I am thoroughly ashamed. I have struggled to resist seeking solace from psychological props like alcohol or drugs, for many years, but I’ve recently realised that I am, in fact…an addict! I’ve become totally addicted to dental groups on Facebook.
I am thoroughly ashamed. I have struggled to resist seeking solace from psychological props like alcohol or drugs, for many years, but I’ve recently realised that I am, in fact…an addict! I’ve become totally addicted to dental groups on Facebook.
Luckily money4dentists is here to help. As specialist Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) to dentists, the money4dentists team have over half a Century’s experience in the profession and are there to help ensure you make the optimum decisions when it comes to your finances.
From the economic climate to the amount in your pension and from your geographic location to your health and lifestyle; the amount you receive from an annuity depends upon a long list of variables.
So if you are considering retiring soon, or want to be sure to plan for a secure, worry-free future, it pays to seek out the advice of an IFA that has experience and understanding of your profession. Turn to the experts at money4dentists and take a step towards a safe financial future.
For more information please call 0845 345 5060 or 0754 DENTIST.
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.money4dentists.com
As we dental professionals know all too well, alcohol is acidic and therefore highly erosive, especially when consumed frequently, in large quantities over an extended period of time. It may also be that the high alcohol intake occasionally causes vomiting, which can exacerbate the damage to the dentition.
To help prevent tooth wear, advise patients to:
1. Drink still water or low fat milk between meals
2. Limit fruit juice to once per day
3. Avoid carbonated drinks
4. Swallow any acidic drinks immediately to reduce contact time with the teeth
5. Use a wide-bore straw to drink acidic drinks to limit the contact time with the teeth
6. Dilute and keep any acidic drinks chilled, as this reduces the damaging low pH potential
7. Rinse the mouth after acidic foods and drinks with water for 15-30 seconds to dilute any remaining acids
8. Snack on cheese or drink some milk following consumption of an acidic beverage
9. Wait at least an hour to brush teeth after consuming any acidic drinks
10. Use a toothpaste that is fluoridated to 1400ppm and low in abrasivity
12. Use a fluoridated mouthwash every day at a different time to tooth brushing, as well as before or after acidic drinks to help limit the erosive potential
12. Chew sugar-free gum, especially that containing xylitol, after drink to help neutralise the acidic environment in the mouth.
If you are concerned that any of your patients are showing signs tooth wear, simply visit www.toothwear.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 020 7486 7180.
“I thought the valuation process went very well and I was pleasantly surprised at just how flexibly the figures could be analysed.
“I would highly recommend Dental Elite to other professionals – in fact I’m singing their praises to all of my colleagues.”
Dental Elite prides itself on being able to offer dental professionals honest and pragmatic advice when it comes to selling their practice. With a wealth of hands-on experience and a dedication to seeing a job well done, the friendly team at Dental Elite are always ready to help.
To find out just what they can do for you, contact them today.
For more information and to find out how Dental Elite can value
and assist your practice sale visit www.dentalelite.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01788 545 900
Having built up a vast wealth of knowledge and experience of the dental sector, Christie + Co is perfectly suited to advise you through all aspects of practice acquisition or sale.
From guidance on preparing your practice prior to valuation, to securing funding for a practice purchase, Christie + Co have all the answers you need and can help you to achieve your long term goals.
If you are looking to buy or sell a dental practice, turn to the experts at Christie + Co. The straightforward and friendly team will carefully guide you through the entire process.
To discuss how Christie + Co might help you achieve your future plans please contact Simon Hughes on 020 7227 0749
“I was selling because of personal health issues,” explains Chris. “Dental Elite were conveniently located for me, so I chose to work with them. Throughout the process our consultant, Alison, provided excellent and personalised sales care.
“She actually valued the practice at almost double the yield of some competitors – and we achieved Alison’s valuation!
“I think one of the biggest challenges I faced was the level of administration that was necessary for the CQC Application and the NHS paperwork but, overall, the sale took about 10 months to complete.
“My advice to professionals in the same situation would be to sell to a buyer that you like and who would be most suitable for your patients.
“I would also recommend Dental Elite; their attention throughout the sale and follow up was excellent.”
For more information and to find out how Dental Elite can value
and assist your practice sale visit www.dentalelite.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01788 545 900
We don’t inform and educate the public around the benefits to their general health of taking care of their oral health. All too often they think that all we do is fix holes and extract teeth and apply expensive crowns; but of course we do much more and we should be shouting about it.
A perfect example of this is in the relationship between diabetes and periodontitis. There are clear, established links that reveal how the treatment of one can positively affect the other, but when was the last time you took the time to share this with a diabetic patient?
Recently, I met Dr Leticia Casanova, a Spanish Dentist who trained as a periodontist at New York University and has a PhD in Medicine, studying the connection between diabetes and periodontal disease, so she has a particularly relevant perspective. Dr Casanova recently published an article in the BDJ entitled, Diabetes and Periodontal Disease: A Two-Way Relationship.[i] The article says that if you can control people’s periodontal disease, you can actually see a genuine reduction in their diabetic condition.
A measure of how well a diabetic is coping is in their glycated haemoglobin levels and this is recorded as a percentage. Every drop of 1% reduces the risk of heart disease and damage considerably. The article explains that being diabetic leads to an increased risk of developing periodontitis and that having periodontitis can also affect the body’s glycaemic index (in people with or without diabetes). So if you control somebody’s periodontitis, through delivering first class periodontal treatment, and then measure their glycated haemoglobin, it is possible to see a drop of up to a half per cent and this will really make a difference to their life.
The article from Dr Casanova effectively shows the interrelationship between the two problems and explains how we can deliver dental treatment that positively affects systemic disease. This leads back to my initial point, that we don't highlight the positives that we do for our patients enough. If general dentists were seen to take a more active lead in the medical conditions of their patients, maybe this would raise the profession in the eyes of the public?
The prevalence of diabetes is phenomenal, and periodontitis is three times more likely to affect those who suffer, and a lot of diabetics become edentulous, effecting how they eat – and this is not to mention the already well established links between gum disease and heart disease. So, if through making changes in our approach we are able get a patient’s diabetes better under control, we would be performing a far greater public service.
We should therefore take every opportunity to play a bigger role in our patients’ general well being. Not just in performing oral cancer scans, which are vital and we should all already be doing, but maybe through routinely measuring blood pressure, iron and sugar levels too, so that people will begin to see us not just as people who fix holes, but as doctors that can help with a medical condition.
For further information please call EndoCare on 020 7224 0999
Or visit www.endocare.co.uk
[i] L. Casanova, F.J. Hughes and P.M Preshaw, Diabetes and Periodontal disease: a two-way relationship, British Dental Journal, 217, 433-437, available at: http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v217/n8/full/sj.bdj.2014.907.html [accessed 14.4.14]
Patients need to know that alcohol is acidic and therefore highly erosive, especially when consumed frequently, in large quantities over an extended period of time. It may also be that the high alcohol intake occasionally causes vomiting, which will exacerbate the damage to the dentition.
It’s also worth sharing with them that carbonated drinks, including sugar-free varieties, will have a similar effect on their dentition.
As well as coronal height being reduced, patients may also suffer with hypersensitivity due to the wear. In such cases, using a fluoridated mouthrinse every day at a different time to toothbrushing is an effective first line of defence. A desensitising toothpaste and/or prescription fluoride toothpaste can be helpful in alleviating sensitivity, while use of a calcium phosphate paste, applied in carriers, is an additional option if the symptoms are severe. Also, placing protective covering restorations can eliminate sensitivity and minimise further wear.
Further advice includes:
• Guiding the patient in brushing effectively yet gently with a relatively soft toothbrush and a toothpaste low in abrasivity
• Not swishing drinks around the mouth and waiting an hour after consuming an acidic drink before brushing to avoid damaging the softened enamel
• Rinsing the mouth with fluoride mouthwash or water before or after acidic drink consumption to help limit their erosive potential
• Chewing sugar-free, xylitol- or sorbitol-sweetened gum to help neutralise acid in the mouth.
The London Tooth Wear Centre® offers an evidence-based and comprehensive approach to managing tooth wear. To request advice, make a referral or for further information on the work of the London Tooth Wear Centre®, please visit www.toothwear.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 020 7486 7180.
If you are combining your role as a clinician and practice owner you will be well aware of the responsibilities you shoulder. Carrying the business risk of the surgery as well as the obligation of managing the premises, staff and equipment involves many hours of hard work, but it is imperative to keep the demands of the job under control.
Often it is necessary to work extra hours to manage the heavy workload or even just to keep the head above water. There are also outside commitments and responsibilities to manage, but it can be exhausting and even counterproductive to try to juggle too many obligations at once. It can be easy to lose perspective on what is important in our lives and feel dissatisfied; therefore, it is vital to maintain a good work-life balance to enjoy a healthy and happy life.
Top tips to gain a balance
Technology
The correct technology can help enormously to manage time and minimise daily stress. For example, scheduling management functions, calendar alerts and reminder applications can help you to remain organised and in control. An internal email or messaging service can also help to keep the practice running smoothly and avoid lengthy meetings that reduce productivity.
Technology that streamlines the workflow is an asset to you and the entire dental team. A reliable practice management system helps the business to run efficiently by quickly and seamlessly delivering up-to-date relevant information for both administration and clinical staff. Carestream Dental offers cutting-edge CS R4+ practice management software that is easy to use, and enables accuracy and efficiency for diagnostics and treatment planning to simplify your working day.
CS R4+ also evaluates your practice performance expediently by providing live data through the innovative Springboard feature, which allows you to monitor the core areas of your business in ‘real time’. This gives you clear, uncomplicated results at any period during the month and, more importantly, at a time that is most convenient for you.
Keeping it real
Efficient planning and organisation can really help to free up time and enable you to participate in the activities you love the most, but make sure you implement a sustainable strategy. After all, there is little point in creating a plan that is unrealistic or increases pressure. As all dental providers know, looking after your patients is imperative but it is also essential to look after your own wellbeing too.
For more information on from Carestream Dental,
please call 0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk