to discomfort and can cause bad breath.

Results have shown that Poligrip® denture fixatives have the ability to seal out food particles helping to reduce gum irritation² and lead to increased levels of confidence, comfort and chewing efficiency.³

The Poligrip® range of fixatives include:

• Poligrip® Flavour Free Fixative Cream

• Poligrip® Ultra Denture Cream  

For further information on Poligrip® and dentures, why not complete the Poligrip® distance learner module and earn up to 1.5 hours of CPD. Simply visit            www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk today!

-ENDS-

References: 1. Data on file, GSK, Canadian Quality of Life Study, 2005. 2. GSK Data on File. Murphy et al, 2012. 3. GSK Data on File. Durocher et al, 2008

Trade Marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.

CHGBI/CHPOLG/0018/16

ESCARCEL, a recent pan-European study, amongst 3,187 subjects aged 18-35, concluded that 1 in 3 young adults suffer from tooth wear.¹ In a survey of 200 dental professionals completed in 2013, 84% said they see signs of erosive tooth wear on a weekly basis and 86% felt the condition is on the rise.² This emphasises how common erosive tooth wear is throughout the population.

To help raise awareness of the risk factors for tooth wear associated with eating and drinking acidic foods and drinks found in today’s diet, Pronamel® are offering dental professionals access to a specially developed online module. Topics include identifying signs of tooth wear, condition management advice, the use of the Basic Erosive Wear Examination tool (BEWE) and the role of Pronamel® in protection from the effects of acidic diets.

The Pronamel® online CPD module is available in an easy to use format which is free of charge. Available 24 hours a day, you can access this module whenever is convenient. Completion of the module can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD.

In addition, it provides information on the Pronamel® range and how it can help protect patients from the effects of erosive tooth wear.

Visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk/pronamelcpd1 to complete the module now!

References:

1. Bartlett DW et al. J Dent 2013; 41: 1007-1013

2. GSK Data on File, 2013

Trade marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies

GSK, manufacturers of Corsodyl® have launched a new distance learner for dental professionals on the topic of gum disease.

According to the Delivering Better Oral Health toolkit, maintaining periodontal health and preventing periodontitis should be based on;¹ detecting periodontitis early using the Basic Periodontitis Examination (BPE) and managing the factors that expose patients to a greater risk of the disease, e.g. smoking, diabetes and medications.

The 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey found that only 17% of dentate adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland had very healthy periodontal tissue and no periodontal disease.² This confirms a need for continued patient education regarding gum health.

The Corsodyl® distance learner module provides training on periodontal disease, the BPE, and patient management to treat and prevent the condition. It is suitable for the whole dental team to use and is available 24 hours a day. On top of this, there is no time limit to complete this module and completion of the module can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD.

Visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk to complete the module now!

*which can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD

References:

1. Delivering Better Oral Health. An evidence-based toolkit for prevention. 3rd edition. The Department of Health, 2009

2. Executive summary: Adult Dental Health Survey 2009. The Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2011 (Ed I O’Sullivan)

Trade marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.

Product Information

Corsodyl Mint Mouthwash, Corsodyl Original Mouthwash, Corsodyl 0.2% Mouthwash (Alcohol Free)

Active Ingredient: Chlorhexidine digluconate Indications: Plaque inhibition; gingivitis; maintenance of oral hygiene; post periodontal surgery or treatment; aphthous ulceration; oral candida.  Legal category: GSL. Licence Holder: GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Brentford, TW8 9GS, U.K.

Information about this product, including adverse reactions, precautions, contra-indications and method of use can be found at:

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/21648

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/21647

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/23034

Sparkle Dental Labs always strives to deliver an outstanding service to all its collaborating dentists, utilising the extensive skill and experience of its staff to produce predictably precise restorations and appliances.

During the recent Genix and Sparkle Annual Awards 2016, the company was keen to distinguish those members of staff who really go above and beyond the call of duty.

As such, the following very deserving runners up and winners were announced amid a glittering Awards ceremony:

• Sparkle Dental Labs Technician of the Year – Runner up – Abdol Ahmadi
• Sparkle Team Member of the Year – Runner up – Saffa Hussain
• Sparkle Dental Labs Technician of the Year – Winner – Edgars Martins
• Sparkle Team Member of the Year – Winner – Tracey Lawson

Congratulations to all!

For any additional information please call 0800 138 6255 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit:

www.sparkledentallabs.com

For Dentists looking to review their practice management system options at the British Dental Conference this year, it will have been refreshing to meet with a team who were at hand to demonstrate exactly why their flagship system software could make a real and sustainable long term difference to the Practice bottom line.

And it’s no surprise that given their personal, helpful approach and backed by such solid industry knowledge and expertise, founded by a dentist in the 1980’s, that the trained specialists on their stand created a buzz of excitement at the 3 day show.

Driven by a clear and deep understanding of what Dental Practices need from a leading edge intuitive practice management system, their development insight, achieved over nearly thirty years proved a winning hit with visitor interest from far and wide.

Developed on an iterative cycle of research, build, test, launch and review and predicated against totally listening to what Dentists need from the support of a robust and innovative dental practice management system, V6 Dental Practice Management Software presented those interested with a truly integrated and agile solution.

Featuring cutting edge modules, functionality and systems benefits that ranged from go paperless solutions to 24/7 real time online appointment booking, up to the minute management information, and data integrity and security and on-line system back up,  V6 offered everything needed to succeed operationally and streamline practice management.

And it was the company’s aim at the conference that their valued clients and those visitors interested in their system should not only benefit from information on the very latest in leading edge software developments and unparalleled systems support. Not only that, but they were also given the opportunity to gain valuable hands on experience with the very latest available in practise management innovations and technology advances.

And the beckon of a truly unique and supported user and customer experience  wasn’t the only reason why increasing numbers of visitors to the conference chose to take a closer look at Systems for Dentists; The appeal of their Dental Practice Management software was made more attractive by the offer of a fully integrated package of features included within the price, coupled with time, money and efficiency savings end even the option to go paperless, making paper signatures almost a thing of the past with the companies introduction to their peripherals range of Wireless Signature Pads.

As a credible and trusted brand, and with almost thirty years’ experience in systems software development and a profound knowledge of the UK dental software market, dentists looking to make a positive change to their practice management in 2016 could be confident that Systems for Dentists could provide what they needed.

And beyond their exciting range of software solutions and feature rich product options, visitors also discovered an unparalleled level of customer service second to none, ensuring exceptional levels of client support and making the process of transferring to a new system if required both effortless and operationally seamless.

Systems for Dentists offered a warm welcome to visitors who dropped on to their stand at the British Dental Conference, 26-28 May 2016.

For further information contact:

Nathan Ross at Systems for Dentists on

Direct line: 0845 643 2828

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A dental chair is the focal point of any surgery: the central cog in a machine that allows for the provision of exceptional treatment. These products see almost constant use throughout the day and the average practitioner can expect to spend almost 27,000 hours with each chair over the course of their career. As such, it is vitally important for practitioners to choose wisely when selecting a new chair, to ensure that they are making a wise investment for the future.

The first consideration is reliability. Any savings made on a cheaper model will likely be lost if constant and expensive repairs are needed to maintain a chair’s ability to perform at its best, let alone the lost business caused by chair down-time. Investing in a dental chair that has renowned reliability will eliminate these unnecessary overheads. It will also provide essential peace of mind; indeed, being able to trust in the reliability of such an important piece of equipment is a factor that simply cannot be overstated.

It’s also important to invest in a chair that can stand the test of time – that’s future proof. Dentistry nowadays is advancing at an astronomical rate, with new innovations appearing on the market on an increasingly regular basis. This makes it very easy for some products to depreciate in value incredibly quickly. Therefore, a chair that can easily be adapted or updated to suit the rapidly changing needs of modern dentistry is a must.

On this basis, it is hard to beat an A-dec dental chair. With a longstanding reputation of unsurpassable quality, A-dec chairs are also easy to refresh and upgrade. They have both the durability to last for years and the flexibility to change when needed. This is something that Dr Wayne Williams, principal of Smile₂0 in Wokingham recently discovered. He says:

“I’ve had my A-dec 500 for 12 years. In fact, I think it was one of the first of this model to be installed in the UK. It’s an incredibly reliable chair – in over the decade I’ve worked with it, I’ve never felt the need to change it. Recently, however, I did make a small change: I had one of the new A-dec LED lights fitted.

“The upgrade process was very easy and it took less than an hour for our A-dec authorised dealer, Marz Dental Equipment Ltd., to come and do the installation. We’re so impressed that we are likely to do the same refreshing upgrade for our other chairs too – and I envisage being able to continue to use them for many years more!”

A-dec focusses on providing the equipment that dentists need to deliver first rate dentistry. Since modern dentists need the ability to be able to adapt to new technologies, techniques and materials, A-dec has worked hard to ensure that they have the products that allows them to do so.

With equipment solutions that allow for easy and innovative upgrades, A-dec has future proofed its chairs, allowing practitioners to change the individual aspects of their chairs to suit their individual needs, across many years of use.

And, indeed, Dr Williams’s example is simply the tip of the iceberg; A-dec chairs are extremely versatile, allowing practitioners to choose precisely the options that compliment their clinical preferences. For instance, another dentist, Dr Patricia Seyf from Seyf Dental in Barnes, has recently purchased an A-dec 500 without a cuspidor. She says: “Having no spittoon makes for a far more hygienic treatment centre. I can autoclave my funnels between each appointment and be completely assured that my surgery is cross-contamination compliant. It also allows me to have a direct, face-to-face conversation with the patient – something which I think is very important for putting them at ease and encouraging a strong patient-practitioner relationship.”

This level of customisation is indispensable. Practitioners can quite literally purchase the dental chair they need at the time – without having to worry about what is coming around the corner, since they also have the option to refresh and upgrade at a later date.

Investing in an A-dec chair is investing in your future in the dental profession. No matter what challenges or changes come about in the years to come, A-dec will continue to provide relevant and applicable options to those dentists aspiring to offer the very best dentistry.

For more information about A-dec Dental UK Ltd, visit

www.a-dec.co.uk or call on 0800 2332 85

The Genix 2016 Annual Conference was a huge success with enthusiastic dental colleagues from up and down the country enjoying their time together as part of the Genix Healthcare family.

With around 250 attendees from the UK, US and Asia, delegates had the chance to hear from key speakers and later take part in team building activities. Visitors later changed into their finest for the evening ceremony to recognise and celebrate the hard work and commitment of outstanding members who have truly gone above and beyond their call of duty.

Esteemed guests attending the day included Baroness Nosheen Shaheen Mobarik CBE; Andrea Jenkins MP for Moreley and Outwood; Jack Lopresti MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke; and Professor George E Holmes, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Bolton.

The action-packed event took place at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on Saturday the 14^th of May and opened with a warm welcome from Managing Director, Mustafa Mohammed. Mustafa praised his team for their dedication and continuing contribution to the success of Genix Healthcare, before handing over to Professor Stephen Dunne – Clinical Director at Genix Healthcare and Professor of Primary Dental Care and Advanced General Dental Practice? at King's College London.

Professor Dunne did an excellent job of introducing the outstanding speakers who shared their infinite knowledge and expertise with the audience. Key speakers included Krishan Joshi – CEO of Dental Focus, who spoke on the advantages of social media and how to go about achieving the most out of this vast platform of opportunity, in a presentation entitled: “Winning on social media, dos and don’ts”. Next up was Dr Subir Banerji – Private Practice (London), Programme Director MSc Aesthetic Dentistry at King's College London Dental Institute and Board Member Academy of Dental Excellence. Dr Banerji gave an inspiring talk to Genix Healthcare members on presenting yourself confidently in a speech called: “It’s not what you wear – it’s the way you wear it”.

Amit Patel BDS, MSc, MClinDent, FDS, RCSEd, MRD, RCSEng, Specialist in Periodontics and Implant Dentist, followed with a fascinating presentation on “Periodontitis – a clinically effective treatment approach”, which outlined the latest advances and understanding of periodontal treatment.

Following a quick coffee break, attendees had the opportunity to listen to Hassnain Hamid, Clinical Lead at Genix Healthcare, discussing “NHS claims – avoiding the pitfalls”. Then, Dr Banerji gave his second talk of the day on his personal experience of 25 years in private dental practice. Sandy Brown, Sales & Marketing Director of Denplan, concluded the talks with a brilliant discussion on “Supporting private growth via Denplan’s patient-centred plans”.

Delegates then enjoyed a buffet lunch and during the afternoon were split into teams to engage in a fun-packed array of team building activities. Leading dental suppliers and manufacturers who sponsored the event, including Wright Cottrell, Cougar, PerioChip, BlueFin, Ivoclar Vivadent, Cannon and John Winters & Co, were also on hand throughout the day to show delegates the latest innovations in dentistry.

The fabulous awards ceremony was held in the evening with reception drinks, a three-course meal, entertainment and, of course, the long awaited awards with dancing into the night.

The candidates for this year’s awards met exceptionally high standards and the judges had a difficult job deciding. However, with an experienced judging panel, led by Professor Dunne and joined by esteemed professionals from both within the Genix Healthcare group and outside, the following winners were announced:

Practice Manager of the Year, North ­­– Kay Thomson, Edinburgh

Practice Manager of the Year, South – Danielle Stead, Market Weighton / Hull

Dental Nurse of the Year, North – Danni Kerry, Garforth

Dental Nurse of the Year, South – Lauren Curtis, Havant

Dentist of the Year, North – Rana Alsalem, Huddersfield

Dentist of the Year, South – Bart Goralczyk, Kiveton

Apprentice of the Year, North – Olivia Pawlett, Marske

Apprentice of the Year, South – Bipina Thapa, Coinsborough

Receptionist of the Year – Pauline Gowthorpe, Market Weighton

Practice of the Year – Edinburgh

Team of the Year – Whitley Bay

Sparkle – Dental Lab Technician of the Year – Edgars Martins

Sparkle – Team Member of the Year – Tracey Lawson

Head Office Team Member of the Year – Nick Turner, IT

Pictured above: Team of the Year – Whitley Bay

All that is left to say is many congratulations to all our winners! With some truly inspiring stories and demonstrations of outstanding commitment to the profession and to our patients, these awards proved why we are so proud of all those involved with Genix Healthcare!

For additional information please call 0845 838 1122, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or visit www.genixhealthcare.com

With its competitive prices and unbeatable customer service, Wrights proved popular with delegates at The Scottish Dental Show 2016.

In addition to showcasing its exclusive partnerships with top companies such as Planmeca and Bien Air, Wrights was pleased to display products from its very own Essential Range.

Delegates also enjoyed the deals that were available on stand, not to mention the limited seasonal flyers that were on offer to all who attended the show.

For those that didn't get a chance to visit the distributor with a difference in Scotland, make sure you visit the website today to discover the latest promotions and prices available.

Wrights also regularly offer website only offers, so for ultimate value for money, contact this sterling supplier today.

For more information contact Wrights on 0800 66 88 99 or visit the easy to navigate website www.wright-cottrell.co.uk

The IAS Academy is dedicated to providing a guided learning pathway that combines an ethical, supportive and educational approach with the use of effective, safe and minimally invasive appliances.

For general dental practitioners (GDPs) looking to make the move into anterior alignment orthodontics, the IAS Academy has a number of upcoming IAS Inman Aligner hands-on certification courses across the UK including:

• 3rd June 2016 – The Ibis Hotel in Birmingham
• 4th June 2016 - Cranmore Dental & Implant Clinic in Belfast
• 22^nd July 2016 – Windsor Dental in Manchester
• 23^rd September 2016 – British Dental Association in London
• 18^th November 2016 – British Dental Association in London

Once all GDPs have completed the course, online support is available 24/7 from IAS Academy mentors that are readily available to offer advice when and where it is needed.

“The online support has been invaluable for communication links with the trainers and has provided me with access to past examples of the implementation of the appliance,” said Dr. Yolande Mbappe, a certified IAS Inman Aligner user.

To book your place on one of the upcoming courses, contact IAS Academy today – don't miss out!

For more information on upcoming IAS Academy training courses, including the IAS Inman Aligner,

please visit www.iasortho.com or call 0845 366 5477

If you are interested in providing your patients with high-quality dental implant treatment, then be sure you don’t miss out on the Implants Year Course from Step Education.

Focussing not only on training dentists to become clinically adept at diagnosing, placing and maintaining dental implants, this exciting course is designed to educate the entire dental team on the benefits of dental implantology.

That means, alongside the exceptional mentoring, live surgery and implant restoration elements of this course, there will also be team-specific modules that will help your business finance and market your new treatment option.

Led by three ITI Fellows, James Hamill, Robert Oretti and Anthony Summerwill – who have acquired over 55 years of combined implant experience – the Step Education Implants Year Course is ideal for young professionals thinking about moving into implantology.

What’s more, as a multi-system course, the skills you learn across the 10 month period will be applicable to whichever implant system you prefer to work with.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity – book yourself and your team onto the Step Education Implants Year Course before it’s too late! Spaces are going fast!

To express your interest, please email us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.stepeducational.com to find out more.

The fourth NHS Confidence Monitor survey is now live, offering all dental professionals – whether in NHS or private practice – the opportunity to share their views on the future of NHS dentistry.

Since its launch in December 2014, the aim of the survey has been to gain insight into all team members’ confidence levels in the future of NHS dentistry.

Commenting on the survey, Judith Husband, who sits on the BDA’s Principal Executive Committee, said: ‘The last NHS Confidence Monitor carried out was the most extensive so far, having grown in popularity partly because all team members want to have their say on the potential for change.

‘As the first of its kind in the UK and leading the way in informing the dental team, it is wonderful that we are now in a position to use the data gathered to offer advice on a continuing basis, helping everyone working in dental practice to rise above any perceived challenges and improve the situation for professionals and patients alike.’

To aid understanding for everyone involved in the delivery of dentistry, a number of new questions have been added to this survey, including one on whether NHS dental professionals feel that an improvement in their confidence could be derived from something other than a change in the NHS contract. The answers to this may go some way to supporting the profession in turning the current, low-confidence situation around, so your opinion really does count.

As previously, the survey will also monitor the profession’s confidence in:

•                The future of NHS dentistry as a whole

•                Future career prospects

•                Remuneration levels

•                Getting the balance of treatment versus prevention within the NHS right

•                The ability of the team to work effectively within the NHS

•                Whether patients will be happy with level of care provided.

Eddie Crouch, Vice Chair of the British Dental Association Principal Executive Committee, had this to say about the forthcoming roll-out of the survey: ‘With three sets of data behind us, there is no denying the value of the results gathered to date. As well as helping to enlighten the profession, the information gathered can be used as a springboard to support dental teams in planning for a better future.   

‘The more information we can gather, the better the advice experts in the field will be able to offer. So, for instance, the concern shown in the survey about the dental team’s ability to work effectively within the NHS has led us to look into how a principal might improve the skill mix within the practice to deliver the best possible results.

‘As the picture of the future of NHS dentistry builds, more and more dentists and their teams will be able to benefit from the Monitor results, to enable effective future planning for all dental practices, whatever the future may hold for NHS dentistry.’

To take part in the latest NHS Confidence Monitor and share your thoughts, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PracticePlanNHSConfidenceMonitor4 before the closing date of 31st July 2016. The survey should take approximately three minutes of your time.

For detailed results from the last three surveys, visit www.nhsdentistryinsights.co.uk. Here you can also access the discussions from our previous Insights Panel, made up of key opinion leaders and experts from the dental profession who explore and debate the significance of the survey results and their implications for the future of NHS.

The current state of children’s oral health in the UK has once again been making the headlines this week.  Whilst Denplan welcomes the news from Public Health England that the number of five year olds with tooth decay has dropped to its lowest level in almost a decade, there is still much greater effort needed to install better prevention strategies in order to eradicate this entirely preventable dental disease in the child population.

Commenting on the PHE survey results, Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Denplan said: “Although the figures show that the number of five year olds with tooth decay has dropped from 31% in 2008 down to less than 25%, this still represents a quarter of the country’s five years olds suffering from an entirely preventable disease. Focusing on comparing data to previous years is not that helpful and the government, working with the profession, must not shy away from seeking to tackle this problem head on. 

“The current NHS contract makes it more difficult for dentists to care for children with the worst dental health, a key factor in the need to reform the system introduced in 2006. Any new contract, must put prevention strategies at the forefront and recognise that good dental health in childhood is vital, not only for lifelong oral wellbeing, but for good overall health.

“Denplan believes that a dental health assessment should happen by the age of one to prevent early onset of disease. Denplan’s research conducted with YouGov revealed that only one in five parents of children aged 18 or under (19%) said they first took their child to the dentist before 12 months of age¹.”

The PHE statistics also revealed that in some areas, such as the North West, a third of five year olds (33.4%) are suffering from tooth decay, compared to only a fifth (20.1%) in the South East.

“This inequality in children’s oral health demonstrates there is still a huge regional variation, with areas of higher levels of deprivation tending to have higher levels of tooth decay.  Investment must continue to be targeted to areas where access to dental services is low to improve provision and inequalities. The development of more multi-skilled dental teams could also help provide more effective and economical outcomes in helping treat children with more extensive oral health needs. Therapists, hygienists and dental nurses could also play a crucial role in this.”

Last but not least, Denplan believes there is still a lot of work to be done to engender more preventative behaviours amongst the public as a further report this week² revealed that four in ten people fail to brush their teeth at least once a day.

Henry Clover concluded: “Dentists and their practice teams can also play their part by taking responsibility for improving oral health in their own communities by engaging with local authorities, schools, early years and other health services and helping to raise awareness of the links between oral health and overall health. The training of other health and care professionals such as midwives, school nurses, social workers and care home workers will also help ensure oral health messages are more widely disseminated, thereby helping to engender more preventive behaviours amongst the public.”

Sources:

¹ Denplan/YouGov Survey. Total sample size was 5,152 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11^th-20^th January 2016. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

^{2 http://www.which.co.uk/news/2016/05/40-dont-use-a-toothbrush-at-least-once-a-day-441471/ (Accessed on the 11th May 2016)}

About Denplan

Denplan Limited is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist owned by Simplyhealth; with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million customers. Established in 1986 by two dentists who pioneered the concept of dental payment plans, Denplan has been at the heart of dental care for nearly 30 years. Today, Denplan has a wide range of dental plans for adults and children, enabling patients to spread the cost of their private dental care through a fixed monthly fee. Denplan supports regular attendance and preventive care, reducing the need for clinical intervention and helping patients to maintain healthy teeth and gums for life. Patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402   Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 328 3223         www.denplan.co.uk

·         Denplan Care: all routine and restorative care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Denplan Essentials: routine care only + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Plans for Children: routine and other agreed care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Membership Plan: registered with the dentist + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Denplan Emergency: worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover only

·         Corporate Dental Plans: company funded, voluntary and flexible benefit schemes

Denplan also provides a range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme, Denplan Excel Certification Programme and Denplan Training.  Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.

For more information about Denplan:

Rebecca Hutton

Denplan Press Office

Tel: 01962 829 179

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Follow us @denplandentists on Twitter and at linkedin.com/company/denplan-for-dentists

Emma Watkins was recently placed into Portman Healthcare in Faringdon, Oxfordshire as a Dental Receptionist.

Although her use of a recruitment agency was entirely accidental, she had nothing but positive words when asked about her experience. She said:

“While it did come as a bit of a surprise that I had inadvertently used a recruiter, I did find it very useful having someone I could discuss the position with –especially post-interview when I was keen to find out how it had gone.

“What’s more, I enjoyed the fact that I was able to distance myself from the process of arranging the interview and so on with the practice manager.

“Having now used Dental Elite, I wouldn't rule out using a recruitment agency if I was looking to step up the ladder.”

Emma also reflected on whether she would recommend an agency to other professions:

“When you’re working full time, job hunting can be a job in itself. Using a recruiter allows you to find a position without having to apply for separate jobs and without having to do any of the work. For that reason, I would definitely recommend an agency to other professionals.”

To find out more about Emma’s experience with Dental Elite, visit the website today.

For more information contact Dental Elite. Visit www.dentalelite.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01788 545 900

The Humble Smile Foundation joins government funded and charitable organisations worldwide to address poor oral health – training and educating on preventative oral hygiene techniques and distributing Humble Brushes.

Just one example is the collaboration with Project TEN – a voluntary organisation, which offers assistance to vulnerable communities predominantly in Israel, Ethiopia, Ghana and Mexico.

The Humble Smile Foundation joined Project TEN volunteers at a government-sponsored site for the blind in Gondar, Ethiopia. Here, accommodation comprises of mud huts, no bathrooms and tough living conditions. Project TEN interacts with the blind Amhari children after school, helping with homework and other activities. Simply the fact that anyone has travelled to such a remote area makes these children smile. They were delighted to meet dentists and receive toothbrushes and toothpaste for the first time. The children were each given a Humble Brush personalised with their own name in braille.

One toothbrush or equivalent oral health adjunct is donated to a person in need when a Humble Brush is sold in the UK – contact the team today to discover how your toothbrush of choice can help the world.

For more information about the Humble Brush visit www.humblebrush.co.uk or to find out more about the Humble Smile Foundation’s work visit www.humblesmile.org

Follow us on Facebook, HumblebrushUK

and Twitter

@HumbleBrush

Quintess Denta is delighted to introduce MEDESY to its expanding range of pioneering dental products.

MEDESY enjoys an exceptional worldwide reputation incorporating many centuries of experience in making surgical ‘works of art’ and is renowned for precision and value.

The MEDESY range is the embodiment of quality, offering beautifully designed, practical instruments to all areas of dentistry including: surgical, diagnostic, periodontal, restorative, implantology, orthodontics, laboratory and accessories.

The MEDESY range is priced to appreciate top quality craftsmanship while respecting good value for money. Not only that, MEDESY is so confident in its products that all instruments are backed by an amazing 600-year guarantee.

Quintess Denta constantly strives to offer the best all round service to the dental profession with innovative instruments and products to enable the provision of first-rate dental care.

If you would like to bring MEDESY’s high quality Italian instruments to your practice, contact the exclusive distributor Quintess Denta today.

For more information visit www.quintessdenta.com, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 028 6862 8966

‘Guided bone and tissue regeneration’ is defined by the American Academy of Periodontology as ‘procedures attempting to regenerate lost periodontal structures through differential tissue responses... typically referring to ridge augmentation or bone regenerative procedure.’ Regeneration of periodontal attachment, and barrier techniques are employed to exclude epithelium and the gingival corium from the root or existing bone surface so that they do not interfere with regeneration.

In the early 1980s, the focus within the development of the technique was placed on the barrier membrane, which needed to exclude cells, maintain space and stabilise clots effectively. Both unresorbable and resorbable membranes were developed, and since then materials and products have come a long way.

It is estimated that half of all modern dental implant cases require a regenerative procedure.[1] In order that these procedures enable achievement of the best possible results, clinicians need the appropriate skills and reliable tools. As any degree of movement can disrupt the formation of new bone or tissue, it is essential that the graft is placed accurately and securely to facilitate effective healing.

With a 40-year heritage of scientific research and innovation, Nobel Biocare offers an array of cutting-edge solutions to streamline your workflow and enhance clinical results. Their latest solution for use in guided bone and tissue regeneration procedures is the creos^TM xenoprotect, composed of a network of highly purified porcine collagen and elastin fibres, interwoven to form a dense mesh.

Unique handling and ease of use

This biodegradable non-crosslinked collagen membrane has excellent handling properties. Compared to competor products,[2] creos xenoprotect can be cut or pre-shaped when dry according to the size of the individual defect. Its hydrophilic nature ensures that the hydration process takes only seconds,[3] and with no functionally preferred side, the membrane can be placed on either side to facilitate ease of use.

Due to a minimal increase in size when moist, you do not have to make allowances for expansion – what you cut off is what you use, making it very cost-effective. The membrane is also easy to unfold and reposition even when hydrated, enabling you to consistently achieve excellent results while saving you time and money. With three different size membranes – 15x20mm (small), 25x30mm (medium) and 30x40mm (large) – available, wastage is reduced.

Enabling you to make better use of your time and enhancing the patient experience, the membrane is resorbable requiring no further surgery for its removal. Designed to resorb safely over a prolonged degradation time,³ the aesthetic outcome is improved, providing convenience for you and your patient.

Reliability and strength

Croes xenoprotect membrane acts as an impenetrable barrier against unwanted cells, paving the way for vital in-growth of osteogenic cells and blood vessel penetration. Key to its reliable success is its high mechanical strength and degradation resistance for prolonged stability and long-lasting protection of the graft material.[4] It is also highly tear resistant and its elastin fibres create a flexible material that can be easily stretched over the defect⁴ and sutured without tearing.

Gateway to effective tissue regeneration

Created without any chemical cross-linking, the tissue integration and vascularisation properties of creos xenoprotect are not compromised³ and the ideal conditions for regeneration are achieved. Histology clearly shows the rapid formation of new blood vessels, leading to a faster and much more predictable tissue healing process.

Dr. Paul Worskett from Amblecote Dental Care, West Midlands, has experienced the benefits of creos xenoprotect first hand. He says:

"I recently used the creos membrane for the first time and I have to say it was very easy to use. It has an almost paper thin consistency which means it is easy to cut, shape and manipulate. Placement and handling was a lot easier than some membranes I have used in the past and complete flap closure was possible without relieving the periosteum. At suture removal follow up a week later, I found the tissues to be in excellent condition and the patient was very happy. I will certainly use this product again and look forward to further success in the future."

Periodontist at Burlington Dental Clinic in Dublin, Paul O’Reilly, adds:

“I have found the membrane very easy to use. It maintains its shape for easy trimming to the size required, it hydrates well, doesn't concertina on itself when hydrated, doesn't tear and is easy to drape over the grafted defect. Importantly it offers extended resorption time, which means it maintains its barrier function for longer.

“I think creos xenoprotect is a welcome addition to our regenerative armamentarium and I would certainly recommend it to a colleague – in fact I have done so already.”

To arrange for a FREE demo or for more information on creos xenoprotect from Nobel Biocare, please call 0208 756 3300 or visit www.nobelbiocare.com.

Free CPD opportunity*: Caring for your patients with dentures

By 2050 our global population of those aged 60 years or older is expected to more than double to two billion people.¹ Statistics reveal the older you are the more likely you are to be edentulous.²

Research shows that denture patients are using a mix of up to 14 different methods to clean their dentures ranging from soap and water to bleach.³ In one study only 12% of subjects had clean dentures.?

To provide further insight for dental professionals GSK, manufacturers of Poligrip®, have launched a distance learner module. The module content examines the impact of an ageing population, the effects of tooth loss and dentures for patients and the role of denture fixatives and cleansers.

The module is available online for access at the convenience of the dental team member and is free to complete. Completion can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards verifiable CPD.

Visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk to complete the module now! 

*which can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD

References:

1. UNFPA & HelpAge International, 2012
2. Oral health and function – a report from the Adult Dental Health Survey 2009. The Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2011 (Ed. I O’Sullivan).
3. GSK Data on File, 2014. Multinational diary study denture cleaning
4. Dikbas I et al. Int J Prosthodont 2006; 19 (3): 194-298

Trade marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.

PFM Dental group announces the addition of PFM Dental Legal to its comprehensive range of specialist services for dentists. The new legal services firm, headed by dental sector specialist solicitor, Stephen Knowles, brings the whole sales and purchases process under one roof.

PFM Dental’s Practice Sales director, Martyn Bradshaw, says: “We are delighted to be able to offer in-house legal services to our clients and expect PFM Dental Legal to reduce significantly the time it takes to transact the sale and purchase of a dental practice.”

PFM Dental, one of the leading specialist services providers exclusively for dentists includes practice sales and valuations, Chartered Accountancy, Chartered Financial Planning (such as pensions and wealth management) and now legal services.

Stephen Knowles, who has more than 10 years’ experience in the dental sector, says: “Developing a law firm with one of the UK’s leading practice sales agents is a fantastic opportunity. We expect to work closely with the practice sales team at PFM Dental to ensure transaction times are reduced and clients get great value as well as unmatched technical expertise.”

PFM Dental’s popular, ‘Retirement Planning’ and ‘Buying a Practice seminars' which begin a countrywide tour in Leeds on 18 May, will feature the new legal team in addition to presentations on topics such as practice valuations and Lifetime Allowance pension issues.

For more information about PFM Dental services and to book seminar places go to: http://pfmdental.co.uk

Interview with Dr Milad Shadrooh “The Singing Dentist” featured on the TV show Good Morning Britain after developing methods to encourage children to brush their teeth more effectively. Dr Shadrooh has his own YouTube channel where he posts new songs aimed at young children but which parody contemporay hits with which the kids and their parents are familiar. We asked his opinion of the new Sonicare for Kids Connected – a new sonictoothbrush with features Bluetooth® wireless technology and an interactive app* which are designed to help motivate children to brush more effectively and independently.

• What are the current issues surrounding children’s dental health which need addressing?

The current issues include a lack of awareness of correct brushing habits and lack of awareness of dietary aspects which both lead to tooth decay

• What do parents tell you are their greatest struggles getting their children to brush their teeth?

Actually getting the kids in to the bathroom to do their teeth, and if they do, getting them to clean for long enough and brushing properly.

• How can we encourage kids to brush effectively and for long enough?

We have to try to make brushing fun… as much as it can be! Rewarding kids can be a good way, having a cool toothbrush would help and to ensure they clean for the right amount of time, you could use timers, sing songs, play tunes or use a visual aid which is entertaining for them to watch, whilst helping them adopt the correct brushing techniques. 

• What do you think of Sonicare for Kids Connected?

I like the concept, it ticks a lot of the boxes... it’s a nice and cool sonic brush so I'm sure kids would like it, having an associated app is great as most kids have access to smart phones or tablets and the videos make the brushing experience more fun for them.

• How do you think kids will react to Sparkly the app character?

I think it will be nice for the younger kids, having a catchy name like ‘Sparkly’ helps, as parents can use that to encourage the kids to brush so they "help Sparkly".  This turns the experience of brushing into more of a game or fun-time process as opposed to a chore.  If that can help establish the brushing habit early on, then hopefully that habit will stay with them for their adult life.

• Do you think kids will be excited and motivated by the connectivity and gamification aspects of the new product?

Kids love games and visuals, especially tablets and phones so I think the connectivity is a great idea, anything to get them excited about brushing is a good thing and it's all about getting that habit instilled into them from an early age.

• What do you think parents’ reactions will be to the new brush?

I think parents will like the brush, it looks nice and is bright and is something for the kids to get excited about. Add to that the app side and the connectivity of it and I think parents will see the advantages and the potential for it to excite their kids so that they brush better.  Also, most adults have electric brushes nowadays and our children always want to copy us so having their own special sonic brush has got to improve kids with their brushing compliance. 

• As a dentist why do you think using a sonic toothbrush will be more effective than a manual brush?

I recommend electric brushes because of their ease of use and improved plaque removal when used correctly. I prefer the sonic technology because of the feeling of the brush and the way it leaves the teeth feeling clean and polished. Also, it is much quieter and sleeker to use. Using a manual brush correctly is difficult for those with dexterity issues, whether it is due to age or other factors, so anything that makes that process easier and more effective has to be recommended.

• Would you like your children to use Sonicare for Kids?  What does your daughter think of the product?

My daughter likes the app as she is crazy about anything bubbly and colourful on the smart phone. The app has the feel of the other apps aimed at children's learning so it fits in well. My wife and I both use the Sonicare and my daughter likes to copy us with hers but being only 2 years old, she finds the sonic vibrations a little tickly and she giggles all the way through brushing at the moment, but it has made brushing fun and she sometimes reminds me it’s time to "brush teethies"... Sonicare for Kids is something I will definitely continue to use and recommend to patients.

Dr Milad Shadrooh makes his next appearance on This Morning on Friday 6^th May 2016. His YouTube channel can be found here. 

For more information about Sonicare for Kids Connected please visit www.philips-tsp.co.uk or call 0800 0567 222.

In a recent ‘in practice’ product trial the new NSK iClave mini autoclave was awarded 5 stars by over 90% of users for the speed of its cycle - the iClave mini delivers up to 12 ‘dry’ handpieces in less that 12 minutes! Additionally over 95% of practices awarded the NSK iClave mini 5 stars for build quality and overall size, as it fits in to a space approximately the size of an A4 piece of paper.

Jason Greenwood, BDS The Stafford Dental Practice, comments, “The NSK iClave mini is easy, quick and offers efficiency savings for handpiece processing”.

The NSK iClave mini is the perfect autoclave to keep handpieces in excellent working order as it complies with Europe’s Class S sterilisation standard and sterilises even the invisible parts of handpieces using direct-heating technology. This quick and effcient autoclave is the perfect solution for a busy practice.

For more information on NSK’s care and maintenance range contact Mark Beckwith on 07900 246529, contact NSK on 0800 634 1909 or visit www.myNSKdecontamination.co.uk

www.nsk-uk.com

Facebook – NSK UK LTD

Twitter @NSK_UK

There can be no denying that the face of dentistry is changing. Over the last two years it has been well documented how cosmetic treatments have truly come to the fore – with the public demanding access to procedures such as tooth whitening and dental veneers as standard.

A number of different causal factors have been attributed to this trend, ranging from an increased understanding of available procedures and possibilities, to a more stable economy – some experts even consider the growing ‘selfie culture’ to be responsible for society’s drive for a better smile.

Whatever the reason, dental professionals must be prepared to take advantage of this growing demand. Those who do not take adequate steps to align their services with the demands of the public will ultimately find themselves losing out to those who have.

Of course, the first step is to gain the appropriate qualifications in order to offer such procedures. In the UK there are many exceptional learning programmes that impart the clinical skills necessary to offer the most desirable treatments. However, clinical ability is only one small part of the larger equation. Practitioners must also be aware of the different aspects of the growing cosmetic dentistry market.

For example, professionals must understand that their patients’ desire to improve their smile through elective treatments will always be tempered with their mindfulness of cost. It would be remiss to suggest that cosmetic treatments are inexpensive; by their very nature, along with the time and professional expertise required to perform them predictably and safely, they can be relatively costly.

It is no good to simply lower the cost of treatment, since remuneration for these treatments must be worth the cost of training, equipment and materials, and in many cases, the cost of outsourcing work to laboratories. Nevertheless, practitioners must be mindful that patients who are desperate to achieve a more aesthetic smile for less may resort to unlicensed providers or DIY treatments.

An effective solution to this conundrum would be to offer patients credit.

Those practices that provide patient finance benefit in a number of ways. Firstly, from a business sense, they can increase the uptake of their high-value procedures by making them more accessible to a public that wants them. From an ethical point of view, it enables practitioners to offer a safer option than DIY dentistry. It also becomes a USP for a practice – and can be used to attract more patients and revenue over time. For patients, it enables them to attain the treatments they want in a more affordable way.

Yet offering credit to patients has recently become far more complicated than it has ever been before. Before 2014, the provision of consumer credit licences was governed entirely by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and, by all accounts, the process of acquiring one was simple. However, as a direct result of the credit crunch in 2008, the Government transferred management of consumer credit to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Unlike the OFT, the FCA requires detailed reports on a quarterly and annual basis as well as numerous fees and duties which equate to a significant amount of management and expense simply to maintain compliance. Many practitioners simply do not have the time to do this – after all, their primary remit is the safe and effective provision of dental treatment: not fiddling around with bureaucratic applications and reports.

As such, a plethora of different companies have emerged offering to manage FCA authorisations on behalf of a practice. For a fee, these services will ensure a practice remains FCA compliant and will support customers with all the necessary reporting and maintenance. However, while this type of service can certainly help practitioners cope with the administrative burden of an FCA authorisation it still represents a significant monetary investment that could potentially negate the financial benefits of offering credit in the first place.  

Chrysalis Finance offers an alternative solution, however. Rather than directly managing a practice’s own authorisation, it allows practices to become an Appointed Representative – essentially enabling it to offer credit without being directly authorised. All regulatory matters and FCA reporting are dealt with by the expert team at Chrysalis Dental, in exchange for a nominal monthly fee. What’s more, the team will be on hand to offer marketing advice and promotional material to ensure that patients are fully aware of the available finance options. 

To meet the demand of modern dentistry, practices need to be able to offer their patients more options. Extending credit for high-value procedures is an effective way of increasing uptake and building a positive reputation for your service. Do so easily and securely as an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance.

For more information about Chrysalis Finance call us on 0333 32 32 230 or visit www.chrysalisfinance.com

When patients hear the news that they need dentures, everything else you tell them is often unheard.¹ At least 32% of patients don’t know what questions to ask their dentist when getting their new denture fitted.²*

To help support your patients on their denture journey, we have created the Poligrip® Partner Programme in conjunction with dental professionals.

Ask your GSK representative today for further information on the Poligrip® range and Partner Programme.

The Poligrip® range

The Poligrip® range includes:

-          Poligrip® Overnight Whitening Daily Cleanser

-          Poligrip® 3 Minute Daily Cleanser

-          Poligrip® Ultra Fixative Cream

-          Poligrip® Flavour Free Fixative Cream

Recommend the Poligrip® range to help your patients with dentures eat, speak and smile with confidence.

For additional support GSK have developed a distance learner module on the topic of “Caring for Patients with Dentures”. The module has been designed to provide you with an insight into the patient experience of dentures as well as supporting you when providing practical advice.

For further information on the Poligrip® range and to complete the distance learner module visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk. What’s more, completion of the module can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD!

Trade Marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies

References:

1. Kessels RPC. J R Soc Med 2003;96:219-222
2. Data on file, GSK. RH02678, December 2014

*Based on a survey of 1748 denture wearers in four countries

CHGBI/CHPOLG/0017/16

This year the GSK Consumer Healthcare team will be visiting the BDA conference to showcase Sensodyne® and Pronamel®.

New Sensodyne® Repair & Protect – now with stronger repair⁺, offers sensitivity sufferers the benefit of both advanced NovaMin® technology with sodium fluoride in a single formulation. The immediate availability of sodium fluoride when brushing allows for greater* fluoride uptake into the hydroxyapatite-like layer formed by NovaMin®, over exposed dentine.¹ 

Pronamel® toothpaste has an optimised fluoride formulation to help minerals penetrate deep into the tooth surface, actively strengthening and re-hardening acid-weakened enamel.^2-5 Pronamel® toothpaste delivers more fluoride deeper into enamel than other fluoride toothpaste² helping to protect patients enamel from the effects of erosive tooth wear.

Visit stand B03 to try Sensodyne® Repair & Protect and Pronamel® toothpaste for yourself in our tasting station. The stand will also feature an interactive lecture revealing the truth about patients with dentine hypersensitivity and erosive tooth wear.

GSK are pleased to be sponsoring two presentations at BDA

“Burden of Oral Diseases in Ageing Populations and links with General Health” - Georgios Tsakos

Thursday 26^th May, 14:30 – 15:30

The presentation will review the epidemiological evidence on the burden of older adults and highlight the issues around the impact on quality of life.

“How to Manage and Prevent Patient Tooth Wear Caused by Dietary Acids” – Rupert Austin

Friday 27^th May, 11:45 – 12:45

The presentation will cover the clinical signs and symptoms of erosive tooth wear and dentine hypersensitivity as well as revealing the latest science on prevention and diagnosis of tooth wear and hypersensitivity.

Reference: 1. GSK Data on File, 142234. 2. Edwards MI et al. Correlation of Enamel Surface Rehardening and Fluoride Uptake – DSIMS imaging. Presented at IADR, September 2006. 3. Fowler C et al. J Clin Dent. 2006; 17(4): 100-105. 4. Hara AT et al. Caries Res 2009; 43: 57-63. 5. Barlow AP et al. J Clin Dent. 2009; 20(6): 192-198.

⁺Vs. previous formulation. Forms a protective layer over the sensitive areas of the teeth. Brush twice a day for lasting sensitivity protection.

*Compared to previous formula with sodium monofluorophosphate

Trade Marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.

CHGBI/CHSENO/0048/16b

The 4 venues for Talking Points in Dentistry 2016 are booking up fast so make sure you reserve your free place now!

Open to all members of the practice team, Talking Points in Dentistry takes place in 4 venues across the UK during May. Attending this event can contribute up to 2.5 hours of verifiable CPD and you will be awarded a certificate following the lecture.

Book now – visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk

This year there will be 2 lecture sessions, delivered by industry experts, with content tailored for specific practice roles.

For dentists, hygienists and therapists – “The personal and social impact of dentine hypersensitivity”.

For dental nurses, practice managers and other team members – “Dealing with nervous patients”

Places are allocated on a first come first served basis so make sure you book up now! Visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk

Dentistry show saw the launch of Euro Dental Depot with great success. (www.EuroDentalDepot.eu) Euro Dental Depot is a new concept in supply and communication within the UK Dental market.

It is a “members only” Ecommerce company supported by numerous Dental manufacturing companies and their product lines. The traditional method of realising a profit has been turned on its head allowing reduced pricing of products available on the site. The website also has a platform whereby members can communicate with colleagues, share clinical experiences, review courses, promote courses, share material experiences or even post job vacancies you have available. Registration is free using your GDC number and members must be registered to have access to the benefits the site has to offer.

The Dentistry show was used as a platform to register members. The stock of products along with details of participating companies will be introduced to the site when material stocks arrive in the UK early May, to ensure prompt delivery.

The Euro Dental Depot ecommerce company is also shortly launching into a further five European countries. So support Euro Dental Depot and join the site today.

www.EuroDentalDepot.eu

This year Patient Plan Direct (PPD) is exhibiting for the first time at the Dentistry Show. Now working with over 300 practices across the UK, PPD business development manager  – Janice Charlton, outlines 3 reasons why you should visit stand B75 and the PPD team if you’re attending the Show at the NEC this Friday 22^nd or Saturday 23^rd April.

Janice explains: “Whether your practice already offers a dental plan via another plan provider, or you’re considering how you can create less reliance on the NHS and take steps to plan ahead of changes in the future, or you simply want to explore launching a dental plan to offer patients greater choice and nurture patient loyalty, PPD can help.

“Just take a look at how other practices have benefited from taking advantage of our efficient, low cost approach to helping your practice run, develop and grow a practice-branded dental plan thanks to our admin fee of just £1 per patient per month.”

Reason 1: Consider transferring from another plan provider: Read how High Street Dental significantly cut their plan administration fees and saved thousands in costs, spending savings to further develop their practice CLICK HERE

Reason 2: Consider creating less reliance on the NHS: Read how and why Causeway Dental Practice have successful created less reliance on the NHS and grown private revenue streams in working with PPD CLICK HERE

Reason 3: Consider launching a plan for the first time: Read why Holly Dental felt it was essential to introduce a private dental plan and why they opted to work with PPD  CLICK HERE

If you’re not going to the show, but you would like to discover how PPD can help your practice please contact us to arrange an exploratory meeting at your practice:

Call: 08448486888

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Web: www.patientplandirect.co.uk

American Express and Henry Schein Dental will be co-hosts of the Business Lounge at The Dentistry Show 2016.

Access to the Shows’ Business Lounge is complimentary for all VIP delegates and is one of the benefits of the full VIP experience which includes fast tracked entry to the event, a free lunch and front row seats in the Aesthetic Dentist Theatre, for qualifying delegates.

From rewarding business spending through the Membership Rewards programme, to assisting with cash flow management, American Express representatives will be inviting delegates to find out how the American Express Gold Business Card for Henry Schein customers can assist their business.

The highly experienced team from Henry Schein Dental will also be on hand to demonstrate the wide variety of industry-leading products and technologies designed to help your practice thrive.

To make the most of all the learning opportunities, world-class speakers and cutting-edge innovations available at The Dentistry Show, and to do so in style, find out more about the VIP experience and Business Lounge today!

For more details about the exclusive welcome offer for Henry Schein customers please visit americanexpress.co.uk/henryschein.

The Dentistry Show and DTS 2016 – Friday 22^nd and Saturday 23^rd April –

NEC in Birmingham.

For further details visit www.thedentistryshow.co.uk call 020 7348 5270 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Kerr team is delighted to be exhibiting at this year’s Dentistry Show and excited to be launching Maxcem Elite Chroma resin cement into the UK market.

Maxcem Elite Chroma is the first self-etch/self-adhesive resin cement offering a colour clean-up indicator, dispensing as a pink colour before fading at the gel state, letting clinicians know the optimal time to clean up any excess.

In celebration of this unique characteristic, we are inviting visitors to the stand to take the Maxcem Elite Chroma challenge. Participants will be asked to try Maxcem Elite Chroma; when it is time to clean up they will be able to reach their own conclusions regarding how easy it is to remove the excess from each cemented tooth.  

Other features and benefits of Maxcem Elite Chroma include:

• Dual-cure

• Enhanced bond strength

• Radiopacity

• Dual-barrel automix delivery system

• One-Peel™ clean-up

• Easy storage without refrigeration

• Compatibility with all indirect restorations.

Also on show will be other standard-setting products that make up Kerr’s rich portfolio, including the sonically activated bulk-fill SonicFill 2 system, the elementsfree obturation system, and the TF Adaptive file system with Adaptive Motion.

For further details on the products available from Kerr Restoratives, Endodontics and Prevention, please visit stand G10. 

Providing an educational pathway that guides GDPs through a recommended sequence of courses but also affords flexibility with multiple entry points for dentists with prior educational and clinical experience. IAS Academy is pleased to announce the next course dates.

IAS Inman Aligner Hands-on Course:

• Birmingham – 3^rd June 2016
• Belfast – 4^th June 2016
• Manchester – 22^nd July 2016
• London – 23^rd September 2016
• London – 18^th November 2016

IAS Clear Aligner Hands-on Course:

• London – 20^th May 2016
• London – 19^th August 2016

IAS Fixed Introductory Hands-On Course:

• London – 17^th-18^th June 2016
• London – 11^th-12^th November 2016

IAS Fixed Conversion Course:

• Manchester – 24^th June 2016
• London – 4^th November 2016

IAS Photography Hands-on Course:

• London – 24^th September 2016

IAS Advanced Ortho-Restorative Course:

• London – 15^th July 2016

IAS Advanced Programme:

• London – November 2016 – November 2017

Overseen by Clinical Director Professor Ross Hobson and taught by globally renowned dental professionals, IAS trainers share their extensive knowledge and expertise.

All training and follow-up support is designed to ensure professionals develop the competency and confidence to deliver safe and effective treatment to a wide range of patients.

To discover how IAS Academy could help you grow your practice, book your place on one of the above courses or for more information, contact the team today.

For more information on upcoming IAS Academy training courses,

please visit www.iasortho.com or call 0845 366 5477

Denplan has announced that it will be rolling out its new hygiene payment plan nationwide from today. This follows a successful trial that has been running in Scotland since January 2015. Hygiene Plan is a simple non-insurance based payment plan that can be used in mixed, private or NHS practices. Denplan’s Hygiene Plan will support dental practices that would like to increase their income from private hygiene treatment. It’s also an easy way for patients to spread the cost of their dental hygiene treatments with a hygienist at a practice.

Chris Mackenzie, customer and product strategy manager at Denplan commented: “By using hygiene plan, practices can eliminate unwanted white space from the diary, generate additional income and fully utilise experienced hygienists, therapists and treatment co-ordinators to create and deliver hygiene programmes for patients.

“Hygiene Plan will help patients enjoy that ‘just cleaned’ feeling without having to worry about the cost, and includes the provision of preventive dental advice.  Practices can enjoy the benefit of a more regular private hygiene income with patients that are likely to attend more regularly*.”

The plan is priced for practices with a patient administration fee of £1 per patient per month and can be used to:

·         Attract new patients to a practice with an attractively priced entry level plan

·         Provide NHS patients with additional hygiene treatment at their request when not currently available on the NHS

·         Provide patients who would like additional hygiene treatments with a cost effective programme to improve the appearance of their teeth and smile

·         Support patients undergoing periodontal treatment

·         Provide patients with a full hygiene maintenance programme following implant therapy

·         Create a regular oral cancer screening programme in practice, which could be further supported with Oral Health Advice and underpinned with an evidence-based risk screening using a DEPPA assessment (Denplan PreViser Patient Assessment tool)

·         Support patients who are trying to give up smoking to improve their oral health. In fact BDA research in 2015 showed private practices are supporting more smoking cessation activities than their NHS colleagues. This is in part due to private practices being able to budget time, staff training and meet the significant expected demand practices think they will face**

Denplan has also set up a dedicated customer service telephone number for Hygiene Plan patients.

Further information about Hygiene Plan is available at www.denplan.co.uk/dentists/hygiene

Sources:

* Payment plan patients are the most likely to visit their dentist at least every six months (92%) compared to

private patients who pay as they go (50%). Source: Denplan/YouGov Survey, January 2016. Online survey

of 5,152 UK adults. All respondents who are regular attenders that pay privately, who have a dental payment

plan or pay fee per-item: 822.

** https://www.bda.org/dentists/education/sgh/Documents/Smoking%20cessation%20in%20NHS%20

dentistry%20V2.pdf

About Denplan

Denplan Limited is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist owned by Simplyhealth; with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 2 million customers. Established in 1986 by two dentists who pioneered the concept of dental payment plans, Denplan has been at the heart of dental care for nearly 30 years. Today, Denplan has a wide range of dental plans for adults and children, enabling patients to spread the cost of their private dental care through a fixed monthly fee. Denplan supports regular attendance and preventive care, reducing the need for clinical intervention and helping patients to maintain healthy teeth and gums for life. Patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402   Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 328 3223

www.denplan.co.uk

·         Denplan Care: all routine and restorative care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Denplan Essentials: routine care only + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Plans for Children: routine and other agreed care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Membership Plan: registered with the dentist + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Denplan Emergency: worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover only

·         Corporate Dental Plans: company funded, voluntary and flexible benefit schemes

Denplan also provides a range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme, Denplan Excel Certification Programme and Denplan Training.  Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.

For more information about Denplan:

Rebecca Hutton

Denplan Press Office

Tel: 01962 829 179

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Follow us @denplandentists on Twitter and at linkedin.com/company/denplan-for-dentists

Technology continues to evolve bringing new challenges and opportunities to dental practices. The role of the practice manager in particular has changed considerably, and now requires candidates with increasing knowledge of IT systems[i].

Taking on younger candidates can be an ideal way to meet the changing demands of the job and usher in the sort of diversity that is required. Many companies welcome young employees, while others tend to avoid them, opting for more mature and experienced individuals[ii]. However, while there are advantages and disadvantages of recruiting from either age group, the changes dental practices are and will continue to face favours the younger generation who are more readily able to understand and apply technology into business.

Good dental practices operate on a hierarchical system with patients’ interests and the dentist at the top and other members of the team supporting them to enable the practice to run to its optimum capacity¹. The manager has to help deliver the most efficient service possible and contributes significantly to the smooth running of the business. With the increase in laws and regulations in recent years, there has also been a huge rise in administrative work, which the modern day practice manager must complete in a timely manner, along with their other duties. Implementing new IT systems and advanced technology can reduce time spent on mundane tasks, allowing the manager more time to provide support and direction to the team.

Having young employees can bring in fresh perspectives, providing new ideas and solutions to enhance workflow and meet the changing demands. They are often more adaptable, have an abundance of energy and a natural thirst for knowledge, which can inspire colleagues around them and invigorate the workplace. Hiring a young person can also give practices the opportunity to have a greater influence in the kind of employee they become².

Youngsters can provide an inexpensive way to grow the workforce, particularly when taking on an apprentice. In recent years there have been significant improvements made to the UK’s vocational education and training systems, as well as an increase in government funding for apprenticeships, especially in England[iii].

Through well-developed pathways, apprentices can learn the skills in the workforce that go beyond general employability. The schemes allow individuals to gain essential experience in the workplace by learning from real professionals and thus acquiring industry-specific knowledge. Senior staff will be able to work with the new recruit to encourage common values and good ethics from the outset, giving them a chance to truly understand the practice. Having learnt from current team members, the practice manager will be more able to deliver a high performance in line with the practice’s strategy, goals and values³.

Currently, practices can benefit from offering individuals the Apprenticeship in Dental Practice Management. Barnet and Southgate College is a lead provider of the scheme and offers intake for the programme periodically throughout the year, with the next start dates on: 4^th May, 6^th July and 14^th September 2016 with other dates to follow. Find out more today about this exciting scheme and start building your business for tomorrow.

For more information on the Apprenticeship in Dental Practice Management, please contact Barnet and Southgate College:
www.barnetsouthgate.ac.uk

0203 764 4333
employer@barnetsouthgate.ac.uk

www.facebook.com/barnetsouthgate

twitter @barnetsouthgate

Dental teams should screen for diabetes and offer dietary advice in the global battle to control the onslaught of the disease.

World Health Day is on Thursday (7 April) and this year’s campaign focuses on the growing epidemic of the disease, looking at the causes, the costs and the need for prevention.

Some 350 million people around the world have diabetes and this figure is set to more than double in the next 20 years.

In a bid to halt the rise in cases of type 2 diabetes, in particular, Amanda Gallie, president–elect of the British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT), is suggesting dental practices could – and, therefore, should – expand their health remit to include blood glucose testing, diet and wellbeing advice and motivating patients to better health habits, thereby minimising the risk of diabetes.

She said: ‘Preventive health care lies at the very heart of the role of the dental profession and, in primary care, we are better placed than most health providers to alert patients to the early signs of health-threatening behaviours as we see patients so regularly.

‘Offering in-practice screening for diabetes, in the form of blood glucose testing, not only adds value to the patient’s dental experience but also acts as a key marker regarding risk for pre-diabetics and can be a catalyst to discussions about the importance of good dental hygiene and other preventive measures.

‘When we consider the current financial restraints within the NHS – and the seemingly unstoppable increase in chronic conditions such as diabetes – the role of dentistry has never been so important in an overall health care. The government should consider funding these diabetes tests as an investment in the future health of a nation because, with regular screening, and education about preventive measures we can draw attention to this disease and keep the associated health risks at bay.’

Fiona Sandom, president of the BADT added: ‘Effective health promotion and prevention of oral disease, including supporting general health improvement activities around diet and nutrition, are key parts of what dental therapists do. Day in day out, they deliver oral health care that's evidence based while offering education about the risks of poor diet, and the dangers of smoking and excessive alcohol intake to patients, for example. As many of our members work closely with the public on a daily basis, they are in an excellent position to talk to people about their wellbeing and help them make healthy choices.’

This year, Philip Preshaw, professor of Periodontology and consultant in restorative dentistry at Newcastle University, is the keynote speaker at the BADT’s annual conference – From Cradle to Grey: Developing 21st century strategies for age-related oral care – taking place in Manchester on 23 and 24 September.

He will be addressing the clinical challenges presented by diabetic patients, will look at how the disease increases the risk for periodontitis and will offer an insight into the links between periodontal disease, diabetes and heart disease.

For more information, visit www.badt.org.uk

For more on World Heath Day, visit http://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2016/en/

For more information, visit www.badt.org.uk or contact Julie Bissett on 079 39 89 09 72 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

When it comes to selling a dental practice, no two sales are the same. From variations in goodwill to due diligence to the type of contract in place, each process is unique. The latter in particular can have a huge impact on the overall transaction, especially NHS practices with an orthodontic contract.

There is no doubt that NHS practices are highly sought after and they typically command higher prices than private practices. However, since the implementation of the dental contract reforms in 2013 – in place of the original 2006 framework – the process of selling a practice with an NHS orthodontic contract has become much harder. It is important to note that if you hold an NHS orthodontic contract, you most likely have a PDS agreement – and it is this not so small detail that will affect the way in which your practice is sold.

From PCT to LAT

The difficulty stems from the fact that unlike GDS contracts, a PDS agreement cannot be shared through partnership. When contracts were under management by PCTs the transfer was sometimes viable, as although there was provision for this within the drafting of the PDS agreement, most turned a blind eye to the absence of the relevant clauses, or simply didn’t know the difference! So what’s the alternative? Essentially, there are two possible pathways; you can either sell the assets or incorporate to sell the shares.

Gain Consent From NHS

The first way an orthodontic practice can be sold is though the sale of assets accompanied by a direct transfer of the contract between the seller and the buyer. However, this can only be achieved with permission from the LATs, which requires long and laborious negotiations. It is important to note that as the NHS is under no obligation to accept a proposal to transfer a contract, this is not a guaranteed route. In fact, this is incredibly rare as most are petrified of being challenged under the EU Procurement Regulations.

Incorporation

The other option is to incorporate the dental practice into a limited company structure, which means transferring the company’s assets as well as the contract to the limited company. By selling the shares to a buyer, the transfer can then be completed. Although incorporation is certainly a viable option for practices with an orthodontic contact, it is not one that comes without difficulty. Once an initial request has been made an LAT will consider each application individually based on its merits and key criteria. Only an approved application will progress to the next stage of being issued with a new PDS contract in the name of the limited company. As it stands NHS England Policy allows LATs to approve these requests but there are still local politics to deal with, and many try and refuse such applications. They can demand a benefit for the application, with the focus typically placed on how the incorporation will benefit the LAT itself rather than the practice. You guessed it – a price per Unit reduction! Thus, it would be prudent to accept that certain compromises may need to be made in order to incorporate, and later sell, a practice.

Lastly, it is important to note that if a PDS contract is permitted to become a limited company and a practice decides to sell, the LAT must give approval and produce what is known as a Deed of Novation. This is an agreement that transfers one party’s rights and obligations under a contract or agreement to a new third party. But what does this entail? The first section of the document that sellers should be aware of, is that the LAT will require a personal guarantee from the contractor that the contract will meet requirements and perform to the expected standard. Similarly, this is also a lifetime financial guarantee against under-performance – a guarantee that cannot necessarily be swapped to a purchaser at a later stage.

However, because of the way the Deed of Novation is designed, the LAT is not obliged to agree with the sale. Due to the change of control clause, any transference of share holdings of 10% or more must be approved by the LAT. While there would need to be a valid reason for the refusal, it’s an aspect of the process that is important to be aware of, as challenging the refusal is very difficult.

All in all, selling a PDS orthodontic contract is not a straightforward process – but it is not impossible. Seeking the advice of a trusted and experienced agency in this situation, such as Dental Elite, is therefore imperative, and will ensure that you follow the procedure to the letter.

For more information on Dental Elite visit www.dentalelite.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01788 545 900

Finding people with the right skills can be a common barrier for business stability and growth, but with the new Advanced Apprenticeship programmes you can select individuals from the local area and ‘grow your own talent’ in house.

The recently approved Apprenticeship in Dental Nursing has been designed by leading employers within the dental sector to train individuals in the specific skills that they need in order to prosper. The programme is delivered by Healthcare Learning, a leading supplier of dental education, in partnership with Barnet and Southgate College, which has successfully provided first class apprenticeship courses for many years.

Apprentices are trained using a combination of practical work-based learning and theoretical knowledge. The main part of the programme is the Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing which is equivalent to two A levels. With on-going support from the provider, candidates are required to complete 15 mandatory units via paperless portfolio. This is delivered through high quality live webinars, interactive eLearning and online assessments from Healthcare Learning. This format means that delegates are able to gain the knowledge and understanding they need to perform their duties competently from any location within the UK.

Apprentices are required to attend just three to four classroom-based workshops over the 18-month course and on-going assessments take place in the workplace.

A clear advantage of apprenticeship programmes is that it allows practices to train capable dental nurses at the practice with very little disruption to business operations. Candidates learn in the work environment, developing the practical skills, experience and understanding they need to excel in their role. In addition, training your team through the new apprenticeship programmes is not expensive. The government has pledged to really drive apprenticeships forward over the next few years and currently candidates pay no fees and funding initiatives have been created to make the schemes both attractive and economical for employers.

The advantages for apprentices are numerous. Candidates have the opportunity to earn a salary and receive on the job training, gain a nationally recognised and industry standard qualification while learning the specific skills they need to succeed in their chosen career, all within their local area. Throughout the apprenticeship programme candidates will benefit from the support and encouragement of their employer and practice colleagues. They will also be assigned a course mentor and have access to comprehensive training support such as the Dental Nurse Education Zone (DNEZ) provided by Healthcare Learning, offering them additional help and resources needed to complete their studies and maintain their skills effectively. Upon completion, apprentices are able to register with the GDC and begin a professional career in dentistry and it also provides a means to progress and take further training in the future.

Apprenticeship programmes offer a fantastic opportunity for you to attract the best entry-level recruits directly from the local community. They also allow practices to build links to local schools and colleges and to the pool of skills needed to drive your business successfully into the future.

The Apprenticeship in Dental Nursing programme is delivered by Healthcare Learning and Barnet and Southgate College in London with start dates in early 2016 and periodically throughout the year.

For more information or applications contact Healthcare Learning

 Tel: 020 7400 8989

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Contact Barnet and Southgate College at:

www.barnetsouthgate.ac.uk

020 8266 4000

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.facebook.com/barnetsouthgate

twitter @barnetsouthgate

Millions of adults in the UK suffer from dental anxiety.[1] Manifesting in a number of different ways – from the fear of needles to the fear of the sound of the dental drill – dental anxiety is probably the main reason people forgo their regular check-ups.

Whatever the underlying reason, the implications of dental anxiety can be serious. If unchecked, it can lead to people avoiding treatment altogether which, as we all know, can have an incredibly detrimental effect not just on an individual’s oral health, but also their overall wellbeing.  

It also prompts some people into trying ‘DIY dentistry’[2] – from using cheap kits purchased from the internet to more drastic (and ultimately dangerous) methods like using superglue to reattach teeth[3] or using bow and arrows to extract them.[4]

That people feel the need to take such measures indicates the challenges faced by the profession and highlights just how important it is for dental practitioners to find better ways to overcome patients’ fears.

And there are many techniques that can be employed to this end. Perhaps the most recognised, and widely enacted, is the way in which the practice staff interact with their patients. This is particularly important at all stages of treatment, from first entering the practice and being welcomed by kind, approachable and attentive reception staff, to the actual treatment with a practitioner who is considerate, calm and receptive. Interpersonal skills are crucial when dealing with anxious or scared patients and getting to know them, striking up a friendly rapport and listening to their concerns will all help to put them at ease.

Physical environment also plays a major role in assuaging patients’ fears. Designing a dental practice to appear welcoming rather than clinical can immediately change the way in which a fearful patient assesses their treatment. By taking inspiration from spas and hotels, rather than hospitals or laboratories, dental practices can become areas of relaxation rather than sterile fear. This method is entirely viable and can be achieved relatively easily, while maintaining essential cross-contamination protocols.

Investing in high quality equipment can also be an incredibly effective approach. For example, dental chairs are increasingly being designed to offer exceptional comfort for patients. This can truly encourage them to relax – and, in conjunction with relaxing music, distracting screens and noise-cancelling technology, can produce significant results. What’s more, modern chairs can be adjusted smoothly, without any jerky movements or mechanical noise, which allows any work to be conducted calmly and comfortably.

Similarly, a flexible delivery system that can be manoeuvred behind a patient’s head will remove from view any instruments that might cause fear, while still allowing the practitioner to access what they need with ease.

A-dec is renowned for designing dental units that offer practical, reliable solutions to everyday issues. The range of chairs and delivery systems, such as the A-dec 500, offer unparalleled ergonomics for both practitioner and patient, and can transform the look and feel of your surgery.

For more information about A-Dec Dental UK Ltd, visit

www.a-dec.co.uk or call on 024 7635 0901

Last year it was reported that the UK has the most expensive dentists in Europe. While the NHS does provide funding for some treatments, it remains the case that many procedures are not supported by the health services – particularly treatments of a cosmetic nature, such as teeth whitening and veneers, which are in high demand at the moment.

It is because of this that dental tourism has seen an increase amongst patients in the UK. Indeed, rather than paying the price of treatment in this country, more and more people are travelling to clinics in Hungary, Poland, Turkey or even India and Thailand to take advantage of the relatively low-cost dentistry they can find there.

In many cases, the quality of treatment patients will receive on their trips abroad will be of a good standard. Indeed, within the EU, there have been efforts made by the Association for Dental Education in Europe to harmonise the standards of dentistry within the Union’s borders. 

Yet on the other hand, there are many examples of patients travelling abroad only to receive treatment that is, at best, second rate and, at the very worst, dangerous. This is particularly true beyond the borders of Europe, where it is hard to control and standardise quality on dental services.

Indeed, one of the main issues for dental tourists is the relative lack of legal protection they have for their overseas treatments. If something should go wrong, there is very little recourse that can be taken to rectify the problem. Indeed, it is often the case that a patient who returns to the UK with questionable foreign dentistry will have no other option but to pay for retreatment in a UK practice. Needless to say, this will incur even greater costs but, more importantly, it could have a longstanding impact on their oral health.

There is also the question of reliable – and safe – equipment. Within the EU, the CE classification is necessary on all equipment and materials, showing that the product is of a certain standard. Beyond the borders of Europe, these sanctions are non-existent, and a patient may be at higher risk of being treated with counterfeit or substandard appliances. Again, if something should happen to a patient on account of faulty or inferior equipment they will be entitled to very little legal protection once they have returned home.

It is therefore very important for UK-based dental professionals to provide options for patients to encourage them to remain in the country for treatment.

One effective solution is to offer patients finance options for treatments. In this way, patients will be able to afford the procedures they want most – eliminating the need to travel abroad instead. Not only does this benefit individual practices – since the uptake of higher-end treatments will inevitably raise a practice’s bottom line – it will also have positive ramifications on the UK dental profession as a whole. What’s more, it will mean patients in this country will be able to access safe, predictable treatment for which they are adequately protected.

However, since the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) took over the management of consumer credit, it has become more complicated to offer these options to patients. This is mainly due to the amount of administration that is required of a dentist – including quarterly and annual reporting – as well as regular fees and penalties should anything be forgotten.

As such, many companies are now offering dental practitioners the option to hand over the management of FCA authorisation to a third party. This liberates a dentist from the time-consuming responsibilities of handling a consumer credit authorisation, but does represent a high cost that must be mitigated by patient uptake to be viable.

Chrysalis Finance, however, offers a third option. Due to its unique contract, Chrysalis Finance can provide dentists with the UK’s only licence-free consumer credit options. By being able to make practices Appointed Representatives of the company, Chrysalis can assume complete responsibility of the FCA authorisation – leaving dentists to concentrate solely on providing affordable, high quality dentistry. What’s more, the Chrysalis Finance team also provides participating practices with an easy-to-use dashboard, which allows the application and approval of finance to be made from the surgery.

Make sure your patients are travelling abroad to find the treatments they want. Support them, the UK dental profession and your independent business by offering easier finance options with Chrysalis Finance. 

For more information about Chrysalis Finance call us on 0333 32 32 230 or visit www.chrysalisfinance.com

Martin Gilbert author

Martin Gilbert is the Director of Chrysalis Finance. Having qualified as a chartered accountant in 1978, he has since worked as a Financial Director in a wide range of different successful businesses, many of which have been involved in the provision of consumer credit. With over 30 years’ experience of the finance market, his understanding and expertise is second-to-none.  

“Whilst at a seminar on ‘selling your practice’, I met Luke Moore, a representative of Dental Elite” says Dr John Campbell who has recently sold two of his practices. 

“The valuation was organised promptly, we had a fantastic response and we received the full asking price.

“Despite the fact that a deferred consideration was involved pursuant upon contract extensions, Luke’s confident and professional approach eased the process; to date the deferred considerations have been met with no issues.”

Naturally, when it came to selling his second practice, Dr Campbell felt that there was really only “one choice of broker.”

“Full asking price was once again achieved and this time without a deferred consideration, despite only one year remaining of the contract!” John adds. “I think that this is testament to Dental Elite’s accurate understanding of the dental market.

“I would whole heartedly endorse Luke and Dental Elite for their thoroughly professional and supportive approach to selling a dental practice. Selling can be a very stressful event but Dental Elite certainly eased the process! I would without hesitation, recommend Luke and his company to any colleague, and indeed have already done so.”

For more information and to find out how Dental Elite can value
and assist your practice sale visit www.dentalelite.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01788 545 900

The Nobel Biocare Global Symposium is a must-attend event for all professionals looking to take their implant dentistry to the next level.

The exciting four-day programme will be delivered by more than 150 industry experts from around the world, presenting a dynamic combination of podium lectures, interactive forums, masterclasses and hands-on workshops. Headline speakers will include:

• Oded Bahat
• Edmond Bedrossian
• Markus Blatz
• Wolfgang Boltz
• Steve Bongard
• Chee Chang
• Renato Cocconi

A vast selection of topics will be explored from immediate loading protocols to soft tissue management, materials and techniques for bone regeneration, screw-retained restorations and much, much more.

Key Nobel Biocare innovations designed to enhance your practice and help you grow your business will be discussed as well, including NobelClinician™, the All-on-4® treatment concept and the NobelActive® Wide Platform implant.

In addition to the outstanding educational programme, the Nobel Biocare Global Symposium will also offer fantastic social and networking opportunities, giving professionals from all corners of the globe the chance to meet and learn from those at the very forefront of the field.

To find out more or to register, visit the website today.

For more information, contact Nobel Biocare on 0208 756 3300, or visit www.nobelbiocare.com