This year’s Essex Dentist Ball will be held on 28^th June in the stunning location of Hylands House, arranged by Pure Orthodontics of Chelmsford in partnership with the BDA Benevolent Fund. The prestigious black tie evening will provide entertainment all night with a raffle and auction, while raising money for a fantastic cause.

All funds from the event will be donated to the BDA Benevolent Fund, enabling the charity to continue its invaluable work with dentists in times of need.

The Fund provides financial support, with one-off and monthly grants to help pay living expenses to dentists and their families.  Whether professionals have fallen on hard times due to bereavement, illness or other unforeseeable events, the Benevolent Fund is there to offer hope when there’s no one else to turn to.

To get involved and show your support for the BDA Benevolent Fund and colleagues in need, book you place at the Essex Dentist Ball 2014 today.

For more information about the BDA Benevolent Fund
call 020 7486 4994, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 or visit www.bdabenevolentfund.org.uk

All enquiries are considered in confidence.

Registered charity no. 208146

Following on from the success of last year’s incredible fundraising event, Straumann UK are proud to announce the second intercontinental Straumann Charity Bike Ride.

Commencing on Tuesday 2nd September from Milan, Italy the ride will finish at Straumann Headquarters in Basel, Switzerland on Saturday 6th September. Headed by Managing Director, Stephen Booth and consisting of several members of the Straumann UK team, alongside some very loyal customers, the group will be taking in the cultural sights of Austria, Liechtenstein and Germany during the 5-day journey.

With the Charity Bike Ride including one of the most iconic routes through the Stelvio Pass - 2757m (9045 feet), our dedicated cyclists will be travelling on the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, which is a definitive test of mental and physical strength and endurance!

The goal is for each person taking part to raise a minimum of £1000 in sponsorship money and Straumann are ultimately aiming to raise over £30,000 for the chosen charities, Bridge2Aid and the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA).

For more information or to give a donation visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/teamstraumann14

Welcome back from the long weekend, now just a few weeks to run and you can all zip off to the sun again  

Monday  was perhaps the new Independence Day, as the Euro results poured in. I worry that this word 'Independence' is being politically hijacked

So:   Are you independent of mind and decision? Really?  Truly?

The EU elections this weekend have thrown three major GDPUK topics into a shaft of light.

Those of you who gaze from a distance at the sheer energy of some of our more vocal members will have notice three threads of great length. One touching on that supposedly untouchable subject, matters of belief and faith, while another has been exploring the issue of the Scottish vote on Independence due to take place later this year. 

Combined with the now famous histrionics of the orthodontic thread, you would be forgiven for having pressed the ‘snooze’ button.

So wake up at the back.   I want you to answer a question for yourself.  What does being independent mean to you?

Mr Farage is celebrating scoring some points in what is normally a three horse race, by arguing for the UK’s independence, and arguing against the £12Bn net spend to the EU every year.

As dentists, we pride ourselves on being independent – in practice, in thought and in action.

Ask 10 dentists a question to which the answer is Yes or No and you will get 20 different answers.

But are we independent? Really? Truly?  Where is the fine line between that and bloody mindedness?

If you practice under Government funding in any of the 4 parts of the UK, do you really feel independent? Or are you reluctantly beholden to how someone else wants you to help and practice dentistry for your patients against your better instinct??

If you are in private practice, are you one of those for whom the next big case is always the one to clear the overdraft?  Therefore you are always on the lookout for some poor soul to benefit from your great skills? Or perhaps you feel you cannot practice good dentistry because of a limited private capitation funding stream not of your making?

We even have this long abused concept of Independent Practice, as though “Private Practice” could be rude and insulting perhaps?  Will the BDA rinse that off for the next batch of unknown NHS England contract changes, I wonder?

Perhaps independence of thought and action is actually impossible without feeling pressurised or being selfish.

Cooperation over independence?

What dentists are masters at is cooperative action.  We run or work within highly efficient micro businesses and at a moments notice we can adapt and cooperate with whomsoever requires our skills and time.  The CQC roll into town – we change and adapt.  A patient arrives – we change and adapt.  New staff requirements develop - we change and adapt.

Long may this be the case because with EU and Scotland and a General Election, the next 18 months are going to be interesting.

That old French phrase has come to life.  Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Strangely while everything around you seems to be up in the air, it takes a very strong sense of independent spirit to simply wind the windows shut and focus on your patient needs with one hand while with the other you change and adapt

So that’s why four-handed dentists have developed !!

May your June be flaming. Ta-rah for now, fellow enamel warriors

If you are a leader in your field with a special interest in:

• the benefits of zinc and chlorhexidine in combating VSCs
• advocating the use and benefits of a product that can relieve halitosis
• participating in peer group opinion, debates and ideas development
• commenting  and supporting halitosis management products in publications and at events

Then you can join CB12 in championing the management of halitosis.

To talk about this exciting opportunity and for more information please contact Neil Lawrence by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This week marks the official start of National Smile Month – 31 days of campaigning by the British Dental Health Foundation, to promote oral health across the country.

This year we are delighted to be officially partnering with the BDHF, launching our first annual National Bridge2Aid Day – Smile in Pink for Bridge2Aid on 6th June.

This will be a fantastically fun event for dental practices up and down the country to take part in, and it’s very simple - just wear pink and host a collection box on the day to help raise money for our work in East Africa.  In addition, practices will be learning about and promoting to patients, the challenges of the lack of access to simple basic emergency dentistry for most of the world.

The sad thing is that oral health education and indeed even emergency dentistry are low on the list of priorities when it comes to health care in developing countries.  This is further compounded by most countries choosing to use the little money they do have for oral health on traditional approaches is of employing a very small number of fully trained dentists along with complex equipment and expensive materials. This makes even simple treatment inaccessible to the vast majority of the population. 

In response to this, WHO launched in 2004 the Basic Package of Oral Care.  This was intended to be a community based approach to oral health which would replace the traditional western model and focus on affordable, community based delivery of basic treatment and education.

The global health community is becoming increasingly aware that oral health education is extremely important.  As well as dental caries being the number one disease of the 261 identified conditions global  there are more and more links emerging between poor oral health and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Unless we root out the causes of poor oral health and the subsequent prevalence of pain which results (which is what we get mostly involved in) then the problem will always persist.  This is why upstream interventions to teach people about oral health and get them cutting out things like sugary soft drinks and brushing regularly with fluoride toothpaste are so important.

However, if we focus solely on oral health education then this ignores the millions of people that are already in pain.  In my generation, and probably the one to come, we will not be able to see a dentally qualified person available and located within the vicinity of most people living in the developing world.  This means that for the next 100 years or so these people face a life of pain without the hope of treatment - unless we do something different.  This is why our approach to training local health workers in basic emergency dental skills is so important.

Of course it is not an either/or situation.  What we want to do at Bridge2Aid is not only to treat people through the free training clinics that we offer on our training sites, and train local health workers, but we also want to educate.  Recently we ran an interesting pilot where free toothpaste and toothbrushes were distributed during our training programmes to around 1000 patients. Our aim, and that of the sponsor, was that in being relieved of their pain and then given an education message as well as the tools and understanding of how to use them, people could prevent future problems by establishing good brushing habits with affordable fluoride toothpaste. The combination of treatment with education is key - distributing free product without a context is in my opinion not effective. Sadly that partnership is not continuing, but we are hopeful of finding partners in the future to help us build a rounded upstream and downstream strategy that tackles the pain people are currently in, provides a sustainable access to ongoing pain relief, and also educates people on how to prevent dental problems in the future.

We are very proud this week to be officially partnering with the BDHF – a fantastic organisation who work hard all year round to promote awareness of good oral health and its importance in people’s lives.  Smile in Pink will hopefully be a fantastic fun day for everybody who takes part, I will certainly be donning my pink t-shirt in Tanzania on 6^th June and helping to raise awareness of 2 fantastic causes pursuing the same aims.

Sign up your organisation by visiting: www.bridge2Aid.org/NSM2014

As the deadline of 30 June for submitting the NHS Pensions annual reconciliation report (ARR) approaches, many practice owners will be scratching their heads over how to complete it.

The ARR is the practice owner’s opportunity to confirm the pensionable pay allocation for the practice and is vitally important to ensure they and their associates maintain accurate NHS Pension Scheme records.

Here is a recap on how the ARR is calculated:

1. The Pensionable Pay ‘ceiling’ for the practice is the gross amount of the NHS contract multiplied by 43.9%.
2. For associates their pensionable pay figure is what they actually get paid rather than any calculation involving the UDA value.
3. For practice owners the pensionable pay figure is the total ‘ceiling’ amount less the following:
4. Total of all associates' pensionable pay
5. Actual pay for any dentists working at the practice who are already in receipt of their NHS pension
6. Actual pay for any associates who operate through a limited company.

The remaining amount may be claimed by the practice owner as their own pensionable pay. However, the Dental Services team at the NHS Business Services Authority is quite clear that practice owners don’t have to claim all of the remaining amount as their own pensionable pay.

Why wouldn’t practice owners claim the maximum pensionable pay? Well, an increase in pensionable pay could mean practice owners breach the new HMRC lifetime and annual limits for pensions. Furthermore, practice owners must have sufficient earned income (net profits/salary/dividends) to justify the level of pension contributions that they can claim tax relief on.

There is still general confusion over this among dentists, their advisers and accountants. Consequently, make sure you seek advice from a specialist if you are unsure about your options.

PFM Townends is team of specialist dental accountants. For further information please visit www.pfmdental.co.uk

Dr Andy Wallace qualified as a general dentist in1998 in Queen’s University in Belfast. For the first 6 years he worked in an NHS practice and then, approximately ten years ago bought his first practice just outside Belfast.

When I first began to be interested in cosmetic dentistry I attended a lot of courses, the majority of which were based on ceramics and composites. However, I found a lot of the invasive and damaging procedures involved to be outside of my comfort zone. For the majority of my patients seeking cosmetic improvement I found that veneer treatments were not appropriate, as they tended to be very invasive and destructive. 

In late 2008 I read an article on Inman aligner treatment and managed to get a place on one of the first training course in the UK for this type of procedure. That course has really transformed my professional approach to dentistry and I have since attended numerous courses on different aligner and fixed bracket systems, focusing on minimally invasive cosmetic techniques. Recently I have also been involved in the teaching side of some of these treatments.

I think that in order to move forward the industry really needs an organisation that is not based around one particular system or company; one that is truly independent and free from bias or profit seeking. This will help provide focus on promoting good ethical treatment and give dentists a sound footing to practice from. This could also provide a forum for dentists of varying levels of skill and expertise to share their knowledge and experience with like-minded practitioners and specialists who have a passion for minimally invasive, aesthetically focused orthodontics.

I initially became aware of the European Society of Aesthetic Orthodontics (ESAO) following the adverse press that had been directed towards general dentists providing orthodontic treatments. I saw that an organisation was being put together to put forward the views of those dentists providing cosmetic orthodontics, it intended to drive forward the education of dentists performing cosmetic orthodontics, and offer them support and mentoring – I thought that this was a fantastic idea and so attended the inaugural meeting in December 2013, signing up to become a full member on the same day.

The organisation’s aim is to benefit any ethical dentist offering any type of cosmetic orthodontics. Through its courses that are designed to help form a better understanding of the available treatments and procedures and through increasing the perception of aesthetically focused orthodontics within other areas of the profession. Of course, as dentists we should practice within our competencies, but that doesn’t mean that our competency should remain static, that we shouldn’t want to incorporate new things into our daily practise.

The ESAO is therefore also a great platform for those that are involved the education of cosmetic orthodontics and who want to drive the profession forward through teaching. I have been fortunate to have been given the opportunity to participate in some of the teaching and I will be speaking at the next conference in June, discussing safer and more ethical enamel reduction, as well as providing a programme for nurses on record keeping through photography.

For anyone interested in the provision of cosmetically focused orthodontics an organization like the ESAO could prove invaluable. To find out more about the organisation and the courses it provides visit the website today.

For more information visit esao.co.uk or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

When selling your dental practice there is a seemingly endless maze of considerations and potential stumbling blocks to navigate. Without help and expert advice, you will find yourself stuck in the middle of this labyrinth not knowing where to turn.  

However, with a little knowledge and experience some confusion can be avoided. Here are a few relatively simple tips that will help to facilitate the smooth sale of your practice for the maximum value.

1. Get the price right

Valuation and pricing your business correctly for the market is paramount. Expert advice in this forever-fluctuating arena is equally important. Virtually all buyers will have undertaken an independent valuation before purchasing a practice; if your price is unrealistically high it will get knocked down, so it is important to get it right first.

The trick is to think like a buyer. Looking at your own business through critical eyes and as if you were the purchaser, will give you an insight into what others might see. Ask yourself: how does it look and feel? Is it fit for purpose? First impressions of the practice are very important and the asking price is a significant part of this. View other practices from similar price ranges: would you consider them to be a bargain, fairly priced or overpriced? Your expert adviser will have comparable evidence from which to draw – the more experienced the adviser, the more evidence there will be.

2. Ensure the property is in order

Making sure that your property lease is in order and that you have sought out clear and succinct advice is also important. For instance, if your property is leasehold, are you offering a sufficient lease term to make it worthwhile for the buyer?

It is also worth checking that all regulatory data is accurate and correct. Your practice clearly wouldn’t be trading if you weren’t CQC and HTM01-05 compliant, but do you have all the necessary documentation to hand should you need it?

3. Ensure all operations are in order

Every experienced buyer understands that all businesses have their own staffing challenges and issues, so absolute honesty is the key to maintain the credibility of your business valuation. If you paint too perfect a picture then a potential buyer may be suspicious. Equally, if you have got a lot of staffing issues, then this can present problems as well.

If the practice has vacancies then highlight this. If you choose not to replace missing associates, turnover will go down and the value of the business will follow suit. Too much vacant chair space will cost you in the long run and will be reflected in your income and valuation.

4. Planning and preparation

Preparation is key; this is the most significant aspect of getting ready for any sale. Insufficient planning and preparation may ultimately cost you. Many deals are agreed quickly but end up going nowhere due to a failure to sufficiently plan in advance.

It is important, therefore, to collect all the key pieces of information a prospective purchaser might want. One of the most fundamental considerations in any sale process is making sure that profit and loss accounts are relevant; any NHS vital signs reports need to be up-to-date, and all other due diligence information that any reasonable buyer will want should be available and easily accessible.

5. Get your adviser right

The best option is always to turn to a company who can offer both marketing expertise and professional accountability; an agency with experience in the dental sector and that also has professional accreditations is ideal.

By turning to a company that understands the dental industry like Christie+Co, you can be sure that all considerations are covered and your best interests as a seller come first.

To discuss how Christie + Co might help you achieve your future plans please contact Simon Hughes on 020 7227 0749

BIO:

Simon Hughes joined Christie + Co in 1987 and has responsibility for the further expansion of its brokerage services into the Primary Care sectors of dentistry and GP surgery sectors. In the past three years, Christie + Co has advised, valued or sold almost £1 billion worth of businesses. Simon heads up a dedicated team of specialist advisers and agents based in regional locations throughout the UK.

The demand for GDPs offering orthodontics for cosmetic purposes has dramatically increased in recent years and the treatment options available are increasing too.

The European Society of Aesthetic Orthodontics (ESAO) offers general dental practitioners the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and experience of aesthetically focused orthodontics to aid in its provision.

Dr Nadim Majid, the Communications Director of the ESAO states:

“At the moment there are a lot of companies that provide orthodontics and aesthetically limited orthodontics and until recently there didn’t seem to be an umbrella organisation that could offer unbiased advice and guidance for GDPs.

“Our organisation aims to bring impartial training and education to those dentists who want to build upon their core knowledge of aesthetic orthodontics. The ESAO supports ethical dentists who wish to offer minimally invasive treatments, and also voices any concerns from dentists and patients.”

For more information on offering aesthetically focused orthodontic solutions and for details of upcoming ESAO events visit the website today.

For more information visit esao.co.uk or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Exclusive to The Dental Directory, BurButler bur stands are the perfect storage and sterilisation system for all types of bur.

Designed by a practising dentist, you can be sure of its practical usage and efficacy in every day practice. Its patented hole design allows safe and secure storage of any bur, regardless of shank type and the silicone block has an ideal non-slip surface that facilitates easy placement into each hole.

The BurButler resists distortion at high temperatures and is fully autoclavable and, unlike other bur storage systems on the market, the BurButler’s transparent lids (available separately) are fully autoclavable too.

Available in seven colours to match your surgery aesthetic and in five sizes of 5, 10, 20, 40 and 60 holes, the BurButler fulfills all your bur storage needs.

Contact The Dental Directory today to find out more about the BurButler – a bur management system that you can trust.

For more information, contact The Dental Directory on

0800 585 586, or visit www.dental-directory.co.uk.

For your total peace of mind, The Dental Directory has been independently verified as the best priced dental dealer in 2012 and 2013.

The Dental Directory is here all year round to ensure you receive the best products at the best prices.

The latest issue of our bi-monthly Inside Ortho flyer offers an exciting choice of products ranging from innovative bracket systems to high quality hand instruments. Inside you will find special offers on the exclusive Pink Line range of standard and self-ligating bracket systems, molar bands, archwires and buccal tubes. The Pink Line range offers fantastic value for money without compromising on performance or patient comfort. Take a look today and see how much you could save.

If you need advice or more information about a product, our dedicated Orthodontics Product Manager and nationwide team of business consultants are here to help.

Our comprehensive range of quality orthodontic products is competitively priced and everything is delivered free with same day dispatch for orders placed before 5pm.

Independently verified as the best priced dealer, you can trust The Dental Directory to look after your professional needs and your budget.

The Independently Verified Best Priced Dealer!

For more information, contact The Dental Directory on

0800 585 585, or visit www.dental-directory.co.uk.

With the popularity of facial aesthetic treatments growing daily, The Dental Directory provides a quality service you can trust. 

From skin peels to dermal fillers and cosmeceuticals, these are just some of the wide range of essential products The Dental Directory provides, ensuring quality every time and making sure you get outstanding results.

Parneet Sehmi, principal dentist at Hermes Dental Clinic, London says:

“I’ve used The Dental Directory for all my other dental services but I started using its facial aesthetics range two years ago. The Dental Directory provides a wonderful service, supplying us with the facial aesthetic products I need at a great price. The local rep, Zara, goes above and beyond what is required and I would highly recommend them to any dentist who offers facial aesthetic treatment.”

 The Independently Verified Best Priced Dealer!

For more information, contact The Dental Directory on

0800 585 586, or visit www.dental-directory.co.uk.

The inaugural opening of Sterling Dental College proved a fantastic evening, with an array of esteemed professionals, colleagues and friends in attendance. Designed to offer a high standard of education while promoting charity and access to training for everyone, the new College will enhance opportunities available to the local communities. The content and material of each course on offer at Sterling Dental College is accredited by BPP University.

Dr Maher Almasri, Director of the Faculty of Dentistry at BPP University-School of Health, Director of Implant Dentistry Programme at Warwick Medical School and Honorary Principal of Sterling Dental College said:

“The main aim of Sterling Dental College is to enhance dental education with a focus on charity. The vision is to promote oral health and prevent oral disease through education. This will help to increase awareness of oral health in the local communities. The college will provide a range of educational resources and forge links with other providers including BPP University, Warwick Dental and City of London Dental School.”

Amongst the distinguished guests attending the opening were Lord Indarjit Singh of Wimbledon CBE, The Right Honourable Virendra Sharma, MP for Ealing and Southall and Dr Onkar Sahota, member of the London Assembly and a general practitioner in Southall, who all offered kind words about the College and everything it aspires to achieve.

 Lord Singh commented:

“I have been happy to witness the progress of the Sterling Dental Group and the wonderful charitable work it performs, extending learning opportunities for all groups. I think facilities at the College are outstanding – I am amazed and delighted.”

Mr Virendra Sharma MP added:

“I am pleased to support this new initiative. Its vision will help build relationships not only between the profession and the people in Britain, but also in India, so that all the students can work together.  We can therefore take values and ethics from both cultures to help deliver good education to all.”

Dr Onkar Sahota added that he is very much looking forward to the multi-disciplinary approach to health care and that this project will enhance patient care and wellbeing.

Guests at the opening had the chance to meet and network with others while being offered delicious buffet-style food. Attendees were able to view the brand new state of the art facilities throughout the premises, which included a fully equipped skills room with operating microscopes and dedicated training surgeries.

In the conference room, guests were welcomed to the official opening and introduced to the core values and beliefs of Sterling Dental College.

After a few words from Mr Virendra Sharma MP, eminent speaker Professor Nairn Wilson CBE took to the podium to discuss ‘Anticipated changes in the clinical practice of dentistry’, once again highlighting the need for top quality education and training for the next generation of dental professionals.  About Sterling Dental College he said:

“I have been a clinical academic all my life and I have always been a great believer in education, continuing professional development and innovations such as this initiative, so I am delighted to see the new College. This is a group with a real entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to education for professional advancement, which is just great.”

Respected Jasvir Singh Rayat, Sikh Minister Her Majesty’s Prison Service added:

“While there are initiatives promoting general medicine, this is the first to promote dentistry specifically within our community.  As awareness grows, Sterling Dental College will provide these professionals with new career opportunities, strengthening the connection between communities here and in India.”

Sterling Dental College also works closely alongside Sterling Dental Foundation, which is a GDC approved charitable organisation that aims to provide free education for dental graduates who are otherwise unable to receive it due to physical or financial difficulty. Sterling hopes to open its first Sterling Dental centre in India in August this year, with the first Sterling Dental conference in New Delhi in November.

Detail of the hands-on and core courses, seminars and CPD events can be found on the website, www.sterlingdentalcentre.co.uk

Amarjit Gill is delighted to invite you to attend the Greater International Live ’n’ Learn Dental Conference in Cuba this October.

The aim of the event is to offer delegates new insights into modern dentistry to help make dental practice easier and more enjoyable.

An oft-undervalued Caribbean island, Cuba is a sight to behold. Staying at the all-inclusive Hotel Melia Marina in Varadero, which is located in an ecological reserve, delegates and their families will find every facility they could wish for!

Part of a £50m development, Hotel Melia Marina is the newest 5-star hotel in the locale. All-inclusive, of course, means no more expenditure within the hotel’s vast grounds but that doesn’t mean a lack of options! Enjoy the cuisine of five separate restaurants, unlimited free drinks and great live music every day.

The conference itself is great value at £200 while, for a departure date of 23rd October 2014 based on two adults sharing for 10 nights at Hotel Melia Marina the cost is just £1249 per person. This price also includes return flights with Virgin Atlantic, meals on board the flight, return transfers and visas. 

At the time of publication, headline speakers include Prof. Eddie Lynch and Jennifer de St Georges, with more to be confirmed shortly…. 

This learning opportunity is ideal for any dental professional looking to learn and have fun at the same time.

For further information, please contact Gemma Barker 07595 282678 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Do you know how to do a skill scan? Can you write a business plan using a Gantt chart? Are you skilled in the Communication Chain?

As practice management becomes ever more demanding, so you need a wider portfolio of skills, knowledge and experience. The Glenys Bridges Training & Development BTEC Level 4 Diploma in Management course gives you all those and more – as well as a certificated qualification. For less than the cost of an implant or denture you can considerably improve your performance and greatly assist the development of your practice and team members.

The course starts on Friday 23 May in Birmingham and comprises eight one-day workshops each month until January plus independent learning. There's full tutorial support and successful completion of 15 assignments gains you the BTEC Level 4 Diploma in Management.

The fully-inclusive course fee is just £1995 and there are interest-free ways to spread the cost.

Call Glenys Bridges now on 07973361390 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information. Don't delay!

www.glenys-bridges.co.uk

Delivering another exceptional event, The Dentistry Show 2014 certainly provided the vibrant learning and networking experience it has become known for.

Past President of the British Society of Periodontology, Dr Phillip Greene, described it as a ‘the best dental show of the year” with a “superb educational programme, fantastic energy and high quality international speakers”.

Principal Dentist of Braintree June McCohen also commented that “the speakers are all excellent – they are wet fingered dentists who are at the top of their game who are working in practice and there is a lot to learn from them”.

The next event will be held at the NEC in Birmingham on 17^th and 18^th April 2015.

Promising another outstanding programme of lectures, live demonstrations and more hands-on workshops, each presented by international speakers of the highest calibre, the event guarantees excellence once again.

To make sure you don’t miss out, save the dates in your diary today!

For more information please visit www.thedentistryshow.co.uk, call 020 7348 5269 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The founder and Principal Dentist of the Stephen Dental Practice in London, Neil Stephen, recently flew out to St Lucia to help educate some of the lsland’s school communities on how to avoid dental decay.

“We took two large tooth models to help demonstrate good oral hygiene techniques to the children. The second model, donated by The Dental Directory, was very useful as Mrs Stephen and I were able to observe half of the class each with their cleaning.

“We also took balloons and timers donated by The Dental Directory, which the children absolutely loved (maybe more than the lessons!). You could feel the anticipation as we turned our attention to the brushing, with a brush, a balloon, toothpaste and stickers provided as rewards for taking part.

“We are conscious of how many charities there are, all of them needy, and are so grateful that The Dental Directory decided to assist us in helping over 300 children in St Lucia to understand a bit more about preventing dental decay.”

For more information, contact The Dental Directory on

0800 585 585, or visit www.dental-directory.co.uk

Time to consider the UnoDent Plastic Protector Safety Syringe from The Dental Directory

In May 2013, Health and Safety Regulations relating to the use of sharp instruments in healthcare came into force.  Under these regulations, unprotected ‘traditional’ sharps must be substituted whenever practicable with one that is safer, such as syringes and needles with covers or shields.

Fortunately, the UnoDent Plastic Protector Safety Syringe available from The Dental Directory has been specifically designed to prevent needle stick injuries and requires no recapping.

Suitable for administering dental local anaesthetics, the syringe comes as a box of 100 sterile needles with an autoclavable handle and six silicone washers. Available in four sizes – 27G Short, 27G Long, 30G Short and 30G Ultra Short – make the UnoDent Plastic Protector Safety Syringe your first choice.

Our dedicated and informed customer service team is ready to help with your questions and ordering requirements. Enjoy the benefits of free delivery, same day dispatch on orders received before 5pm, and an extensive choice of dental supplies from oral hygiene to digital imaging systems.

Order from The Dental Directory today – independently verified as the best priced dental dealer in 2012 and 2013

For more information, contact The Dental Directory on

0800 585 586 or visit www.dental-directory.co.uk

Planning for worst-case scenarios can be tough and confusing. It is vitally important that your choice of insurance is appropriate for you, but how do you begin to get your head around the multitude of insurance policies on the market?

Some significant types of cover for you to consider might be Income Protection, Business Partner Protection and Life Insurance.

Income Protection safeguards your earnings if you are unable to work due to sickness or injury. Allowing you to insure approximately 65% of your gross salary, it lets you maintain your standard of living should you become sidelined though ill health.

It is important to know that insurance companies describe the level of cover in terms of how ill you have to be before any money is paid out. You should always look for a policy that offers ‘own’ income protections, as opposed to ‘suited’ or ‘any’. This is the only description that ensures an income for the rest of your working life if you are unable to work as a dentist.

As Income Protection defends you against loss of earnings, Business Partner Protection (or Key-Person Assurance) look after your practice and family. For any dentist who owns part of their practice, investing in this type of cover is vitally important.

The death of a business partner or key employee will always have severe implications on any business - equally difficult might be a business partners’ diagnosis of serious illness or disability. In either situation having Business Partner Protection will ensure that should the worst happen, both your family and your business will be protected.

Finally, Life Insurance is fairly straightforward: in the event of your death the insurance company pays out the policy. The difficulties arise in ensuring that your money goes to the right people at the right time. The most effective way of doing this is through a trust, as this ensures the money goes to the people whom you want to benefit from it. Life Insurance companies can often pay a death claim more quickly if the plan is put into a trust and the money paid is even often free of inheritance tax.

With so many options to be aware of, many professionals seek bespoke financial advice in order to avoid acquiring inappropriate levels of cover. Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) such as those at money4dentists have all the knowledge and experience to ensure you make the right decision for your future.

Whether you already have existing cover or are looking for the first time, ensure you seek out expert advice to guarantee that the best possible plans are in place should the worst happen.

For more information please call 0845 345 5060, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.money4dentists.com

Patience is a virtue, especially if you’re looking to make the most of your money in this economy! However, armed with the right knowledge and, of course, patience, property investment can make a real difference to your future.

Dentistry can become an all-consuming career, particularly when you’re the principal or partner of a practice and, as we all are, committed to improving the health of our patients. The lines between work and leisure can easily start to blur and your own health and happiness begin to suffer.

There are a number of ways to address this challenging issue, one of which is to find a path to help secure your financial future in a way that is not overly time-consuming. One such possibility is to capitalise on property market conditions that, if done cleverly, can result in a happy balance between work and home.

Now, property investment is no quick fix and there are rules, regulations and taxes to take into consideration, to name just a few potential stumbling blocks. However, with a little ‘inside’ information, all of this can be wisely addressed and, in fact, pose no hindrance.

Nonetheless, it would be remiss not to state at this point that there is no such thing as a risk-free investment; what we’re aiming to do is reduce the probability of making a poor deal and increase the likelihood of making instant equity when buying property below market value.

So, where to start? As it takes time to become an expert in one area, it makes sense to stick to your neighbourhood, as you know the good and bad areas, where parents want to send their children to school, what the transport links are like, where people find it hard to park, etc. Even knowing all this in your own area will take some time and research, but once you have done the hard work it will be a lot easier for you to spot a bargain – or not!

This is a business venture, so treat it as such. You need to:

• Have clear written goals on what you want to achieve from property

• Know how much money you have at your disposal

• Have the right team on board

• Work out how much time you want to spend on the business

• Know what marketing activities you’re going to do

• Know what strategies you will use after you have bought the property

• Know how to manage the properties.

For tips on how to approach the above-mentioned all-important points in the same way as the professionals, look out for Part 2 in this series.

If you want to know more about making property investment work for you, the Dental Property Club is hosting a three-day ‘Property Advanced Workshop’ on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 September, plus Saturday 18 October 2014, in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. This programme is designed to empower delegates with the cutting edge systems, skills and strategies needed for creating an invincible advantage in the professional property game.  You can find out more here: http://bit.ly/1jXKiSO

The content of this article is for information purposes only and should not be relied upon when making financial choices. It is recommended you seek the help of a financial adviser to assess your needs fully before making any decisions and/or making changes.

Are you looking to grow your practice?

Is your current marketing activity generating a poor return?

Do you need a new and more effective strategy but don’t have the time or the resources to put it together?

Would you love to generate more patients but don’t know where to start?

At 7connections, we understand how precious your time and resources are, but we also know that you will struggle to grow your business without effective and consistent marketing. So we have done all the hard work for you….

What is the solution?

The MagicBox^TM is a comprehensive package that provides everything you will need to raise the profile of your practice and encourage more business. It offers a 12-month marketing plan all set up and ready to go, with suggested activities broken down into their relevant months ensuring a hassle-free and smooth process for you.

The package offers material to market your services in a way that both attracts new patients and nurtures the relationships you have with existing ones. While you of course are always looking to introduce new patients in order to grow your business and increase income, it is just as vital to promote additional or new treatments to people who have visited your practice for years. The MagicBox™ incorporates both hard copy and digital media to ensure you get your message across effectively to everyone, strengthening your patient-base in every way.

How does it work?

Each month a MagicBox will be sent to your practice containing a specific treatment focused campaign chosen by you and branded to your practice. You will receive detailed instructions on how to deploy the campaign across all mediums with a day-by-day planner. The Box will contain the following items:

 A TV loop for your patient lounge.

 In-house practice posters.

 Practice referral cards.

 Large format banners for the outside of your practice.

 A-Boards.

 Advert for Local Press.

 Appointment cards.

 Website banner.

 Digital Facebook, Twitter and YouTube banners.

 Digital promotional videos for social media distribution.

 Smile evaluation.

 12-month marketing plan.

 Digital and telephone support.

 Month by month implementation and return on investment tracker.

In order to measure and monitor the success of your marketing, this last feature is an important one. It enables you to track your progress and to calculate the return on your investment so that you have a record of what works for your practice.

As well as focusing each month on treatment areas such as orthodontics or teeth whitening, the packages also take into account any seasonal topics, ensuring that you don’t miss any marketing opportunities throughout the year.

All-in-all, the MagicBox™ enables you to benefit from a 21^st century design and marketing department, without the associated time, cost or energy. With all the foundations in place, all you have to do is personalise your marketing material to include your practice name and logo and you’re prepared for the year.

Book your free marketing review with 7connections today, and quote discount code MB004 to receive a 25% on your first three months of MagicBox™

For more information about 7connections and the MagicBox™,

please call 01647 478145, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. or visit the brand new website www.7connections.com

*Discount code valid until the end of May

Although the greeting ‘How do you do?’ has largely been superseded by a brief ‘Hi’ in society in general, healthcare professionals first enquiry should still reflect concern for their patient’s health.

Oral symptoms can often indicate systemic health issues. The 2013 Standards for the Dental Team and the current Dental Contract Reform Programme both call for a ‘holistic and preventative approach.’[1]^,[2]

 Gingivitis and periodontal disease can influence, or be affected by, many other conditions, including xerostomia or thrush. Type 2 diabetes sufferers are about 3x more likely to develop dental problems, and the risk is also increased for those with Type 1.^[3]

Responses from a  2011 study showed that of 229 diabetics who completed a questionnaire, only 15.3% flossed daily and a startling 69.1 % had not be given oral health advice relating to diabetes^[4]. More than half supported the idea that dentists could offer screening for diabetes.

Despite recent research^[5] by the British Heart Foundation refuting a direct relationship between ‘poor oral health and cardiovascular disease,’^[6] researchers at the University of Bristol and the RSCI found that when the oral bacteria streptococcus gordonii enters the bloodstream, it can cause clots and give rise to growths on heart valves.^[7]

Other common factors predispose heart disease and oral ill health. Smoking can cause gingivitis and mouth cancer, and with  1,900 people dying annually from this cancer in the UK^[8], the GDC now includes ‘Oral Cancer: Improving Early Detection’ as a recommended CPD topic.

Patients diagnosed with oral cancer should receive ‘urgent dental care before treatment’^[9] as the drugs used in chemotherapy can affect the mouth lining, with the potential for soreness, ulceration and mouth infections. Helping patients ensure their mouth is in good condition before and after treatment should include advice on oral products to reduce ulceration and soreness etc.^[10]

Sufferers from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as their carers, may also need help, reminders or advice on oral health matters.  More specifically, a recent study has identified a possible connection between the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and the bacteria porphyromonas gingivalis, which is commonly linked to periodontal disease.^[11]

 It’s evident that all dental professionals have an ongoing responsibility to all their patients to be vigilant in detecting possible systemic symptoms and offering appropriate advice on oral healthcare products and protocols. 

Curaprox offers Curasept ADS® mouthwash for gingivitis, SLS-free toothpaste to help avoid soreness of the gingiva, and the CS 5460 ultra soft toothbrush to prevent damage to the oral cavity. Pharmacist patient Miss Chow reported, “After chemotherapy last year, my gums became very sensitive. I’ve had no problem with the CS5460 however, as it is very soft and comfy on the gums and massages properly; the small head reaches all of my mouth. I really enjoy using it!”

The whole dental team should hope to hear the smiling answer, ‘Very well thank you’ to every ‘How do you do?’ question! 

For more information 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

In part 1 of this series, I wrote about the importance of an effective landing page and how it helps to attract new customers to your business. We are now going to look at the key features of an effective landing page. What will make visitors give you the information or business you desire? Below are 6 key attributes of an effective landing page. Please feel free to add other attributes you believe would be effective. 

1. USP – Unique Selling Point

For our clients, they are looking to offer dentists a product or service that sets it apart from the competition. The client needs to break down what they are offering to the customer and when successful, it should be clear and attract attention. The first headline used needs to clearly describe what your product or service can offer and why they should be interested.

2. Picture or video

A picture or even better a video of someone using the product or service gives the users the feeling of what it is or what it looks like. This gets the customers thinking how they could use the product or service in their everyday life and how it would benefit them. A dental example;  A new dental handpiece being shown in a video being used by a dentist, gets the reader thinking about them using it in their practice and how it will benefit them.

3. The benefits of what you offer.

After the USP, you now need to give your reader a few more details. So how will the product or service benefit the reader? You need to think from the customer’s point of view. How will the new handpiece (for example) benefit the dentist, what features or advantages can you prove over your competitors?

4. Keep it simple

You want your reader to make a decision, for a decision to be more likely, the clearer and simpler your page needs to be.  As well as your landing pages, this also applies to a homepage. Traffic will often hit your homepage, so it should be treated like sales specific landing pages; keep your offer and strategy simple. Only offer a few places that can be clicked, keep the reader focused on the reason they clicked through to your landing page in the first place!

5. Testimonials / Proof

You want to show that your product is being utilised by other people in the field. People are more likely to use something that they can see is being used by others. If a product has excellent reviews or testimonials, then you need to shout about it. Other ways of demonstrating that the product is the best; Number of customers, organisations that you count as customers or awards received for your product or service. If you can provide evidence of testimonials, reviews or awards you will build trust and then sales!

6. CTA - Call to Action

CTA or call to action is incredibly important. You need to incorporate a bold, clear call to action into the design of the landing page. This could take a number of different forms, phone number, email address, contact form, social media links. The key is to think like the customer, make it as easy and straightforward as possible. The call to action details should be displayed a number of times on the page if possible.

We are constantly adapting and changing our own website and this is the huge advantage of being an online publication. Pages you create can be changed at anytime, so experiment with what works and what doesn’t and don’t be scared to try out different tactics or marketing plans.

If you would like to discuss how to market your brand or product on GDPUK.com, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We can organise a marketing strategy that will work for your business needs. 

For accurate occlusal analysis the Tekscan T-Scan® from Clark Dental is unsurpassed.

The T-Scan is a cutting-edge diagnostic device that records your patient's bite force dynamics, including occlusal force, location and timing. The applications of T-Scan are almost endless, and you will find it useful whenever you need information on occlusal contacts including:

• Fixed prosthetics
• Occlusal adjustments
• Orthodontics
• Periodontal management
• TMD appliances

• Routine exams
• Diagnosing pain and discomfort
• Finishing cases

Not only that, but you will also find that the T-Scan is an excellent way to help you differentiate your practice, improve patient communication and reduce lost chair time due to return visits.

To find out more about this innovative ‘practice building’ product, contact Clark Dental today.

For more information contact Clark Dental on 01270 613750,
email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.clarkdentalsurgerydesign.co.uk

Diagnosing and treating pain is not always as easy or as straightforward as it may seem. Very often we find ourselves confronted by patients who may be sleep deprived, or who may have poor communication skills – both of which can be a hindrance to diagnosing the precise cause of the pain.

Another problem that we face is that pain is very emotional issue for all those concerned. When a patient presents with pain, clearly we want to relieve their suffering and help in any way we can. The problem is, as dentists we are often inclined to look for dental causes, though in some cases the pain may not be dental in origin at all. Though these cases are fairly rare, problems can arise when we intervene with the very best intentions, but are then faced with an issue that was never dental at all.

Do no harm

This topic reminds me of a feature posted on the BBC towards the end of last year. In the article we meet a patient, Ann Eastman, who unfortunately lost two teeth through misdiagnosis of her Trigeminal Neuralgia.^[1] This condition, which often mimics the symptoms of dental pain, is thankfully relatively rare, however this article shows it can be misdiagnosed – often with serious consequences for the patient.

As dentists, the first step with any treatment should always be to ‘do no harm’. As long as we are unsure of the diagnosis, we should avoid intervening for as long as possible, especially when intervention involves something as drastic as removing teeth. However, having said that, sometimes you do just have to make a call. It is a fine balancing act, and only with experience and understanding can we make a decision that is truly in the best interests of the patient long-term.  

Difficult diagnosis

When any patient presents with pain, there are a number of key questions we need to answer. Firstly, is the pain dental, or non-dental? If it is non-dental it may pain associated with the TMJ, the sinus, or something more sinister. If the pain is dental, is it pulpal or periodontal? If it is pulpal, is it reversible or irreversible? Is it vital or non-vital? Of course all of these things sound fairly straightforward until we are faced with a patient who is convinced that they have a tooth-ache, but can’t tell you whether it’s a top tooth or a bottom tooth. Even worse when on inspection you are faced with 24 crowns!

Clearly, communication is a key factor in determining the true cause of dental pain, though from our own experience, we know that pain is rarely easy to put into words. Descriptors such as ‘sharp stabbing pain’ could be pulpitic, but alarm bells should go off when the patient uses terms such as ‘electric shocks’, or if the burning pain is so severe they have to hold their face, or brings them to tears.

But even then things aren’t always black and white. There are a lot of grey areas, and a lot of different factors that we need to take into account. Though the temptation may be to ask the patient to ‘come back in a few days’ to eliminate some of the possible causes, this isn’t always practical. After all, the patient is suffering and wants an immediate solution to their problem!

No easy solution

So what do we do? As we have seen, the general problem with pain is that it can be very difficult to diagnose. Sinus pain can easily mimic a toothache – as can bruxing, or even a high restoration. The worst is atypical pain, and one of the most distressing is Trigeminal Neuralgia, especially if it appears to be a toothache. With a distressed patient who is at their wits end we really want to help, but we should not be hasty to act.

If unsure, first and foremost, we should always try and avoid intervening when the diagnosis is unclear. It’s soul destroying to see radiographs where a dentist has gone from root canal to root canal, or worse still, extraction to extraction. We should also be on the look out for ‘non-classical’ descriptors, and pain shifting around the mouth should make us particularly cautious. Better here to prescribe antibiotics to rule out infection, or cabamezipine if there is a possibility that it might be Trigeminal Neuralgia. After all, a diagnosis through medication is preferable to reaching for the drill (or the extraction forceps!)

Seek advice

As we know, great diagnosis is paramount to great practise, and does a lot to enhance our standing in the general community and to patients. Though the temptation will always be to act quickly, we need to be sure that we are always acting in the patient’s best interests. Treating pain is no easy matter, and while in most cases, the cause will be dental, if you are not sure it is always a good idea to ask a second opinion of a colleague. But if still in doubt, please, for patient’s sake, refer. 

For further information please call EndoCare on 020 7224 0999

Or visit www.endocare.co.uk

Dr Michael Sultan BDS MSc DFO FICD is a Specialist in Endodontics and the Clinical Director of EndoCare. Michael qualified at Bristol University in 1986. He worked as a general dental practitioner for 5 years before commencing specialist studies at Guy’s hospital, London. He completed his MSc in Endodontics in 1993 and worked as an in-house Endodontist in various practices before setting up in Harley St, London in 2000. He was admitted onto the specialist register in Endodontics in 1999 and has lectured extensively to postgraduate dental groups as well as lecturing on Endodontic courses at Eastman CPD, University of London. He has been involved with numerous dental groups and has been chairman of the Alpha Omega dental fraternity. In 2008 he became clinical director of EndoCare, a group of specialist practices.

Dedicated to tailoring our products and services to meet the ever-changing and increasing demands of the dental profession, we recently put our new autoclave to the test. Several dental facilities across the UK took part in a trial of the LittleSister SES 3000B autoclave, from whose feedback we were able to determine how we could exceed their expectations.

Fiona Minay, Practice Manager from Ashby and Atkinson in Shildon, was kind enough to offer the following comments:

“Of our equipment manufacturer, we would expect them to supply us not only with products we require, but to provide information regarding those product, while also having the ability to answer any questions we may have.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            “Eschmann met all our expectations as they had full understanding of their product and the team were professional, knowledgeable and able to provide any advice and information we needed.

“We already had a good working relationship with the Eschmann’s Angie Hill, the engineer who looks after our autoclaves, so were more than happy to help out with the trial. We were also interested in what the new SES 3000B autoclave would be like to use.

“As a result we preferred working directly with the manufacturer rather than a third-party supplier because they were able to sort most things out over the phone, and had full understanding of how the product worked. By having this knowledge they were in a better position to give advice as and when needed.”

Speaking about the autoclave itself, Fiona said:

“On the whole the new LittleSister was an excellent product and performed well. All the nurses liked working with it – it was very easy to use and had a large capacity for instruments preventing a build up of instruments to sterilize. The speed of the autoclave also helped enhance workflow, enabling a quick turnover from surgery to decontamination room and allowing things to run swiftly and såmoothly.

“On the occasions where we identified what appeared to be an issue with the autoclave, the engineer was always at the end of the phone ready to help, and once the problem had been identified, was very quick to quick. The initial reason for such a trial is of course to identify and address any problems or areas for improvement prior to the full production roll out, and we were able to relay our thoughts directly to Eschmann with ease.

“We really liked what we saw during the trial of the LittleSister SES 3000B autoclave and we would be interested in purchasing one in the future once the product has been finally completed and refined from the trial stages.”

For further details on the LittleSister SES 3000 B autoclave or any other products available from Eschmann, please visit www.eschmann.co.uk, or call 01903 753322

For Dr Linda Williams, dental surgeon at the Ryedale Dental Healthcare Clinic and Implant Centre in North Yorkshire, the treatment of periodontitis is a team effort.

“For me, the relationship with a perio patient is very close anyhow, because you both really have to work in order to save the tooth – you’re both fighting the same thing and it has to be teamwork. I make sure that my patients are very aware of what’s happening, how it looks and how the disease should me monitored, I’m very particular with that.”

On Dr Williams’ team, for every periodontal treatment she gives, there are three members: herself, the patient and PerioChip®.

“I have been utilising PerioChip for the last 4 or 5 years,” she says. “When it first came onto the market I thought it was a brilliant alternative, it quickly became my first choice and it still is to this day.

“I use PerioChip in pockets 5mm or deeper, after deep scaling. I review my patient every three months to measure the pockets and for patients without advanced periodontitis, with fewer pockets and only some loss of attachment, PerioChip works perfectly. The pockets are reduced easily and I am always happy with the result.

“If I have a patient with more advanced periodontitis and deeper pockets than 5mm, I would still treat them first with PerioChip.

“My patients are delighted with the treatment. They find it more convenient than antibiotics, because it can be given right there and then whenever a periodontal pocket of 5mm or more is identified in a routine examination. My patients don’t need to fill out a prescription or remember to take medication every day. Because PerioChip is readily available and instantly applicable patients are very grateful for the treatment.

“From my point of view, I find the product easy to handle and convenient to use, and I absolutely love it. PerioChip is also predictable as you can actually see the whole process and there’s no estimating involved, as there sometimes is with antibiotic gels.

“When treating patients with periodontitis, education is everything. I inspire them to be active patients and to monitor their own treatment with me so they know what we’re doing and so they are absolutely aware of everything that’s happening. They’re like my assistants by the end. This also helps motivate patients to come back because they are more involved in their treatment and really want healthy teeth and gums.

“PerioChip is the perfect product to help treat periodontitis – it works well for me and my patients and I’m really pleased with it.”

For more information or to contact the team behind PerioChip®, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 0800 013 2333

David Worskett is non-executive Chairman of the Association of Dental Groups (ADG). With a long career both in business and the public sector, David has worked in a variety of roles, and has a broad range of board-level experience including at the RAC, at the former Engineering and Technology Board, and until recently, as chief executive of the NHS Partners Network.

Given his background in technology and healthcare, in 2012 David was invited to oversee the formation of the ADG – a specialist trade association for corporate dental companies and dental groups. The ADG now consists of 10 members, all of whom have to meet strict membership criteria, which include supporting the Government’s aim to improve high quality access to dental care, and ensuring the delivery of quality outcomes for patients in a sustainable, transparent and high quality manner.

“One of the interesting things about the dental corporate and group model, is that these organisations are in a position to take part in worthwhile initiatives more efficiently and cost-effectively than a standalone practice can,” says David. “This is partly because they can centralise their back office facilities, and insist on consistency across all of their practices. They can also take advantage of economies of scale that simply aren’t available to small or medium businesses.

“One particular area in which these groups are able to make a contribution is in the area of training. These organisations have got scale on their side, and employ large numbers of staff. It is therefore relatively straightforward to implement group-wide training strategies, put in place training programmes, day release schemes and so on, as they have the ability to cover it.”

As David points out, for any business to be successful, it needs to employ people with the skills and training to meet the demands that the job brings. This is true in every sector of the economy, including dentistry, where there is a need not only to recruit more dental nurses and technicians, but also well qualified practice managers and to give them the skills and training they need to forge successful careers.

This is a view shared by many, and is one of the guiding principles behind the Government’s new Trailblazers programme – an employer-led initiative designed to raise standards in the Apprenticeship system and so give people the skills employers need to grow and compete. When the ADG was approached to support the scheme, David and his colleagues were keen to get involved.

“Supporting the Trailblazers initiative was a complete ‘no-brainer’ for me,” says David. “Members of the ADG are in the perfect position to give the scheme the support it needs. Together with the Chair for the Trailblazers programme in dentistry, Mustafa Mohammed, and other members of the initiative, we aim to simplify the existing system and raise standards to make Apprenticeships in dentistry a really positive option for individuals and employers alike.”

While Apprenticeships may have fallen out of favour over the last few decades, according to David, they are once again returning to the fore.

“Apprenticeships today are more relevant now than they have been in a long time,” continues David. “We are increasingly becoming a technology-based society, and we need people with technical skill sets in all industries and at all levels, including key management posts to make things work.

“A degree is no longer the ‘only way’ to good employment and a successful career. With modern Apprenticeships people are able to learn real, and often very high-level technical skills ‘on the job’. This is a hugely valuable option to them as individuals – and also to the industry – and provides an excellent alternative and supplement to more academic-based pathways into careers within the dental sector.”

As David suggests, Apprenticeships aren’t just good for individuals and employers, but they also benefit the dental sector as a whole:

“In many respects the dental sector is no different to any other in that you have to invest – not just in technology, but in the people who can use it. The Apprenticeship model is an extremely good way of investing in people with the right skills, building for the future. Even if you don’t retain all of your apprentices over time what you’re doing is building up the pool of technically skilled people working in your industry. This can only be good for the industry, and for the wider economy as well.

“For many years now I think we’ve had a problem in all the science and technology based industries with the tension between the need for higher academic and technical skills. Obviously we need both of these groups, but we need to find a balance. With the Trailblazers programme I genuinely believe that in all areas it’s involved in, it’s a really worthwhile way of helping to rebalance the ‘technical skills mix’ in the way that the modern economy needs.”

As David concludes: “Apprenticeships can be a really positive thing in dentistry – not just for individuals, but also for employers and the dental profession as a whole. As such I am delighted to be involved with the Trailblazers programme in dentistry, as I believe it is an incredibly good thing, and encourage other organisations to get involved.”

To find out more about the Trailblazers programme, and how your company could get involved, contact Mustafa Mohammed via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Goodman Grant lawyers for dentists are doing their bit raise money for Bridge2Aid.

The team of experienced solicitors may have a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the dental sector, but this won’t help them in tackling their latest challenge.

On May 23^rd members from both the Liverpool and Leeds offices will embark on a 3 day cycle ride, taking them 180 miles across the width of the country from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. With little previous experience or training this will be no mean feat!

The Goodman Grant coast to coast challenge is intended to raise money and awareness in support of the fantastic work carried out in East Africa by Bridge2Aid. They work endlessly to provide training to increase access to dental pain relief for the millions of people suffering in the developing world.

For more information and details on how to donate please visit the justgiving site: www.justgiving.com/goodmangrantc2c.

Thank you.

For more information contact either

John Grant on 0113 8343705 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or

Tom Wright on 0151 707 0090 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

www.goodmangrant.co.uk

NASDAL and ASPD MEMBERS

.                                         .

New from Clark Dental, the Zenium ZYO is the latest high performance operating light featuring ‘shadowless’ technology for perfect clarity of vision.

Designed with the modern practice in mind, the ZYO is the perfect blend of style and sophistication. The unit consists of six powerful LED lights that can be adjusted to produce between 5,000 and 32,000 Lux, while innovative new materials improve heat dissipation while ensuring the unit remains light and compact.

With ergonomics such an important consideration, users will appreciate the excellent freedom of movement offered by the articulating ZYO arm, which has been designed to offer maximum fluidity and variety so you can illuminate your procedures from any angle. 

The Zenium ZYO can be purchased as an LED light only as above and also offers clinicians the additional option of a fully integrated digital HD camera, complete with zoom function. This provides a high quality display via a monitor, with the ability to save dental procedures to a hard disk for review as still images and also as video clips.

Combining style, sophistication and cutting-edge technology, the Zenium ZYO is the perfect addition to any dental practice.

For more information call Clark Dental Sales on 01270 766167, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.clarkdentalsurgerydesign.co.uk

Back this year with a fresh new format, this year’s BACD Annual Conference offers more practical hands-on session than ever, combined with a selection of talented speakers, presenting on all aspects of aesthetic treatment. This includes everything from direct resin composites, to provisionals and implant-supported aesthetics, alongside a range of lectures and seminars to help you market and promote your work to patients.

Whether you are a beginner, or an expert, there will be something for you at this year’s Annual Conference, and you can be sure to leave feeling both educated and inspired by the exceptional lectures and seminars on offer at this year’s event.

Among the many outstanding speakers already confirmed for 2014 is Dr Didier Dietschi of the famous Geneva Smile Center. A renowned lecturer and key opinion leader in his field, Dr Dietschi has published more than 70 clinical and scientific papers in his career, as well as writing many book chapters on adhesive and aesthetic restorations.

On Thursday 6th November Dr Dietschi will lead two hands-on sessions on “Metal free posterior restorations: direct techniques”. These two highly anticipated sessions will give you the chance to learn from the renowned expert, and pick up hints and tips that you can take back to your practice and apply the very next working day.

Following on from his hands-on sessions, on Friday 7th November, Dr Dietschi will present a full day’s lecture on: “Indications, advantages and limits of no-prep direct bonding in a comprehensive approach of anterior aesthetics.” This lecture will include a lot of material never before presented in the UK, and is a “must attend” event for anyone with an interest in adhesive dentistry.

“The aim of my lecture is to envision realistic dentistry with a strong emphasis on tissue conservation and aesthetics,” says Dr Dietschi. “I will demonstrate a way to reach excellent results using a reliable and relatively simple procedure.”

With this lecture, delegates can look forward to thought-provoking and inspirational presentation packed full of case examples and useful tips on how to achieve high quality aesthetic results in a clinically proven, minimally invasive way.

“Delegates can learn a method based on scientific evidence and systematic clinical protocols,” says Dr Dietschi. “These methods are essential to master the application of ‘no-prep’ conservative dentistry. This is the dentistry of the future!”

As Dr Dietschi concludes: “I have designed this lecture to be both fresh and enjoyable... I hope it will be an inspiring experience!”

This year’s BACD Annual Conference promises to be bigger and better than ever before. It is a great opportunity to meet like-minded professionals, learn from the experts, and keep up to date with the latest developments in the profession. Book your place today to make sure you don’t miss out on this inspiring and highly worthwhile event.

The BACD’s 11^th Annual Conference will take place on 6^th – 8^th November 2014 at the ACC Liverpool.

For further information call 0207 612 4166, fax 0207 182 7123, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.bacdconference.co.uk

While the protocols for safeguarding vulnerable patients are of course essential in any healthcare setting, it remains a difficult area to address. While professionals receive a significant amount of training when studying at University, many will have little experience of such a situation in practise and so may be unsure about exactly what is expected of them.

Lisa Pilkington is a Creative Training and Consultancy Manager with The Athena Programme – a renowned training facility that educates professionals and volunteers on how to safeguard children and vulnerable adults. As a retired Police Detective with over nine years’ experience in investigating and supervising child and adult abuse, Lisa was responsible for writing the first Lancashire Police Policy on the Investigation of Vulnerable Adult Abuse, which was subsequently identified as good practice nationally by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Lisa has previous experience sitting on Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Protection Boards, working in a multi-agency arena to monitor and update Safeguarding policies and protocols.

With an in-depth understanding of the CQC and various Safeguarding requirements for healthcare professionals, Lisa has been working within the dental industry for nearly five years now.

“The Safeguarding regulations set out by the CQC are quite generic (Outcome 7), but they bring professionals’ responsibility to safeguard patients to the forefront,” Lisa explains. “It is very much a part of their job now, and it is important that all members of the team understand what is required of them.

“The pathways that should be followed in the event that a professional suspects a child or vulnerable adult may be experiencing abuse or neglect, are as standard across the country. The line-manager or safeguarding lead within the practice should be notified, and if further information is needed or a referral is necessary, then the local Safeguarding Authority should be contacted. It is important for professionals to share their concerns with someone else, and confidential information sharing protocols should be in place and followed in such situations.”

As a sensitive area of any healthcare provider’s responsibilities, Lisa discusses the barriers that professionals need to overcome in order to act appropriately when protecting vulnerable patients.

“Professionals can often be afraid to report suspected neglect for fear for getting into trouble. Whether that’s with regards to sharing information or approaching the subject with the patient themselves, it is crucial that they have the confidence to deal with the circumstances effectively. Abuse or neglect is not always obvious and can be difficult to recognise, as well of course as being slightly subjective. For example, if there is a child patient who has 10 caries and who shows few signs of any improvement in their oral health, is that a form of neglect on behalf of the parents? If clinicians are concerned then simply speaking to another professional about it can help clarify their suspicions and help them follow protocol.”

There are also further ways of making the protocols clearer for both professionals and their patients.

“Increasing patient awareness of professionals’ duty to safeguard vulnerable people can help build practitioners’ confidence. Whether that involves placing posters or leaflets in the waiting area, or breeching the subject during patients’ initial enrolment with the practice, this can be hugely beneficial.

“For the latter, it is important to softly explain that dental professionals have a responsibility to protect their patients, and that they are simply doing their jobs should the topic ever be brought up. The more information practices can gain the better, so it may also be good to include a few questions in the registration forms such as ‘Does your child have a social worker?’. If the answer is yes, then a private and gentle conversation would be advisable – for some it may simply be to help with a disability, and for those who have been identified as a potential protection risk in the past, the practice will know to be particularly vigilant.

“When approaching the subject with regards to adults, questions such as ‘Do you have a carer?’ or ‘Who is your next of kin?’ are important. It may also be worth asking ‘Should you at any point not have the capacity to provide consent for yourself, who would you like us to ask?’. Also known as an ‘express wish’ or ‘desire’, adding these questions to the standard enrolment papers can limit the potential embarrassment caused by asking such things at a later date.

“Care Plans should also be taken into consideration when treating patients from residential or care homes, and follow ups are particularly important to ensure that the proposed treatment plan is being adhered to correctly.”

Patient consent is of course a difficult area with regards to vulnerable patients, and steps can and should be taken to ensure the highest possible quality of consent is acquired every time.

“Non-compliance with CQC regulations with regards to either Safeguarding or Patient Consent can of course have serious consequences for healthcare providers. It is therefore crucial that practices have a framework in place to show how staff should approach situations and to demonstrate that these have been adhered to. I often recommend tools such as SafeSeen Touch to help practices evidence their compliance, as the tablet removes the ‘red tape’, provides professionals with easy access to the protocols and is easy to use. Added features such as the ability to acquire e-signatures are also great for patient consent, and this makes it more convenient for professionals to seek consent for every patient at every appointment.”

It is paramount that you know and understand the Safeguarding protocols in order to help protect your more vulnerable patients. Whether you have a flowchart available in reception, an accessible hardcopy document or an electronic pathway set out, make sure you have the confidence to act appropriately if the time comes.

For more information about The Athena Programme, please visit www.theathenaprogramme.co.uk or email Lisa at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information, please visit www.safeseentouch.co.uk, call 0845 576 2833 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Although there are many concerns that surround the new NHS contract, there is no evidence of this translating into nervousness in the market at the moment.

Potential changes as seen through the pilot programmes are viewed by many practitioners as the chance to practice the kind of dentistry they want. Moving NHS dental services away from the high volume, quick turnaround UDA (Units of Dental Activity) system to a structure of care pathways and prevention is of course perceived as a good thing. And all the better if they can practice this new kind of dentistry under the same budget.

There are, of course, some other potential changes being whispered about that may affect dental businesses if they come through.

For example, there is talk of adjustments being made to the value of unit activity, which will clearly have an impact on practice income and profitability. Anything that affects the income or cost base of a business can of course affect its overall value, and if the rates of the service come down then clearly the value of the business is affected as well.

Another possible change being discussed is the time-limited GDS contract. If this change does take place, this will obviously have an effect on the practice’s valuation because the practitioner will only have the right to receive that income for a certain amount of time.

But again, until any announcements are made and changes put into place, all this is mere speculation at the moment, with little to no effect on the business side to be seen. Prices for NHS practices have been surging ahead in the last 12 to 18 months, while prices for private practice have remained relatively stable.

With the changes to the NHS contract possibly taking place soon, and the improving economy in general, demand for private dental practices is likely to improve in the coming months.

The best advice, therefore, remains:  research what you are buying thoroughly; don’t be carried away just because the market is currently hot; execute your due diligence properly; take professional advice to make sure you get the very best the market has to offer.

To discuss how Christie + Co might help you achieve your future plans please contact Simon Hughes on 020 7227 0749

BIO:

Simon Hughes joined Christie + Co in 1987 and has responsibility for the further expansion of its brokerage services into the Primary Care sectors of dentistry and GP surgery sectors. In the past three years, Christie + Co has advised, valued or sold almost £1 billion worth of businesses. Simon heads up a dedicated team of specialist advisers and agents based in regional locations throughout the UK.

Debate has recently been ignited regarding the government’s apprenticeship scheme and its intended reforms under the Trailblazers programme. National Apprenticeship Week in March raised awareness of the rewards that employers reap from taking on young trainees. The dental lab industry – which may in the future see the creation of a dental lab technician apprenticeship – can realise the same benefits by employing newly qualified dental technicians.

The dental lab industry is struggling – and it has been for some time. Between 500 and 800 dental technicians leave the profession every year, and there are just 6,000 registered with the GDC. This is an extremely low figure, especially considering that a decade ago it was closer to 12,000 registrants. Britain is gradually losing a highly skilled workforce and as a result, more and more work has had to be outsourced overseas, which is less than ideal.

Despite these figures, there still remain labs that are apprehensive about employing newly qualified techs due to misconceptions about the quality of work that will be produced or questions surrounding the motivation or enthusiasm of the employee. Yet the vast majority of young people that are taken on in this role are not only highly dedicated, enthusiastic, motivated and dexterous individuals, but they’re also closely mentored, supported and trained before being permitted to work on difficult cases.

One example of the scope of achievement that can be reached by giving newly qualified dental technicians top quality support and instruction can be seen in the training programme of Sparkle Dental Labs. The company was launched in 2012 with the aim of regenerating the British dental lab industry, reversing the trend of outsourcing and supporting the future of the industry through the careful selection and thorough training of newly qualified dental technicians.

The lab ensures that new technicians do not work on complicated cases until they’ve had at least 18 months’ experience, as it appreciates that it’s only after a new technician has had significant lab experience that they have the skills and expertise required to work on more complicated cases. The company also enjoys a very low staff turnover, which is beneficial in many ways, including the fact that newly qualified dental technicians have consistency in their training. A low staff turnover also means that strong, long-term relationships are easily forged with the dentists the lab works with.

Looking ahead

By implementing a similarly thorough training programme to Sparkle Dental Labs, labs across the country will benefit from the enthusiasm and talent of newly qualified technicians. Those that are taken on can be encouraged and supported with valuable mentoring and instruction, learning from the team around them and not solely from one trainer, and shadowing a senior member of staff to be trained up to a high standard of competence before being allowed to work independently on cases.

Reversing the trend of losing dental lab technicians by employing young talent is an essential part of protecting the industry’s future ­– and to making the British brand the market leader in terms of standards and quality. Practices want traceable restorations that are made in Britain with expert workmanship and competitive pricing. By taking on newly qualified dental technicians and providing them with extensive training, mentoring and support, the future of the British dental lab industry is safe.

The government’s apprenticeship project, Trailblazers has appointed entrepreneur Mustafa Mohammed as the leader of its Dental Health section. Mustafa is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of highly skilled young technicians and developing an apprenticeship scheme for them. These young people will not only be of great value and benefit to the labs that take them on, but to the dental industry and UK economy as a whole.

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

It’s been 25 years since DBG began – and I’ve been lucky enough to have been there right from the very beginning.

The dental buying group, as it was known back then, was the brainchild of Allan Stockwin. Twenty-five years ago, the very idea of a dental buying group was itself an incredibly innovative concept that had absolutely no predecessors – and there were plenty of people who dismissed the whole thing as untenable. There really was nothing like it available, and when you think of how many companies have to continuously compete with each other today, that seems rather fantastic.

In the beginning, a group of us attended several meetings with Allan and really liked the concept. My husband, Geoff Edmiston, and Mel Rosenthal were delighted to become investors and get the ball the ball rolling as it were. From there it wasn’t long before several other forward-thinking professionals got involved as well.

In those days the dental industry was very segregated and each practice was in effect an island – they had absolutely no clout when it came to haggling for discounts on products. Practice owners essentially took what they were given. Whether it was a dental chair or a new toothbrush supplier that was required, if the owner asked for money off they would have been laughed out of the building – so the idea behind DBG was to bring these people together and form a group that gave real buying power to each of its members.

Revolutionary idea

Many of us within the group at this point travelled around the world to places such as America and Hong Kong to take a look at innovative products and materials that hadn’t yet reached British shores. Our next step was to set up a panel of dentists who would try out these innovative products via a thorough tried-and-tested evaluation – this eventually resulted in DBG’s exclusive Tekpro brand, which gave dentists the opportunity to purchase good quality products at affordable prices compared to what most companies were asking for at that time. This kept those products viable for use in the mainstream.

It was very exciting in the early days, as the concept was developed and the number of people involved grew significantly. We held regular meetings, went away on great weekends and were able to meet likeminded peers – it was such a great time for us, sourcing new products and putting them out to test. It was a real mix of business and pleasure. While the others were out sourcing new products, I personally became increasingly involved in practice management and the marketing side of things. I found this very interesting and it led to my continued involvement in marketing, which I still do today.

In the States we came across the computerised local anaesthesia device, which is available in the UK now, but wasn’t back then. In fact, at the time we couldn’t even get a supplier in England and in the end we had to bring it in from South Africa ­as it was so far ahead of the times, and we sourced many other innovative products in the same way before they went mainstream.

Making an impact

Our aim was to make practice life easier and provide a complete business service – and we succeeded. As DBG grew, the company really put a cat among the pigeons in the non-practicing side of the dental world. These companies had had it their own way up until then – they could set their own prices and there was nothing a small surgery could do about it.

But once practices were backed with the buying power of hundreds and thousands of their members, it really shook things up in terms of the purchasing of equipment and services. There was clearly a real niche market here, and the whole initiative worked exceptionally well. The biggest benefit was that we helped a lot of practices to get a decent price for stock without them having to bulk buy to make those savings. This was a fantastic selling point for DBG: the fact that practices didn’t need to stockpile to save money.

DBG today

So that’s how it started, and as DBG grew it sidetracked into different areas, from engineering and materials and then on to on-site, online and in-practice training, and as we attracted more and more members that gave us the facility to spread our wings further.

The company continues to uphold its reputation of helping and supporting practices as well as its motto: ‘complete dental solutions’; and it has plenty of satisfied members who are more than willing to testify to this success. For example, when speaking about DBG engineers Laura Hancock, Practice Manager at The Dental Practice in Liverpool, says “The service is very efficient and our equipment is always repaired without causing any disturbance or problems to staff or patients”.

DBG also continues to evolve and devise new ways in which it can support members. For example, the Healthcare Professionals Network (HPN) is a recently introduced membership scheme that is solely for DCPs – it offers an online members forum for DCPs, community support and advice as well as online access to core CPD and discounts on indemnity insurance. Deanna Dowley, Practice Manager at Grosvenor Dental Practice in Stoke, beta-tested the HPN website. She says the HPN makes life easier for DCPs, and that she’s, “looking forward to organising everything electronically in one place – it will definitely take the strain off a bit”.

DBG is now the UK’s largest outsourced healthcare provider, and will continue offer innovative healthcare solutions in years to come.

For more information call DBG on 01606 861 950,

Or visit www.thedbg.co.uk

Every dentist will strive to give treatment that is tailored to the specific needs of a patient. This approach is also applicable when looking to lease a property for use as a dental practice. Taking into account the very specific service that dentists offer, it follows that their practice will also require specific terms and conditions in the lease to support that service.

Standardised leases

The ability of a dental practice to function as smoothly as possible is of the utmost importance. Standardised commercial leases can often hinder dentists in their work, making them waste time and money unnecessarily. The pitfalls and problems are numerous with standard commercial leases, and it is best to avoid them at all costs.

There is a very real danger that the specific requirements of a dental practice can be overlooked and in some cases actually forbidden under the terms of the lease! For example, the need for practices to store X-ray machines and various drugs is clear. However, it is possible for a standard lease to prohibit the storage of these items. If a dentist does not adhere to the conditions of the lease there is a possibility of the lease being terminated by the landlord and the dentist being evicted from the property, which can lead to otherwise preventable high expense and hassle in order to resolve the situation.

In addition, dentists are often not required to register for VAT in respect of their supply of an exempt service. However a standard commercial lease can leave the landlord with the ability to charge VAT at any point should the landlord so chose. If this were to happen, it would mean an unavoidable and immediate 20 per cent rise in the rent of the property.

The restrictions that standard commercial leases enforce can not only cripple the financial position and functionality of a practice, but can also prohibit anybody from sharing the property.

This is particularly unfavourable when considering commonplace associate agreements. A term that associate agreements usually state is that the associate is given a license to use the property for dental purposes. With a potential restriction on who can occupy the property, an associate agreement can unwittingly lead to a breach of lease, and once again termination of the lease can occur.

The fact is that many general practice solicitors who draw up standard leases do not take into account the particular requirements of a dental practice, as opposed to the requirements of their other commercial clients. Whilst these general practice solicitors may be knowledgeable about commercial leases in the broad sense, it would be extremely advantageous to any dentist considering taking a commercial lease to employ a solicitor who has experience specifically in the dental industry.

In simple terms, the disadvantages a standardised commercial lease presents to a dentist can be overwhelming.

The benefits of bespoke commercial leases

Instructing a commercial lawyer with specialist dental knowledge will offer a solution. A bespoke lease will address the requirements a dentist has for his or her practice and amend the terms a standardised commercial lease overlooks or prohibits. This will provide a successful and hassle free lease, ultimately allowing for a dentist to focus on providing dental treatment, rather than worrying about legal matters.

Using bespoke commercial leases can be a sensible way to avoid time and money being wasted, and the complications that come with that waste. From ensuring that the storage of vital dental equipment is allowed to enabling associate agreements, and making sure there is no unexpected rise in rent, the benefits of a bespoke lease are clear.

 The key points to always bear in mind is not only the employment of a dental lawyer who understands the dental industry, but also the fact that where any legal matter is concerned it is important not to cut corners to save time. Bespoke commercial leases can be extremely beneficial in avoiding unnecessary complications and costs; their importance cannot be stressed enough.

Goodman Grant has a reputation of quality legal advice within dentistry. With this crucial and specialist knowledge, Goodman Grant’s team of solicitors are able to draw bespoke commercial leases to the specific advantage of dentists. Ensure you are not distracted from providing exceptional treatment by taking advantage of the huge benefits a bespoke commercial lease will provide. 

Nicola Lomas Goodman Grant Lawyers for Dentists

For more information call Nicola Lomas on 0151 707 0090 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.goodmangrant.co.uk

 

Dedicated to enhancing your practices’ daily processes for long-term success, 7connections is thrilled to announce an expansion in its services through its new partnership with US marketing giant, Infusionsoft.

Committed to increasing sales and marketing opportunities for small businesses, Infusionsoft combines everything your practice needs to promote itself successfully. With contact management, CRM, marketing automation and e-commerce all available in one single online system, it offers an easy, quick and cost-effective way to grow your business.

Lifecycle marketing plays a huge role in the growth and management of your patient-base, and so it will form an essential element to the services offered by 7connections and Infusionsoft. They will take you through all seven steps of the cycle, from attracting website traffic to capturing leads, nurturing prospects, converting prospects into sales, delivering customer satisfaction, upselling and acquiring business referrals. Each phase is as important as the next in order to not only attract new people to the practice, but to encourage them to become quality patients, and then keep them coming back.

Infusionsoft has already published some of the results it has achieved with small businesses, demonstrating a huge average increase in revenue of 400%![i] Enabling you to apply the theory to your specific business in a tangible way, 7connections and Infusionsoft will help you bring more patients through the door, while also reducing your costs. They will help you deliver a first-class experience to all existing and potential patients, use marketing automation in a personal way, enhance your patient communications and expand your business-to-business marketing for increased referrals, all helping your practice to truly thrive.

Working with 7connections and Infusionsoft you will not only discover the benefits of effective marketing, but you will also acquire new skills and tools to ensure you can move forward efficiently.

Watch this space for future innovative marketing solutions!

For more information about 7connections or the new partnership, call 01647 478145 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Alternatively, please visit the brand new website www.7connections.com.

There has been a lot of discussion of late surrounding a new event billed as a ‘Wealth creation day for dentists’. While opinion would seem split on whether there is really any need for this event, a number of colleagues have suggested that it gives dentists a bad name and that it doesn’t paint us in a positive light.

But then, why should we care? Why does it matter what anyone else thinks? Supposing opticians had a wealth creation day – or chiropodists, or osteopaths – would we all really be so up in arms about it then? Probably not.

As a profession, we seem to be suffering from a form of collective insecurity. We’ve been knocked one too many times in the press, and so our instinctive response is to reject anything that might make us seem greedy or rich as being completely out of hand. Which is strange really, when you come to think about it; surely it’s not unreasonable for anyone to want to sure up his or her financial future.

Bursting the bubble

At the heart of the issue here is the matter of business. As dentists, we’re all very good at dentistry, but not very good at business. Indeed some colleagues could be described as being financially very naïve. Unfortunately get rich schemes play on this naivety, as well as our innate human desire to want to make a secure future for ourselves and for our families.

The problem occurs when you consider how most of these schemes work. In this particular case we see that the idea is to try and gain maximum leverage from property; you simply get as much out of the bank as you can, put it on a house that goes up in value, sell it quickly, and take the profit. Yet experience tells us that all this does is fuel the housing bubble! Enough people have got their fingers burnt by this in the past for it to be completely financially reckless.

Chasing the fast buck

Generally speaking, as dentists we’re not very entrepreneurial, and we’re not inventing anything so we’ll never be ‘rich’ by most modern day standards. Of course I don’t for one moment want to sound disingenuous – as a profession dentists do very well – but not well enough that ‘get rich’ schemes don’t hold some sort of appeal. This is because traditionally the way a dentist earns money is to keep overheads down and work a marathon, slowly and steadily building up over time.

Needless to say this wasn’t always the case. Traditionally, when property prices were cheap and the NHS was lucrative, many people went into dentistry as it was an extremely financially rewarding career. But in recent times this has reached something of a lull. While there are certainly a number of ‘super dentists’ who are doing very well in the cosmetic market, most people are struggling, and with the ever-present burden of regulation, most dentists are seeing their standard of living decrease. We shouldn’t be surprised then that some people are attracted to the promise of a ‘get rich’ scheme, even if the concept is for the most part, fundamentally flawed.

The changing profession

In many respects what this debate highlights more than anything is just how much the dental profession has changed. Obviously there have been many positives in terms of new materials, technologies and treatments, but the very nature of the job is not the same as it once was. We are now business people as much as we are healthcare professionals, and though the concept doesn’t sit well with some people, there can be no escaping this undeniable fact.

So should we be embarrassed about wanting to make money? I really don’t think we should. After all, what we do with our money outside of work is our own business, and would you really deny anyone the chance to build a sound financial future?

If you want to go out and earn more money then I say good luck to you. However, I do urge caution. If the recession has taught us anything it’s that great financial rewards only come with great risk. When I look at many of these ‘get rich’ schemes, I fear the only people who will really make any money from them are the people running the courses themselves.

Naturally, I don’t really blame anyone for wanting to make money, but I do think we need to recognise that we are dental professionals first and foremost, and business people a distant second. While the profession may have changed a great deal over the years, patient care is still the thing we’re best at. In this sense at least, dentistry hasn’t changed very much at all!

For further information please call EndoCare on 020 7224 0999

Or visit www.endocare.co.uk

Dr Michael Sultan BDS MSc DFO FICD is a Specialist in Endodontics and the Clinical Director of EndoCare. Michael qualified at Bristol University in 1986. He worked as a general dental practitioner for 5 years before commencing specialist studies at Guy’s hospital, London. He completed his MSc in Endodontics in 1993 and worked as an in-house Endodontist in various practices before setting up in Harley St, London in 2000. He was admitted onto the specialist register in Endodontics in 1999 and has lectured extensively to postgraduate dental groups as well as lecturing on Endodontic courses at Eastman CPD, University of London. He has been involved with numerous dental groups and has been chairman of the Alpha Omega dental fraternity. In 2008 he became clinical director of EndoCare, a group of specialist practices.

The work of a Dental Care Professional (DCP) largely centres around helping other people – treating patients, perhaps helping them to overcome dental anxiety, contributing to the daily running of the practice and assisting colleagues. The term Dental Care Professional is not misleading – ‘care’ is central to the role and in many ways is synonymous with ‘help’.

But who helps the helpers and cares about the carers? And where do we go when we need advice or support in our professional lives?  There are many sides to our work which extend beyond the usual demands of daily duties. These can range from problems with meeting the CPD requirements to acquiring appropriate insurance or understanding and complying with the seemingly endless Standards and regulations.

CPD is seen as a positive for many, although of course it is a mandatory element for all dental professionals throughout their careers and not something that can be avoided. The many hours dedicated to CPD and the costs involved can be considerable, particularly as tax relief is not available despite the recent BADN campaign. For DCPs who have to fund CPD themselves, it can be an additional and worrying burden.

Another essential aspect for DCPs to think about is appropriate indemnity insurance. The GDC Guidance on indemnity insurance effective from 30th September 2013, states: “If you are relying on arrangements made by your employer, you must check the indemnity position with them. You must not make any assumptions about whether or not you are covered by their arrangements – you must always check ...”[1]

Ensuring adequate and appropriate insurance is not only vital for your own personal protection in the case of a patient complaint, it is also a requirement of the GDC Standards for the Dental Team which declare that you “must have appropriate arrangements in place for patients to seek compensation if they suffer harm”.[2] Further stressing its importance, in the 2012 GDC Annual Report, the fourth most common reason for a hearing with the Professional Conduct Committee (PPC) was lack of indemnity insurance[i].

These are just some of the important professional obligations that need our careful attention as DCPs, and they can add to the considerable demands already placed on our time and resources. Fortunately, help is available through various organisations who can offer guidance and assistance on various areas, including training, compliance and insurance. One such provider is DBG, the UK’s largest outsourced healthcare provider, who’s annual membership provides access to help and support, with a dedicated member’s area and discounts on a variety of services.

The smile on the face of a grateful patient can make all the difference to the working day, and when you know there is somewhere for you to go for help and advice too, it will make that day even better.

For more information call DBG on 01606 861 950

Or visit www.thedbg.co.uk

In a series of interviews available on the Dental Focus ® YouTube channel, CEO Krishan Joshi has shared some invaluable insights into the world of online dental marketing, along with his tips on how to build the perfect dental practice website…

In the world of online dental marketing, Google page 1 is everything. As the world’s most popular search engine, your Google ranking is an important indicator of just how well your dental website is working for you. If your practice doesn’t appear on page 1 for common search terms relating to your practice then it’s not working to its maximum potential, and you may miss out on new patients as a result.

Content is key

To achieve Google page 1, the first thing you need to consider is your content. In Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), content is absolutely key. We know that Google ranks website based on over 200 different criteria, but of these the most important factors relate to the quality and relevance of your website content.

By relevance here, we mean to say that it is: factually correct; related to the things that you do; and tailored for your specific audience. If you target market is mainly older patients then your content will need to be written with an older audience in mind. After all, these patients may have different needs and wants to younger patients, and will often prefer a different tone and style. Remember, Google takes into account a whole range of different factors when ranking your website, including how long users spend reading each page. If users don’t find your content relevant, or indeed useful and click away quickly, then your Google rank will drop as a result.

Tips for success

As well as ensuring your content is fresh, relevant and up-to-date, there are a number of other steps you can take to get the most out of your practice website. Firstly, you should ensure your branding is clean and clear. Patients need to know where they are and should have easy access to features that let them contact you. Your telephone number should be included at the top of every page, and should be text and not an image, so patients can click on it.

Your team page is another important page to consider. Professional photographs can make a real difference in the way you are perceived. As well as all the relevant GDC-compliance information, you should also seek to include key details that help to emphasise the unique selling points of your practice. If you are pushing your expertise, then make sure your team page reflects this. For even better results in Google, you should aim to create a separate page for each member of clinical staff so patients can find you when they search Google using a dentist’s name.

Learn from the Master

Online dental marketing is not easy, and requires a great deal of time and effort to get right. However, help is out there, and can take the first steps to online success by visiting the Dental Focus ® YouTube channel today. There you will find a series of 12 fascinating videos, where Ashley Latter interviews internet marketing expert and Dental Focus ® CEO Krishan Joshi on his top tips on how you can put your practice on the Google map, and generate real sustained business growth for your practice.

For more information call 020 7183 8388, or visit www.dentalfocus.com

Landing Pages

Part1...The importance of an effective landing page

GDPUK.com earns revenue from banner ads, we display adverts from companies looking to attract dentists as customers. The most successful banners, direct the user to a specific landing page. A good landing page should be seen as a part of your sales team, in the first part of this series I have listed some thoughts on the importance of an effective landing page.

A landing page is a web page that allows you to capture a visitor’s information through a lead-capture form. These are often known as a conversion form.

Landing pages are created to convert traffic into qualified leads. If you can focus on converting visitors into leads, landing pages are all about positive ROI. This is where a good landing page can make all the difference.

So why are landing pages important?

• They help you focus on conversion. The focus has to be on converting visitors into leads. A few simple ideas could be contact details for a free white paper, or contact details for a sample of your product.
• Direct. By using a landing page you will start to find that a landing page can be more effective than just directing traffic to a homepage, which is likely to be a waste of time. Once someone makes the effort to click on a banner, if the landing page matches what is on the banner, the odds of converting the click into a lead will increase dramatically.
• Generation of leads. If an effective page is created, it is suddenly a lot easier to capture leads. Every time a lead completes a conversion form on a landing page your sales team collects valuable information. Obviously this is a great for the sales team, as they are receiving warm leads to target.
• The more the better. Once you start creating a range of landing pages for different offers, the more opportunities you will create to convert visitors into leads.
• Makes the expenditure on advertising worthwhile. The landing page should sell your product; the language on the landing page needs to be customised and persuasive to your target audience. If you are creating specific ads (which many GDPUK clients do) then it is pointless if you’re only going to send potential customers in the direction of your homepage.

I hope this blog gives you an idea of the importance of a landing page and how getting it right can lead to an increase in revenue. Advertising online is something we are all still learning about, but we believe by investing in your landing page, it is a great start to achieving a return from your online advertising.

For further information on how we can help with the marketing of your brand or product or to learn how we can help with a landing page for your advert, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We will publish part two of this series next week, which will give you some ideas of the key features of an effective landing page. 

Advanced Defence Gum Treatment is a twice-daily mouthwash clinically proven to treat gum disease as an adjunct to mechanical cleaning and to offer an alternative to chlorhexidine based remedies.

It's formulated with unique LAE (Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate) technology that forms a physical coating on the pellicle to prevent bacteria attaching, and so interrupts biofilm formation. When used after brushing, it treats gum disease as shown by the reduction of bleeding by 50.9% (p<0.001) in only 4 weeks.¹

In addition, Advanced Defence Gum Treatment is designed to not cause staining.²

Advanced Defence Gum Treatment is part of the LISTERINE® Advanced Defence range from Johnson & Johnson, a scientifically proven adjunct to your professional treatment.

Designed to help you treat and/or prevent specific oral care conditions, this range also includes LISTERINE® Advanced Defence Sensitive and LISTERINE® Advanced Defence Cavity Guard.

With this range of expert daily mouthwashes, Johnson & Johnson is looking forward to working more closely with dental professionals to help deliver advanced treatment outcomes for patients, for expert care when you’re not there.

For more information on LISTERINE® Advanced Defence, please visit www.dentistry.co.uk/listerine  or call 0800 328 0750.

References:

1. Bleeding Index Reduction DOF 1 – 2013 (LAEBBA0001), 50.9% Reduction in whole-mouth mean Bleeding Index at 4 weeks

2. DOF 2-2013 (UNKPLT0006)

Johnson & Johnson Ltd, the makers of LISTERINE® Advanced Defence, were proud to sponsor two presentations at the 2014 British Dental Conference & Exhibition.

Dr Maria Mantzourani offered advice how to translate complex microbiological concepts into clinical practice, and provide factual oral health education and treatment to patients.

Professor Anthony Roberts examined common management challenges for patients with periodontitis, offering suggestions on overcoming these issues in practice.

On show was LISTERINE® Advanced Defence Gum Treatment, an alternative to chlorhexidine-based remedies. This twice-daily mouthwash is clinically proven to treat gum disease as an adjunct to mechanical cleaning. When used after brushing, it treats gum disease as shown by the reduction of bleeding by 50.9% (p<0.001) in only 4 weeks.¹ In addition, Advanced Defence Gum Treatment is designed to not cause staining.²

LISTERINE® Advanced Defence Gum Treatment is part of the Advanced Defence range from Johnson & Johnson, a scientifically proven adjunct to your professional treatment.

Designed to help you treat and/or prevent specific oral care conditions, LISTERINE® Advanced Defence range also includes Advanced Defence Sensitive and Advanced Defence Cavity Guard.

For more information on LISTERINE® Advanced Defence, please visit www.dentistry.co.uk/listerine  or call 0800 328 0750.

References:

1. Bleeding Index Reduction DOF 1 – 2013 (LAEBBA0001), 50.9% Reduction in whole-mouth mean Bleeding Index at 4 weeks

2. DOF 2-2013 (UNKPLT0006)

Serious stuff or a Lamentable & Brazen attempt to kowtow to the big agencies?

Can modern man cut it?

Chris Barrow of 7connections is one of 13 British men to take part in a unique social experiment run by Bear Grylls and Channel 4.

Stripped of all every day creature comforts, the participants are put to the test to see if they have the resourcefulness and the instinct to survive in an incredibly unforgiving environment.

Bear Grylls challenges them to come together, build a community and find the kindness that he thinks is essential for small groups to not just survive, but to thrive, even in the harshest of conditions.

This experience will be life-changing; can modern man still cut it in the wild?

Find out – don’t miss The Island with Bear Grylls on Channel 4, 9pm on Monday 5^th May.

Dr Harry Singh, CEO of the Dental Property Club, is delighted to invite you to attend his ‘Wealth Creation Day for Dentists’ on Friday 4 July 2014 in Radcliffe, Manchester.

Harry is looking to share his knowledge of the property market to empower dentists to create, build and manage their own property portfolio to provide an additional income, pension or to become financially free and work reduced hours.

Like most dentists, Harry was making good money; however, it left him working long hours and missing out on both family and ‘me’ time. Even when Harry was away from the practice, he found himself thinking about patient emergencies or complaints, as well as staff issues.

Feeling alone on a professional level and unhappy with his lifestyle, Harry sought to make a change so, as well as practising dentistry, he started to invest in property and stumbled upon some professional property secrets that helped to develop his business interests.  Harry has acquired a number of properties over a 24-month that are now worth much more than he paid for them and bring in a valuable income.

Harry would now like to share his secrets with his dental colleagues.

Spaces on the 'Wealth creation day for dentists' course are limited, so don’t delay. For further information, please visit http://bit.ly/1fr2VdA or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For over 120 years Kerr's inspiration has been to develop and manufacture a wide range of high quality dental products for your practice.

Kerr is committed to advancing aesthetic dentistry through education and sustainable solutions in consultation with wet-gloved clinicians.

This partnership approach is the inspiration behind decades of standard-setting products that make up Kerr’s rich portfolio.

Why attend the Innovations in Dentistry Symposium?

The materials and equipment available to dental professionals in the 21st century allows for superior results to be achieved – as long as clinicians embrace the opportunity to understand how these products have been designed to work.

With this in mind, the two-day Innovations in Dentistry Symposium offers visitors the opportunity to hear leading speakers discuss restorative dentistry, endodontics and new equipment that have transformed the way modern dentistry is practised.

On Thursday 3 July 2014 at Altitude 360 in Westminster, each dental team member can choose from a comprehensive range of lectures to suit their needs, accruing six hours of verifiable continuous professional development (CPD).

Then, on Friday 4 July 2014, dentists can attend restorative and/or endodontic hands-on sessions (up to a maximum of 20 delegates in each) worth three hours of verifiable CPD at Henry Schein’s Marble Arch showroom.

These interactive sessions will allow participants to hear, see and perform various cutting-edge techniques, developing skills of immediate use in the dental practice.

The speakers

Among those speaking will be Dr Chris Orr, one of the UK’s most prominent cosmetic dentists.

His first presentation will cover a structured approach to aesthetic treatment planning and delivery, as well as knowledge of simple risk management examination tools that can be applied chairside.

Taking to the podium for a second time, Dr Orr will discuss modern posterior composite and indirect restorations, covering indications and techniques to achieve successful restorations without amalgam.

Dr Orr’s third session will address the two adhesion strategies that are at the heart of today’s bonding agents, in addition to sharing how to avoid the common problems and pitfalls.

Professor Robbie McConnell, an authority on new dental materials, will be covering a review of enamel and dentine bonding systems, including which bonding techniques work best for both conventional fill and bulk filling techniques.

In addition, he will offer guidance on simplified preparation and placement techniques for anterior and posterior composites.

Following the lecture, participants will have the opportunity to place a class two composite restoration using Sonicfill.

Dr Gianluca Gambarini, professor of endodontics at the University of Rome Dental School, will show the latest improvements in nickel titanium instrumentation, describing a new approach – TF Adaptive.

The advantages of the new technique will be shown, explaining the key features.

The creation of an endodontic glide path with reciprocating stainless steel (SS) instruments will also be presented and discussed.

Kerr’s big competition

Kerr is inviting two practices – one from the north and one from the south – to attend this incredible event free of charge, to include travel by train to London and accommodation for up to 10 attendees in a hotel close to the venue (terms and conditions apply, see box for details).

For your chance to win a team ticket to the Innovations in Dentistry Symposium, simply answer the following three questions and send your answers to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before the closing date of 18 June 2104:

1. For how long has Kerr been developing and manufacturing a wide range of high quality dental products

2. Following Professor Robbie McConnell’s presentation on enamel and dentine bonding systems, what product will delegates have the chance to try for themselves

3. Where in London can dentists attend restorative and/or endodontic hands-on sessions worth three hours of verifiable CPD on 4 July 2014?

For further information or to book your place, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 0845 873 6299.

Terms and conditions

Each practice can only enter once. The two winning practices will be drawn randomly. Deadline for entries – midnight 18 June 2014. Travel includes trains only. Accommodation to be specified by Kerr UK. For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) is committed to promoting excellence in all areas of cosmetic dentistry. As part of its ongoing efforts the Academy has introduced credentials to allow members to demonstrate that they have reached an agreed level of ability. The process has been designed to allow dentists and technicians to demonstrate that they have the ability to diagnose, plan and execute cosmetic treatment of the highest standard, and that this can be done safely, ethically and competently.

Here, Neil and Paul Gerrard share their thoughts on BACD Accreditation and how it’s helped them develop in their professional careers…

A dentist’s perspective

By Neil Gerrard

I had a number of motivations for completing BACD Accreditation. The first was the learning process of being able to consistently deliver predictable high quality care within a private practice environment; the second was recognition by my peers of such an achievement – to join a select group of dentists and technicians working at the top of their field; and finally, positioning of my skills to the general public, i.e. present a unique selling proposition regarding the marketing of my practice.

Make no mistake, Accreditation is a taxing process, and it certainly does take time. But ultimately it’s also very rewarding. In many respects it’s more about the journey than it is about the final destination. This is because the things you learn along the way stay with you throughout your career.

One of the biggest challenges I found during my process was finding patients who were suitable for each category. What you will find in the end is that you actually have to deliver a high standard of care to all of your patients in order to find the right cases. This means you can’t be selective in the cases you are treating – you have to raise your whole game consistently across every area of the practice.

For me, this is one of the main benefits of doing Accreditation. It encourages you to improve, and improve consistently in all of the disciplines. What you also realise, looking back, is that as you raise the quality of your work you are also improving the overall standard of care you can deliver to patients.

If you really want to raise your game in dentistry then BACD Accreditation is definitely for you.

A technician’s perspective

By Paul Gerrard

I first got involved with the Accreditation process as a result of working with my brother on his own Accreditation cases. After doing the technical work for his case submissions I felt as though it was something I wanted to do for my own personal achievement.

On a professional level I found the whole process to be a great way to give me a structured process to improve the quality of my work. It gave me something concrete to aim for with a final objective in mind.

Accredited status has opened a few more doors for me and has allowed me to meet like-minded dentists that are dedicated to providing the highest standards of care. This is because many people within the profession recognise the award as a hallmark of quality. Working with clients that share a similar passion enables me to meet the high standards that BACD Accreditation demands and makes my daily work so much more enjoyable.

If there’s one thing that the process has taught me is just how important it is to have a really close working relationship with the dentist. Communication is absolutely key to achieving the best results, and while emails and digital images have broken down a lot of barriers, for me you still can’t beat meeting with the dentist face-to-face. 

If you’re a technician and think Accreditation might be for you, then the first thing you should do is find a like-minded dentist to work with. Ideally you should look for someone who also wants to do the Accreditation process at the same time, so this means you’re both working towards the same goal.

Once you’ve found a suitable dentist then you can really start thinking about your case submissions. The process is a lot of work, but the results are worth it!

The Accreditation process

To begin the Accreditation process, first you will need to be registered as a BACD Full Member. You should then complete the entry form (available online) and submit it to the Academy when you are ready to begin.

In total each dentist candidate will present five separate cases, while technician candidates will present four cases in total. These cases can be submitted in any order to the BACD and will be judged anonymously by a panel of five examiners. Once the candidate has passed all of their required clinical cases, he/she will then be invited to take a final viva examination. This will include a review of some or all of the candidate’s clinical cases and a discussion.

Once you have successfully completed your examination you will be presented with an Accreditation plaque at the next BACD Annual Conference. You will also be permitted to use approved logos in any professional communication, and will appear as an Accredited Member on the ‘Find a Cosmetic Dentist’ feature found on the BACD website.

For further information call 0207 612 4166, fax 0207 182 7123, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.bacd.com

Top tips for selling your practice

By Simon Hughes

When selling your dental practice there is a seemingly endless maze of considerations and potential stumbling blocks to navigate. Without help and expert advice, you will find yourself stuck in the middle of this labyrinth not knowing where to turn.  

However, with a little knowledge and experience some confusion can be avoided. Here are a few relatively simple tips that will help to facilitate the smooth sale of your practice for the maximum value.

1. Get the price right

Valuation and pricing your business correctly for the market is paramount. Expert advice in this forever-fluctuating arena is equally important. Virtually all buyers will have undertaken an independent valuation before purchasing a practice; if your price is unrealistically high it will get knocked down, so it is important to get it right first.

The trick is to think like a buyer. Looking at your own business through critical eyes and as if you were the purchaser, will give you an insight into what others might see. Ask yourself: how does it look and feel? Is it fit for purpose? First impressions of the practice are very important and the asking price is a significant part of this. View other practices from similar price ranges: would you consider them to be a bargain, fairly priced or overpriced? Your expert adviser will have comparable evidence from which to draw – the more experienced the adviser, the more evidence there will be.

2. Ensure the property is in order

Making sure that your property lease is in order and that you have sought out clear and succinct advice is also important. For instance, if your property is leasehold, are you offering a sufficient lease term to make it worthwhile for the buyer?

It is also worth checking that all regulatory data is accurate and correct. Your practice clearly wouldn’t be trading if you weren’t CQC and HTM01-05 compliant, but do you have all the necessary documentation to hand should you need it?

3. Ensure all operations are in order

Every experienced buyer understands that all businesses have their own staffing challenges and issues, so absolute honesty is the key to maintain the credibility of your business valuation. If you paint too perfect a picture then a potential buyer may be suspicious. Equally, if you have got a lot of staffing issues, then this can present problems as well.

If the practice has vacancies then highlight this. If you choose not to replace missing associates, turnover will go down and the value of the business will follow suit. Too much vacant chair space will cost you in the long run and will be reflected in your income and valuation.

4. Planning and preparation

Preparation is key; this is the most significant aspect of getting ready for any sale. Insufficient planning and preparation may ultimately cost you. Many deals are agreed quickly but end up going nowhere due to a failure to sufficiently plan in advance.

It is important, therefore, to collect all the key pieces of information a prospective purchaser might want. One of the most fundamental considerations in any sale process is making sure that profit and loss accounts are relevant; any NHS vital signs reports need to be up-to-date, and all other due diligence information that any reasonable buyer will want should be available and easily accessible.

5. Get your adviser right

The best option is always to turn to a company who can offer both marketing expertise and professional accountability; an agency with experience in the dental sector and that also has professional accreditations is ideal.

By turning to a company that understands the dental industry like Christie+Co, you can be sure that all considerations are covered and your best interests as a seller come first.

To discuss how Christie + Co might help you achieve your future plans please contact Simon Hughes on 020 7227 0749

BIO:

Simon Hughes joined Christie + Co in 1987 and has responsibility for the further expansion of its brokerage services into the Primary Care sectors of dentistry and GP surgery sectors. In the past three years, Christie + Co has advised, valued or sold almost £1 billion worth of businesses. Simon heads up a dedicated team of specialist advisers and agents based in regional locations throughout the UK.

The most highly anticipated dental event of the year, BDIA Dental Showcase has officially opened registration for 2014. This year’s event will be held on 9-11 October at ExCeL London.

BDIA Dental Showcase is the ultimate place to explore the latest technologies and equipment in the UK dental industry, meet face to face with friendly experts on more than 350 exhibition stands and listen to keynote speakers sharing their expertise on the latest issues facing dentistry.

By registering and visiting the exhibition you will have direct access to today’s dental innovators and can rest assured that the widest selection of dental products, equipment, technologies and services from global brands to newcomers will be on display, ready for you to test and trial for your practice, laboratory and patients.

BDIA’s Executive Director Tony Reed said: “BDIA Dental Showcase plays a vital role within dentistry bringing together the industry and the profession to share ideas and expertise.

“With an increasing number of counterfeit and non CE-marked dental products in the marketplace, it is becoming even more important for the dental team to know the source of their dental equipment and products to ensure that all parties are protected.

“BDIA Dental Showcase is the perfect opportunity for busy dental professionals to form relationships with suppliers face to face and make informed decisions about the companies with whom they wish to conduct business as well as to engage more widely with colleagues and industry leaders.”

Don’t miss the dental event of the year! BDIA Dental Showcase is free to attend, but a £10 on-the-day entry fee will be charged to visitors who do not register in advance.

Register now, it’s easy:

Online: www.dentalshowcase.com

Phone: 01494 729959

Text: Your name, postal address, occupation and GDC number to 07786 206276 

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

NHS Business Services Authority announced this week: Following the successful pilot of TRS for officer members in 2013, we are planning to pilot TRS and Annual Benefit Statements (ABS) for members with practitioner status, or who have had practitioner status in the past.

Jon Drysdale of dental financial planning specialists, PFM Dental, commented: “While we welcome the release of more information, it is questionable how much use these statements will be for self-employed dental practitioners. TRS statements generally relate to a package of employment benefits – most commonly enjoyed by salaried officers. Although a TRS offers basic information on pension benefits, it is unlikely to extend to the more useful and technical aspects of the pension scheme such as the annual allowance calculations.”

Assuming a successful pilot, the general ‘roll-out’ will be in 2015. Jon Drysdale commented: "We welcome the move to improve online access to financial records and hope that the Business Services Authority recognises aspects unique to dental practitioners."

For information on pension benefits for NHS practitioners visit www.pfmdental.co.uk

Patient Plan Direct, the UK’s fastest growing dental plan provider, has teamed up with Bacs, the organisation behind direct debit payments, to offer the practices that work with Patient Plan Direct an opportunity to give their patients ‘The Big Break’ whilst at the same time supporting Mouth Cancer Action.

For patients that sign up to a practice’s dental plan that is administered by Patient Plan Direct between 1st April and 30th June 2014, these patients are automatically entered in to a prize draw to win £12,000 along with other new direct debit payers across the UK as part of The Big Break campaign.

Patient Plan Direct is also making a 50p donation to Mouth Cancer Action for every new patient that signs up to a dental plan via any of the practices that administer their dental plan through Patient Plan Direct throughout the campaign. 

Mouth Cancer Action is run by oral health charity the British Dental Health Foundation, with the aim of raising the profile of mouth cancer, a disease which has increased by 50 per cent in the last decade.

Simon Reynolds, commercial director of Patient Plan Direct, commented; ‘The Big Break campaign provides the opportunity for the practices that work with us to further encourage patients to join the practice’s dental plan and budget for their preventative dentistry. This is just one of the growth initiatives we have introduced to help the practices we work with maximise the uptake of dental plans. At the same time, it’s a great way for us to support a very worth cause within dentistry’

Patient Plan Direct provides practices with a fully supported, administratively efficient and low cost means of administering and getting the most from a dental plan, whether starting a plan for the first time or taking advantage of switching from another plan provider.  

Recently in the technology & digital world there has been a lot of talk about the “Internet of Things”.  The IoT is a scenario in which objects, animals or people are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to automatically transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. This has evolved from the coming together of wireless technology, modern electronics and of course the internet.

So examples of the internet of things in the real world are a phone connected watch, Google glasses or a fridge that tells you when you are low on milk. The ideas and opportunities are endless, any natural or man-made object, as long as it is assigned with an IP address and has the ability to transfer data over a network becomes a part of the Internet of Things.

Yesterday I went to a press launch by Oral-B at the BDA Conference. Oral-B will be introducing a new electric toothbrush to the market in May 2014. What caught my attention is the fact that it will have Bluetooth built in and will connect to its own app. This means that your tooth brushing can be recorded and even checked by your dentist to make sure you are accessing the correct areas. This recording of data will personalise your brushing routine and will also allow the dental professional to programme their patients’ brushing routines in the app to improve brushing behaviours & techniques. Oral-B claim this will help drive patient compliance, which determines success of a large part of future dental appointments.

So not only will this innovation potentially improve oral health it is also a great example of an everyday appliance working alongside the internet and being an early adopter of the “internet of things”. I believe this could be an exciting development in dentistry and shows plenty of innovation. We look forward to seeing how the app will develop plus also it got us thinking about what will be the next piece of dental technology that improves patient care and improves the daily routine? Any ideas?

Patients are contacting us to solve their problems; a problem is associated with negative emotions in varying degrees. Extracting the negative emotion; and interacting with it is an art; we do this day in and day out without thinking. However; as we do this in varying intensities and without mental preparation; the results do vary.

Once you react and interact with the patients’ problem; they open up to you; and you see that they elaborate more without much prompting; interaction could be either verbal; or non-verbal; however; maintaining eye contact is the absolute key.

The next step is to turn the negativity associated with the problem into a positive emotion by acknowledgement and then reassurance that a solution could be found. Note that you have done no examination yet! The positive emotion you invoke must not carry any false hopes or promises; it is just a statement that is aimed at confirming your ability to find a solution (even if this solution meant that you may have to refer the patient). By doing so; you instantly increase the patients’ confidence in you; develop rapport and prepare the patient emotionally for the proposed solution.

Once you have done the examination and collected all the clinical information required; you then provide a solution; or solutions..I never mentioned treatment or treatment plan! Here you should concentrate on the possible outcomes; as this is what the patient is looking for; the outcome!

Working backwards; then you talk about how the outcome (solution) could be achieved in a systematic and realistic manner (I shall not teach you how to suck eggs here!). This is where the patient will take action; because they see and feel that you recognised and acknowledged their problem and are prepared to take action by providing a solution to reach an outcome.

Remember that you do this all the time subconsciously; however; not systematically and without mental preparation; the key to action is emotion and that is what we should be mindful of. See how this would work for you and leave me some feedback.

You could use this cycle in dealing with objections too; remember; objections are negative emotions; but they are more powerful; so you need to listen more and interact more. Try it…

Yours

Sam Mohamed

If you want to learn MORE; The Freedom Dentistry webinar is live on the 23^rd of April; book your place here.  (1.5 hours verifiable CPD included)

©freedomdentistry.co.uk. All rights reserved.

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

3M ESPE is adding an exciting new learning resource to its website. Named the Dental Education Knowledge Base, the online repository of dentistry information provides professionals with advice, clinical studies, hints and tips in an easy-to-navigate, well-structured manner.

With content continually being added, the Dental Education Knowledge Base is a comprehensive facility for anyone who wishes to find out more about a specific dental topic. 

With subjects such as dental cementation, aesthetic dentistry, minimal invasive dentistry, impressions, geriatric dentistry, implant prosthetics and paediatric dental care, there is something for everyone. 

Covering all the hot-topics in dentistry, visitors can access a wealth of information; ranging from ‘maximum tooth preservation in restorative procedures’ to ‘techniques for the production of indirect composite veneers’.

Visit www.3MESPE.co.uk to explore this exciting new facility.

3M and ESPE are trademarks of the 3M Company.

The Government has announced that apprenticeships need to be reformed so that they all provide substantial and sustained training that equips apprentices with transferable skills and full competency in an occupation.

To achieve this, new scheme The Trailblazers was developed. This initiative puts employers at the forefront of apprenticeship reform, and allows them to collaborate on designing apprenticeships within their sector.

Apprenticeships for the Dental Health Sector are currently in development, with plans to improve the current nurse apprenticeship and to create an apprenticeship for Practice Managers and also one for dental technicians.

Two short surveys have been released to gather the dental industry’s thoughts on apprenticeships and what areas need improving. You can complete the surveys by following these links;

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TrailblazersPM

and https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TBdentalhealthtech.

Rave reviews, recommendations, 5-star ratings... today’s best promotions for products and services are happening online.

In the UK, merchants and service providers have long since embraced the importance of positive online reviews as drivers for their business. Consumers have graduated from the ‘passive audience’ they used to be, to become ‘active researchers’ who go online to search for, locate and study the products and services that they need.

With 83% of households connected to the internet and 73% of adults going online every day in the UK,[i] it’s no surprise that we have caught up to and in some cases surpassed the US with our virtual consumer activity.

This can be clearly seen in two surveys conducted by Lightspeed Research in March 2011.[ii] The studies showed that 61% and 62% of respondents read online reviews for products and services in the US and the UK respectively. When it comes to comparing prices online, the UK leads with 75% compared to just 49% for the US.

In another study conducted by Beyond & Lexis that involved 1,500 UK consumers, 40% of respondents have interacted with a brand on Facebook, 47% have shared a product review in various online channels, and 43% have been prompted to purchase a product after an online interaction.[iii]

The same survey revealed that the UK consumers’ top five influential channels when looking for products and services are search results, talking to friends, product websites, review websites and magazine articles.³

The Lightspeed study also shares some interesting facts about online consumer behaviour in the country. 64% trust reviews from other consumers and 58% trust reviews from professional reviewers, while only 51% trust reviews from friends, family and colleagues,[iv] and only 17% trust reviews from a company web page.⁵

With professional and impartial ratings making more of an impact on the UK consumer, you may need to step your networking up beyond relying on your patients to tell their family and friends about your service. And if you want to post positive reviews of your practice online, you may also need to think of channels other than your own website.

One way to effectively promote customer reviews for your practice outside of your own website is to sign up for a service such as Zesty.

Zesty is an online booking system that connects patients with practices in the Central London area. Aside from online booking, the site also offers a clear 5-star review system that can help prospective patients decide which dentist to go to when presented with a list of options from their search.

The site also has an easy to use system that encourages patients to review their experience online after visiting your practice, giving you the opportunity to promote your business in a way that UK online consumers trust the most.

Zesty offers a free two-month trial when you sign up, so you can see for yourself how online booking and good reviews can help bring in more revenue.

A good review can mean the world to your business. If you haven’t done so yet, it’s time to get your patients talking about your practice today.

Simply email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.zesty.co.uk or call 0203 287 5416 for more details of our Free Trial

National Smile Month will soon be here and from the 19^th May to the 19^th June, let The Dental Directory help you provide your patients with something to smile about.

Give your patients the choice of toothbrushes and toothpaste they deserve by selecting from our extensive range. With your help and advice on cutting down sugary food and drink, visiting routinely and brushing twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste, your patients can meet all three National Smile Month key messages!

When encouraging good oral health, don’t forget The Dental Directory’s BIG BITE brochure is all about bigger oral hygiene savings. Whether your patients need mouthwash, interdental brushes, water flossers or scalers, make The Dental Directory the first place you look.

With over 27,000 products to choose from, our customer service team waiting to help, free delivery and same day despatch on orders received before 5pm, make sure you keep                            too and smiling speak to The Dental Directory today.

Order from The Dental Directory today – independently verified as the best priced dental dealer in 2012 and 2013

For more information, contact The Dental Directory on

0800 585 586 or visit www.dental-directory.co.uk

Without any doubt ‘data’ is great.

As a Principal, it is likely that either in isolation or with your management team you make powerful decisions on finance, marketing, customer experience treatment co-ordination and operations each and every day.

In making these potentially ‘game changing’ decisions do you draw on your previous experience, industry trends and/or gut instinct? Or do you draw guidance from objective data sourced from your practice management software, your leadership management tools and your lead generation records?

You may even go one step further and filter the seemingly endless data sets into a simple set of Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s).

I haven’t met anyone in business who hasn’t had some understanding of the power that data can add to their business. Without question, you should track a wide range of data across your business. If you can measure it, you can track it, refine it and improve it. Undeniably, collecting ‘clean’ and reliable data and analysing it in a consistent way is part of 21^st Century management.

Therefore, data is a fundamental ingredient in decision making, figuring out where to focus resources and on which specific projects.

Data is not however, the be all and end all of your business success. The data on its own has no inherit meaning – it can never provide the ‘why’ as it doesn’t take into account likeability of the practice, your personal values, the culture that you are trying to create within your team, or your customer’s personal feelings when they interact with your brand.

The difficult job of truly transforming a business is underpinned by your ability to explore these places where data alone can’t reach. The trick is to not collect data for collection’s sake, but to explore alternative avenues in order to evaluate these other areas. Often that requires time and space, and on occasion a ‘Coach’.

Some time ago I worked with a principal dentist who employed someone specifically to collect data for that practice, for a total of three days a month. With all the will in the world, they would not have been able to develop the business how they wanted by doing this. Not only was this process creating a larger workload and costing the practice for the privilege, but it was having very little impact on the practice.

Practice data alone cannot be used to guide the success of the practice. In order to fully utilise the facts and figures recorded however, they need to be put into context. Hours spent analysing data are wasted if the bigger picture is not taken into consideration. Looking at the industry as a whole will help you to identify where changes should be made within your own practice, and effective leadership in this area is then needed to ensure the success of the business. The practice goals and long-term plans must be agreed upon and set out independently, and once you have embarked on the journey you set out, then the collected data can demonstrate whether or not you are travelling in the right direction. The numbers provide an effective tool to help manage and control the growth and development of your practice, but do not dictate the strategy you need to adopt.

So, consistently collect and analyse data! Certainly, the right data at the right time will facilitate the success of your finances, marketing, patient experience, treatment co-ordination and operation’s; but ensure you control your relationship with data. Make the time to reflect on the bigger picture. Why did you start this dentistry game? Why are things not as you expected? What’s next – and what do you need to do differently to get there?

At the end of the day, you’re highest priority as a practice Principle is your patients and providing the best clinical care you can. In this business, the biggest steps are nearly always taken by those who can hold onto the ‘why’, while using data to adjust the ‘how’.

For more information about 7connections business coaching

please call 01647 478145 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Blogging For Your Practice

Neil Sanderson

Blogging is now essential if you want to have a successful Social Media presence and at the same time get your dental practice website up the Google natural rankings, so first things first, what is a blog?

Well you are reading one now, this is my blog and I write one every week, for two reasons, the first is to communicate with my clients and potential clients, the second reason is that blogging is one of the best ways to keep your website on the first page of Google.

A blog is simply an article written by you, usually on your website, but you can have a separate blog area too if you don’t have this as part of your site. I would recommend to anyone that if you are thinking of building a new dental practice website or changing your existing one you must have the ability to write a blog.

I recently asked for a quote on behalf of one of my clients to have upgrade his website which currently doesn’t have the ability to start blogging. Both he and I were staggered when I was quoted £950.00 + VAT.

All websites should have a blog built into them, if you build a website in one of the two major “content management systems” e.g. WordPress or Joomla, this will be provided for you automatically. Don’t buy a website without either (a) a content management system or (b) a blog section. Incidentally all the websites we build have both as standard see my siteDental Website Design and Build.

So why is blogging so important? Let’s look at Social Media first. The two main Social Media sites you should have your practice on are of course Facebook and Twitter. Neither are really geared up for having lots of content in a single post, in fact Twitter limits you to 140 characters in total.

So if you are going to engage with your patients you have to link to something else, this is where blogging really comes into its own and this is how you do it. First you write your blog (remember a blog can be any size you want) on whatever special offer you are running or something interesting about the practice. You then create a post on either Facebook or Twitter and put a link back to your blog.

This does several things, firstly it takes the person who is reading your post back to your website which is ideally where you want them. Hopefully they will take advantage of your offer or maybe have a look around your website, either way this is what you want to achieve.

Secondly Google loves this type of traffic, so the more traffic you have coming to your site from Facebook and Twitter the higher Google will rank your site. This is the modern equivalent of “link building” but one that Google approves of and rewards you for doing it.

Blogging has another great positive effect on your website ranking. Google is encouraging everyone to update and create new content for your website. A blog is the single best and easiest way to do this. If you start to blog ideally once per week or once a month even once a quarter, your website rankings will improve.

So remember, if you are ordering a new website, insist it has the ability to blog (all ours do). Insist it has a content management system (all ours do). Start blogging and see your website rise up the rankings and your Social Media engagement soar.

If you don’t have time to blog yourself, we can do it for you, simply call me on 01767 626 398 or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the website www.dentalmarketingexpert.co.uk

We all have habits. We all do things in our own way, at the time we like and at a time that is convenient for ourselves.

Social Media has become a habit in many of our lives; we look at Facebook or Twitter in the morning or the same online news page. There is one major reason behind visiting these sites; you are looking to see what is new. You visit the same pages or social media sites because it has become a habit.

This habit formation I am talking about is extremely prevalent in online communities. Reading GDPUK is a habit to thousands of dentists every day, our members want to see what is new, how discussions have evolved or discuss a piece of dental news that has caught their eye.

Members of a community want to know what people like themselves are doing, thinking, using and reading. The site is constantly evolving and changing on an hourly basis because of the four actions listed above and that is what keeps people coming back.  It is human nature to be attracted to the latest news and find out what your peers thinks about it. We can all think of examples of this, a story on Facebook, the latest football transfer gossip on the BBC sport website or a heated discussion on the GDPUK forum.

This is the amazing advantage of online communities and their constantly evolving nature. The GDPUK forum is an invaluable tool for dentists because as well as reading & learning like in traditional publications, users can also participate and share ideas. The site then becomes addictive and then of course a habit!

What are your habits? Has GDPUK become a daily habit for you? Do you have a daily social media habit?

“I’ve been doing All-on-4® for about seven years,” says Dr Riz Syed. “With the All-on-4® concept you can offer an immediate solution in most cases. People with terminal dentition can have an immediate extraction with one surgical procedure and an immediate bridge. There’s no transitional denture phase for the patient.”

The All-on-4® treatment concept from Nobel Biocare has been developed to provide edentulous patients with an efficient and effective restoration using only four implants to support an immediately loaded full-arch prosthesis. This life-changing treatment can greatly enhance patients’ quality of life, giving them the chance to eat what they want, when they want, and once again smile with confidence.

“Patients’ biggest worry is having to wear a denture and All-on-4® is life-changing for them,” continues Dr Syed. “People who have failing dentition or who have had trauma or cancer in the past have undergone this procedure and it’s given them a new life. They can go out, socialise and get their life back.”

With the support of Nobel Biocare you too can offer this revolutionary treatment concept in your practice. To find out more, contact Nobel Biocare today.

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

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Order before the end of May 2014 and receive 50% EXTRA FREE on all orders of UnoDent Diamond Burs. Order 50 burs and you will receive 25 free, order 100 and receive 50 FREE! With a minimum order of 12 with 6 free burs from the same or lower price group than those purchased, take advantage of this exciting offer and contact The Dental Directory now to place your order.

Explore The Dental Directory’s full range of products available on our website, or contact us by telephone to discuss your needs.

Order from The Dental Directory today – independently verified as the best priced dental dealer in 2012 and 2013

For more information, contact The Dental Directory on

0800 585 586 or visit www.dental-directory.co.uk

3M ESPE’s Imprint 4 VPS Impression Material has been proven to have one of the fastest intra-oral setting times of all leading VPS impression materials.[1]

Its unique active self-warming mechanism quickly reaches body temperature for accelerated setting – which doesn’t affect working time. This makes the patient experience more comfortable, as does the material’s pleasant minty taste and smell.

Imprint 4 VPS Impression Material is also very hydrophilic.[2] Its ‘super’ hydrophilicity, even in the unset state, allows for the capture of precise details ­– and lessens the need for adjustments.

Turn to 3M ESPE’s Imprint 4 VPS Impression Material for increased efficiency and less stress for the dental team, and minimal discomfort for the patient.

For more information, call 0845 602 5094 or visit www.3Mespe.co.uk

3M ESPE and Imprint 4 VPS Impression Material are trademarks of the 3M Company. 

A recently published 10-year clinical study from The Dental Advisor gives RelyX Unicem self-adhesive resin cement five stars and a 98% clinical rating.

Through scientific evaluation protocol, over one thousand three hundred anterior and posterior restorations were examined over six-months for post-operative sensitivity, marginal discolouration and retention.[i]

RelyX Unicem self-adhesive resin cement performed well under all criteria, leading The Dental Advisor to conclude that “RelyX Unicem has proven to be a reliable self-adhesive resin cement over the 10-year recall period.”¹

The UK’s leading permanent dental cement[ii] proves itself once again through outstanding clinical performance.¹

For more information, call 0845 602 5094 or visit 3Mespe.co.uk

3M ESPE and RelyX are trademarks of the 3M Company.

Open letter to David Behan, Chief Executive of CQC.

Are you really listening?

It is interesting after two full years of regulating dentistry in an illogical and frustrating manner, CQC has now changed its method of charging dentists for its dubious services to the nation. Has the CQC changed to some form of listening mode, rather than the one way, top down approach?

If so, the door is open, I’ll push and see . . . . . .

Dentists told the CQC 24 months ago the previous method of charging was not right but CQC ploughed on in its dictatorial way. I remain uncertain if the new method of charging announced this week is fair, especially when compared with the general medical practitioners, who have their own problems? Why are the medical practice annual registration fees so much less when CQC policy has insulted dentists by saying that medical practices are much busier than dental practices, so they get a two week notice of inspection. By implication, CQC thinks dentists are sitting around twiddling thumbs, therefore our profession can be given 48 hours notice of an inspection. If the medics are busier, they must need more inspection, therefore higher fees. Please explain, Mr Behan.

Inspections of dental practices are now to be three yearly, we hear, so why do total fees collected remain at effectively the same level? And if the CQC is not recovering 100% of regulatory costs from the medical practice sector, the dental sector should pay at the same rate or raise the medical fees. I suggest a solution, CQC should halve dental practice registration fees to make a semblance of equality.

From the early days when the CQC engaged with the dental profession, there has always been a stance of being in charge, the profession are in an adult-child relationship, and dentists must do as we are told. Otherwise the blunt, and oft-repeated threat is that our practices will be closed down. Even now your Fixed Penalty Notices are doled out without warnings, it seems, and are wildly disproportionate to the "crime". During March 2014, CQC sent a communication by email only, it was mandatory, a survey of dental chair numbers. This email contained a threat of a larger registration charge of £1300 if not completed. What if the email was not delivered, or found its way into spam folder? CQC still likes to use the big stick, even in a simple email question. Did the inspectors not record the number of dental chairs in each practice during the exhaustive inspection process?

Recently one colleague told GDPUK forum his practice passed a recent inspection with one proviso, the floor mops were stored the wrong way round, they must be kept with the mop head upwards. The inspector insisted on a further visit to check this, before signing off the livelihood of the practice. Life saving equipment counted for nothing, cross infection controls all passed with flying colours, reams of paperwork counted were discounted, vocal satisfied patients - nothing. The practice might be carrying our complex implant operations, or microscopic endodontic treatments. But it all came down to the mops. But if those mops are not the right way up - that is just not good enough - the public must be protected.

Yet another example of how the CQC have not adapted nor heeded the dental profession has been the issue of having a Nutrition Policy, Outcome 5. Even as a simple dental practitioner, it is easy to understand why, for example, a care home should have a policy for the nutrition of the residents. However, the fact that every dental practice, up and down the country, has to have a Nutrition Policy for its patients is a farce. Dental practices are not care homes, we do not have in-patients, we do not feed our patients. Let's see some sense and remove this glaring foolish error.

Inspections have also been done badly by the CQC, using lay inspectors, people with training in care homes or pharmacies who cannot check dental aspects with a knowing eye. They can carry the clipboard, they can empathise with patients, but what do they know about running a dental practice? A simple example - emergency drug boxes contain dangerous items - but they have to be easily accessible and not double locked and secured in a locked room, otherwise they cannot be accessed in an urgent moment. Dentists would understand this, some inspectors have not.

As a dentist myself, I do not know enough to properly inspect a nuclear power station, or an abattoir, and many other places. I am sure the right people check on power stations but my point is that the real knowledge of any sector, any profession or industry, is held by people who are immersed in that sector. Inspectors from the sector know the shortcuts, they know the boxes that are ticked without real care, they know where the secrets might be hidden, the true ins and outs.

The Health and Social Care Act dealt the CQC a hand that was difficult to resolve. Each health sector has to pay for the inspections and administrations for their activities, but dentistry continues to feel it has been given a tougher set of cards, then bullied by CQC carrying a big stick.

My message, Mr Behan – listen more, get off the back of the profession, cease the bullying style, and equalise the disproportionate fees our sector bears.

References:

CQC release http://www.cqc.org.uk/public/news/registration-fees-1-april-2014

Notes from CQC http://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/documents/20140331_fees_2014-15_legal_fees_scheme.pdf

GDPUK disucssion thread: https://www.gdpuk.com/forum/gdpuk-forum/cqc-no-fee-increase-in-registration-for-dentistry-16500

Prevent ‘Wear to Despair’ with Tif Qureshi at the BACD Annual Conference 2014

Find out more about treating tooth wear the conservative way with Tif Qureshi at the BACD’s 11^th Annual Conference.

In his lecture ‘Preventing Wear to Despair…’ Tif will demonstrate how you can use composite filling materials and the Dahl technique to treat tooth wear without having to resort to invasive techniques.

‘I’ve been using this approach for more than 15 years and have carried out the technique on literally hundreds of patients,’ says Tif. ‘It’s so effective I’d say it’s the most important treatment that I do.’

In a comprehensive and wide-ranging lecture, Tif will set out everything you need to know to use the Dahl technique safely, and predictably in practice. He will also show how you can combine it with other treatments to keep your patients looking younger for longer.

So, don’t miss out – contact the BACD and book your place today!

The BACD’s 11^th Annual Conference ‘Life LIKE Aesthetics’ will take place on 6–8 November 2014 at the ACC Liverpool.

For further information call 0207 612 4166, fax 0207 182 7123, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.bacdconference.co.uk

Always keen to support and give something back to the dental profession whenever possible, Carestream Dental has donated a CS1500 Intraoral Camera for Bridge2Aid’s inspirational Tanzania project.

In response to the charity’s recent appeal for help, the CS1500 will help the clinical team in Tanzania to continue providing essential and often life-changing dental care to thousands of local people.

Through the training of local District Dental officers (DDO) and the provision of basic dental care, projects such as this are improving the quality of life experienced by millions of people every year.

The CS1500 is designed for superior image quality, producing sharper, clear images for enhanced diagnostics and patient education. Additional features include the 8-LED automatic lighting system, auto-focus and an ergonomic handpiece for unparallel usability. To find out how your patient could benefit, contact the experts at Carestream Dental today.

For more information, please contact Carestream Dental

on 0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

Known for their sound knowledge and extensive expertise in business, the team at 7connections are bringing a little more magic into dentistry.

Providing an array of both digital and hard copy marketing resources, the innovative MagicBox delivers all the tools you need to market your practice effectively for the next year.

Posters, personalised referral cards and social media banners are all featured to name but a few, as well as a 12-month marketing plan and a return on investment tracker enabling you to monitor your progress throughout. 

And more information is available on the fresh new website, www.7connections.com, where you can find out more about other business services available, the team’s backgrounds or upcoming events, while also keeping up-to-date with the industry by reading the team’s blogs. 

Marketing – it’s amazing what you can achieve with a little Magic….

Book your free marketing review with 7connections today, and quote discount code MB004 to receive a 25% on your first three months of MagicBox*!

For more information about 7connections and the MagicBox,

please call 01647 478145, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. or visit the brand new website www.7connections.com

*Discount code valid until the end of  May 2014 

Dentistry has come on a long way in the last 25 years, and continues to change at great pace. In the space of a few short years we have seen incredible changes in both the way the industry operates, and the types of treatments dental professionals are able to provide.

New treatments

One of the most important new treatments to emerge in recent years has been short-term orthodontics (STO) for the general dentist. This option has opened up a huge market for patients who want straighter teeth but without the lengthy treatment times and costs associated with long-term comprehensive treatment.

As well as STO, another significant change has come in the form of composite filling materials. With the latest generation of strong, aesthetic materials, dental professionals can now offer ‘white fillings’ that offer a real alternative to traditional silver amalgam.

Digital technology

There have also been many advances in the field of dental equipment. For example the latest digital imaging systems not only increase efficiency and improve workflow but they also reduce radiation dose for the patient. Furthermore, with the latest wave of 3D imaging systems, treatments such as dental implants are becoming safer and more predictable.

Digital technology has certainly had a major impact on dentistry and these changes are not just limited to the treatment room. For example, most practice teams will now use some form of practice management software to help with record keeping and other practice admin. The internet is also playing an increasingly important part in practice life. Many practices will now have their own website to market to patients, while some will even offer patients the opportunity to book appointments online.

Organisational changes

But these aren’t the only things to have affected dentistry. There have also been significant changes in the way the profession is organised. For example, successive amendments to the NHS contract have led some practices to leave the NHS system completely, and set up as solely private practices. This split between the NHS and private system has impacted on the way patients are able to access dental care.

Regulation

Another important area of change has been in terms of regulation. The GDC for example now requires all dental professionals complete a minimum amount of compulsory CPD each 5-year cycle. This includes a set amount of CORE CPD covering key areas such as radiation, medical emergencies and infection control.

Beyond this there has also been a tremendous increase in the amount of regulation applicable to dental practices. As well as the introduction (and successive amendments) of key documents such as HTM 01-05, in 2009 we saw the introduction of the Care Quality Commission in England – a new regulatory body designed to raise standards of patient care.

25 years and counting

Clearly dentistry has come a long way in 25 years, and this doesn’t even scratch the surface of the many changes that have taken place. At DBG we’ve been working alongside dental practices since 1989 and have helped practice teams overcome the many challenges that have come their way. From materials and equipment to training, engineering and compliance support, we have a complete solution for you.

For more information call DBG on 01606 861 950,

Or visit www.thedbg.co.uk

Dr Harry Singh, CEO of the Dental Property Club, is delighted to invite you to attend his free webinar entitled ‘How Dentists Can Get Their Work/Life Balance Back Without Sacrificing Their Income’.

Space is limited and these LIVE trainings always fill up fast. This one will be no exception, so claim your FREE place now, ahead of the kick off at 8pm Monday

(https://dentalpropertyclub.leadpages.net/webinar-2-copy/) or Wednesday (https://dentalpropertyclub.leadpages.net/webinar-3/) of next week.

Then simply log on to Harry’s webinar on your chosen date to find out:

• How to stop trading your time for money

• How to stop working for money and let money work for you

• How you can buy properties 20% below the market value

• How you can control a property for just £1.

In addition, Harry is the author of a number of publications, including ‘Achieving Financial Freedom: Learn how you can escape the rat race and stop trading time for money’ and ‘Get Moving in Property for Freedom and Profits: Learn how to invest in the asset of the rich and master the rules of the professional property game’, both available from Amazon and in stock now.

‘Achieving Financial Freedom’ takes the reader through the 6-step formula Harry personally use to design his life plan, achieve financial freedom and win the money game, allow him never to work again... unless he chooses to do so.

In ‘Get Moving in Property for Freedom and Profits’, Harry shares the steps to successful property investing that will propel your profits to property and lead you into the road of financial freedom.

For further information, please visit www.dentalpropertyclub.co.uk or email Harry at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..