Simon Reynolds from Patient Plan Direct takes a look at how the dental plan market has evolved and how this has affected dentistry

If your dental practice offers its patients a dental plan then there’s a good chance you’ll administer it through one of the ‘well known’ plan providers in the market. When you made the decision to start a dental plan or indeed if you are thinking of starting a dental plan, what is your main objective? Our guess; It is a means of reliably debiting patients month on month to generate regular income whilst offering your patients an excellent vehicle to budget for and access quality preventative dentistry.

Essentially the administration of a dental plan involves collecting a fee from a patient month on month and in many cases incorporating an A&E dental insurance policy. Therefore, the role of a plan provider should be straightforward and involves administering a financial transaction and facilitating insurance cover. Despite the simplicity of this model many plan providers seem to have evolved in to tying in additional services and support in other practice functions, offering access to events, entertaining ‘key clients’, employing business coaches and much more. This has resulted in a trend of inflating fees year on year. The question is whether or not this evolution is of benefit?

Good or bad evolution?

Paying for services that are useful and utilised is justifiable. But many practices don’t access the range of services offered by their plan provider, and many will never need to, despite paying for the privilege. It’s rather like buying a Christmas Hamper and only cooking the Turkey!

It’s also alarming how many practices don’t actually know how much they pay to administer their dental plan or take the time to assess just what they get from the fees they pay. For many practices there is a worthwhile opportunity to significantly cut costs by administering their dental plan more efficiently. For some, plan provision with access to all the add-on’s may be the right choice, but for many a simple and reliable solution delivered at lower cost makes sense.

The alternative which makes sense

Four years ago Patient Plan Direct came to market with a unique approach to dental plans. A reliable, low cost, practice branded and administratively friendly means of offering patients a dental plan.

This ensures practice’s that administer their plan with Patient Plan Direct know exactly what they pay for and choose to spend the money they save in areas they see fit. It’s an approach which makes sense and is being discovered by more and more practices throughout the UK.

-          We charge a flat transparent fee structure of just £1.00 per patient per month, which can prove to be more than three times less expensive than other providers. 

-          Our fee includes worldwide A&E insurance underwritten by Hiscox insurance.

-          We’ve never increased our fees since we launched our service.

-          Our parent company is First Capital Cashflow, one the UK’s leading payments bureaux. We’re experts in delivering managed payment solutions which is why we’re able to offer our service at such great value.

-          On average we save practices around £9,000 every year, but have saved some practices significantly more.

-          Our client retention rate is 100%. Our client testimonials highlight our focus on quality client service. We’re not just a cheap option, but rather a great value alternative.

Is it time you assessed how you administer your dental plan or if it’s time to start a plan? Switching provider or starting a plan is simpler than you might think. At the very least we promise it’s worth understanding more about Patient Plan Direct. Take action, contact us today and kick start 2014 with a bang.

FIND OUT MORE about Patient Plan Direct’s unique approach to dental plans, charged at just £1 per patient per month.

Visit. www.patientplandirect.co.uk plus more info on www.patientplandirect.com/fees/the-big-fee-freeze/

Call. 0844 848 6888

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

Twitter @PatientPlan

Blogging Is Essential To Promote Your Dental Practice or Business

For those of you who are not quite sure what a blog is, you are reading one right now and blogging is becoming more and more an essential part of any dental practice’smarketing strategy.

Why I can hear you all saying? Well hopefully you recently read my series of articles on search engine optimisation which over the three articles outlined what you need to be doing to raise your website’s ranking on Google. One of the things I mentioned was that you need to add new original content to your website, and the best way to do that is blogging.

Blogging is effectively you writing anything you like on any subject really. Because it is your ideas and your thoughts, you can write on any subject and be an forthright is you wish. Ideally you need to make it interesting to your public. So for instance if you are a dentist the subjects you might want to cover would be around oral hygiene etc.

Having said all that don’t make your blogs too serious or technical as you’ll just lose your audience, they have to understand what it is you are trying to convey to them, equally don’t use jargon, or scientific dental terms.

Blogging is one of the best ways to increase the rankings in the natural Google search. As I mentioned in my earlier articles, Google wants to present websites to their audience that are fresh and have new original content on them. Blogging is the most natural place to put this new original content. It will quite literally do wonders for your rankings, quite often my blogs out rank my overall website.

Blogging also has the effect of ranking you for many subjects too so for instance you might want to highlight that you offer implants in your practice, well the best way to do this is to write articles on the subject, use slightly different headlines and titles for the blog and you can start to rank for implants as well as general dentistry etc.

Blogging should also be part of your social media strategy. Every time you write your blog you should be promoting this with both Facebook and Twitter, not to mention Google Circles, this again helps immensely with your Google rankings.

Being seen to be an expert in your specialist field is essential if you are to sell at premium prices. For instance if you are regularly blogging on a  particular subject and your patients and potential patients read them, it is highly likely that when they actually want to use this service that they will turn to you rather than your competitors and they will pay a higher fee because of this too.

We call this in the industry “being the trusted expert”. The down side of this is that you have to give lots of information freely and regularly, which of course takes time and effort. But you’ll see that in the long run you will gain from it immensely, the other way to achieve this of course is to have someone else write them for you and this is one the services I offer my clients.

If you want to increase your revenues and profits, increase the number of new patients and encourage existing patients to spend more with you, call me on 01767 626 398, email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit my website

www.dentalmarketingexpert.co.uk

Oralift - Personal trainer for the face!

Oralift appliances are thermoplastic mandibulary mouthguard-type appliances incorporating 3, 5 or 7mm bite blocks which, when moulded to the teeth, only contact in the molar region.

They are worn in a cycle of two months worn, four months not worn, two months worn, four months not worn etc.  However, when not being worn they still seem to be having an effect on the ageing process because of the long-term results Nick has observed.  It’s like having a personal trainer for the face!

How does Oralift work?

There are a number of theories. The most plausible one seems to be that, when it is in the mouth, the muscles of the head and neck are activated to create an increased Free Way Space and this activity generates new chemistry and adjustments within the musculature.

What results can be achieved?

As part of the ageing process there is a downward migration of the soft tissues of the face, so that the ageing triangle changes from a youthful inverted triangle, pointing towards the chin, to an elderly triangle with the base at the chin. The Oralift appliance is designed to have an effect on these soft tissues and to reverse the ageing triangle to a youthful one.

The biggest changes occur in the skin, which becomes thinner and loses its elasticity during the ageing process.

At the same time, all the facial muscles gradually decrease in mass. By the age of 60 they retain only about 60% of their volume. Meanwhile, the muscles of facial expression increase in tone so that wrinkles and crow’s feet start to develop.

Fat on the face is stored in compartments between the skin, muscles of facial expression and deep muscles, but as people age it migrates down towards the jowls. 

As people age the facial skeleton changes. Research is now showing that these changes contribute to the southward migration of the soft tissues. The maxilla moves inwards, so that the skin and muscles are no longer supported and cause the naso-labial folds to become deeper. These changes could partly be attributed to changes in facial muscle function. As the muscles on the face deteriorate, the strain they put on the facial skeleton changes. This could lead to the remodelling of the facial skeleton.  However, if the muscle function is improved, as a result of wearing an Oralift appliance, these changes may be reversed again contributing to a more youthful appearance.

Using Oralift you can manipulate the Free Way Space to create a three dimensional change to the face, which will help to restore the Golden Proportion. In many cases, both Class II and III patients can be altered into Class I when the mandible is at rest, although when in maximum intercuspation the face will revert back to its original form. This can be achieved without the need for orthodontics or surgery, just by manipulating the Free Way Space. 

Smile Design 

As a result of the ageing effect on the face there is a change in the “smile window”, so that the amount of tooth displayed becomes less because the “mask” is coming down. Observers start to notice more of the lower teeth and less of the upper teeth.

As the ageing triangle migrates downwards it also affects the patient’s smile profile.  If you reverse this migration, using Oralift, the “facial mask” moves upwards too, without the need for any tooth adjustment.

As people age their whole face tends to become asymmetrical as a result of bony and/or muscular changes.  Wearing an Oralift appliance helps correct this asymmetry. 

Conclusion

Oralift can provide a long-lasting, natural and non-invasive solution to the ageing process.

To learn more about the Practice Building Benefits of Oralift attend one of Nick Mohindra’s Two Day Hands On Courses. The £650 Course Fee includes 12 hours verifiable CPD and a free set of Oralift appliances valued at £180.

The next courses will be held in London on the following dates - 7^th and 8^th February, 4^th and 5^th April, 27^th and 28^th June 2014. For further information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.oralift.com

http://oralift.com/cms/become-a-practitioner/

MIMI^®- Flapless Implantation with Single-Tooth Champions Implant (R)Evolution^® in the Esthetic Zone  

Author: Dr. Stephanie Ott, Dental Care Solutions, Frankfurt/Main

*Please note: The tooth numbers mentioned refer to the FDI Notation System (Dental Chart/Two-Digit World Dental Federation Notation)

As a dentist in private practice, I have placed and restored different implant systems since 2001. For some time, I have incorporated MIMI^®-Flapless, the Minimally Invasive Implantation Method, as an additional treatment in my dental office. I am delighted to say that this implantation procedure that is performed without surgical flaps and opened mucosa proves to be less traumatic for patients than the conventional methods of implantation that require reflected flaps and direct visualization of the bone. Most patients feel almost no pain, swelling or post- operative soreness after the surgery. In most cases, patients can resume their activities that day or the next. In this article I would like to describe a case of an implantation of Teeth 11 (#8) and 21 (#9) and the following 8 weeks.

Fig. 1-3: X-rays after the patients’ accident that caused a fracture of the zygomatic bone and the nasal septum: view of the roots of Teeth 11 and 21. Both teeth were lost. The clinical situation 4 months post extraction. 

Implantation

After administering local anesthesia with UDS-forte, we inserted a Champions^® conical triangular yellow drill transgingivally until it was in contact with the periosteum to determine the gingival height and thickness (laser markings: every 2 mm). We measured 2 mm-gingival thickness. We drilled transgingivally and slightly palatinally at a slow rotation speed of a maximum of 250 rpm (no water used) (Fig.4 and 5). After measuring the initial gingival thickness and before placing a 10 mm-Champions Implant (R)Evolution^®, we prepared the bone with the following 3 conical triangular drills in the D2/D3 bone: first the yellow drill, followed by the black drill and finally the white drill. These drill types allow the spongy bone to be laterally condensed. Between each drill sequence a bone cavity check is performed. (Bone Cavity Check “BCC” is a manual check of the bone cavity to confirm all walls of the prepped bone are intact.”)

Fig. 4-6: Use of the conical triangular yellow drill to prepare the implantation site using the MIMI^®-Flapless technique and Bone Cavity Check (BCC) with the flexible thin BCC probe.

After the drilling, a 3.0 mm-diameter condenser (Fig.9) was used to extend, expand and condense the spongy bone area to confirm the implant size picked was correct. If primary stability cannot be reached, a larger diameter can be placed. In this case, primary stability of 30/40 Ncm was achieved, which was indicated when the Torque Wrench middle line moved from 20 to 40 Ncm and when the arm of the Torque Wrench bent at 40 Ncm (Fig. 10). We unpacked the blister package and removed the sterile Champions (R)Evolution^® implant from the vial. As a rule, you can insert the implant manually with the integrated white plastic Insertion Aid that is attached when the package is opened. There is no need to touch the sterile implant or reset the Insertion Aid. Once the resistance becomes so great that you cannot insert any further, you can remove the Insertion Aid and place the gold hex headed metal driver on the implant head. You have 2 choices to continue the insertions: either use a surgical unit with handpiece at very low RPM (5-10 rpm) or use the Torque Wrench on the gold driver. This treatment is non-traumatic and takes only a few minutes. In this case, the Torque Wrench was used to drive the implants on both 11 (#8) and 21 (#9) to the desired depth. The total time for both placements was less than 1 hour. Finally, X-rays were taken. The patient was very satisfied. She compared this to a friend who had conventional implantation in another office that took two hours to complete.

Fig.7 to 10: After drilling with the yellow, black, and white conical triangular drills in the soft D3/D4 bone, condensers were used with the Torque Wrench. The Torque Wrench was adjusted to 20 Ncm. When the scale sleeve bent around the axis of the Torque Wrench at 40 Ncm and the middle line moved from 20 to 40 Ncm, primary stability at 40 Ncm was reached.

Fig. 11-13: Manual insertion of Champions Implant (R)Evolution^® Shuttles by means of the Insertion Aids. The Shuttle (also playing the role of transgingival healing) should not stick out of the tissue more than 1 mm to avoid strong lateral shear forces of occlusion particularly during the first 2-6 weeks post surgery.

Fig. 14-16: The second implant, including the bacteria-proof Shuttle, was placed. The 3.5 mm-high Shuttle is fastened with 10 Ncm from the factory. The implant and Shuttle were placed so only 1 mm of the Shuttle was supragingival. As a rule, if the mucosa is less than 3 mm thick before drilling, subcrestal drilling and positioning of the implant will be preferable to prevent the Shuttle from sticking out more than 1 mm above the gingival height, thus preventing lateral shear forces and movement on the Shuttle head.

Fig. 17-19: After taking X-rays, a WIN! Gingiva-Clix was set on the Shuttle of each Champions Implant (R)Evolution^®. Then, a temporary prosthetic restoration (Maryland bridge) was fitted and cemented with Fynal (Dentsply).

Impression & Laboratory & Prosthetic Restoration

During the seven weeks post surgery (Transition between Primary Osseointegration Stability and Secondary Osseointegration Stability), the patient felt no pain and experienced no complications. Seven weeks post surgery, the temporary restoration and Gingiva-Clix were removed. A closed transgingival Impregum impression of the implants was made through the Shuttles. The Gingiva-Clix were replaced on the Shuttle and the temporary restoration recemented. The supragingival treatment lasted 15 minutes without the need of anesthesia or X-rays. Our German laboratory, DENTworry in Alzenau, Germany, manufactured two individual zirconium-coated crowns. It is important to provide the laboratory with both Implant Analogs and Shuttles to preserve the exact location of the implant and the soft tissue contour. The lab should use gingival mask material to simulate soft tissues.

After a week, the Shuttles, including the screws, were removed for the first time. The angled titanium Abutments were placed using a resin key and screwed in to a torque of 30 Ncm. The final crowns (zircon) were fitted and cemented.

Fig. 20 to 22: After unscrewing the retaining screw from the Shuttle/Implant, the Shuttle Extractor (R)Evolution was used to remove the Shuttle. With the adapter, the Shuttle Extractor was manually screwed clockwise in through the Shuttle and into  the implant. This lifts the Shuttle off of the implant. Favorable peri-implant soft-tissue results are observed from the Shuttle and Gingiva-Clix. Before the removal of the Shuttle and placement of the Abutments, the inner diameter of the implant has remained sterile during 6-8 week healing. This prevents the problems of peri-implantitis around the healing implant. The titanium Abutments are screwed in and torqued to 30 Ncm, and the screw shafts are covered with cotton pellets and Cavit.  

The implant/Abutment can be connected with the same screw as the one removed from the Shuttle that was connected to the implant. In this case, the crowns were fitted and cemented in only 15 minutes without anesthesia. Highly esthetic results were obtained.

Fig. 23: X-rays. Fig. 24 and 25: After fitting the Abutments and the crowns, excellent esthetic results in the buccal and palatinal areas were obtained.

Conclusion

Apart from the advantages of the non-traumatic, efficient and time-saving treatment, the innovative and high-quality Champions Implant (R)Evolution^® and prosthodontic restorations are more affordable for patients than conventional implantation (total price: 135 €, including Gingiva-Clix, angled Abutment, Laboratory Analog, Shuttle, and impression, laboratory and dental accessories). This implant system has now been fully integrated into the treatment services offered in my dental office. I don’t want to be without it!! The innovative Champions Implant (R)Evolution^® is a real "Revolution".

In fact, the MIMI^®-Flapless method is very promising for patients. Over the past 10 years, international scientific studies at universities have shown that the MIMI^®-Flapless method is very beneficial. One of the many advantages of the system is no need of re-entry in the gingival tissue during the impression or when the final restorations are placed. Many patients are enthusiastic about MIMI^®-Flapless implantation techniques and the Champions^® implants.

Please watch the video of this case here:

https://vimeo.com/75207980

Author:  Dr Stephanie Ott     DENTAL CARE SOLUTIONS

Leipziger Strasse 4    60487 Frankfurt am Main                            

Tel.: 069 - 97 78 33 66     

Internet: www.dr-ott.net       

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

After the first quarter of 2014, you may have more patients ask about the effective bad breath solution that is CB12.

CB12 will be sponsoring the local weather on ITV news from the beginning of January to the end of March, in an effort to make the product top of mind for consumers who seek effective relief from chronic halitosis.

There are many scientific reasons why CB12 should be top of mind for dental professionals as well. Heading the list is its patented formula with low concentrations of zinc acetate and chlorhexidine, which have proven effective at neutralising all three Volatile Sulphur Compounds (VSCs) that cause halitosis.

Other excellent reasons for recommending the product are its long-lasting 12-hour protection,[i] and its superior performance against 18 other leading mouthwash brands.[ii] For patients looking to effectively manage bad breath, CB12 is great news.

For immediate and lasting relief from foul mouth odours, you can confidently recommend CB12.

For more information about CB12 and how it could benefit your patients, please visit www.cb12.co.uk

Optimise Treatment Quality, Workflow and Patient Experience

With CS Solutions from Carestream Dental

Widely renowned for providing top quality digital imaging systems and practice management software, the experts at Carestream Dental have developed the innovative CS Solutions. Designed to offer maximum flexibility to the practitioner, the system represents the very cutting-edge of CAD/CAM technology in dentistry.

Offering ultimate versatility, CS Solutions consisting of:

 CS 3500 Intraoral Scanner

 CS 9300 or CS 9000 3D CBCT Impressioning Scanner

 CS 3000Milling Machine

 CS Restore

 CS Connect

Available as stand-alone technologies or as a complete and comprehensive system, CS Solutions provides the option to scan, design, mill and place restorations in a single appointment. This enables the clinician to work the way they prefer, whether they wish to scan their ‘analogue’ impressions; scan the patient directly; create the restoration chairside; or send their digital impressions to a laboratory.

Carestream Dental has listened to the profession and developed CS Solutions to accommodate the specific requirements of the modern dentist, technician and patient.

With this in mind, each component is user-friendly and easily portable. The system can also be fully integrated into any existing practice management software, for optimum workflow and communication between the entire dental team. In addition, patient experience has been enhanced with quiet and vibration-free technologies, ultimate precision for fast yet accurate treatment, and improved handling for maximum comfort.

For more information on CS Solutions from Carestream Dental,

please call 0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

Schick 33 is the latest addition to the modular Schick Digital Imaging System and is the perfect choice to take your practice into the digital age. Each system comes complete with cutting-edge DICOM digital radiography software, and you can even include WiFi for even greater freedom and flexibility within your practice.

Featuring the industry's highest image resolution and lowest learning curve, Schick 33 will change the way you see your images — and your practice.

Dr Tony Druttman, a specialist in Endodontics at London Endo Ltd says:

“I have used Schick digital sensors for over twelve years starting with CDR, moving onto Elite and have for the last two years been using the Schick 33 sensors. The image quality with this latest technology surpasses anything that I have used before. I see many radiographs taken by referring colleagues using a variety of sensors and technologies and nothing compares in quality.

“I use size 1 and 2 sensors and this allows accurate positioning and total versatility to obtain accurate and meaningful images of the adult dentition with minimum discomfort to patients.

“Getting the best quality information that I need as an endodontist is of paramount importance to my work both for diagnosis and post-operative evaluation. The images I can show my patients enable them to see clearly and therefore understand more easily either what needs to be done or what has been done. The software is easy to use and very versatile.

“Finally there is no point in having the best technology without having the best support. I have had that consistently and continue to receive a high level of support from Clark Dental. Their response is always efficient and effective. It gives me the peace of mind to know that I have quality and reliability with technology on which I depend so heavily.”

Intuitive Schick 33 software allows you to see and save images the way you and your colleagues want. Interactive image enhancement allows you to quickly adjust image quality and sharpness, while Schick 33’s clinical-specific mapping feature allows you to automatically default to presents for different clinical disciplines. You can even save and share personalised settings for complete flexibility across the practice. 

With an image resolution of 33 line pairs per millimetre, Schick 33 from Clark Dental is the truly industry-leading intraoral digital imaging solution. If you already own Schick products, upgrading to include Schick 33 is easy. You can also trade in your existing digital imaging system up to 50% with Clark Dental’s new trade-in programme for even better value. To find out more, contact Clark Dental today.

For more information call Clark Dental on 01268 733 146, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.clarkdental.co.uk

We thought we would reminisce over the popular dental news stories published by GDPUK in 2013. Overall in 2013, we have published 286 different news stories.

We have focused on the articles which as well as having a large number of hits, they also make our top ten because they caught the imagination of the forum and the wider dental community. It is unsurprising that the majority of the articles chosen for the top ten, are an indication of ongoing issues, politics and controversies in UK dentistry that are likely to rumble on till 2014 and beyond....

1.       Olympic Health Survey – news story published on the surprisingly poor oral health of Olympic Athletes - https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1430-olympic-dental-problems-revealed

2.       Problems at the BDA – An example of a story that caused pages of debate on the forum pages and will there be more to come?  - https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1388-bda-to-make-staff-redundant

3.       NHS / Private Gaming – Another extremely popular / contentious issue on the GDPUK forum – This news item was about a dentist who got struck off for “gaming” https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1335-dentist-struck-off-for-gaming

4.       Teeth Whitening - A number of articles published on the issue, something that is still happening illegally, will we see this subject reappear in 2014? https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1303-gdc-stance-on-whitening-upheld & https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1292-more-moves-to-eradicate-illegal-tooth-whitening & https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1230-stop-illegal-whitening-debates-at-the-dentistry-show

5.       NHS Pilot Scheme – This is an area we will all be watching in 2014, the direction of NHS Dentistry is still unclear and will lead to continued debate next year - https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1210-shortlist-for-new-dental-pilot-practices-announced

6.       Corporate Dentistry – Corporate Dentistry continues to dominate the landscape in UK Dentistry, next year it is expected that supermarkets will look to expand their dental coverage. Oasis Dental Care sold for £185m - https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1256-oasis-dental-care-sold-for-185m

7.       Direct Access – An area of dentistry that is still being understood and digested but the BDA’s response was strong - https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1254-direct-access-decision-misguided-says-bda

8.       HTM01-05 amended – https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1259-2013-version-of-htm01-05-published

9.       Dentist Commit Suicide – A topic that unfortunately does not go away, with a number of recent cases being in the news - https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1299-bda-calls-for-inquiry-into-dentist-s-suicide

10.   Dental Graduates – It was confirmed that UK Graduates would be given preference for Foundation Training – Common Sense Prevailed - https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1381-uk-graduates-to-be-given-preference-for-foundation-training

Thanks for having a look at our top ten news stories published by GDPUK in 2013. Next year we would expect to see similar topics reappear with many issues in UK Dentistry still to be resolved. Watch this space for further GDPUK Exclusives!

Please let us know if you think we have missed important dental news from 2013?

What do you expect to see in the dental news in 2014? Predictions welcome...

On a lighter note, dentist Abi Sampa who was one of the stars of The Voice is still pursuing her singing career. Story can be found here and on twitter @Abi_Sampa

Dental prostheses are like bespoke pieces of art that require skilled technicians to execute well. And so it follows that when dentists search for a laboratory to create their ceramic restorations, the first thing they need to look for is a supplier that can boast of adept and experienced craftsmen.

Dentists should keep in mind, however, that using a skilled worker only makes up half of the equation. Like commissioning a bespoke piece from an artisan, a satisfactory end product is also largely dependent on the amount of instruction the maker is given.

A client wouldn’t approach a jeweller and simply say, “I’d like you to make me a gentleman’s ring, and I’d like it to be gold.” In order for the client to receive a product that is faithful to what they had in mind, they would supply more information, such as the shade of gold they’d like, how heavily decorated the piece should be, and so forth.

In the same way, dentists cannot expect to receive an ideal prosthetic if all they extend to the dental lab by way of instruction is what kind of prosthetic they require, and what shade it needs to come in.

While it’s true that the technician also picks up a wealth of information from the impression that the dentist sends, not everything can be determined from the model derived from the initial cast. If for example the dentist would like a tooth brought in, or a certain translucency is required to match neighbouring teeth, then all this needs to be made known.

On the flip side, a good technician will also keep the dentist and the patient in mind at all times when creating ceramic prostheses. Whether the technician works in a small laboratory and handles every step of the restoration himself, or labours in a bigger outfit as part of a team whose members concentrate on specific stages of production, the end goal is always to create a dental prosthetic that is satisfactory for both the practitioner and the patient.

One of the main differences between a small and large dental lab is turn-around time – in the teamwork style of production, time-consuming step-by-step processes can be executed simultaneously, bringing about a more efficient process. If the team works well together, this system can function beautifully. The core team of technicians at Sparkle Dental Labs, for example, have been running solidly together for more than a year and have reached a kind of symbiosis with each others’ working styles, leading to excellent ceramic restorations with quick turn-around times.

But whether a dentist chooses to work with a small or large laboratory, the concept remains the same: with the combination of a skilled craftsman and detailed instruction, the creation of excellent dental prostheses can be expected.

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

With more than 115 years’ combined experience, Castellini and Tavom have become leading suppliers of quality dental and medically cabinetry and equipment.

Dr Mike Booth, Founder of Total Dental in the Lake District, recently worked with both teams to create a brand new dental surgery in the heart of Windermere.

“I have enjoyed a very happy working relationship with RPA Dental, my regional Castellini dealer, and Tavom UK for nearly 20 years now,” says Dr Booth. “Due to their strong heritage, attention to detail, quality of product and workmanship and unparalleled customer service, they’ve been the sole suppliers of our surgery equipment during this time.

“In order to meet the high standards of dentistry we strive for, my team and I simply can’t rely on anything but the very best in the market. Castellini / Tavom technology is sophisticated and reliable, and the teams know the dental industry inside out – they know the challenges that dentists face and they proactively work to make their lives easier.

“We would certainly recommend the teams from Castellini and Tavom to any practice owners looking to create a new surgery with minimum hassle!”

For more information on how Castellini UK Ltd and Tavom UK could help you transform your dental environment, please visit www.tavomuk.com or www.castellini.com

Multimedia You Need To Cover Every  Channel

You only have to think back five or six years ago and marketing your dental practice was pretty straight forward, basically you could put an advert in Yellow Pages and one in the local newspaper and you’d pretty much done it. Today is very different, multimedia is the norm.

Wouldn’t it be easy if all your patients and prospective patients were the same, you could then market to them using one platform or media and everything would be taken care of. For instance you might only have to advertise on Facebook, or Google, the truth is that everyone is different and that’s why you have to cover all the bases, with multimedia.

There is an amazing statistic that 50% of the population spends at least an hour on Facebook every day. But that also highlights another statistic and that is 50% of the population don’t spend an hour or any time whatsoever on Facebook. So if you only use Facebook as your marketing platform, you’ll miss half of your audience.

The same can pretty much be said about any media you choose to look at, for instance did you know that 12 million people buy a newspaper in the UK every day? And when you ad the free newspapers that figure grows to around 15 million, quite a sizeable market.

In 2012 21 million people took action as a result of receiving direct mail. nine out of ten people who receive direct mail open it, which compares to around twenty percent who open email. Without doubt whilst direct mail is relatively expensive in comparison with online, it is one of the the most effective way to grow your patient base, do you see where I’m going with this multimedia thing.

I am asked all the time by my clients “can’t we just email them”? Well yes you could, but ask yourself this question, “how many emails to you receive every day?” If you’re like me probably between 50 and 150. Then let me ask the same question about direct mail, “how many envelopes drop through your door every day?” I suspect the answer is probably less than five and certainly less than ten, quite often it might only be one or two packages each day!

The same can be said for text messaging, how many of you use text messages to market your products and services? I suspect very few, but think again, how many text messages to you receive each day? Just about everyone looks at a text when you receive one, for the simple reason that most text messages come from friends and family and you probably only receive one per day (maybe two).

So just have a think about the multimedia that you can now market your practice with, they include:

• Social Media (Twitter, Facebook Google Circles etc.,
• Your Website,
• Your Google Places Page,
• Text Messaging
• Direct Mail
• Leaflet Delivery
• Video (You Tube)
• Google Advertising
• Facebook Advertising
• Local press advertising
• Local radio

To name but a few and the only way you can ensure that you reach as many of your potential patients is to have a presence in all these platforms, some may will perform better than others, but it is essential that you address all these areas. So when I say Multimedia is a must for your practice I hope you understand what I really mean.

Because marketing is now more and more complex, you almost certainly need help and that’s where Dental Marketing Expert can help you. 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

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The social stigma that comes with halitosis makes it such a sensitive topic, that even dental professionals might find it hard to bring the subject up.

In a work situation, only 9% of people would tell a colleague that they had bad breath, while one in five would give subtle hints such as offering a mint. The rest would rather not talk about it, or would just avoid the person altogether .[i] In our society, bad breath isn’t something that can be candidly discussed.

Though it may feel like you’re stepping into your patients’ personal space, it’s your duty as a dentist or a dental hygienist to discuss the problem of bad breath on a professional level.

To delve further into the subject, we speak with Professor Stefan Renvert, a renowned expert on peri-implantitis, periodontitis and halitosis, with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications on these subjects.

“From my experience, most patients are not aware that they have this problem,” Professor Renvert says. “I think a lot of people fear that it’s insulting to tell someone they have bad breath. Therefore, many individuals with halitosis are not knowledgeable about it.

“This is one of the reasons why we as dental care professionals need to be informative about halitosis to our patients.”

Professor Renvert stresses that good oral hygiene is the very first thing that dental professionals need to instil in their patients. However, not everyone who practices good oral care can escape bad breath completely.

“There are some patients who, despite brushing and flossing, can’t get rid of their bad breath,” Professor Renvert says. “In which case we turn to scraping the tongue, or using rinse solutions.”

When asked how he would choose a mouth rinse to recommend, the Professor said, “I will of course only suggest something that has proven effective in literature. And there are several of those in the market today, such as Halita, UltraDEX, and CB12.”

A clinical study on the efficacy of various mouthwash brands shows that the combination of chlorhexidine and zinc in low concentrations is effective in suppressing oral gasses that produce foul mouth odours.[ii] CB12 could  therefore be recommended for the treatment and prevention of bad breath.

Despite halitosis remaining a delicate issue for many, Professor Renvert advises professionals to push whatever reservations they may have aside in order to help their patients.

“Even if you feel like you are moving into your patient’s personal space, you still need to speak up and discuss bad breath, for their best interest,” the Professor says. “When you help a patient get rid of bad breath they really feel that you improve their social interactions and quality of life. It is very rewarding to help those individuals in such a way.”

The next time you feel even the slightest bit awkward about bringing up the subject of bad breath with your patients, just think about the embarrassment their condition causes them, and how fulfilling it will be to restore their confidence with a simple and effective solution like CB12.

For more information about CB12 and how it could benefit your patients, please visit www.cb12.com

Government austerity measures have recently been scrutinised by a number of publications during what the Telegraph has termed, “The Great Recession.” The conclusion is simple, as one paper pronounced, “austerity is seriously bad for health.” [1] With this in mind, the public attitude to oral health may be somewhat negatively impacted if austerity is the buzzword of today. Where the general consensus is cutbacks, the nation could easily put oral health on the back burner. Appointments may be considered a luxury rather than necessity and much needed treatments could easily go on hold.   

Encouraging patients to be proactive when it comes to basic oral healthcare is difficult at the best of times. Use floss, clean your teeth twice a day and eat a healthy diet is plain advice offered by dental professionals, but it can often fall on deaf ears. Exploring this issue, the British Dental Health Foundation found that in 2011 over a quarter of the population admitted to not brushing their teeth even once in 24 hours. [2] With failing numbers of patients deeming oral healthcare to be important, the fact remains that oral health is connected to general health with a clinical connection that cites the presence of advanced gum disease to an increasingly wide range of conditions. Heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and dementia, have all been linked to the presence of serious gum disease.

The association between oral and systemic health is clear, yet the British Dental Health Foundation also recently found that the nation appears oblivious to these links. 90% of people were unaware that poor oral health could potentially be linked to dementia and only 40% knew that heart problems could be connected to bad oral health. Severe gum disease is an indicator of risk to overall general health, and dentists may recognise the early indications of a general disease during checkups.

Referral to a physician could prevent a condition from worsening if dentists can spot the early signs. At the least, visits to the dentist can include a thorough cleaning of the teeth and gums by a dentist or dental hygienist. This removes plaque and this procedure, alongside advice for persistent oral hygiene can reduce and reverse the effects of gingivitis and inflammation that can lead to other chronic health complaints such as periodontitis.

It seems important now, more than ever to align oral healthcare with general healthcare to reiterate that the mouth is vital to overall health and wellbeing. Public health promotion and disease prevention should be on the cards and although practitioners cannot reach all those with poor oral health, there is certainly hope if dental professionals are able to reach their own patients with positive messages and advice for effective and preventative oral healthcare.

Alleviating barriers to preventative oral health could be a start by way of patient education that can be achieved by those with less disposable income. Oral health is much more than clean teeth. It involves the gums, the bones and the tongue to say just a few, and caring for all of these aspects needs due education and attention. Often patients are unaware of the range of dental and oral hygiene products available to them. Some may not know the importance of flossing and its prevention of plaque, instead deeming the procedure to be a luxury rather than necessity. Also patient surveys have reported difficulties using floss with many older patients finding their poor dexterity to limit their use of manual floss.

Recommending easy-to-use products such as interdental brushes or oral irrigators as an alternative to floss, or an electric toothbrush for those who cannot clean their teeth thoroughly can be simple ways to make optimum oral healthcare achievable. The key may be finding an oral healthcare regime to suit the patient while reiterating the importance of brushing twice a day with a good fluoride toothpaste. Using adjuncts and taking care of diet is simple advice that is inexpensive for patients, both in the short and long term.

One area of focus for education could be oral healthcare in children where parents can be advised during appointments on effective ways to care for their children’s teeth – right from the first tooth. A regular teeth-cleaning routine can keep children’s teeth decay-free and should be started when the first milk tooth comes through at around six months. Recommending fluoride toothpaste to parents for their children (1,000 parts per million fluoride for those under the age of three) can be most effective at preventing decay if used twice a day. Regular dental check-ups for children should also be encouraged to prevent tooth decay and promote life-long oral healthcare. 

The emphasis should be on the fact that dental disease is largely preventable.

Recommend simple and easy to use oral health and hygiene products by Curaprox, oral healthcare specialists to patients.

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

When looking to buy a dental practice, what the buyer is effectively seeking is the ability to earn his or her own income. Unfortunately, hand in hand with practice ownership come a number of responsibilities, such as an obligation to pay tax.

Whilst a specialist dental accountant will be able to point the buyer in the right direction with advanced tax planning, it is important to keep in mind that when you buy a practice all of the relevant information is obtained from the seller during the transaction. New rules have made this particularly vital when it comes to the possibility of claiming capital allowances for the cost of equipment and fixtures. Capital allowances allow the owner of the practice to claim tax breaks in relation to money that has been laid out for the purchase of plant and machinery at the practice. There is extensive documentation of what can be included within the definition of ‘plant and machinery’. The best way for a buyer to to  find out what does and doesn’t fall into this classification is to seek the assistance of a specialist dental accountant. However, it will include most essential items, such as the dental chair.

The introduction of the Finance Act 2012 introduced significant new obstacles for a buyer who wishes to claim capital allowances for second-hand fixtures and equipment. The new rules mean that in practices where equipment and fixtures have been installed after April 2012 and a practice seller has already claimed some capital allowances in relation to those items, the buyer of the practice will need to make a disposal value statement in order to receive entitlement for capital allowances on those items. The process of making a disposal value statement can be that either the buyer elects (with the co-operation of the seller) to attribute certain values to the fixtures and equipment or that the buyer has the value of the items set by a tribunal.

As a result of this new complication, it is now extremely important for a buyer to know whether or not any of the fixtures in a practice have been installed since 2012. But not only this, they must also discover whether or not the seller of the practice had been claiming for capital allowances whilst they owned the practice.

The best way of approaching a conundrum such as this is to seek the expert assistance of a specialist dental lawyer, who will have the knowledge and experience to ensure a smooth transaction. A specialist dental lawyer will understand the complexities of such an undertaking and will therefore know to raise enquiries on behalf of the buyer that can then be fed back to the accountant. If the lawyer does not make the necessary enquiries it may make it extremely difficult for the buyer to claim their full entitlement to tax allowances in the future. A knowledgeable dental lawyer will understand the idiosyncrasies of dental law and this unique understanding will benefit their client no end.

The rules associated with capital allowances are likely to change again for expenditure that takes place from April 2014 onwards. The changing of regulations will once again increase the difficulty of claiming capital allowances. With this in mind it is therefore, essential that both appropriate legal and accountancy advice is sought. Navigating such an altering and fragile area of dental law is not something to be approached lightly. The assistance of a skilled and experienced dental lawyer will make all the different, helping the buyer of the practice to make the most of capital allowances.

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

http://www.goodmangrant.co.uk/

A NASDAL and ASPD MEMBER

Register today for the free seminar, taking place at The BDA office

Zesty, in partnership with Practice Workshop, is proud to bring you the Full Appointment Book Seminar – designed to help you fill all your dental chairs, every day your practice is open.

Take part in this FREE seminar at the BDA and let the expert speakers tell you how to generate the most revenue for your practice by:

• Attracting new patient enquiries and turning them into appointments
• Having a full and profitable appointment book
• Using online bookings to fill appointment book gaps
• Making existing patients your brand ambassadors
• Offering patients the opportunity to book online out of hours and at weekends
• Using patient reviews & testimonials to build your online reputation

And much more!

This tutorial only has 25 places for practice managers and owners,* allocated on a first come, first served basis, so register today to secure your spot.

The event takes place from 19:00 to 21:00 on Thursday 13^th February 2014 at The BDA office in London.

Fill your appointment books and your bank accounts in 2014 – spend a few hours with the experts to learn how.

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 to register for this exciting and educational tutorial today!

*Limit 2 places per practice

Advertorial Opportunities with GDPUK in 2014...

Our new Advertorial section is a great opportunity to communicate product developments and/or launches to the UK dental community.

Our Product Updates section has been popular in 2013 and the articles have achieved thousands of hits. These articles have highlighted products, partnerships and services that are new to the constantly evolving dental market.

After a successful trial in 2013 with our BDTA Dental Showcase guide, in 2014 we are looking to produce editorial features as well on product / service categories throughout the year. Published in a blog format, they provide a great opportunity to showcase what your company is producing or supplying. For example in January 2014 we will be publishing a number of articles on implantology. There is still space in the January feature, so please get in This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to feature. In 2014 we will also run guides to the Dentistry Show, BDA Conference and the BDIA Dental Showcase. Below is the full table of our plans for each “featured” month. If you would like to feature in one of the sections, please get in touch and further information will be provided.

Blogging Is Essential To Promote Your Dental Practice or Business

For those of you who are not quite sure what a blog is, you are reading one right now and blogging is becoming more and more an essential part of any dental practice’smarketing strategy.

Why I can hear you all saying? Well hopefully you recently read my series of articles on search engine optimisation which over the three articles outlined what you need to be doing to raise your website’s ranking on Google. One of the things I mentioned was that you need to add new original content to your website, and the best way to do that is blogging.

Blogging is effectively you writing anything you like on any subject really. Because it is your ideas and your thoughts, you can write on any subject and be an forthright is you wish. Ideally you need to make it interesting to your public. So for instance if you are a dentist the subjects you might want to cover would be around oral hygiene etc.

Having said all that don’t make your blogs too serious or technical as you’ll just lose your audience, they have to understand what it is you are trying to convey to them, equally don’t use jargon, or scientific dental terms.

Blogging is one of the best ways to increase the rankings in the natural Google search. As I mentioned in my earlier articles, Google wants to present websites to their audience that are fresh and have new original content on them. Blogging is the most natural place to put this new original content. It will quite literally do wonders for your rankings, quite often my blogs out rank my overall website.

Blogging also has the effect of ranking you for many subjects too so for instance you might want to highlight that you offer implants in your practice, well the best way to do this is to write articles on the subject, use slightly different headlines and titles for the blog and you can start to rank for implants as well as general dentistry etc.

Blogging should also be part of your social media strategy. Every time you write your blog you should be promoting this with both Facebook and Twitter, not to mention Google Circles, this again helps immensely with your Google rankings.

Being seen to be an expert in your specialist field is essential if you are to sell at premium prices. For instance if you are regularly blogging on a  particular subject and your patients and potential patients read them, it is highly likely that when they actually want to use this service that they will turn to you rather than your competitors and they will pay a higher fee because of this too.

We call this in the industry “being the trusted expert”. The down side of this is that you have to give lots of information freely and regularly, which of course takes time and effort. But you’ll see that in the long run you will gain from it immensely, the other way to achieve this of course is to have someone else write them for you and this is one the services I offer my clients.

If you want to increase your revenues and profits, increase the number of new patients and encourage existing patients to spend more with you, call me on 01767 626 398, email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit my website

www.dentalmarketingexpert.co.uk

What on earth is going on in dentistry? 

Is it me?  Has the pace of prospective change suddenly become turbo-charged?

It is worth reminding the profession and its representatives that by and large, in GDP we are NOT employed. We are independent contractors.  So why do the DH and our academic colleagues keep trying to treat us as though we are their whipping boys. 

If you are an associate, I reckon you might be worrying about the lie of the tea leaves.  Ever fancied re training as a Therapist?, Sorry to say , but it might be a good investment.

If you are a practice owner, under the NHS, the Ides of March 2015 look an ominous date.  Your business is dependent upon Government funding; you are NOT employed and yet you are being treated as an employee.  Is it really worth the [soon to be emasculated] pension?

As a private practice owner, are the Government REALLY going to impose rules to eliminate your freedom to practice the way you see fit?  You have the freedom to plan and the capacity to respond. But there are massive changes a’coming.  Bone up ... you have been warned.

In no particular order we have

• ·         The CDO stating that NHS dental care will continue to be an unspecified [and ergo unlimited] commitment.
•           Piltos continuing to point to disastrous Patient Charge Revenue allied to the "It can only work with Therapists"  big picture.
• ·         Suddenly there is a proposal to break up the skill base for GDP into “Tiers” – and as many are already wondering, with associated ‘registration and accreditation’ costs.  Allowing Quangocrat driven deskilling is by any description professional suicide.
• ·         The Chairman of the GDPC starting to play some cards as the negotiations continue for “Contract Reform”.
• ·         There seems to be a groundswell of academic attempt to wield influence over the activities of GDPs –from Prof Steele’s changes underway to Dr Chate at the RCS Edinburgh starting to flag GDPs activities in simple orthodontics

Well, I might be a cynical old git, but I reckon the Dept of Health horse has probably already bolted.  I think it highly likely that we are about witness a pre-planned  move to the date of Contract Reform.  Standby for change and press releases on a quarterly basis. Standby for the BDA being outflanked and out-manoeuvred as the soul of dentistry is once agin under threat.  Having a Big Stick is of no use against an out-of-reach elephant.

I reckon the purpose of all this phoney consultation is simply to drag the profession along with a mouldy carrot.

If, as a profession we do not like what Prof Steele’s changes are presenting, and do not think that these changes will either benefit our patients or our businesses, and our associate colleagues, we have a duty to act.

We have a duty to say NO.

The BDA has a duty to say NO

We have a follow on duty to carry our patients with us in this Brave New World.

Its looks like Christmas 2013 will be line-in-the-sand time folks.

Which version of Brave New World do you want to be part of?   The Government’s or your own?

Do you want someone else whipping you at their pace or do you want to control how your career and business evolves?

Strap in guys and girls, the ride is getting bumpy.

Choosing the right dental equipment is vital for guaranteeing the best treatment a practice can offer. The Dental Directory’s 2013 Equipment and Digital Imaging brochure ensures you can do just that.

The brochure offers sensational deals on a wide variety of dental equipment from ergonomic chairs, to imaging devices and treatment centres.

The Dental Directory is committed to offering the most comprehensive range of Equipment from the world’s leading manufacturers. Our highly-trained and experienced sales teams will offer you unbiased and impartial advice on which solution is best for your practice and guide you through planning, installation and commissioning.

With highly competitive prices, attractive finance options and outstanding customer and product support, we believe it’s time you made the right choice and included The Dental Directory as part of your winning team.

For a friendly and informative chat, or to book a demonstration on a product of interest, please call The Dental Directory free on 0800 585 585 or visit www.dental-directory.co.uk.

Your practice doesn’t need to be in great trouble in order to benefit from business support. You might think you and your team are already doing a pretty good job, staying in the black, receiving few patient complaints and providing a quality service to the local community.

While this may be the case, it is also true that a few tweaks here and there to the management system or daily protocols may enable you to provide an even better service, or enjoy a larger turnover.

A business coach works with you to streamline and improve your practice processes and help you and your team work as efficiently and productively as possible. They can also help you define your future aims and goals as a practice, ensuring you have realistic expectations and practical systems in place to help you achieve those goals in the future.

Michelle Malone is a Practice Manager at Apex Dental Studio in Elgin, Scotland. While Michelle and her team had their own ideas on how to take their practice forward, she made the decision to source some outside guidance and make sure they were on the right track from the beginning.

“Since taking on an associate last year and a local NHS practice taking on extra patients we wanted to re-evaluate our practice to make sure we were offering the best service, while of course running an effective and profitable business,” explains Michelle. “We also needed ways to attractive new patients – while we had our own ideas about what we could do, we wanted to call upon the expertise of someone who could advise us on what really would work, and identify what needed changing.

“As a result we sourced the help of a business coach. We needed someone with the skills and experience to get straight to the point, and to make sure we were headed in the right direction.

“The coach visited our practice for a day, and it was great to receive advice designed specifically for our practice and our team. I also think it was great that the team were addressed directly with any issues and praise, rather than just hearing it through me.”

A good business coach of course has both experience and skills in a wide variety of areas, from finances, to staff training and treatment coordination. As one of their main aims was to bring in new patients to grow the practice, Michelle and her team were keen to focus on their marketing strategies.

“We wanted to concentrate on how we could take the practice forward as a team and really develop the business in the long-term,” says Michelle. “We had only recently started utilising social media for marketing and we knew that we needed an up-to-date website. Our business coach was able to work from our fundamental ideas and designs, and suggest ways of making them more effective for us. He was able to offer some fantastic advice on potential marketing campaigns – particularly with regards to how long they should be run for, which treatments we should promote, where they should be run and who we should be targeting.

“During the day, Nicci, our practice owner, and myself did have some one-on-one time with the coach to go through the business strategy. In these situations, I think it is important that you work with a professional you feel comfortable with and are really able to talk to. We were lucky to work with such a person, and we did in fact cover many areas that we hadn’t planned to bring up, which was really helpful. In the end however, we focused mainly on the KIPs of the business and how to apply these successfully, as well as how to implement effective marketing strategies.

“In the afternoon, our staff had the opportunity to air any of their own questions. Everything from ethical sales to patient communications and treatment coordination was brought up, and I think it was brilliant for each member of our team to get all the answers they needed.

“Since that day, we have begun employing the new protocols and ideas put in place that day, and we found that being able to contact our coach for on-going support has been a huge benefit to us. There is hard work still to be done, but the day with an expert definitely helped set us in the right direction.”

These ‘Discovery Days’ are designed to be the starting blocks of a long and successful practice. Such services are provided by leading business consultants at 7Connections, who will come to your practice and evaluate every aspect from a professional and practical point of view, before helping you and your team implement new ideas successfully.

If you think your practice could use a little refinement in order to really thrive, a business coach might just be the answer.

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.

It may all end in tiers

In his independent review NHS dental services in England, Jimmy Steele placed advanced care at the top of the pyramid he created for prioritisation, and care pathways determined how patients might scale this structure to reach the pinnacle.

On 6 September 2013, a group of key opinion leaders met with a team from Johnson & Johnson at their annual National Advisory Panel event in London to advise on a number of topical oral health issues.

At the meeting, the key opinion leaders agreed on the following consensus statement for the forthcoming year:

‘Fundamental to an individual's oral health is a high standard of plaque control. This is most effectively achieved and maintained by twice daily mechanical cleaning with a fluoride toothpaste, interdental cleaning as advised by a dental healthcare professional, and the use of a clinically proven mouthwash most appropriate to the needs of the individual. This is part of the overall package of oral care recommended by the dental healthcare professional team.’

The key opinion leaders were:

• Professor Iain Chapple, Head of Periodontology within the School of Dentistry, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham;

• Professor Philip Marsh, Professor of Oral Microbiology, School of Dentistry, University of Leeds;

• Professor Nigel Pitts, Director of the Dental Innovation and Translation Centre at King’s College London Dental Institute;

• Dr Susie Sanderson, who practises on a part-time basis within the NHS framework in the South Yorkshire region;

• Sally Simpson, a dental therapist and an active member of the BSDHT;

• Professor Jimmy Steele, Head of School and Professor of Oral Health Services Research at Newcastle University’s School of Dental Sciences;

• Professor Nairn Wilson, Chair of the National Advisory Panel and honorary Professor of Dentistry at King’s College London; and

• Dr David Winkler, a practising dentist based in Windsor and international lecturer.

Johnson & Johnson looks forward to using this consensus statement as it continues to work in partnership with dental professionals alongside the Advanced Defence range.

For further information, please contact Johnson & Johnson Ltd on 0800 328 0750.

(UK/LI/13-2269a)

For further informaion or to book a place on the course please contact Abigail Smith

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

@colteneukltd

dbg – 25 years and counting!

At dbg we’ve been working alongside dental practices for 25 years, providing complete solutions to meet our members’ needs. As a member of dbg you can benefit from…

• Membership: Join us to access industry leading benefits and free compliance cloud software.

• Business Services: Access to services designed to save you time and money.

• Compliance: Unlimited access to compliance experts.

• Materials & Equipment: We stock all major brands and even offer our own!

• Engineering & Calibration: Inspection, repair, maintenance and servicing for all of your vital equipment.

• Training: Dedicated training focussed on all CPD topics.

Each of our solutions has been tailor made to meet the stringent demands of modern dentistry, and we offer solutions in all areas of practice. We are also offering an exclusive 25% discount on membership when you recommend a friend, saving both you and your referred friend £82.50 off your annual fee!

To find out more about our complete solutions for your practice, contact dbg today.

For more information call dbg on 01606 861 950,

Or visit www.thedbg.co.uk

@dbg_uk

On Friday 24^th January 2014, Goodman Grant and PFM Dental will host the first in a series of seminars covering everything dental practice owners need to know about retirement.

The full day sessions will be packed full of highly specialist advice and will cover key topics to ensure you make the most of your retirement and don’t get caught in any legal loopholes.

Lawyers for dentists Goodman Grant will deliver a presentation on how to prepare your practice for your buyer’s due diligence checks, and what to expect from a sale/purchase contract. There will also be additional presentations from chartered accountants and financial advisers, making the event a must if you are considering retirement in the next 10 years.

Dates for 2014 include:

• Leeds – 24th January
• Manchester – 21st Feb
• Birmingham – 21st March
• Holborn – 25th April
• Newcastle – 23rd May
• Southampton – 20th June
• Liverpool- 19th September
• Oxford – 24th October
• Watford – 21st November

Each event will run from 9:00am to 3:30pm, with lunch included, and will cost only £50 per delegate to attend.

To find out more, contact Goodman Grant today.

For more information call John Grant on 0113 834 3705 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.goodmangrant.co.uk

A NASDAL and ASPD MEMBER

Aside from their technical expertise, efficient service and competitive prices, there are now two more reasons why you should make Sparkle Dental Labs your laboratory partner of choice.

On 29^th November 2013, representatives of the very best dental labs from all over the UK gathered in central London for the 2^nd Annual Laboratory Awards.

By the end of the evening, Sparkle Dental Labs had two trophies to boast of: Best NHS Laboratory and Best Laboratory Website.

Sparkle Dental Labs is a full-service facility that produces high quality dental work of all kinds; they offer expert craftsmanship, full accountability for all their products, free pick-up and delivery and fast turnaround times.

Sparkle Dental Labs prides itself in being the biggest dental lab in the UK that is committed to providing quality British workmanship at extremely competitive prices. Despite having been operational for just over a year, their consistent excellence in products and service have already made them a winning dental lab for both the Laboratory Awards and their satisfied customers.

Visit their award-winning website and see for yourself why Sparkle Dental Labs truly deserve these honours, and how they can be your ideal dental lab partner.

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

Long has the threat of CQC loomed over dental practices in the UK, and in recent months we have seen more fall into the clutches of inadequacy.

Failing to meet all the regulations and comply with the various CQC outcomes can lead to serious problems at best. As we have seen on several occasions now, the CQC does have the power to close a practice it feels is endangering the public in any way. You may have seen the closure of a dental practice in Dudley in the last couple of months, when it failed to meet expected standards in three main areas – care and welfare of people, cleanliness and infection control, and record keeping.

In this particular case, the CQC inspector reported gaps in patient records with missing data that could not be located at all. There were also questions over the security of the records held, with some found in members of staff’s personal cars.

When dealing with paperwork for hundreds or indeed thousands of patients, it requires unnecessary time and effort from professionals and a huge amount of space for storage. When retaining such records for years, it is no wonder that data is misplaced or lost, particularly when the practice is busy and staff have several things on their minds at once. There are, however ways of protecting your practice from the same fate.

This is just one reason why modern technologies have replaced paper records, and the concept of a ‘paperless practice’ is rapidly spreading across the global market. By storing patient records electronically, practices can instantly save resources, time and space, enabling staff to concentrate on their patients. Such records are also easy to update when necessary, and files can be reviewed or emailed to patients accordingly.

The CS R4 Clinical+ practice management software from Carestream Dental demonstrates the latest innovation in such technology. The fully integrated system encompasses everything from appointment schedules to treatment plans, patient records and automatic text message reminders, all easily accessible by any authorised member of staff.

While ensuring your practice is CQC compliant, the software also helps streamline your daily processes and enhance the service you provide your patients as a simple yet effective management tool. In addition, CS R4 Online Backup and Recovery is also available from Carestream Dental to provide added security for all your data in case of a crisis.

So if there is any doubt at all over the reliability or security of your practice records, make sure you so something about it. Various electronic solutions are now readily available on the dental market, all provided with complete installation, training and on-going technical support. Don’t take the risk.

For more information, please contact Carestream Dental

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

Please see our 2 xmas offers which include President putty and wash, ParaPost refills, Jet Bite Blue refills, Diatech burs and more......

Dental practice valuers, PFM Dental, and dental lawyers, Goodman Grant, (each a member of a leading dental business organisation) have joined forces to deliver a series of seminar covering everything dentists need to know about retiring. The first takes place in Leeds on Friday 24^th January 2014.

Key topics for these seminars include: valuing goodwill, selling to a corporate, legal issues with the transfer of NHS contracts and securing NHS Pension benefits while avoiding HMRC tax charges. The seminar format allows plenty of time for Q&A and runs from 9.00am to 3.30pm, with lunch included. Delegate fees are only £50, making the events exceptional value considering the specialist nature of the content.

Between them the firms have more than 50 years experience of advising dentists on business and legal matters. Such issues have grown in complexity in recent years with the new NHS contract, increased interest from corporate buyers and CQC requirements as well as changes to employment law and NHS Pensions. All these issues and how they relate to the sale of a dental practice – a key factor when planning to retire – are covered on the day.

Martyn Bradshaw (pictured below), a director of PFM Dental and guest CPD speaker at the BDTA Dental Showcase 2013 commented: “These events stand out from the plethora of general retirement seminars because the participating firms are genuine dental specialists with either NASDAL or ASPD accreditation.”

NASDAL (National Association of Dental Accountants and Lawyers) and ASPD (the Association of Specialist Providers to Dentists) were each formed to share knowledge among leading business specialists within dentistry. Before being accepted, prospective member companies undergo a vetting process to ensure they have the required level of specialist knowledge and experience.

PFM Dental is one of the UK’s leading dental sales agencies and valuers. It sells and values dental practices throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Goodman Grant is one of the country's foremost law firms providing specialist legal services to the dental profession nationally.

Click here for further information and to book your place (numbers are limited).

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

Building on this this, Kerr is delighted, alongside Sybron Endo, Henry Schein Dental and KaVo, to be staging the Innovations in Dentistry Symposium – ‘For the Art of the Smile’ – in 2014.

During this two-day event, leading speakers, including Chris Orr, Robbie McConnell and Gianluca Gambarini, will discuss the latest in restorative dentistry, endodontics and equipment.

On Thursday 3 July 2014 at Altitude 360 in Westminster, dental professionals can choose from a range of lectures to suit their needs, accruing 6 hours of verifiable CPD. Then, on Friday 4 July 2014, dentists can attend restorative and/or endodontic hands-on sessions worth 3 hours of verifiable CPD at Henry Schein’s Marble Arch showroom. These interactive sessions will allow participants to develop skills of immediate use in the practice.

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

As the UK climbs out of the recession, it is essential that all businesses utilise every financial opportunity provided for them. The Autumn Statement in fact offers several possible benefits for dental practices, and it is crucial that you know and understand which will affect you.

Initiatives introduced or confirmed that could benefit your practice include:

 No NIC is payable for employees under the age of 21, saving your business thousands of pounds every year on younger staff.

 The capping at 2% of the increase in business rates on commercial premises from 1 April 2014.

 50% business rates relief for business moving into retail premises that have been empty for a year or more.

In addition, the Chancellor announced a clamp down on aggressive tax avoidance, with taxpayers encouraged to stay away from ‘tax schemes’ through penalties and accelerated tax payment during avoidance investigations.

So to find out how you could take advantage of the new initiatives while protecting your practice from the threat of penalties, speak to the experts at Lansdell & Rose today.

For more information please visit www.lansdellrose.co.uk or call Lansdell & Rose on 020 7376 9333.

As the demand for aesthetic dental treatments continues to rise, it is up to you as the practitioner to find new ways of providing for your patients. Orthodontic appliances such as the Inman Aligner offer a minimally invasive approach and highly effective results for patients with protruding or crowded anterior teeth.

Dr Abhishek Agarwal from Canada Water Dental Health in London, recently added the Inman Aligner to his treatment range.

“As a GDP I have seen a lot of interest from patients, both young and elderly, wanting to correct simple mal-alignment of their anterior teeth,” he says. “I would normally hesitate to recommend conventional braces for such cases, but one day a patient asked me why I didn’t offer the Inman Aligner treatment – I then had no choice but to find out for myself why it's one of the most talked about orthodontic systems in general dental practice. 

“Having first come across the orthodontic appliance in the 'Dental Update' journal, I was quite impressed by the ABB (Align, Bleach and Bond) concept but thought my lack of orthodontic experience made it an unsuitable option for me. I was delighted to discover that no previous training was necessary in order to gain certification with the Inman Aligner.”

From here, Dr Agarwal decided to attend the hands-on training course for the Inman Aligner, which offers a complete overview of the appliance in a single day.

“It was one of the most well-organised training courses I have ever attended. The booking process, the pre-course preparation of material and instructions, as well as the course day itself, were all executed very systematically.

“The tutors were extremely knowledgeable and I felt that the course content started at a suitably basic level of orthodontics and gradually built up throughout the day. One-to-one discussion sessions were immensely helpful as the advice I received was tailored to my individual needs. Direct interaction with the laboratory personnel throughout the day provided another great benefit, and the course provided all the necessary information needed to get started right away.

“I left the course feeling very satisfied, excited and confident that I could now address the basic orthodontic needs of my patient base. Also, knowing that post-course support was available online from tutors and colleagues, provided me with added peace of mind.”

Looking at how the Inman Aligner has affected his everyday practise, Dr Agarwal is one of many advocates for the innovative appliance.

“I can already feel a positive change in my workplace,” he adds. “The course has sparked my interest in orthodontics and the results of my first few cases so far, seem promising.

“I can’t believe that I didn’t explore the true potential of the Inman Aligner system earlier. The training course is definitely a must for any GDP wishing to extend their scope of practise. The Inman Aligner is a straightforward, rapid and a very efficient method of obtaining remarkable results and the availability of laboratory support and the online discussion forum make it a truly exceptional orthodontic system.”

For more information on the Inman Aligner and upcoming courses, please visit www.inmanaligner.com or call 0845 366 5477

OK, so there I was, sat in my surgery having my little Monday morning meltdown. Through the blur of tears I could just make out the figure of my practice manager who had guessed that all was not well. Between sobs I just about managed to get across what I was feeling at that moment. PM was understanding, and went straight to my PC to review the daylist. Within a couple of minutes PM had determined which patients could be rebooked, blocked some time out and sat down to discuss the day with me.
We agreed that the patients PM had selected (long appointments but non-urgent – no risk of decay/deterioration – and unlikely to moan about the change) could be rebooked and some of the space freed used for the inevitable emergency appointments which would have to come from my absent colleague. I was the only dentist in the building and would have to try to manage the day as best I could.
For those who have raised the question in the forum, yes I am in primarily NHS practice, so service provision under the terms of the contract has to be managed.

The team from Dental Focus ® ‘Websites for your profit’ didn’t only exhibit at this year’s IAAFA conference in London – CEO Krishan Joshi (aka the Master) also presented to a packed audience his talk “Google Page 1 in 60 minutes”. In a fun and engaging lecture, Krishan revealed his secrets to Google Page 1 ranking, which included a LIVE and interactive demonstration of the secrets in action.

Dental Focus ® brings together a team of highly talented, passionate online marketers dedicated to making your practice an online success. With over 12 years in dentistry, the Dental Focus ® team can draw upon a wealth of research and experience in producing dental practice websites that work – providing a real, tangible return on investment to help your business grow.

To find out more about Krishan Joshi’s lecture, and how you too can achieve Google Page 1 in 60 minutes, contact Dental Focus ® ‘Websites for your profit’ today.

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

Most dental practitioners appreciate the fact that implantology is an exacting and delicate procedure which takes a whole team of talent to execute well. As the first point of contact with the patient, restoring dentists are often the ones to decide whom they want to work with on an implant treatment, and it’s their choice of surgeon and dental lab that can make or break a case.

So what should dentists look for in a dental laboratory when it comes to implant work?

First, the restoring dentist needs to make sure that the lab he or she is interested in working with can be held accountable for their role in the treatment. In general, accreditation from the ISO, DAMAS and MHRA are good to look out for, among others.

Another good thing to look for is a laboratory that works with a wide range of major implant brands. It’s much better for practitioners to develop a long-standing working relationship with one lab that can offer them a wide choice of material and make, rather than jumping to a new supplier every time they want to switch brands.

Also critical is the ability of a dental lab to keep up with industry technology. CAD/CAM technology, for example, is a great advantage for a dental lab, as it means the restoring dentist can be sure that the technicians are working as precisely as possible with the master casts they are sent.

Then there are the more intangible aspects of what makes a laboratory an excellent partner for implant work.

One key factor is communication between the dentist and the laboratory. Good communication from the time the lab receives the master cast to the day they send off the order will determine a huge part of the treatment’s success.

If the dentist is looking at a lab he or she has never worked with before, a personal visit to check out the facilities or a consultation with their technical manager is also a good idea.

Some dental practitioners, especially if they’re at the early stages of their implant work experience, may rely quite heavily on input from their lab for the kinds of materials and abutments best used in a specific case. If the practitioner can speak with an experienced technician who has the right qualifications, this exchange can be very helpful indeed.

Though there are many factors beyond the control of the dentist in implantology, there are things that with careful consideration can be taken off the mitigating factors list. Choosing a reputable and experienced dental lab that you can rely on, such as Sparkle Dental Labs, is one of these.

For every implant the dentist performs, if the team is chosen well and everything else beyond their control goes according to plan, good treatment outcome can be expected.

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

Dr Maddy Managooli is Technical Manager at Sparkle Dental Labs.

I have been in dentistry for14 years, having worked as a dentist, dental technician and Head of Quality Control for one of the biggest labs in the UK. I am very excited about the Sparkle project as we have the best technology and a highly skilled Technical Team to deliver superb quality prosthetics at affordable prices.

Dr Amit Gupta is practice principal, clinical director & co-founder of Smile in London, with practices in both Wanstead and Leyton. In 2008 he worked with Dental Focus ® ‘Websites for your profit’ to develop his website www.smileinlondon.co.uk, and has seen an excellent return on his investment.

‘We established our practice website in 2008, a few months after my wife [Dr Preeti Gupta] and I bought our practice,’ says Amit. ‘I had already devised the name “Smile in London” after a brainstorming session, and bought the domain name to match as well. The next stage was to devise the website. I wanted to consult with an online marketing company that deals exclusively with dentists. After some research I discovered Dental Focus ®, and I remember being impressed with their website and their portfolio of example sites they had created for other dentists. I also read up on their team members including their Internet Marketing Director Krishan Joshi, so I contacted him directly. He was really extremely helpful, so I decided to go ahead and get the project underway.’

Design is a crucial part of any dental practice website, as it needs to be eye catching and attractive, as well as being simple to navigate and easy to read. To really establish a practice ‘brand’ a good website should also reflect the practice identity with style, and should ideally tie in with the practice’s other marketing material including patient information leaflets, and of course the practice logo.

‘When we first bought the practice and agreed upon the name, Preeti and I designed a logo that we were both happy with and we used in all our promotional material, including practice stationary and business cards,’ says Amit. ‘So as soon as the website project was underway, I sent Krishan and his team plenty of background information about us, as well as our other dentists and so on, along with our newly-designed logo and photos of our practice.

‘For the content of the website I was keen to incorporate MEDiVision patient education animations, so patients could envisage videos of different treatments in a clear way. I also decided that I wanted Flash images on our homepage to make the page more interesting, and we even had a soundtrack added as well, which I think works really well.’

Thanks to a combination of engaging content, good website design and some clever marketing Amit and Preeti have been able to generate many new patients leads through their practice website, and it continues to be a useful marketing tool to this day.

‘Alongside word of mouth advertising, I’d say our website is one of our most important forms of marketing,’ says Amit. ‘We receive a lot of new patient enquiries directly through our website, and people often comment that they’ve found us because of our website.

‘If you want to remain competitive these days in dentistry it’s really important you have a practice website. We used Dental Focus ® to help us create ours and they have done a really professional job. They have also recently completed work making a mobile version of our practice website so patients can easily view our site on their smart phones and tablets. Again, Dental Focus ® did a great job with this, and I would highly recommend them to anyone seeking to create a practice website!’

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

Join The Fight Against Mouth Cancer

Mouth cancer cases are increasing at a catastrophic rate, according to The British Dental Health Foundation. In 2011 there were 7,698 new cases in the UK, an increase of 50% since the turn of the century.  With more than 6,000 new cases in England alone, Scotland has the most cases per 100,000 people and almost double the number of men contracted the disease compared to women. It is one of the few cancer variations on the rise and claims more lives than cervical and testicular cancer combined, yet four out of five people still do not know any symptoms of the disease.[1]

Mouth cancer (or oral cancer) can occur in different forms on the mouth, tongue and lips. Rare types of mouth cancer include salivary gland, lymphoma and melanoma.

The two most common symptoms of mouth cancer are an ulcer that does not heal and constant discomfort or pain in the mouth.

Mouth cancer can be treated more successfully when it is diagnosed early, and this is why it was added to the GDC’s recommended core CPD topics. It is thus important for dental professionals to highlight the importance to patients of looking out for any changes in their mouth, including ulcers and red or white patches that have not cleared up within 3 weeks.

Most causes of mouth cancer are linked to alcohol and tobacco. The risk of mouth cancer is increased if tobacco and alcohol are consumed together. A diet containing large quantities of red meat and fried food can also be a contributory factor. As highlighted in media coverage of Michael Douglas and his 3-year battle with this disease, recent research has linked mouth cancer to the human papillomavirus (HPV).[2]

What can dental professionals do to help?

It is important for all members of the dental team to raise patient awareness of the simple lifestyle changes that can help prevent developing mouth cancer (or prevent it reoccurring after successful treatment). These are not smoking, keeping to the recommended weekly limit for alcohol consumption (21 units for men and 14 units for women) and eating a healthy, balanced diet, full of fresh fruit and vegetables, olive oil and fish.

It is the clinician’s responsibility to perform checks that include feeling the neck and face to check for swellings, as mouth cancer can often be discovered in its early stages. Regular dental appointments are thus imperative in the prevention and early detection of mouth cancer. Patients with particularly busy lives need simple and convenient methods for booking regular dental visits. As the dental industry heralds the power of the internet, it is becoming easier for patients to book their appointments online.

Working in collaboration with NHS Choices, Zesty is such an online booking service, providing dental practices with a profile on their website, and advertising all free appointments and cancellations to maximise the client stream. Available day and night, a patient in pain or concerned about mouth cancer at 2am can simply log on to their computer and immediately book an appointment. Peace of mind and a better night’s sleep are assured.

Show your support and join Zesty in the battle against mouth cancer. Call today to find out more.

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

In November, Zaki Kanaan was elected as the new President of the BACD. Here, Zaki speaks about his aims for his upcoming year in office.

I joined the BACD back in 2004, and have been involved in one way or another ever since. I’ve always felt strongly about representing the profession and the BACD is an organisation that I firmly believe in. My first role was to set up the Regional Study Clubs after which I moved to sponsorship and trade. For the last couple of years I have sat on the Board as Scientific Director, where it’s been my great privilege to work alongside some really dedicated, passionate individuals helping to grow the BACD into the organisation it is today. Now, in my new role as President, I hope to continue the good work done by my predecessors by strengthening our ties with other societies and organisations so we can offer our members even more opportunities to grow and develop within their careers.

The BACD has come a long way in a relatively short space of time. We started out in 2003 with only 80 members, and now 10 years on we have almost 800 members and continue to grow year on year. When I look back and compare the Academy in the early days to where it is now, it is like chalk and cheese. I remember we used to pay a PR company for exposure in the national press – now the media come to us! This goes to show the strong reputation we have built over the years, and this is something I hope to continue and grow over my coming year as President.

An Academy for all

I truly believe that the BACD is not just an academy for ‘the cosmetic dentist’. There is a cosmetic element to everything we all do everyday and in almost every clinical situation, be it a single tooth or several. It is therefore an academy for ALL dentists.

Forging relationships

Over the years we have created some strong links with various organisations and this year we are also looking to strengthen our relationships in other areas as well. Implant dentistry is my particular area of interest and like me, many BACD members are also members of the Association of Dental Implantology. So with my good friend Philip Friel, my counterpart at the ADI, I feel some synergy with our organisations. There are a number of interesting opportunities in the pipeline that I hope to bring to fruition in the coming year. After all, dental implants and cosmetic dentistry go hand in hand.

Another area in which I hope to expand the BACD’s role is in the field of teeth whitening. As an organisation we already get approached quite a lot about teeth whitening, but this is not something we can tackle on our own. Illegal whitening is a major problem at the moment, and we really need a national strategy to deal with this challenge. The BACD is an active member of a new initiative, The Tooth Whitening Information Group which also consists of all the major bodies involved in teeth whitening such as the BDHF, BDTA, GDC, BDA, BDBS and all the major dental whitening companies. I hope in the coming year we will be able to disseminate more information to our members on how to tackle local businesses offering teeth whitening illegally.

Orthodontics for the GDP

As well as forging relationships, we hope to build bridges. Many colleagues will be aware of the ongoing debate in the profession regarding orthodontics and the role of general practitioners in the provision of orthodontic treatment. When the British Orthodontic Society (BOS) placed their controversial advert in the Guardian earlier in the year, it caused quite a stir among certain groups of the profession. 

As an organisation we have always tackled adversity head on in the past and invited those concerned to our conferences to show them what we are really about. In response to these ongoing concerns we’ve worked hard to build bridges with our orthodontic colleagues, and we were delighted that the BOS accepted our invitation to speak at our recent Annual Conference.

During my year as President, I hope to nurture this relationship, and together with our orthodontic colleagues, aim to develop ways to help educate general dentists, as well as orthodontists, on how we can work together in a more synergistic way. As with all dentistry, if done within one’s competency, orthodontically facilitated smile design will aid the clinician in keeping treatment as minimal as possible and this can only be for the benefit of our patients.

A fantastic proposition

BACD membership today represents fantastic value for the dental professional, with discounted rates for students, technicians and DCPs. As well as offering a well structured ‘career pathway’ through our tiered membership system and Accreditation process, we offer a number of excellent benefits that I think really make the BACD an attractive proposition, no matter what stage you are at in your career.

The BACD has always been an excellent resource for education, and in the early part of 2013 we struck a deal with Dental XP – a leading educational website with over 1,600 videos and tutorials available to watch. As part of the BACD membership package, all our members are now able to access Dental XP for free – a saving of over $400 per year on subscription to the site.

Another achievement we are particularly proud of is our work to establish Regional Meetings at 11 different locations across the UK. We used to charge £35 per member for these excellent evenings, but thanks to our main sponsor Coltene, as well as sponsorship from Orascoptic and local laboratories and practices, we are now able to offer these meetings for just £1 each. This is absolutely fantastic value, and even better value when you consider the quality of education on offer at these events. Not only that, but they are also a great way to network with colleagues in your region and pick up useful hints and tips to take back and apply to your work the very next day.

All of these things mean that there has never been a better time to be a member of the BACD. With our fantastic member benefits, Regional Meetings, Social Events, Day Courses, the BACD Roadshow and of course our Annual Conference in November, the BACD offers a fantastic opportunity to help dental professionals of all levels of experience learn and grow within their careers. With the prospect of building closer ties with our sister organisations over the coming year, I hope that my time as President will help to further cement the BACD’s position as the leading light in comprehensive aesthetic dentistry today.

For further information about the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, 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

About the author:

Zaki Kanaan is a highly experienced and respected implant and cosmetic dentist, and is well-known in the dental community. He is a key opinion leader and mentor for Nobel Biocare Implants and he lectures widely on all aspects of cosmetic dentistry with a special interest in dental implants. Zaki gained a Master's Degree from the world-renowned Guy's Hospital in 2001. He also has Diplomas in Sedation and Hypnosis and is a Licenciate of the Faculty of Homeopathy.

Zaki was appointed UK Dental Advisor to Philips Oral Healthcare as a result of his expertise in all aspects of tooth whitening. After being voted second in Private Dentistry's poll of the top 20 Elite Dentists in the UK in 2011, he was voted "UK Dentist of the Year" at the Dental Awards in 2012.  He is also Immediate Past President of The London Dental Fellowship. He sits on the editorial board for the International Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry and was an editorial consultant for Dental Implant Summaries.  Zaki regularly appears on Channel 4's Embarrassing Bodies programme carrying out complex implant treatments.

Zaki lectures on all aspects of cosmetic and implant dentistry. He is Director of K2 Dental Seminars and has trained hundreds of dentists, hygienists and therapists in the art and science of power and home whitening techniques. He runs K2 Dental, an award-winning private practice in the heart of Fulham Palace with his wife Dominique.

Whistleblowing and responsibility

The UK law related to whistleblowing changed significantly at the end of June with the result that legal protection for employees who report wrong-doing by their employer is only now afforded to those raising allegations of public interest. In other words, now the element of “good faith” required previously has been removed, disputes over personal issues, such as pay or performance management which lack a public interest element, will no longer be protected under the legislation.

So perhaps you should ask yourself; should I be blowing a whistle and what is the purpose?

Team members are often the first to realise that there is something amiss within the practice. However, they may not wish to express their concerns as they may feel that speaking up would be disloyal to their colleagues or to the practice.

Whistleblowing should primarily encourage and enable team members to raise serious concerns within the practice rather than overlooking a problem or 'blowing the whistle' to an external body. It is important that every organisation, whether it be a dental practice or even a body such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) itself recognises their responsibilities and takes them seriously and intelligently.

Raising awareness of serious concerns when you work within an organisation asks a lot of the individual and this is the reason why it is necessary to emphasise that they are protected in law by taking appropriate actions. It should be a clearly stated Policy that the practice recognises that the decision to report a concern can be a difficult one to make. If what you are saying is what you believe to be true, you should have nothing to fear because you will be doing your duty to the practice and the patients alike. Furthermore the practice will not tolerate any harassment or victimisation and will take appropriate action to protect the team member who raised a concern in good faith.

Sometimes circumstances have a habit of being rather more intertwined don’t they?

Whenever there is a problem within a dental practice, whether this relates to patient care directly or working relationships; it is wise to attempt a locally agreed solution. Usually a discussion of the circumstances involving all relevant team members will itself point to the correct solution. However sometimes the problem may be so serious or the reaction of the management so ineffective that as a GDC Professional Registrant you feel compelled to take matters further. Whilst doing this, it is extremely wise to examine one’s own position carefully. A thorough investigation will include all parties. All concerns will be treated in confidence and whilst every effort should be made not to reveal the identity of the team member who raised it; at the appropriate time they may need to come forward as a witness.

So that’s clear is it?

I want to encourage everyone to re-confirm the legitimacy of their intending whistleblowing and to be certain that they have:

·         Disclosed the information in good faith.

·         Believe it to be substantially true.

·         Not acted maliciously or made false allegations.

·         Not sought any personal gain.

These points could have a significant bearing if you are shown to have decided to speak to the Press or acted in connection with another practice or organisation which work in competition.

There may have been a number of situations where organisations have been subjected to malicious whistleblowing. I imagine that it’s not a pretty sight and I’m afraid it would have a habit of rebounding badly on the perpetrator as well as the victim. Some of these people may even have found it necessary to leave Dentistry.

The more one thinks about it; the more one can see that whistleblowing can be used in a positive way for the general good, but equally it can be used in a negative malicious way.

One may envisage a situation where a regulatory body has experienced ‘difficulties’ with a Provider and has then approached another regulatory body to re-examine the Provider. This used to be referred to as ‘double jeopardy’, although now it could even be triple jeopardy. You may possibly feel that such things could never happen in this fair Country of ours; I couldn’t possibly comment.

How to raise a concern in your practice

As a first step, anyone with a concern, should raise it either verbally or in writing with the Practice Manager or the Principle if it involves the practice manager.

All concerns must be taken seriously and the team member treated with respect and dignity.  The matters involved should then be investigated and the team member advised of what is happening at all times.

Thank you

Thank you for reading this and whichever of the R’s you feel you may be; Registrant, Regulator or Registrar, I would like to remind you that the use of intelligence, proportionality and responsibility are not your exclusive rights.

Our Commitment

RightPath4 is committed to the highest possible standards of openness, probity and accountability. In line with that commitment we look forward to working with all dental practice teams to help them be the best they can be and be justifiably proud of their achievements.

RightPath4 will continue to work on behalf of those in peril on the C, whether that be CQC or GDC and you may be interested in inviting us to visit you. We hope that you will find that you can spend a small amount of money, very wisely!

You could arrange a practice visit from me for as little as £275.00.

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

Have a look at our website

Search Engine Optimisation is Dead It's All About Adwords

Search Engine Optimisation has changed dramatically over the last five years as you may have read in my two previous articles (read part one), (read part two). But there are still ways that you can improve your rankings as I highlighted in part two.

But even if you are really successful with your ethical and correct search engine optimisation efforts, you are still likely to be fairly well down the list of the front page, assuming your site has made it to the front.

The main reason for this is that Google now gives the top three slots to its paid for offerings, which are called Google Adwords.

Google is effectively now an ads engine rather than a search engine, let me tell you why. They announced their third quarter results a few weeks ago and revenues for that quarter were $14.89 billion, which makes them one of the largest and most profitable company's on the planet.

Of that £14.89 billion 96% comes from advertising!! Only 4% of their revenues comes from the likes of their Android operating systems or their Nexus tablets. So where do you think Google are going to concentrate their efforts over the coming years?

You might delude yourselves into thinking that surely they won't give advertisers all the front page, surely Google is about search. Well just think back a couple of years when Yellow Pages was the search tool of choice. Did you really care that all the entries which stood out were paid for adverts (still are actually), of course not.

So don't think for a minute that Google won't dedicate more and more space on its front page of a search to advertising, because I fully believe that this is what is going to happen, and sooner rather than later.

And to really hammer home that point just think about this. At present 20-25% of all searches are done on smart phones (tablets are fast catching up). Just go to your smart phone and do any search you like.

Unlike a desk top computer, there isn't lots of space on a mobile or tablet, so you don't see lots of entries below the bottom of the screen. Strangely enough you normally see the top three results. Yes you've got it, they are the paid for adverts, not organic search.

So you may do all the search engine optimisation you like (ethical or otherwise) to improve you natural organic listings, but they still won't show on a smart phone or tablet, unless you scroll down the page and most people don't do this they simply click on what comes out top.

So let me state again Search Engine Optimisation is dead, or definitely dying. Google is now a publicly listed company producing massive revenues and profits for its investors, do you really think that it is going to let you or your search engine optimisation company or person out smart them?

If you want to be at the top of the Google rankings the best thing you can now do is to use Google Adwords, which is the modern Yellow Pages. But even then you have to be good at this.

simply paying more for your ads will not guarantee that you will be at the top of the rankings, far from it, you have to ensure that the page you are sending your audience to is good, that the advert is relevant, that your keywords are correct and that you are regularly checking and updating your ads.

If there is such a thing, this is now the modern day Search Engine Optimisation, e.g. keeping your advert above that of your competitors and that is another skill you are going to have to learn or employ somebody to do for you!

If you want to increase your practice revenues, profits and increase you patients numbers, 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 my website www.dentalmarketingexpert.uk

The Dental Design team have been supporting Movember, with the whole team growing moustaches for the great cause. For every Facebook like they receive, they will be donating 50p.

The link to the Facebook page can be found here

If you would like to donate direct to the team, please follow this link to the Movember page. 

Further information on Movember can be found on their website - www.uk.movember.com/?home

Thanks in advance for supporting this worthy cause.

@dentaldesign

I duly went to see my medical practitioner the next Monday. I’m fortunate that my GP runs early morning sessions on some days, so I was able to get an appointment before work.

I felt some trepidation at the visit, in some part to my colleague’s earlier insistence against talking to his GP. His reasons were that “he would just stuff me full of pills, and wouldn’t think of me as a professional”. Frankly, my colleague couldn’t have been more wrong!

My GP was understanding, honest and helpful, to the point that I broke down crying in front of him as I was so glad to get some of the weight off my chest to someone other than my wife.

He asked about how everything had happened, listened intently, and advised me that my wife was indeed right in insisting I seek help. He actually phrased it as “I’m divorced, so I normally wouldn’t admit that a wife was right, but in this case she’s bang on.” It lightened my mood immensely.

He did indeed give me some antidepressants – a low dose – and urged me to try them for at least 2 weeks before questioning their efficacy. He also gave me the numbers of 2 counselling services I could access via the NHS, and subtly hinted at which one was going to deal with me more efficiently (Hint: the one NOT run directly by the NHS).

He stated that he would not sign me off at that time, as he was pretty sure I would ignore the recommendation for some time off in any case (let’s face it – self employed, practice to run, duty of care and all that jazz – he was right).

My GP also asked about my level of self-medication (i.e. alcohol, drugs). My response was “No more than usual”, which of course prompted a much deeper discussion of drinking habits. I consider myself lucky in not having what some may term an “addictive personality”, in that whilst I do enjoy a couple of beers or bottle of wine with dinner, and do have the odd blow out with friends, I can equally go for weeks without touching alcohol at all. I did smoke a bit in my teens, but it was never something I felt I HAD to do. I did partake of some illicit substances while at Uni, and – to paraphrase many noted politicians – I did inhale. Again, it was never what one may term a habit.

As I noted in my first entry, one of the stressors for me was my colleague’s frequent absences. I half joked to my GP on that first appointment that it would be typical if I received a call on my way to work advising that my colleague was “ill”.

You can guess where the story goes from here can’t you?

I was driving to the practice when the phone rang. I could see it was his number on the car display.

I had a little meltdown.

I had to pull over into a bus lane as I was shaking and crying so hard I couldn’t see to drive. I didn’t answer the phone. I couldn’t. It never crossed my mind that he could have been calling for another reason.

I pulled myself together after about 20 minutes and continued to the practice. Upon arrival I could see his car wasn’t there, and could hear the staff making calls to cancel his patients as I walked through the door.

I walked into my surgery, asked my nurse to give me 5 minutes, and had another little meltdown.

To be continued……

[Almodovar has replied to some comments in the GDPUK forum made in that  forum.]

It is a well known fact that in dentistry the key to success relies on regular training throughout the year. This opens doors to new techniques and treatments, whilst improving on those already acquired. Gaining verifiable CPD should not feel like it is a burden, it should instead be seen as a fantastic opportunity to expand both clinical knowledge as well as the vital comprehension of business that will give dental professionals the ability to run a dental practice that flourishes.

Regularly attending courses and lectures gives dental professionals more than just the opportunity to fulfil their CPD quota. It gives them the chance to learn from keynote speakers on a variety on interesting and informative subjects. This will allow them to raise the standard of the quality of the clinical work which they deliver as well as improving the functionality and profitability of their practice.

The range of dental training that is now made available for dental professionals is simply incredible. From clinical procedures to in depth business advice and assistance, there are more ways than ever to reach CPD targets and integrate these advanced skills into your practice. Not only are the areas in which you can train varied, the formats are too, with webinars, lectures, and hands on activities all popular choices. It seems that there is a method of learning to suit everyone’s requirements, availability and style.

Attending lectures and seminars also gives delegates the chance to meet and discuss queries or problems that they have with other like-minded clinicians. Having the opportunity to interact with other clinicians in a training environment is a valuable chance to network with others, something that a number of clinicians may rarely get the chance to do.

Making sure that you attend the correct mix of lectures, hands on courses and online training is essential. With a truly blended approach to education you will be able to get the most out of your training.

The only problem that training presents is the cost of it. Making sure that you attend enough events to meet (at the very least) your CPD requirements can be quite expensive. However, there are ways of managing to control costs and keep them to a minimum whilst attending as many courses as you like. Joining a group like Dental Professionals Ltd (DPL) gives dental professionals of all backgrounds the chance to take advantage of offers on the cost of CPD. They offer a variety of regular courses that are presented by a series of industry experts who cover both the clinical and business aspects of the industry. Previous courses have included a core CPD day, hands on days on endodontic techniques, composite layering techniques, as well as management days on the new NHS contract changes.

With affordable options available there is no reason why all dental professionals, from practice managers to hygienists, can’t attend more than their fair share of courses, lectures and workshops!

For more information contact Dental Professionals Limited

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tel: 01256 328575

www.dplgroup.org.uk

The Dental Directory preferred groups

Are dentists’ beginning to gain confidence over the longer term, asks Ian Crompton, Head of Healthcare Banking Services at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking:

“The latest wave of our twice-annual Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking Healthcare Confidence Index revealed that dentists lacked confidence in the future business prospects of their profession when looking ahead over the next five years, despite being more positive over their immediate futures.

“The survey suggested that short term optimism had risen amongst dentists since last year, with an improvement in positive sentiment from a net balance of nine to eighteen, while long term confidence had dipped from a net balance of -60 to -77*.

“Despite an overall rise in business confidence, increased financial pressures look set to impact on the dental sector, with 93 per cent (compared to 77 per cent in 2012) of practitioners saying that they expect to see these concerns increase in the next five years.”

First published in August 2011, The Healthcare Confidence Index is now in its fifth wave and aims to provide an insight into the attitudes and opinions of primary healthcare providers; GPs, Dentists and Pharmacists, over the next one to five years. To complete the survey, go to www.healthcareconfidenceindex.co.uk

Ian Crompton continues:

“Last year we thought it was encouraging to see overall confidence returning to the dentistry sector, but it seems that this positive momentum has continued if we are only talking about 2013. If you look ahead to 2018, confidence levels are lower amongst NHS dentists – most likely as a result of uncertainties over the new contract. Whilst this uncertainty may lead to a lack of investment in the short term, this is likely to recover once there is clarity regarding the contract, thereby improving confidence over the longer term.

“At Lloyds Bank, we have a successful history of advising and supporting businesses in the healthcare sector, in a range of disciplines. Our team of relationship managers has a strong knowledge and sound understanding of the challenges facing these businesses and we are determined to ensure that they remain financially fit for the future.

“The Healthcare Confidence Index provides us with valuable insight into the sentiment of primary healthcare providers right across the UK, and we’re keen to secure the opinions of as many contributors as possible”.

www.healthcareconfidenceindex.co.uk

November 2013

Issued on behalf of Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking by Citypress

More information: Katie Dale on 0121 314 4192 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

*The Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking Healthcare Confidence Index is a dispersement index, so any figure greater than zero represents a positive outlook. The maximum value achievable is +100, the minimum -100.

When Andrew Lansley drafted his Health and Social Care Bill, being married to a Doctor obviously drew his focus away from other healthcare providers. The structures were all there for GP commissioning and the formation of Clinical Commissioning Groups, even the removal of PCTs and transfer to NHS England and Area Teams. We can argue if any of this amounted to "no more top down reorganisation of the NHS" as promised in the manifesto, or the most challenging time anyone working within NHS management had ever faced.

It is hard to remember when someone at NHS England twigged or tapped Sir David on the shoulder and said what are we doing with dentists? Are they supposed to be part of this clinically lead new NHS? Someone somewhere found the fag packet, and I think it was John Milne's sister Helen Hirst that wrote the first plan for Local Professional Networks on the back of it. Helen had hardly got the ink dry before she passed the empty fag box to Sam Illingworth; before the final details were released both had jumped ship to the CCGs leaving others at NHS England to finalise.

Of course by this stage pilots had been invited to test the model, this too lacked direction with a "get on and see what you can do" mantra. Even the regular teleconferences to see what was happening and share experiences fell apart amongst the maelstrom of the de structuring of PCTs and the reapplying for posts.

By February and with the impending changes just a few weeks away, the NHS Commissioning Board (remember them?) released Securing Excellence in Commissioning in NHS dentistry was published. Within its pages contained the framework for LDNs and some examples of what the pilots had achieved. Some like in Manchester under the stewardship of Colette Bridgman clearly had an effect, albeit she struggled to fund her projects. Others exampled in the document like the reorganisation of Oral Medicine services in Birmingham perhaps needed placing in the fictional section of any library, but highlighted how little many of the pilots achieved in their lifespan.

Well six months in, we have recruitment processes in all the Area Teams and in others they have appointed a Chair. Many of these posts have been taken by LDC people, some have continued to wear both hats, and for me I am not convinced that's possible. As far as I am aware many of these newly appointed Chairs are yet to be paid for their new job, apparently due to a HR issue at NHS England, it seems like LDNs have taken them by surprise!

Of course the challenges for the LDN Chairs is to assist depleted commissioning teams in delivering national strategy and developing structural changes in service delivery locally, all within perhaps one afternoon a week. Not only is that the challenge but the budget given to them is somewhere in the region of £40,000, a share of a pot of £120,000 secured for Local Professional Networks for dentistry, pharmacy and opticians. The CDO describes this as "seed money" to allow the LDN to grow and show its usefulness, perhaps he is providing the fertiliser?

It really shows the importance of dentistry within the NHS when it's funding is pennies per patient population for an LDN compared to the £25 per patient that CCGs get for management costs. Clearly if members of the dental team are to be involved in LDNs, they are to be expected to do this with benevolence and with no remuneration; it's clinical leadership on the cheap.

Dental nursing is a second career for Joanne Whiteoak, and one that she’d been meaning to get into for quite a while. But when the 28-year-old quit her job in the travel sector to pursue her dream, she found that it wasn’t easy to convince dental companies to give you a chance if you haven’t got the experience.

That is, until she got in touch with Genix Healthcare.

“Genix Healthcare was the first company to see the potential in me, and with them I’ve done really well. They’ve been very supportive in my path to becoming a dental nurse.”

Joanne is among the first group of nurses to graduate from the Genix Healthcare Apprenticeship Program, a scheme that was launched in late 2011 to provide training and employment opportunities for those interested in joining the dental profession. Through the £250,000 project, Genix Healthcare owner Mustafa Mohammed hopes to raise the standards of dental care in the country.

The first group of apprentices saw around 70% of its graduates go on to find positions in the Genix Healthcare system; the apprenticeship is not only an excellent training course, it’s also a great career path for aspiring dental care professionals nationwide.

Apprentices who join the program are placed in Genix Healthcare clinics, where they train from 18 to 24 months under the supervision of qualified nurses and dental practitioners before going on to graduate.

Joanne found working within the Genix Healthcare system enjoyable and rewarding. “It was a really good experience, personally I think it’s the best way to learn. Everybody was really friendly and there was always somebody there to support me.” Though the newly qualified nurse wouldn’t describe the training as easy, she found the challenge of mastering a new profession and the accomplishment she felt from acquiring critical skills invaluable.

“If you have a patient in the chair and you’re working with a dentist, it could be quite panicky, for example if you didn’t have the right materials ready,” Joanne recalls. “I think it just boils down to a lack of knowledge at the time, but obviously that’s something you learn and become more confident with as time goes on. Not knowing things at the beginning can be quite hard, but there’s nothing you can do about that, you just have to keep at it.”

She also feels that she received a lot support from Genix Healthcare to help her finish the program and receive her qualification. The program allotted a certain number of hours during the apprentice’s workdays for course work and examinations, and when Joanne had any questions at all, the staff in the clinic she was working at were always wiling to help her out. Genix Healthcare also regularly held individual assessments with their apprentices to make sure they were mastering their skills correctly and completing the program at a good pace.

But although a lot of support can be expected from the company and the staff, Jo feels that those interested in taking this course should have some degree of self-sufficiency as well.

“The coursework we needed to do was really good, but you do have to have a lot of self-motivation to get some things done before the deadline. Unlike a classroom setting where you have the teacher in front of you, you’re left to your own devices more when learning through webinars and Skype sessions,” Joanne advises. “You just need a certain amount of discipline, but you need that anyway if you want to become a dental professional.”

Joanne also very much enjoyed the working environment she encountered in Genix Healthcare, as she found everyone to be friendly and respectful. Joanne says, “What I find in Genix is there’s no divide between dentists and nurses – we’re all the same and we all treat each other with the same respect.”

Joanne feels that the program has helped her grow as a professional, and is now a hundred percent more confident in her work than when she first started. She is currently speaking with Genix Healthcare senior management about furthering her education with courses on sedation and oral surgery. She maintains that the big career change she decided to make has been one of the best decisions in her life, and Genix Healthcare is very much to thank for their part in that.

Soon, Genix Healthcare will be offering more opportunities like this to new apprentices. The program hopes to see one hundred more dental nurses graduate in the next two years, and recruitment for new groups of apprentices will be happening soon.

Joanne would recommend a career in dental nursing to anyone who wants to join the dental profession.

“Dental nursing is a great career where you can do something very fulfilling and worthwhile, and you can feel like you’re giving back to the community. It’s also something that you can build on – you can start as a dental nurse then there are so many different qualifications you can do to add on to that. There are so many routes you can go down, you can go through to practice management for example, or become a dental hygienist or a therapist. Dental nursing is definitely a good start for someone who’s interested in learning and working their way up.”

Genix Healthcare is passionate about giving young career starters the chance to improve themselves and their quality of life through excellent qualifications and good careers. Just recently, the company sponsored the Yorkshire and the Humber regional heat of the National Apprenticeship Awards 2013.

Genix Healthcare hopes that through sponsorships such as these and through its own apprenticeship projects, it can raise the standard of young professionals not only in dentistry, but in other industries as well.

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

Surgery design can be a time-consuming and often stressful process. Whether you’re setting up from scratch or just simply upgrading an existing facility, there are just so many different decisions to be made it can be an almost insurmountable task for one person to undertake on their own. As well as arranging financial matters to cover the cost of the project you will need to deal with many various contractors and suppliers to prepare and then fit out your surgery and undertake any outstanding building work that may need to be carried out. You may also need to deal with local authorities to arrange for ‘change of use’ permission, as well as national regulators such as the HSE and CQC. And all this before you even think about how you’d like your new surgery to look.

Of course the key to any successful project such as this is the planning, and then selecting the right contractors and suppliers to work with to help you achieve your goals. When embarking on any project it is absolutely vital that nothing is overlooked in the initial planning stages as otherwise costs can very easily spiral out of control. For this reason it pays to work with companies with direct experience working in dentistry, who can foresee potential problems before they emerge. Many of the best companies can work with you right from the planning stage of your project through to completion and beyond. These companies will even be able to assist you with managing your project on a day-to-day basis so that you avoid getting caught up in the minor details. This can be particularly useful if you aim to continue working while your project is underway, and can save you the time, and the stress of managing multiple sub-contractors and equipment suppliers all on your own.

Aside from the challenge of selecting, arranging and then managing sub-contractors for your project, one of the most trying aspects of any surgery design of upgrade project is dealing with both local and national regulation. As well as the often-quoted HTM 01-05, and the safety and suitability requirements set out by the CQC, there are other non-dental-specific requirements as well. These include the intricacies of design compliance and associated building regulations, which encompasses suitable design and layout, as well as adequate security and maintenance, fire safety, and disabled access.

Once all of these factors have been taken into account, there is then the challenge of balancing regulatory requirements against the need to create an aesthetically pleasing design. Thankfully, help can be found in the form of advanced computer aided design (CAD) software that many of the best companies will use to create accurate plans of the surgery. These plans can then be optimised to make the best use of the space available, while powerful design tools mean you are also able to take a ‘virtual tour’ in 3D. This can help you visualise how the finished project will look before any work is done and you can make as many changes as you like until you are completely happy with the final design.

Naturally, a dental surgery is not complete without equipment. If you already have equipment in situ in an existing surgery then moving your pre-existing dental unit and imaging equipment should not be a problem. Again, a good surgery design company will be able to assist you in every way possible and will make sure your surgery has all the necessary fixtures and fittings in place to see a smooth transition.

If however you are seeking to upgrade, or invest in new technology, a good company will also be able to supply the most up-to-date equipment whilst also being able to come up with a solution that meets your requirements and takes into account factors such as ergonomics and space. The very best companies will even be able to provide ongoing after sales service and support, and can also help by providing appropriate equipment usage training for members of staff.

Whatever the size or scale of your project it pays to work with a company that offers CAD design – a company you know can trust. By employing the services of an established company with a proven track record of success you can rest assured that your project will be in the best hands possible. Experience counts for a lot, and if problems do crop up, the best companies will be able to meet these challenges and keep your project both on time and within budget, leaving you free to focus on the things that matter the most.

For more information call Clark Dental on 01268 733 146, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit  www.clarkdental.co.uk

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. However, it can never provide the ‘WHY”.  Data can’t tell us about 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. Often that requires time and space, and on occasion a ‘Coach’.

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?

The biggest steps are nearly always made by those who can hold onto the ‘Why’, whilst using data to change the course in which they do business.

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.

The comprehensive new range of protective eyewear from UnoDent ensures the safety of dental staff is a top priority. Each pair of protective eyewear guarantees a barrier against contaminated fluids, and while some boast scratch resistant lenses and others anti-fog lenses, UnoDent makes certain that the dental professional’s specific requirements are met.

The innovative and contemporary range of protective eyewear includes:

• UnoDent CrackerJack Range– Stylish and lightweight single lens providing large field of vision available in various colours
• UnoDent Coversight Range – Lightweight and adjustable arms for anti-slip comfort to fit over any kind of prescription glasses
• UnoDent Touring Range – One-piece polycarbonate lens, fits over any prescription glasses with side vents to prevent fogging
• UnoDent Equinox – For lab use fully adjustable with lateral protection with fittings for ‘your own’ prescription lenses
• UnoDent Matrix Range – Lightweight and adjustable protective eyewear with LED light built-in, rechargeable via USB and your own computer
• UnoDent Pop – Single lens with flexible arms designed for a ‘smaller face’ i.e. child.

UnoDent is the obvious choice for protective eyewear for all professionals. Providing stylish comfort with comprehensive protection from contamination, the very latest UnoDent Protective Eyewear range prioritises the professional.     

Available now from the independently verified best priced dental dealer, The Dental Directory.

For more information regarding products within the UnoDent range please contact The Dental Directory on 0800 585 586, or visit www.dental-directory.co.uk.

The Dentistry Show 2014 returns next year for another two-days of exciting lectures, networking opportunities and practical experiences.

The Show will be held at the NEC in Birmingham on Friday 28^th February and Saturday 1^st March 2014.

Leading professionals will take to the stage of the Hygienists & Therapists Symposium to present cutting-edge lectures on the latest ideas and perspectives in dental hygiene and therapy.

Among those speakers is Professor Avijit Banerjee, who will deliver his lecture entitled ‘Preventing Dentistry “MI” Way: The Team-Care Approach’.

He explains, “I am lecturing about the roles of Dental Care Professionals, namely hygienists and therapists, in the care framework of minimum intervention dentistry. I will show how administration of remineralising agents and practising non-operative prevention is the key to successful long-term oral health maintenance and the role of the dental team must not be under-estimated.”

With plenty for every member of the dental team to enjoy and learn from, The Dentistry Show 2014 is one dental event that cannot be missed. Registration is open so book your free place now to attend the most highly anticipated event of the year.

For more information and to register for your free delegate passes, 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.

DTS 2014 promises to present all the quality, vibrancy and diversity delegates have come to expect from event organisers CloserStill Media.

Presenting two days of motivational lectures, an extensive trade exhibition and an array of hands-on and business workshops dedicated to technicians, clinical technicians and lab owners, DTS will be bigger and better than ever before.

Among the impressive line-up of internationally renowned speakers will be Dr Christian Coachman, developer of the Digital Smile Design Concept and instructor for the Ceramic Specialisation Program at the Ceramoart Training Centre.

He will discuss the need for an integrated approach to patient treatment.

“In the modern dental, good technical skills are no longer enough to ensure desired treatment outcomes are reached,” he explains. “I think the quality of communications between dentists and technicians is one of the biggest problems in dentistry, and this needs to be addressed. A fully integrated approach is needed from the practice team and the lab team, and this can only be achieved through good communication.

“It is this relationship that I hope to encourage delegates to strengthen, and I will be offering some useful tips on what technicians can do to enhance it.”

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

Kerr is highlighting a warning issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), asking UK dentists to check if they have bought counterfeit and unapproved dental curing light devices after 261 products were sold by people on eBay.

The MHRA states: ‘The products sold on eBay have not been tested for safety or that they work. Whilst the health risk remains low, people treated with them at dental practices could experience pain through tooth decay and may require additional treatment.

‘Dentists who have bought these products are urged to dispose of them following appropriate clinical procedures.

‘They can identify them by:

• no instructions for use
• on the genuine devices the Woodpecker mark is at the top, this is not on the counterfeit ones
• the electrical plug supplied is of poor quality.’

Committed to excellence, Kerr would like to reassure its customers that all of its dental curing light devices meet all relevant regulations.

For further information on Kerr’s range of curing lights, please visit www.kerrdental.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01733 892292.

With nearly half of UK adults (45%)[1] unhappy with the alignment of their teeth, it’s no surprise that orthodontic treatment is on the rise. Interestingly, the YouGov survey, conducted on behalf of National Orthodontic Week (NOW) in 2010, also found that 20% of respondents would consider having some form of orthodontic treatment.

That’s quite a drop. From 45% of people being unhappy with the way their teeth look to just 20% being prepared to do something about it. Now, why could that be? There are two main issues that discourage patients from seeking treatment: cost and embarrassment. But in actual fact there are a number of treatment options to choose from, ranging widely in price, and modern treatments are incredibly subtle.

Innovations in adult orthodontics have led to treatment such as understated tooth-coloured fixed braces, or lingual braces that are fitted to the back of the teeth, or even removable clear aligners.

The first and most obvious benefit to orthodontic treatment is a more attractive appearance and greater confidence. In addition to this, there are the health implications. Optimum dental function reduces teeth grinding and ensures that food is chewed properly, improving digestion and nutritional intake. Straighter teeth are also much easier to clean and so reduce plaque build up and the risk of disease.

Improving teeth alignment balances the force of the bite more evenly. With a crooked dentition, some teeth are taking more of the force than others, creating problems such as uneven wear and even causing headaches or jaw pain. Patients who feel they are saving money by avoiding orthodontic treatment now might be heading for much more expensive dental procedures later in life.

If you are thinking about referring orthodontic treatment for your patients, contact a referral practice with the necessary expertise such as the London Smile Clinic, and discover the best treatment options available. Led by Specialist Orthodontist Dr Preet Bhogal, the clinic develops close working relationships with referring dentists to ensure the best possible patient care for the duration of the referred treatment. From the initial assessment to the day the braces come off, the clinic seeks authorisation and approval from the referring dentist at every stage.

Effective orthodontic treatment delivered by a specialist dramatically improves patients’ lives. Consider it from their perspective. A GDP might see what appears to be a very minor case of uneven dentition and not think it worth referring. The patient, on the other hand, looks in the mirror every day and notices every flaw. To the patient, achieving straighter teeth is nothing short of a transformation. Just imagine how patients with very crooked teeth would feel if they had the opportunity to gain a more beautiful smile. That power lies in your hands.

For more information, please contact 020 7255 2559 or
visit www.londonsmile.co.uk/refer

DDL PROVIDING HOSPITAL STANDARDS OF VALIDATION - the enforced laws

Dental Decontamination Limited has always been known to provide an exceptional standard of validations which has set us apart from competitors, however, this coming April there may be a much more serious difference between ourselves and other dental decontamination companies as the En17665 will become more prominent in the industry and En13060 will be re-enforced. With D.D.L you won’t have to worry about these issues as our hospital standard validations have always been compliant with En17665 and 13060 but many other companies will find that harsh realities lie ahead.

In this blog I will be referencing 4 very important documents that all dentists, podiatrists and tattoo artists alike should become familiar with. Firstly the Medical Devices Agency’s Device Bulletin on Benchtop Steam Sterilizers- which provides guidance on Purchase, Operation and Maintenance [Oct 2002]. Secondly HTM01-05 with the latest information on the ever changing decontamination guidance, En17665 which administers the new laws on validation and most importantly your user manual. In this case we will use a sample Mocom B Futura manual which provides an easy-to-use instructions on how to correctly use your machine.

HTM01-05 is a guideline, not law, with MDA document that is law
“If the sterilizer fails any safety check you should not attempt to test it until the faults have been corrected and the sterilizer passes all safety checks”  [5. Maintenance, periodic testing, routine monitoring and documentation. Benchtop Steam Sterilisers – Guidance on purchase, operation and maintenance] Safety checks should be done at daily, weekly, quarterly and yearly intervals. Manufacturers recommended routine maintenance tasks intervals are specified in the user instructions or manual, for example a Mocom B Futura manual asks for…

Another point that the MDA brings to light is the importance of using specialist equipment when running tests.

“Some of the weekly tests for vacuum bench top steam sterilisers normally require the services of a TP (Test person) and use of specialist equipment, and therefore cannot be performed by the user.”

Some machines already possess automated test facility that the machine can perform itself. All Mocom machines have programmes already installed e.g. Vacuum test/leak test and the helix test cycle can be run on a Mocom with the results seen using the specialist equipment, the helix test and device strip.

MDA argues “If you do not use the test device and indicator combination specified by the sterilise manufacturer, the results might be dangerously misleading.” So it is vital that one uses the correct testing devices.

“The quarterly and annual tests require specialised equipment and skills, and should be carried out only by a properly qualified Test Person. Each cycle available to the user should be tested”
This is mirrored in Mocom’s B Futura user manual

The Law (En17665) now clearly states that it is “the manufacturer's responsibility to develop the process and provide guidelines/ instructions for operation and validation of the process.” The standard also requires “detailed documentation of all conditions that affect the process performance now and in the future.” ISO 17665-1 only provides very general guidelines on steam sterilization requirements and operations. ISO 17665-2 tries to describe these guidelines more specifically through the use of examples and further explanation.

It is essential to compare a printed record of every cycle with records given when the machine was known to be functioning properly (after periodic testing)  “You should check with the manufacturer whether you have to pre-heat the sterilizer chamber before performing these tests, as this can extend the test time” Automatic control test is not required if the steriliser is equipped with a programme that maintains permanent records of the temperature, pressure and elapsed time during all sterilising cycles. Keeping a log of all these records is extremely important and is also beneficial when comparing data and reviewing the productivity of your machine.
 

Many dentist, tattoo artists and podiatrists will soon find that there will be added costs due to these changes but Dental Decontamination customers can rest well assured that they are already covered and compliant. Once again putting your practice and equipment one step ahead.

Validation and testing of Autoclaves on all types unless noted
Before checks, examine door for wear and tear and possible signs of deterioration or leaks and check the security and performance of door safety devices.

Who: It is important that a TP* (test person, this can be a user or operator based in the practice.) is trained to carry out the daily and weekly tests, and their training is documented on personal training records. To receive the correct training, a practice should contact manufacturer of the autoclave

Daily: Automatic control test, steam penetration (Helix or Bowie Dick) not necessary on non-vacuum autoclave.
Weekly: Including daily tests plus residual air test (not necessary on non-vacuum) and air leakage test (not necessary on vacuum) performed by user/TP
Quarterly: Including weekly tests plus automatic control test and thermometric tests. These tests should be carried out by a CP(D)/service engineer to manufacturers’ recommendations.
Annually: Including quarterly tests plus steam generator overheat cut-out test, thermometric tests (small load, large load) dryness tests (small load and large load). Dryness tests are not necessary on non-vacuum autoclaves.

Bibliography

HTM01-05

http://www.lso-inc.com/sterilization-validation-services/iso17665-steam-sterilization.html [10/2013]

Medical Devices Agency [MDA DB2002(06)]

Mocom B Futura User’s Manual

Is It Worth Paying For Search Engine Optimisation For Your Practice?

Search Engine Optimisation as we have known it for the last 5 years or so, in my opinion is now dead and buried and to be quite frank good riddance. Because effectively Search Engine Optimisation is all about fooling the search engines into ranking your site higher than other sites using tricks of the trade rather than having good content.

Google is working very hard to deliver what the person doing the search is looking for (even in paid for ads) and this is good news for all of us who play by the rules and try and offer good content on our websites.

So whilst Search Engine Optimisation as we have known it e.g. keyword stuffing, link building, article marketing etc. may be much diminished if not finished altogether, there are ways to improve the rankings of your website on the natural search, unfortunately it involves work on your part (or mine if you use someone like me).

Effectively Google wants to give people who use its search facility a good experience so it is looking for things like the following:

1. Connectivity to Social Media
2. Video (ideally on You Tube)
3. New original (good) content on your site
4. Blogs
5. Mobile Friendly sites
6. Local Links

Incidentally Google doesn’t really give you brownie points for having pretty pictures on your site, so this may come as a bit of a shock to those of you who have spent a lot of time and effort having lovely graphics of smiling people put on your website.

So lets’ look at the above. Social Media connectivity, Google likes to see lots of traffic coming to your website from Social Media (whatever the flavour). This is because it shows them that the site is interacting with real human beings, not robots.

You Tube Video. Are you aware that Google actually owns You Tube and that You Tube is the second most used search engine on the planet? Because of this Google really likes You Tube, so all you need to do is create some good video, put it onto You Tube, then embed it into your website. This will do wonders for your rankings.

New original good content It’s no good having a website built, publishing it and then forgetting about it. Your site needs to continually be updated, new video, new graphics (optimised), but most of all new written content. If you do this you are really ticking a box with Google.

Blogging Probably one of the best ways to improve the rankings on your site is to write a regular blog or article. This is relatively time consuming, but will reap great rewards, it’s well worth the effort.

Mobile Friendly Site 20% of all internet searches done today are made on a mobile device (growing rapidly) and Google wants to offer mobile users a great experience too. So for instance if your dental practice has a mobile version of your website and the practice down the road doesn’t, guess who will rank higher on a mobile search, because Google knows what you are using to search the web.

Local Links These are links to other companies similar to yourself in your area, so for instance you could ask the local chemist, hairdresser, beauty salon, chiropodist, osteopath, chiropractor, doctors surgery to put a link on their website to yours.

So whilst Search Engine Optimisation may be dead, you can very much influence Google by doing all the above. Unfortunately all of this takes time and effort, but if you want to rank on the natural search you really need to implement all of these things sooner rather than later.

However if you would like me to help with all the above, call me on 01767 626 398 ore email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the website at 

www.dentalmarketingexpert.co.uk

As the autumnal fall returns once again and the ominous portent of a Comet Ison[1] in the morning sky passes I am minded to wonder at our innate ability to disagree.  There is a really intriguing book out there called   Them and Us: How Neanderthal predation created modern humans by Danny Vendramini  [2] Basically, our behaviour is nothing new!

The BDA saga has not gone away, we are told – well, actually we are NOT told …  but the vox pop of internet chat suggest that those in office at the BDA are running in internal disagreement, and of course all the outsiders like myself are far better placed to run the show.  There is no agreement it seems, and we are polarised into them and us.

Then of course there is how to deal with ‘the problem patient’.  Not only do we all differ, separating into the “This is how to do it” camp on the one hand, and the “No you fool, do it this way” camp on the other.   Never mind that the poor bloody patient is always wrong.  Them is always right and Us is never wrong.

Orthodontics appears to be generating a fair share of divisionary comment:  Far from everyone synergising to the wider benefit of the patient community and for the greater good, we just have to bicker and squabble over long term or short term, GDP or specialist , ultra modern self ligating or out of date elastics.  Throw in a spooful of commercial self interest and the fuse is lit for a right royal bust up.

What would the public think?    Oh – them and us again!

There is a fine line between appropriate professional disagreement and internecine  warfare. We must as a profession beware of breaching it ... if we actually care. Maybe we just like a good fight!

Gawd ‘elp the poor old GDPs if the BDA and BOS combine forces …

Seriously:  who will draw this disparate medley of headstrong prima donnae professionals together? 

If we fight amongst ourselves, the Governments work is done.

Ah … now there is the Ultimate “Them and Us”.

I blame Comet Ison.  Enjoy Thanksgiving, don't all fight over the Turkey now. That would far too Neanderthal ...

[1]  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25001732

[2]  http://www.themandus.org/   
Them and Us by Danny Vendramini
With acknowledgement to the author for the image

I was surprised to see the advice we give our patients has not changed much in over 40 years! I am reading a book called “The Tooth Trip” that was written by dentist Thomas McGuire in 1972; he describes the same prevention based dentistry we practice today. This book was written for the public to understand oral diseases and their role in preventing it.

Some of the book is way off the mark with recipes for making homemade toothpaste with Sage, Myrrh and powdered roots. Making toothbrushes from twigs and sticks does not sound like the best use of an hour of your time. What resonated so strongly with me was the descriptions of self-examination of your mouth and emphasis on prevention and working together with your dentist. A whole chapter was on dental emergencies and what constitutes a real emergency- severe or recurrent bleeding or severe pain not relived by painkillers. Just getting your patients to read this chapter alone would save thousands of wasted dental appointments. There was sensible honest advice on how and why teeth can hurt and how you can prevent it and work together with your dental team to stop it recurring.

In our modern age, if we educate our patients in the causes of dental disease and how it is entirely preventable, they too could have healthy mouths and lower dental bills. Despite the fact that most of this information is freely available on the internet or in the leaflets that some dental practices give out, not much has changed. Why is that?

I feel that until the information is specifically tailored to our patents and they can see the benefit from following that specific advice, they will switch off. If you promote the fact that you fix teeth, they will just come and expect you to fix them. This is where modern dental teams come in. We need to genuinely listen to our patients, do not interrupt them, let them get their whole story out. Examine their mouth, show them the evidence of disease in a clear and non-judgemental way. Explain their options and how as a team, you can return their mouth to health. Make them understand that without them, all your treatment will fail. Spending extra time now will save hours of treatment in the future and help educate a generation that loves going to the dentist. All good dentists want their work to be appreciated and to last a life-time.

Four Dental sins from the 1970’s that Dentists still do to this day:

1. Leaflet avoidance. Handing your patients reading matter to explain your treatment and asking them to go home to go through it. Nothing beats a face to face discussion where you allow them time to discuss their personal fears and questions. Leaflets should be only a back-up once the conversation has taken place.

2. Technical jargon. Using dental terminology or complex words to explain your diagnosis and treatment. All professions have jargon. The skilled dentists explain it in a language that that specific patient will understand.

3. Carrying out treatment whilst discussing the patient’s options. No-one can fully concentrate when lying on their back with theirs mouth open or having treatment carried out. Stop, sit the patient up and have a face to face conversation.

4. Bulldozing. Talking it through you your patient until they are worn down and just say yes. Nothing is life or death that you need to decide there and then. Place a temporary filling and then explain the options; pros, cons and cost. Then let them go away and think about it.

How are you going to make the most of your patients next tooth trip?

Photo by Jenn Durfey, licence info

James Goolnik is a practising Dentist and his book “Brush” donates 100% of the profits to Dentaid. He recently led a team of 8 dental professionals to Malawi to install two dental chairs, equipment and deliver skills transfer workshops from these proceeds. He is a trustee of the charity “Heart your Smile”.

www.jamesgoolnik.com

The Importance of Frequency in Dental Marketing

When I’m talking to me clients about their dental marketing programs (or lack of them). I’m often asked “how often should I do this or that”. The answer is that frequency is all important in marketing your dental practice, in fact it might just be the most important thing tool you can deploy.

Most practices or businesses have at some time or another tried to send out a postcard or leaflet, which either they have delivered themselves or got a professional organisation to deliver and in almost every case they are disappointed with the result.

A leaflet or postcard campaign should be just that “a dental marketing campaign” if you only ever send out one you will not achieve the results you desire. Just think about the amount of leaflets you receive through your door for pizza, Indian/Chinese restaurants etc. The vast majority of them you’ll throw away, however if you continue to receive them from a particular restaurant you may just stick it up on your notice board or keep it somewhere.

The reason for doing this type of marketing is to get your name in front of your audience so that when they actually do want to buy a pizza or have an Indian meal etc. or indeed visit the dentist, they remember the name they’ve been seeing for the past couple of months.

You see we aren’t always in the market for whatever it is that people are selling. Just because someone totally ignores five of the six postcards or leaflets you send them in our dental marketing campaign, doesn’t mean that they don’t want to see a dentist, it means that they aren’t interested at that point in time, but when they are guess who they are most likely to want to see.

Its the same with every other type of dental marketing including email text and the dreaded newsletter. 95% of your patients probably aren’t interested in having their teeth whitened at the time when you send them an email or text message making them an offer, but 5% may well be, and the next time you send out an email or text or leaflet, a different 5% may be interested.

Do you see the pattern that is building up here. Most dental marketing is an attritional process, you will only ever have the interest of your target audience when they actually want your product or service.

I get lots and lots of information through from my BMW car dealer. Now its quite obvious that most of the time I’m not interested in buying a car, because with the best will in the world I only ever change my car every three years or even more. So 95% of the stuff that they send me is of not interest whatsoever.

However it just happened the other day that the existing lease on my car expired and I needed to take it for an MOT. One day that week a leaflet came through the door from the BMW dealer who was offering low finance on a range of used BMW’s. Guess what! I bought a new car from that dealer, simply because he was in the right place at the right time.

So when you start thinking about sending out leaflets, postcards or simple text or email dental marketing campaigns, think in the long term, do it every month, it works.

If you would like to increase your revenues and profits, 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 my website

www.dentalmarketingexpert.co.uk

Marketing Your Dental Practice It’s About Trust

Have you ever thought what it is that inspires you to buy something? You might think about these hints when you are marketing a dental practice!

I hear people saying things like the following:

• People buy on price!
• People buy a brand!
• People buy for convenience!
• People buy on impulse

Well the truth about all the above is that before they part a single penny they need to trust the person who is selling the service or product they want to buy. Even if something is very cheap, normally you still won’t part with your money until you trust the person who is selling the product you want to buy, the same goes for brand, convenience, impulse all of them depend on you trusting the person who is selling.

So when I talk to my clients and they tell me that they are struggling to get new patients do they forget the above when they are marketing a dental practice.

I want you to understand something. Recently I had a stand at the Dental Showcase in Birmingham, during the quiet periods I was talking with quite a few of the other exhibitors, many of which don’t sell exclusively to the dental profession.

Without exception their perception of dentists was this:

1. They are all very rich!
2. They charge well over the odds!
3. They have a very easy life and don’t have to work too hard!

I work hand in hand with my clients so I know that this isn’t the case, in fact the opposite is generally true.

So when you open your dental practice door and expect people to flood to you because you are a good dentist, don’t be surprised when they don’t.

To make matters worse many dental practices also expect their patients to pay a huge premium for the first consultation.

Marketing A Dental Practice

I was recently engaged by a dentist to help him market his dental practice. This practice was in deep trouble, they were getting around 1-2 new patients per month (not per week, per month). Their average patient age was in their sixties and their numbers were dwindling. But their initial examination was £120.00.

Just think about this, people at the moment are scrutinising every penny they spend. By and large they think that dentists are rich and overpriced. There are many other dentists in the area both private and NHS, and they couldn’t work out why new patients were not joining them!

People need to build trust before they will part with their money, so why would someone part with £120.00 when they had no idea what this dental practice was like, whether they were any good or if they offered value for money!

So  the very first thing I advised them to do was to lower their cost of entry into the practice. This didn’t mean they had to reduce the price of any of the treatment, just make it easier for someone to say yes to coming to the practice.

We then embarked on marketing their dental practice. In the first month we booked 20 new patients, in the second we booked 30 new patients, in the fourth month we booked 35 new patients. That is where we currently are.

Yes you could argue that they have a professional helping them get new patients and obviously I wouldn’t argue with that, but the biggest breakthrough was to lower the point of entry, so that they could show the new patients that they could be trusted, that they do offer value for money and they offer great dentistry.

Sometimes you have to go right back to basics when you are marketing a dental practice, its not all about technique and clever marketing, its all about trust.

If you would like to increase your revenues and profits, 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 my website

www.dentalmarketingexpert.co.uk

Marketing Your Dental Practice “Provide Proof”

It’s strange isn’t it, when we are going to buy something we normally like to try and get some information on if before we buy. The very best example of this is when you buy from Amazon, they are simply brilliant, strange that barely anybody copies them when they are marketing your dental practice.

Here’s what I mean, you Google something and up comes an advert for Amazon, you go onto the page and there it is, clear as a bell, with maybe some alternatives, a variety of places you can buy and some reviews of the product “perfect marketing”.

So why don’t dentists do this when you are marketing your dental practice? I have been in many different practices, at the end of the day it’s my job. I usually sit in the waiting room and I always look around for marketing material.

I don’t think I have ever seen a brochure of the practice or a book of photographs of what the practice can do for you the patient. Just think about this, if you want to sell implants these aren’t cheap and the patient has a big decision to make, we are normally talking in terms of thousands of pounds.

So you would think that there would be a catalogue of past work wouldn’t you (or at least I would). But to date I have never once seen a book of photographs of what the dental practice can achieve available in the waiting room, this is so simple it’s ridiculous but nobody does it.

When you are marketing your dental practice, you can spend thousands on adverts, Google, leaflets, posters etc. etc. but a simple book of photographs of before and afters which are your own work costs a few pounds, you can make them up yourself on websites such as Photobox.

Also why not have testimonials from other patients on posters, booklets, your website telling people what a great dentist you are, this is in effect free marketing and so powerful when you are marketing your dental practice.

When we are booking a holiday or weekend away, my wife inevitably looks up the hotel on Trip-Advisor, your services are no different all you are doing is offering proof that you can do what you say you can do and you have other patients who will testify to it.

If you don’t already take photographs before you start work on your patients and then take one afterward, start tomorrow, ideally buy a DSLR with a maco lens, (this will help you with any legal cases too). Start to build up your portfolio of work and create a photographic brochure for your patients, its so simple and costs next to nothing.

If you would like to increase your revenues and profits call me now 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 my website

www.dentalmarketingexpert.co.uk

Everyone wants to be top of the natural (free) Google listings don’t they? This has usually needed something called Search Engine Optimisation! Which effectively means using a variety of techniques to get your site to rank well with the search engines.

I don’t think a day goes by when I don’t get an email (usually from India) with a company promising to get my website to the top of  Google search, by search engine optimisation. Occasionally I have enquired how they are going to do this and how much will it cost.

They are normally a little vague as to how my site is going to get to the top of  (actually it normally is), but they usually want between £300 and £1,000 per month for doing this, incidentally with no guarantees and the process will normally take between three and nine months to achieve.

Search Engine Optimisation has always been a black art, basically individuals or companies are trying to fool Google and the other search engines into getting their site to the top of the natural listings (none paid for or Google Adwords).

When I last enquired, Google had around $30 billion in cash reserves. They are renouned for employing the best brains in the world, so just think about it how likely are you to fool Google?

Google has just announced its latest change to the algorithm they use for search, called Hummingbird, as usual they are very coy about what they have done, but basically its going to make things even more difficult for search engine optimisation, especially if you don’t have good original content on your site that is being regularly updated.

You may have a clever search engine optimisation company getting you links and writing articles with links back to your site and maybe even worse, filling your site with keywords. But at the end of the day you really have to offer a good meaningful website that is being constantly updated with new and interesting information for the people who are searching for you to rank better on Google, especially with these new updates.

Most search engine optimisation used to be about link building, that is having other sites link to yours and this still has some validity today, however you can’t just have any links. The links need to be relevant and rank well with Google themselves, the difficulty is finding relevant sites that are in the dental industry and that are willing to put a relevant link to your website from theirs!

If you offer one of the branded products such as Invisalign or Cerec for instance you might be able to get a link from them to your site which might boost you rankings, but ideally you will need many more than this and it still might not work.

Another trick is to write articles and get them published throughout the web with a link back to your site, but again this is very hit and miss, it might or it might not work.

The very worst search engine optimisation trick you can try is to stuff your website with keywords, these are literally the words you think that you patients will search on, if Google thinks you are doing this, not only will they not boost your ranking, but they could actually penalise you for it.

So how can you get your website to rank well in the natural listings of Google? Well the simple answer to that is to have a quality website, with lots and lots of content, that is also continually being updated and added to. Simply putting a website up there and doing nothing with it will also do you not good at all.

So be very sceptical about anyone who claims they can simply improve your rankings by paying them £500 per month, the best way is to do the right thing and make you website lively, have lots of content and be relevant to the person searching for you.

If you want to increase you patient numbers, revenues and profits, 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 my website at

www.dentalmarketingexpert.co.uk

Goodman Grant Solicitors and Patient Plan Direct join forces

The UK’s fastest growing dental plan provider, Patient Plan Direct, and highly experienced team of dental legal specialists, Goodman Grant Solicitors, have joined forces.
 
The partnership sees Goodman Grant sit as Patient Plan Directs preferred legal services provider and vice-versa. Both organisations intend to work together cohesively moving forward to ensure they deliver first class services to the dental industry.
 
Goodman Grant Solicitors was formed earlier this year, bringing together two of the most experienced lawyers in the country to provide expert legal services to dentists.
 
Both Ray Goodman and John Grant have over twenty years experience each in providing legal services to dentists and the dental industry. Ray Goodman is currently Chairman of lawyers section of the National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers (NASDAL), whilst John Grant is the immediate past Chairman of the Association of Specialist Providers to Dentists (ASPD).
 
Patient Plan Direct has reshaped the dental plan sector with its market leading proposition charging dentists just £1.00 per patient per month including the provision of A&E patient insurance whilst at the same time giving more control to dentists, reducing the administrative burden and reducing plan administration costs. This all ensures that a practice’s plan delivers total flexibility and most importantly allows a practice to retain more of its own plan income and brand.
 
Conrad Broadbent, Patient Plan Direct Managing Director, commented: ‘Our carefully selected partner network ensures our clients have the option to access the best advise and support in other key practice functions in addition to the dental plan administration we provide. We’re delighted to have partnered with Goodman Grant who we’re confident without doubt are the best around when it comes to all things legal in dentistry.’
 
John Grant of Goodman Grant added: ‘We recognise Patient Plan Directs approach to dental plans is one that works, ensuring dentists can cut costs and spend these savings on specialist and bespoke advice in areas that demand attention. We’re looking forward to working alongside Patient Plan Direct as we both continue to deliver services in line with demands of dentistry.’

Education and inspiration – the BACD’s 10th Annual Conference

This November, delegates from across the profession met at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel to attend the BACD’s 10th Annual Conference. The event featured a packed lecture line-up over three days, with lectures on topics including smile design, clinical photography, digital dentistry and marketing. There was also a selection of hands-on sessions, as well as a trade exhibition and the chance to take part in a special Accreditation Workshop for dental lab technicians, hosted by Luke Barnett.

Joined-up thinking

The BACD was founded in 2003, and has seen a great many changes come upon the profession in that time. A key element of the BACD’s success has been the emphasis it places on high quality education and excellence in clinical practise. For dental lab technicians in particular, the BACD has been a strong proponent of strengthening relationships between dentists and technicians, recognising the valuable role technicians play within the profession.

This point was emphasised by BACD President Julian Caplan in his opening address to delegates. In his speech Julian Caplan spoke about the tremendous progress that the Academy has made in reaching out to the profession, while also making great strides with the dental schools, where the BACD now has a strong presence. The BACD has also been instrumental in creating a structured career pathway within the field of cosmetic dentistry. The BACD Accreditation process – open to dentists and technicians alike – has become the new benchmark for quality within cosmetic dentistry and is an achievable qualification to which all dentists and technicians can aspire.

Education for all

To open the event’s official programme, past-President Chris Orr gave a fascinating lecture on ‘Perspectives in cosmetic dentistry’. In broad ranging presentation, he described many of the changes that have impacted on the dental profession over the last 10 years, including advances in materials science and a shift towards minimally-invasive techniques. Other highlights of the three-day conference included Galip Gurel’s excellent lecture on ‘Esthetic dentistry in the digital era’, and a series of marketing and business-focussed lectures from Rita Zamora, Chris Baker and others.

The Technicians’ Accreditation Workshop also proved popular, with Luke Barnett discussing the types of cases that technicians need to complete in order to achieve BACD Accreditation status. There was also a return of the popular ‘Pearls for Members’ section, which featured short lectures from Michael Cahill and Stephen Lander among others – again showing the BACD’s commitment to strengthening the relationships between clinical and technical side of the dental profession.

Looking ahead

The BACD’s 10th Annual Conference was an excellent showcase for the very best that cosmetic dentistry has to offer. By bringing together a strong mix of lectures, hands-on sessions, a trade exhibition and social events, delegates left having enjoyed three days of high quality learning and networking with like-minded colleagues from across the profession.

For more information on future events contact the BACD today. The BACD’s next Annual Conference ‘Life LIKE Aesthetics’ will take place on the 6th, 7th and 8th of November 2014, at the ACC Liverpool. For more information, and for all the latest news, visit www.bacd.com.

For further information about the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, 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

The BACD Annual Conference 2013

The Hilton London Metropole Hotel was the setting for this year’s BACD Annual Conference with many of the leading lights in dentistry taking to the stage to share their experiences with delegates.

The event opened with an address from the Academy’s President Julian Caplan welcoming delegates to the event and giving a summary of where the BACD stands in dentistry today. In the space of 10 short years the BACD has grown to become one of the most recognisable names in dentistry today – a name that is recognised not just in the UK, but on an international stage as well.

An inspirational message

Following on from the President’s address, Julian Caplan welcomed Olympic rower Alex Gregory to the stage. Alex won gold medal as part of the men’s four at London 2012, and gave an inspiring and heart-warming talk on what it took for him to win a gold medal. This talk helped set the tone for the rest of the day, and delegates were able to enjoy excellent lectures from the likes of Chris Orr and Tif Qureshi among others. There were also two shorter lectures from Richard Jones and Derrick Willmot bringing in the orthodontist’s perspective to the cosmetic dentistry debate.

Days two and three

After an outstanding first day of lectures, days two and three of the Annual Conference had a lot to live up – and they did not disappoint! On the second day delegates were able to choose from a range of lectures across six separate conference streams. Sessions included Jason Smithson’s ‘The dentist as an artist technician’, Ash Parmar’s lecture on minimally invasive techniques, and the latest in facial aesthetics from Bob Khanna. In addition to the packed lecture programme there were also a number of hand-on sessions running throughout the day as well as a BACD Accreditation Workshop held by Julian Caplan and Chris Orr.

On the third day, the event reached its climax with the BACD’s keynote speaker Galip Gurel presenting an excellent lecture on ‘Esthetic dentistry in the digital era’.

Meanwhile, in the event’s parallel conference streams Rita Zamora and Chris Baker presented on social media and ‘The media – your friend’ respectively. There were also a number of additional hands-on sessions including a lesson on portrait photography by Lynn Sloss.

Life LIKE aesthetics

As milestone anniversary event, the BACD’s 10th Annual Conference far exceeded all expectations, combining a mixture of high quality lectures with hands-on sessions, a trade exhibition and numerous social and networking events. All of which meant delegates left the conference having enjoyed a fantastic three days of learning and socialising, having had the chance to network with like-minded professionals, and even make a few new friends along the way!

For more information on future events contact the BACD today. The BACD’s next Annual Conference ‘Life LIKE Aesthetics’ will take place on the 6th, 7th and 8th of November 2014, at the ACC Liverpool. For more information, and for all the latest news, visit www.bacd.com.

For further information about the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, 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

So,
Here I sit, staring at the words I’ve been writing in my diary of the last year, with tears rolling down my cheeks.
These are not tears of joy, for there is little in the words before me.
The past year has been sheer hell. Not for any one reason, but a multitude of big & little things. These sneaked up, built walls & built ditches but never built bridges, until the “inevitable” happened.
I spiralled into anxiety, depression and to the verge of a nervous breakdown.

The online booking site, Zesty, is proud to announce that is now working with NHS Choices to make booking appointments even easier for the general public in London.

NHS practices who join Zesty will now be able to include an Online Booking link on their NHS Choices page directly linking patients through to their Zesty practice page, which displays their live and available NHS appointments to book.

One of the first practices to adopt the Zesty online booking technology is Tower Bridge Dental in Southwark, based in South East London close to Borough and Elephant & Castle underground stations. Tower Bridge Dental provide the full range of NHS treatment (except orthodontics and sedation) to all members of the public and NHS exempt patients.

http://www.nhs.uk/Services/dentists/Overview/DefaultView.aspx?id=21985

Zesty takes the hassle out of booking dental appointments for both the practice and the patient. We have booked flights, hotel rooms and cinema tickets online for years, but until now it has not been possible to book an NHS dental appointment online. Zesty has changed this and now makes booking an appointment with a dentist online as simple as a click of the mouse or via your smartphone in less than 2 minutes!

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

In a recent feature in the Yorkshire Post, dental entrepreneur Mustafa Mohammed cited delivering the right service and seeing people flourish as his top motivations for business.

And it must be said that these philosophies truly shine through in both his dental ventures – Genix Healthcare Clinics and Sparkle Dental Labs.

Genix Healthcare was started from Mustafa’s desire to provide accessible and affordable dental care for everyone after he saw patients queuing for NHS dentists in his Yorkshire neighbourhood.

Sparkle Dental Labs was born out of Mustafa’s national pride. He wanted to slow the exodus of dental work being outsourced to the Far East by providing a competitively priced full lab service that boasts of British manufacturing quality.

And for both businesses, education and job provision are at the centre of operations. Both companies provide training and employment opportunities for those who wish to work in dentistry and develop useful skills.

With businessmen such as Mustafa, and businesses like Genix Healthcare and Sparkle Dental Labs, the dental industry is elevated and given the caring and pride that it deserves.

For additional information please call:

Genix Healthcare: 0845 838 1122, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.genixhealthcare.com

Sparkle Dental Labs: 0800 138 6255 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.sparkledentallabs.com

As the end of the first five-year cycle of continuing professional development (CPD) approaches this July, the GDC is urging all dental care professionals (DCPs) to complete the required 150 hours of CPD. The learning and development of DCPs is important to strengthening the level of care practical teams can provide. But one recent report quoted that over 43,000 DCP registrants will end their five-year cycle in 2013. Yet of these, 19% have currently not declared any hours and 33% have declared hours for their first year only. [1]

With the plethora of CPD resources and providers available, why is it that DCPs are struggling to fulfil CPD requirements? Literature published by the GDC[2] on this subject suggests that cost of training, ease of access and work patterns affect all healthcare groups – but in different ways. Therefore the need to make CPD versatile, inexpensive and easy to access is paramount; and there a few ways practices could look to put this into action.

The overall picture of continuing education for DCPs can be positive if the issue of a lack of funding is addressed. A survey on the attitudes of dental hygienists towards CPD for example, indicated that involvement in CPD was good but they just needed more support for CPD activities.[3] Another barrier to education for some DCPs was the geographical location of learning events, since time and money is required to attend. A remedy could certainly be distance learning, e-Learning and private study that can be ‘picked up’ at any time. In fact, 73% of participants in the same survey reported that they would find distance learning to be a desirable alternative to physically attending events.

In response to some of these barriers to learning, online CPD providers such as

ProDentalCPD host over 600 e-Learning modules and members are granted access to CPD articles and videos that cover the fields of Dentistry, Dental Nursing, Dental Hygiene and Dental Technology. Such e-Learning material can be accessed at any time of the day and is flexible since it does not need to be completed in one sitting - it can be started and stopped as other priorities arise.

The purpose of CPD is to maintain public confidence in the dental profession and to enhance standards of patient care. This is can be achieved by registrants if they invest in life-long learning. The skills and knowledge of registrants will then evolve so that the best possible treatment and care is given to patients. For the skills dental professionals learned when qualifying, could easily become out of date if dental professionals are not familiar with burgeoning developments in clinical research, technological innovations and techniques that constantly improve dentistry.

The practical application of evidence-based learning to the workplace is an important benefit of CPD. New skills, knowledge and techniques that are acquired during CPD can be applied to practice. Making the most out of the extensive training and learning resources available can also be made easier by formulating effective personal development plans for all dental professionals.

For easy to use and flexible online CPD that is suitable for all members of the dental team, choose ProDentalCPD as your e-Learning provider. 

To learn more about high-quality e-Learning solutions, contact ProDentalCPD on 0114 282 3509, or visit www.prodentalcpd.com

Those of you who read and digest the news and views of dentistry at large will perhaps have noticed the recent Private Dentistry Awards¹.  A rip roaring time in London for all who attended.  A sore head or two the next day I’ll bet.

The recent announcement of the winners serves to highlight the lengths that many colleagues will go to strive for excellence. They are also extraordinary in that they can find the time to document their activities and seek to obtain external recognition. To all who entered and indeed were in the awards, heartfelt congratulations.

To all of you who did not enter, I am sure I am not alone in noticing that the effect rubs off.

You read about how others do things.  You read about ideas and marketing. You introduce these things in your own way into your own practice.  Just because you do not enter does not mean you are not a winner.

Of course, the clue is in the name – none of these particular practices lay claim to  providing dental care under the NHS, although how many of them employ NHS associates remains to be detailed.

But as we witness NHS England purging their Performers List with suspect letters of a dodgy tone threatening removal arbitrarily simply because it suits someone in London’s database management skills, it seems to me that there is no doubt about this: Beware the false security that the Government offers.

Left to its own devices, Dentistry as a business and a profession would make a far better job of marketing its services at the right price, in the right place, to best suit a particular patient base than any mish-mash of Reds, Ambers and Greens that the Government’s Department of Health lackeys can come up with. Why it is that our academic colleagues often fail to see or understand this paradigm remains a mystery.  Are we all really that imbued with social guilt so that any talk to do with the NHS simply proves it is culturally embedded?

That must be the counterpart message of the BDA as it emerges leaner, poorer, but fitter and raring to “engage”.

By all means engage with the DH, but the BDA must lay out the subtle threat that we do have to courage to do it ourselves, and will do it better.

Now that is a profession in a win-win position. The winners of such a brave approach would be everyone, patients included.

1        http://www.dentistry.co.uk/news/smiles-and-success-uk%E2%80%99s-private-practices

2        http://www.privatedentistry.co.uk/awards/

Dental prostheses are like bespoke pieces of art that require skilled technicians to execute well. And so it follows that when dentists search for a laboratory to create their ceramic restorations, the first thing they need to look for is a supplier that can boast of adept and experienced craftsmen.

Dentists should keep in mind, however, that using a skilled worker only makes up half of the equation. Like commissioning a bespoke piece from an artisan, a satisfactory end product is also largely dependent on the amount of instruction the maker is given.

A client wouldn’t approach a jeweller and simply say, “I’d like you to make me a gentleman’s ring, and I’d like it to be gold.” In order for the client to receive a product that is faithful to what they had in mind, they would supply more information, such as the shade of gold they’d like, how heavily decorated the piece should be, and so forth.

In the same way, dentists cannot expect to receive an ideal prosthetic if all they extend to the dental lab by way of instruction is what kind of prosthetic they require, and what shade it needs to come in.

While it’s true that the technician also picks up a wealth of information from the impression that the dentist sends, not everything can be determined from the model derived from the initial cast. If for example the dentist would like a tooth brought in, or a certain translucency is required to match neighbouring teeth, then all this needs to be made known.

On the flip side, a good technician will also keep the dentist and the patient in mind at all times when creating ceramic prostheses. Whether the technician works in a small laboratory and handles every step of the restoration himself, or labours in a bigger outfit as part of a team whose members concentrate on specific stages of production, the end goal is always to create a dental prosthetic that is satisfactory for both the practitioner and the patient.

One of the main differences between a small and large dental lab is turn-around time – in the teamwork style of production, time-consuming step-by-step processes can be executed simultaneously, bringing about a more efficient process. If the team works well together, this system can function beautifully. The core team of technicians at Sparkle Dental Labs, for example, have been running solidly together for more than a year and have reached a kind of symbiosis with each others’ working styles, leading to excellent ceramic restorations with quick turn-around times.

But whether a dentist chooses to work with a small or large laboratory, the concept remains the same: with the combination of a skilled craftsman and detailed instruction, the creation of excellent dental prostheses can be expected.

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

At the forefront of campaigning to help raise awareness of the risks and symptoms of mouth cancer, The British Dental Health Foundation estimates that over the next decade around 60,000 people in the UK will be diagnosed with the disease. Without early detection, an estimated 30,000 people will die. Worldwide, over 460,000 are expected to die from mouth cancer each year by 2030. It is one of the few flourishing cancer variations in the UK, with cases increasing by almost 50% in the last decade and claiming more lives than cervical and testicular cancer combined. Anyone can be affected by mouth cancer, whether they have their own teeth or not. Although more common in people over 40, particularly men, research shows that mouth cancer is becoming more common in younger patients and in women. The survival rate for people with mouth cancer is lower than those who have cervical cancer or melanoma skin cancer. [1]

Mouth cancer (or oral cancer) occurs where an abnormal group of cells develops anywhere in the mouth, on the surface of the tongue, lips or gingiva. These are called squamous cell cancers. Less commonly it can occur in the salivary glands, tonsils or pharynx or can appear as melanoma, which starts in skin pigment cells around the mouth or lips.

Mouth cancer arises when something goes wrong with the normal cell lifecycle, causing them to grow and reproduce irrepressibly. The two most common symptoms of mouth cancer are an ulcer that does not heal and constant discomfort or pain in the mouth. Other symptoms can include red or white patches in the mouth, inexplicable loose teeth and a lump or thickening on the lip, tongue or neck. Similarly bad breath, unexplained bleeding or numbness in the mouth and difficulty or pain with chewing, swallowing or speaking can indicate the presence of mouth cancer. All of these symptoms can be due to other conditions, so tests are needed to confirm the diagnosis. Mouth cancer can of course be treated more successfully when it is diagnosed early and it is thus important for dentists to emphasise the urgency of self-awareness to patients. The changes to the GDC’s recommended CPD topics highlight this, as professionals are urged to include five hours of study on the topic within their five-yearly CPD cycle.

Mouth cancer is not hereditary and most causes are linked to alcohol and tobacco. Chewing tobacco is particularly dangerous and the risk of mouth cancer is increased if tobacco and alcohol are consumed together. A diet containing large quantities of red meat and fried food can also be a contributory factor. As highlighted in media coverage of Michael Douglas and his 3-year battle with this disease, recent research has linked mouth cancer to the human papillomavirus (HPV).[2]

What can dental professionals do to help?

It is important for all members of the dental team to raise patient awareness of the simple lifestyle changes that can help prevent the development of mouth cancer (or prevent it reoccurring after successful treatment). These are not smoking, keeping to the recommended weekly limits for alcohol consumption (21 units for men and 14 units for women) and eating a healthy, balanced diet, low in fat and high in anti-oxidants, full of fresh vegetables, citrus fruits, olive oil and fish.[3] Reminding patients to wear sun block on their lips, staying out of the sun between 11am and 3 pm and wearing a wide-brimmed hat to protect their face will not only help prevent melanoma but also other types of skin cancer.

It is the dental professional’s responsibility to perform checks that include feeling the neck and face to check for swellings, as mouth cancer can often be discovered in its early stages. Regular dental appointments are thus imperative in the prevention and early detection of mouth cancer. Patients with particularly busy lives need simple and convenient methods for booking regular dental visits. As the dental industry heralds the power of the internet, it is becoming easier for patients to book their appointments online.

Working in collaboration with NHS Choices, Zesty is an online booking service, committed to providing quick and easy access to dental appointments. This is done by providing dental practices with a profile on the Zesty website, where any free appointments, including cancellations, can be advertised and filled as quickly as possible. A constant stream of patients is thus guaranteed, keeping the practice as busy as possible, and ensuring patients with any immediate concerns can book an appointment quickly.

A prime advantage of being able to book an appointment online is that the service is available both day and night. Rather than wait in physical or emotional discomfort until Monday morning, a patient in agony or concerned about mouth cancer at 3am can simply log on to their computer and instantly book an appointment. This ensures peace of mind and maybe a better night’s sleep, which in turn improves the quality of customer service.

Dental professionals need to continue raising the profile of mouth cancer, to assist in early diagnosis and help fight against the horrors of this potentially fatal disease.

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

Widely renowned for providing top quality digital imaging systems and practice management software, the experts at Carestream Dental have developed the innovative CS Solutions. Designed to offer maximum flexibility to the practitioner, the system represents the very cutting-edge of CAD/CAM technology in dentistry.

Offering ultimate versatility, CS Solutions consisting of:

 CS 3500 Intraoral Scanner

 CS 9300 or CS 9000 3D CBCT Impressioning Scanner

 CS 3000Milling Machine

 CS Restore

 CS Connect

Available as stand-alone technologies or as a complete and comprehensive system, CS Solutions provides the option to scan, design, mill and place restorations in a single appointment. This enables the clinician to work the way they prefer, whether they wish to scan their ‘analogue’ impressions; scan the patient directly; create the restoration chairside; or send their digital impressions to a laboratory.

Carestream Dental has listened to the profession and developed CS Solutions to accommodate the specific requirements of the modern dentist, technician and patient.

With this in mind, each component is user-friendly and easily portable. The system can also be fully integrated into any existing practice management software, for optimum workflow and communication between the entire dental team. In addition, patient experience has been enhanced with quiet and vibration-free technologies, ultimate precision for fast yet accurate treatment, and improved handling for maximum comfort.

Find out more at the BDTA Dental Showcase 2013, stand P05.

For more information on CS Solutions from Carestream Dental,

please call 0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

Widely renowned for providing top quality digital imaging systems and practice management software, the experts at Carestream Dental have developed the innovative CS Solutions. Designed to offer maximum flexibility to the practitioner, the system represents the very cutting-edge of CAD/CAM technology in dentistry.

Offering ultimate versatility, CS Solutions consisting of:

 CS 3500 Intraoral Scanner

 CS 9300 or CS 9000 3D CBCT Impressioning Scanner

 CS 3000Milling Machine

 CS Restore

 CS Connect

Available as stand-alone technologies or as a complete and comprehensive system, CS Solutions provides the option to scan, design, mill and place restorations in a single appointment. This enables the clinician to work the way they prefer, whether they wish to scan their ‘analogue’ impressions; scan the patient directly; create the restoration chairside; or send their digital impressions to a laboratory.

Carestream Dental has listened to the profession and developed CS Solutions to accommodate the specific requirements of the modern dentist, technician and patient.

With this in mind, each component is user-friendly and easily portable. The system can also be fully integrated into any existing practice management software, for optimum workflow and communication between the entire dental team. In addition, patient experience has been enhanced with quiet and vibration-free technologies, ultimate precision for fast yet accurate treatment, and improved handling for maximum comfort.

Find out more at the BDTA Dental Showcase 2013, stand P05.

For more information on CS Solutions from Carestream Dental,

please call 0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

Practice management software is at the heart of many dental practices, and functions to simplify routine tasks and improve communication across the business. While running a successful practice can be a complex and highly involved task, practice management software is designed to ease the burden of administration, taking care of the details, so you can take care of your patients.

Beyond helping to relieve the administrative burden, many of the best practice management solutions are modular in nature, giving you the means to tailor your software to meet your specific business needs. This may include options such as online appointment booking or modules designed to help you enhance your patient communication. All of which can be used to improve either productivity or the quality of patient care, thus helping you grow your business.

Integrated payments

Of all the many advances demonstrated in the latest practice management software on the market, the option for integrated payment systems has been one of the most significant. By integrating payment processing with your other day-to-day practice management functions, you can save time and money, reduce errors and get a better view of your business.

One of the main advantages of integrated payment processing is that it greatly enhances your business efficiency. Transaction amounts are sent automatically to the card payment terminal. This means your team members don’t have to enter transaction amounts by hand, which reduces errors and speeds up the whole procedure. Furthermore, because the whole process is linked in with your management software, at the end of the month you won’t have to reconcile figures with your merchant statement – the whole process is completed for you.

For a small business, efficiency gains such as these can make a major difference. Where one member of staff will often have many different roles within the business, time spent on re-entering data or re-verifying credit card information can be re-allocated to more important tasks that can help your business get ahead. After all, time is money, and the time you save with an integrated payment system can be put to much better use caring for patients and ultimately, helping your practice to grow.

A case study

One example of how integrated payment systems can greatly enhance the efficiency of a dental practice can be found in the case study of Carestream Dental. The company has partnered with leading omni-channel payment services provider Anderson Zaks, to offer a fully integrated payment processing for its R4 Clinical+ Practice Management Software.

Chris Groombridge is Principal Dentist of 543 Dental Centre in Hull. He has sourced equipment from Carestream Dental for many years, and has recently introduced integrated payment processing to his practice. This includes the RedCard payment application and a card reading PIN pad that links  directly with his practice management software.
 

“We use a lot of the software and technology available from Carestream Dental within our practice, due to the quality of both the equipment and the customer service provided,” says Chris.

“The main reason we sourced the RedCard solution  from Carestream Dental, was that it could be fully integrated into our practice management software. Data is therefore fed directly from the R4 software into the till, and this automation greatly reduces the chance of human error.

“Through our own market research, we also found the new payment processing service offered by Carestream Dental to be cheaper than other alternatives available in the industry, which was another great plus.”

Further benefits

In addition to the efficiency benefits offered by an integrated payment system, you will also find that having more convenient payment options for patients also reduces the amount of debt owed to the practice, and will help to promote fast payments. Patients will appreciate the fact they can pay for treatments by credit or debit card, and the ability to do so is the hallmark of a modern practice.

If you already have an existing payment processing facility that isn’t integrated with your practice management system, you may be interested to learn that the latest systems do not require a dedicated payment processing telephone line as they operate through your existing broadband connection, thus saving further practice resources.

Whether you have an existing payment processing facility, or you are still yet to make the move over to credit and debit card payments, adopting an integrated system such as that available with Carestream Dental’s R4 Clinical+, offers a number of persuasive benefits. As well as efficiency and productivity gains, your practice will also benefit from improved cash flow on account of faster payments and the fact you are able to track payments through your practice management software.

While modern dentistry provides a great many challenges for dental practice teams, payments needn’t be one of them. An effective, integrated payment solution can prove an invaluable tool in making payments simpler, giving you and your team more time to spend on the things that matter the most.
 

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

Most NHS restorations deliver a reasonable degree of patient satisfaction and achieve a significant improvement in the patient’s quality of life, this is down to the skill of both the dentist and the laboratory technician as they collaborate to make the most of limited, financially constrained, possibilities.

Private patients, however, expect much more, regardless of whether their prosthetic teeth are fixed or removable; they want only the highest levels of comfort and functionality, but also aesthetics indistinguishable from natural dentition. For many, they feel they are investing not only in their teeth but also their appearance, and this last consideration, irrespective of the cost, is stretching the remit of NHS dentistry. 

Private practices cannot survive without providing absolute patient satisfaction – unlike NHS practices, they have no guaranteed contract income, and their patient list is not ‘captive’ with often no alternative destination – and so the private practice’s choice of laboratory is crucial. 

Although many laboratories work for both NHS and private practices, the advent of CAD and more advanced technology, together with a range of new materials, has widely expanded the prosthetic options when cost is not a primary consideration. At the same time, the quality of laboratory output is still heavily dependent on the technicians’ skill, and private practices must, above all, be profitable. The laboratory should always advise regular customers of the economic advantages of bulk purchasing, whether of materials or the finished prostheses.

From the laboratory’s point of view, NHS work, although relatively repetitive, tends to be subject to onerous time pressures, while the private laboratory is able to dedicate much more time to each case to ensure the optimum outcome.

A key factor in the different approach to private prosthetics is the range of material options, with ceramics becoming increasingly popular, especially when the patient shows an allergy or aversion to a metallic construction. At the same time, neither practice nor laboratory should automatically assume that for all private patients money is no object – a tariff encompassing a choice of materials delivering comparable results is highly advisable in the present economic climate.

Stressing the advantages and benefits of a private prosthesis is not to denigrate in any way those produced for NHS patients, who are fully entitled to expect a functioning, visually acceptable result. Nevertheless, the additional expense incurred by the patient who chooses to ‘go private’ will naturally be reflected in a higher quality outcome in terms of detail and aesthetics. Dentists should never forget that their restorations are in effect a free, constantly ‘onscreen’ walking live advertisement, and a satisfied patient will always recommend friends and family to visit the practice.

Modern dental labs such as Sparkle Dental Labs Ltd. are aware of the expectations their customers harbour. This is why they seek to provide craftsmanship of the highest quality for both NHS and private work. They also take into considerations other factors that customers are looking for, such as competitive prices, free logistics, free traceability, a rapid turnaround (3days guaranteed for urgent requests) and sourcing all active materials in the UK. Combined with a passionate commitment to delivering the very best customer service, the future is looking bright for the British dental laboratories.

For additional more 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

William Lyons is Head of Prosthetics at Sparkle Dental Labs.

I was attracted to dentistry as a career during secondary school and I have been a qualified dental technician from the age of 20.  I have been involved in all aspects of dentistry and I am passionate about high standards, commitment and patient satisfaction. As Head of Prosthetics at Sparkle I can share the knowledge I have gained over 30 years. My experience and communication skills will ensure a professional relationship with clients to allow Sparkle to meet every expectation.

Maddy Managooli is Technical Manager at Sparkle Dental Labs.

I have been in dentistry for14 years, having worked as a dentist, dental technician and Head of Quality Control for one of the biggest labs in the UK. I am very excited about the Sparkle project as we have the best technology and a highly skilled Technical Team to deliver superb quality prosthetics at affordable prices.

 BDA Benevolent Fund’s Christmas Appeal 2013

In the Bleak Mid-Winter…

Christmas is considered a time of family gatherings, eating good food and sharing gifts. But for dentists and their families who are already struggling financially, the extra pressure the festive season brings can prove too much. 

Dentists who are in financial crisis often turn to the BDA Benevolent Fund to help them cope when they can no longer keep their households functioning on their own.

With the majority of these dentists surviving on state benefits, and many poverty-stricken, the winter months are particularly harsh. The average household energy bill has risen by £300 over the last three years to £1,420[1] and the cost of an average household’s annual food bill has also risen by more than £400 over the last ten years from £2,356 to £2,799[2]. With bills soaring like this, it often means some dentists have to make the difficult decision between feeding their families and heating their homes.

And for those whose finances are already stretched to the limit by rising bills and Christmas, the added cost of the GDC Annual Retention Fee ­– ­that has to be paid
by 31 December in order for them to remain registered for work – is often another major concern.

The BDA Benevolent Fund works hard throughout the festive season to help dentists and their families who have been financially crippled, whether that’s through illness, unemployment, bereavement or another event that has turned their world upside down. This support includes a Winter Fuel Grant, which is given to every dentist who is receiving regular assistance from the Fund.

Dr Ann Rockey, Chairman of the Fund, has seen first-hand throughout the year what measures dentists take to deal with their money troubles and what Christmas does to struggling families. She says, “Please consider your colleagues in need this Christmas. We all know what an expensive time of year it is with increased fuel bills, the ever-increasing costs of a supermarket shop, Christmas and the GDC Annual Retention Fee on top of all that. Every year we have requests for assistance from dentists in need, often already recipients of assistance from the Fund, who cannot afford to pay their ARF. In recent years there has been a threefold increase in the number of applicants who are in difficulties with their commissioning bodies and or the GDC. Sometimes they have such restrictive conditions placed upon their licence to practice that they are unable to find work, and without paying their ARF, they will be unable to work and support their families in the future.”

To date this year the Fund has received 20 new applications for help.  Most dentists received help by way of a one-off grant, a monthly grant towards living expenses
or a loan. The charity currently supports 17 families with children of school age on
a regular basis, also providing school holiday supplements and uniform grants[3].

Sarah* turned to the Fund after the sale of her practice in 2009 resulted in an unfair suspension. After losing her job, Sarah was left struggling to support her three children of school age and the mortgage on the house. She began working as a locum dentist in a hospital, but because her earnings had significantly dropped, she began to use her savings and credit cards for the family’s living expenses. It was when she realised she couldn’t continue on such a downward spiral that she turned to the Fund for help in 2010. While, the interest free loan offered Sarah and her family a lifeline, Christmas still remains a particularly difficult time of year for them.

Sarah says, “Christmas has been particularly hard for us. Last Christmas was a real struggle. It’s my eldest son’s 21^st birthday this year as well, so we will probably put whatever we can afford into his birthday, rather than into Christmas. It’s going to be
a hard one.”

Sarah admits that without the Fund’s help she may well have had to have her house repossessed resulting in her family being left without a home. She added, “I’m doing all I can at the moment to pay back the Fund and if I was to win the lottery tomorrow they would get a great big lump sum. I’m really thankful for all the help they have given me.”

Please will you spread a little festive cheer by making a special gift to your colleagues who will be struggling this Christmas?

To make a donation please go to www.benevolentfund.org.uk or send a cheque to ‘BDA Benevolent Fund’ 64, Wimpole Street, London W1G 8YS.

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

While Christmas is the best time of year for many, we are all more than aware of the added expenses that come with the festive season. For those amongst us already struggling to keep up with routine living expenses, the extra pressure can prove too much.

For dentists who have suffered accident, illness or other life-changing event,
the Christmas period can be difficult to cope with, and that is where the BDA Benevolent Fund can help.

The Fund offers financial support all year round but gives all regular beneficiaries some extra support, with a supplementary fuel grant and a special Christmas grant to give a helping hand through the winter months.  This will ensure they can heat their home, feed their families and enjoy the festive period.

The Fund relies on kind donations from the dental profession. Every pound received goes to dentists who are in crisis. Any gift you can give could make
a huge difference to beneficiaries’ quality of life. Please help us help those colleagues in need this Christmas?

To make a donation go to www.bdabenevolentfund.org.uk or send a cheque to: ‘BDA Benevolent Fund’, 64 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8YS.

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

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. However, it can never provide the ‘WHY”.  Data can’t tell us about 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. Often that requires time and space, and on occasion a ‘Coach’.

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?

The biggest steps are nearly always made by those who can hold onto the ‘Why’, whilst using data to change the course in which they do business.

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.

The latest business programme from 7Connections has the capacity to accelerate your business growth more than you ever thought possible.

Never mind trying to increase your annual sales by 5 or 10%– how about looking to become a £10 million business? 

You might think that is a very ambitious target, but in order to make real changes to your annual sales, you have to think big.

Business experts at 7Connections have put together ‘theTwenty’ – a community of no more than 20 dental business owners striving to better themselves in every aspect, expand the services they provide and grow their potential profitability by a substantial margin. This opportunity is open to owners of dental practices, laboratories and supply companies, who will benefit in a number of ways.

With the support of all the 7Connections team, each member of theTwenty will have access to bespoke advice in the areas of staff training, ethical selling, patient experience and business marketing to name just a few. They will aim to produce some of the best business managers and treatment coordinators in the profession, as well as creating highly efficient and desirable working environments.

Regular online ad tele- meetings will be held to bring members together to share ideas and experiences on effective systems, marketing strategies and recruitment processes. This also gives members a chance to see how they are comparing to others in the group, while under the guidance of 7Connections.

In addition to receiving business support, members of theTwenty will also be able to form a purchasing group for cost-effective supplies, materials, training, compliance and facility management.

All in all, members of theTwenty can expect to develop a whole new way of looking at their business. Aiming for a £10 million business in five years may seem daunting, but by broadening ideas and taking a determined approach, it is by no means impossible.

With 10 spots still available for theTwenty, if you own a dental practice, laboratory or supply company and want to reach for the stars, contact 7Connections today and start the biggest journey of your professional life.

For more information about 7connections business coaching

please call 01647 478145 or email phillippa.goodwin@7connections.

The amount of complaints lodged by patients left unsatisfied with the healthcare service they received, has risen in recent years. For example, the GMC saw a 23 % increase in the number of complaints in 2011[i], and NHS Scotland has seen a rise of 13%[ii].

The dental industry is no different, and the Dental Complaints Service (DCS) in fact received 1887 complaints between May 2011 and April 2012 – resulting in an increase of 17 % since the previous year[iii]. Throughout 2012, 2278 complaints were received by the GDC with regards to professionals’ Fitness to Practise, which was a massive 44% increase from the year before[iv]. Approximately half of these cases went on to be investigated, with issues centring around ‘poor treatment’, ‘fraud and dishonesty, and ‘poor practice management’ [v].

While constant fluctuations are to be expected in such figures, this is a significant and quite worrying rise that may have an impact on the modern dental profession. Should these figures continue to increase at the same pace, practitioners may not only be tempted to practise elsewhere but potential students may also be put off a career in dentistry, in turn affecting the dental care available to the public.

There is no solid evidence to show the reasons behind this rise in complaints, but improved public awareness and accessibility to information will have played a huge role. Patient expectations are much higher than they once were, and without proper management of these expectations, modern society has developed somewhat of a ‘complaints culture’.

Until we understand more about the upwards trend in dental complaints however, it seems the best method of protecting yourself as a dental professional or as a whole practice, is to ensure all regulations are meticulously met.

As the GDC’s remit is ‘Protecting Patients and Regulating the Dental Team’, it would seem that robust contemporaneous note taking is absolutely paramount to make a water-tight defence in case of a negligence claim. And this means that you need an effective and convenient way of updating patient data and more specifically, documenting patient consent.

Technologies such as SafeSeen Touch are designed specifically for this reason, with protocols and treatment details already stored to aid patient communication. The tablet is compact and easily portable so it can be used throughout the practice for maximum accessibility. The device can also be used to record daily practice processes to demonstrate compliance to all CQC and GDC regulations.

Working as a modern dentist or dental care professional requires more than just good clinical skills. It is important that you and your whole team appreciate the importance of demonstrating your fitness to practise, as this can prove invaluable in the unfortunate event of a patient claim. This protection can only be achieved by following strict protocols and keeping fastidious records.

For more information, please visit www.safeseentouch.co.uk, or contact Chloe Booth on 07825 201657 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A dental laboratory website represents the single most cost-effective marketing strategy available today, providing far more substantial returns than printing brochures, placing adverts or using directories such as the Yellow Pages.

In 2005 Ross Liversidge and business partner Peter Smith set up their lab website www.precedental.co.uk with the help of Dental Focus ® ‘Websites for your profit’.

‘We set up our website just under 10 years ago now,’ says Ross. ‘At the time many of our competitors were setting up their own websites and so we wanted to “join the club” and see if we could get any business from it.

‘It’s a good tool. Any client who is thinking of using us, or changing to us from another lab will always look at our website first before they make contact. For us it’s not so much about generating new leads directly from our website alone – the dental lab business doesn’t really work like that. More it’s about making sure that when new clients do want to look for us, that we have a good professional website where they can see what we do and the services that we offer.’

For the modern dental laboratory, a website is far more than just an electronic ‘business card’, as a website will work for you around the clock, even when you’re not working yourself.

‘If you don’t have a website these days, then you really are missing a trick,’ continues Ross. ‘I really do believe it is something all labs should be doing these days as it can be a great way to showcase your work. On our own website for example we’ve included morphing “before and after” pictures, and we’ve also included some of our brochures as well as our referral forms for visitors to download.’

While establishing a professional, effective laboratory website is no easy task, it is not one you have to do on your own. Ross and Peter worked with Dental Focus ® ‘Websites for your profit’ to create their website – a decision that meant they could focus their time on growing their business while they left the online marketing to the experts.

‘It was actually one of our clients who recommended Dental Focus ®. We looked at examples of their work and liked what we saw, so we got in touch with Krishan Joshi and his team and went from there,’ continues Ross. ‘Based on our initial ideas, they created a series of sample designs that they showed us, and we were then able to give feedback. They then listened to our suggestions and adjusted the design until we were completely happy. It was a very smooth process and both Peter and myself were very happy with the result.’

To get the most out of your online marketing efforts, it pays to trust the experts. By working with an experienced, established online marketing team, you can create a laboratory website that really works for your business. This website will be completely compliant with regulations set out by the GDC and ICO, and will be fully search engine optimised to help your business grow. 

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