Michael Lansdell is a founding partner of specialist dental and medical accountants Lansdell & Rose and a chartered accountant. Here, he gives a breakdown of the Autumn Budget 2017…

November 22nd was Budget day and therefore time for the ubiquitous articles on who were the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ and what the Chancellor’s plans would mean for you. The heads up that the winning team was probably going to be rather smaller in number was the prediction from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) that economic growth will be below 2 per cent for the next five years. For context, that’s one of the gloomiest forecasts that many can remember.

Philip Hammond faced a rather unenviable task, then, although no one was expecting any show-stopping statements either. Back in March, Hammond made a dramatic U-turn, scrapping the planned rises to National Insurance that he had announced in his Spring Budget just days before. For all sorts of other reasons, delivering a safe, steady and non-controversial Budget was always going to be the Chancellor’s intention.

Of course, there is always one thing that grabs report writers’ attention and this time around it was the decision to scrap stamp duty for first-time buyers on properties up to £300,000. We need to look behind the headlines to find out what will be most relevant to dental practice owners, though! Here’s what may impact on your financial planning for the year ahead…

Income tax

Both the personal and higher-rate thresholds were increased by around 3 per cent, which is in line with inflation, so no surprises there. For basic rate taxpayers, the personal allowance will increase to £11,850 and for those paying a higher rate the new figure will be £46,350. If you don’t want to see your personal allowance reduced, act now! If you make a pension contribution, or gift to charity, you can bring your income down to inside the new threshold.

Savings and investments

On the other side of the coin, anyone putting money into a pension saw the lifetime allowance increased from £1 million to £1.03 million (from 6 April 2018; no change to the annual allowance). If you are lucky enough to have funds that already exceed the £1 million limit, you might want to wait before you take your benefits. For those choosing an Individual Savings Account (ISA) or Lifetime ISA (LISA) the annual subscription limit will also remain unchanged, at £20,000 and £4000 respectively.

Capital taxes

A new 30-day payment window – between a capital gain arising and the payment of capital gains tax (CGT) – is now deferred until April 2020. With regards to inheritance tax, the nil rate band is to remain at £325,000. But don’t forget an important change due to start from 6 April 2018, when the inheritance tax residence nil rate band will rise to £125,000. If you don’t plan for this now, you could be significantly out of pocket when the time comes.

Property taxes and business rates

If you have been affected by the so-called ‘staircase tax’ (for businesses that occupy more then one floor of a building) you will be able to ask for your valuations to be recalculated. Another potentially relevant change was the switch to consumer price index (CPI) being bought forward to 1 April 2018. Also noteworthy is that the business rate discount for public houses with a rateable value of up to £100,000 will continue (subject to conditions) and non-domestic properties will be re-valued every three years following the next one, in 2020. In terms of planning, half of any interest for personal, buy-to-let borrowing will be limited to a 20 per cent tax credit from 2018/19, so make sure you understand if and how it will impact on you.

And finally!

The much-feted Making Tax Digital (MTD) scheme is still a work in progress – no business will be required to use it until 2019. When it has been shown to be successful, we can expect a roll out, but that won’t be until 2020 at the earliest. Getting prepared now won’t harm you at all though, as any business or individual within MTD will have to keep digital records and update HMRC quarterly. Maybe now is the time to review your record keeping.

The message? Plan ahead! A ‘steady-as-she-goes’ approach – while being meticulously organised and with the support of the right experts – will keep you focused and ready for anything as we embrace another year and whatever it may bring.

To find out more, call Lansdell & Rose on 020 7376 9333,

Or visit www.lansdellrose.co.uk

The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) has awarded Fellowships to thirteen individuals in recognition of their exceptional contribution to the profession. Fellowship is the highest award offered by FGDP(UK), and is a pinnacle of achievement for the profession. Two people have been given Honorary Fellowship, seven Fellowship by Election and four Fellowship Ad Eundum. The awards will be conferred at the annual FGDP(UK) Diplomates Ceremony, which will take place on 12 March 2018.

Honorary Fellowship

Professor Keith Horner

Keith Horner qualified as a dentist in 1981 from Leeds University and held several hospital posts in Leeds and Sheffield. He has served on influential working parties and advised bodies such as the Health Protection Agency and the IAEA Radiation Protection of Patients Unit. He is also Co-Editor of the FGDP's Selection Criteria for Dental Radiography guidance.

Mrs Fiona Erasmus

Mrs Erasmus is a former Director of FGDP(UK) (2013-2016), and has been recognised for her leadership skills and distinguished service to FGDP(UK).

Fellowship by Election

Dr Graham Douglas Stokes

Dr Graham Stokes has been providing dental implants for over ten years, and obtained the FGDP(UK) Diploma in Implant Dentistry in 2009. Clinical Lead at a practice in Bromsgrove, where he has been based since 1991, Dr Stokes also lectures widely across the UK on implants, full dentures and treatment planning.

Mr William Paul Cushley

Mr Cushley has worked as a Vocational Training Adviser for NHS Education in Scotland for the last 16 years, and has been an examiner on the DGDP, MFGDP and latterly the MJDF for the Faculty.

Mr Bruce Hogan

Mr Hogan graduated from Glasgow University in 1987 gaining BDS with honours. Currently Chair of FGDP(UK)'s West of Scotland Division, he is also an examiner for the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the RCPS Glasgow, and serves on the Board of Dental Education, Training & Professional Development at the College. He regularly lectures to VDPs on the use of local anaesthetics.

Mr Tony Wyn Jones

In addition to practicing dentistry since 1982, Mr Jones has served in Afghanistan as an RAF Dental Officer. He was an examiner for the MFGDP and later the MJDF from 2003-2012, including examining in Hong Kong.

Dr Pearse Stinson

Dr Stinson obtained his dental degree in 1981, after which he commenced an associateship in General Practice. He opened his own practice in 1986 and has been active in the FGDP since its inception, serving as a Board member for twelve years.

Dr Derek Maguire

Dr Maguire qualified 30 years ago from Queen's University, Belfast. He has also been awarded Membership of the Faculty of Dental Trainers with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (MDTFEd).

Fellowship Ad Eundem

Mr Nicholas John Lewis

Dr Daniel Chi Kwok Ng

Mr Anish N Shah

Dr Kenny Siu Keung Tong

Spare a thought for those within the profession who are struggling with financial difficulties this Christmas. Circumstances can change suddenly for many reasons, leaving families feeling the pinch and less than cheery as the festivities get underway. 

BDA Benevolent Fund offers additional financial support at this time of year to ensure that families don’t miss out. 

If you, or a dentist you know, are facing financial difficulties, please contact BDA Benevolent Fund, in confidence, on 020 7486 4994, or visit www.bdabenevolentfund.org.uk for more information. 

The charity relies on donations.  To donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/bdabenevolentfund or send a cheque, payable to ‘BDA Benevolent Fund’, at BDA Benevolent Fund, 64 Wimpole Street London W1G 8YS. Every £1 donated goes directly to a dentist and their family in crisis so your help really does support someone in need.”

The BDA Benevolent Fund wishes you a fantastic festive season, and thanks everyone who has supported them throughout the year.

No one can deny that modern technology has been a revelation in recent years. The use of it to improve diagnostic yields in radiography, to allow mainstream imaging in practice of aspects of dental tissues that we couldn’t previously visualise the same way  can only benefit our patients. Computerisation of dental notes and management systems, (whilst restricted in the choice of manufacturers) have probably improved the efficiency of most dental practices far beyond that of the old paper systems. Digital marketing tools, online presence through websites and blogs, and social media are all here to stay, and have driven the profile of the profession upwards. All in all, I think most of us would agree, technology has been largely a good thing for the profession

But one thing that I am REALLY struggling with that has come about as a result of this type of technology is the increase in Referral Portals for NHS referrals. On the face of it is would seem to be a streamlining of the process needed to refer into secondary care, and reduce the costs and problems with paper referrals. Entering the data via a computer linked to the patient database and directly into the referral systems would seem on the face of it far more efficient that writing a letter and posting it.

So why do I have an issue with it? This sort of advanced technology is right up my street normally. However, because of the way these systems seem to be implemented, I can see potential problems for registrants falling foul of the GDC Standards when they are forced to use them. The GDC standards that I personally think relate to this type of system are :

Standard 1.7 – Put patients interests first before your own or those of any colleague, business or ORGANISATION – these systems tend to be imposed unilateral decisions that don’t seem to have any guarantee that they are better for the patient (or indeed tested fully).

Standard 4.2.6 - If a patient allows you to share information about them, you should ensure that anyone you share it with understands that it is confidential – How does a faceless system with no identification of who receives the data comply with this standard?

Standard 6.3 – Delegate and refer appropriately and effectively. However, someone else often choses where the patient goes and who they see, with the clinician often having no idea of the degree of expertise that clinician actually has. Referrals are even rejected if often irrelevant (but required) tickboxes are not filled in.

Standard 6.1.5 – You must ensure that all patients are fully informed of the names and roles of the dental professionals involved in their care - How does a portal allow us to do this? Do we give all our patients Bill Gates’ name as its done on a PC?

Standard 6.3.1 - You can delegate the responsibility for a task but not the accountability. This means that, although you can ask someone to carry out a task for you, you could still be held accountable if something goes wrong. You should only delegate or refer to another member of the team if you are confident that they have been trained and are both competent and indemnified to do what you are asking.

For me this is the big problem. This alone is where the entire concept falls down unless we are indemnified for the errors of the system. What if this is a life changing referral such as a tumour? You are going to be ultimately responsible as you have to make the referral, and you can guarantee the powers that be who thought it was a good idea to impose the portal will NOT indemnify you against the failure of the referral in some way, nor will the GDC.  If the referral is rejected because of some missing tickbox that is largely irrelevant to the immediate urgency but required because some software engineer hasn’t allowed any flexibility in implementation then I personally cant see how this should ever be the responsibility of the clinician. The fact I might for example omit the patients GP because I’m more interested in the speed of the referral is a pedantic bureaucratic issue and not one of patient care.

I can’t comprehend how we as a profession have allowed this type of loss of control of patient care to creep into our referral systems. I am fairly sure there are practices that are on referral pathways that our patients will be allocated to that many of us would not be happy for them being treated in. Part of being a professional means that you take on the ultimate responsibility for the care of a patient, and the GDC standards means that includes ensuring they are referred to an appropriate colleague. Unless every single one of these referrals is triaged by a clinician then there will be mistakes made. And this pre-assumes the system actually works like it should…..

I have had the misfortune recently of being forced onto a pilot in my local area of just one of these systems. Due to the obviously more knowledgeable people in charge of procurement in my area, they foisted a system onto practitioners without actually discussing anything with them first. To say I experienced problems was an understatement, and I know many others did too (despite the LAT saying the response to their questionnaires about it was overwhelmingly favourable – presumably because the portal lost as many bad responses as it did referrals). To be quite honest, I would have been better served learning how to send smoke signal referrals rather than use the system that was imposed. I did some research into the actual system and found that it had been dropped by at least one area as it was unsatisfactory, and another region have accepted that the same system isn’t good, but it’s the best they’ve seen. Hardly a glowing endorsement is it?

For example, in the 2 months I used it, we experienced a plethora of problems. I don’t think it is particularly useful to have to spend over TWO HOURS trying to upload a Periapical radiograph, knowing that if it wasn’t sent the referral would have been rejected. This was a compressed file of just 103kb. I don’t think it is particularly helpful to have half the tick boxes missing for medical histories, or dropdowns that you can’t fill in because they are incorrectly populated. A spell check that allows only the incorrect spelling of a drug is also pretty useless. It’s not useful that the system doesn’t tell you if the referral has gone correctly, or instead forever been lost in the ether of the internet. It’s not professional to have no idea who you have just referred the patient to or who is going to read the information. Not particularly useful if your patient who doesn’t have an email address (like many of my elderly patients) can’t even be referred at all as the system refuses to accept the referral without their email address. It also falls foul of my data security policy of allowing an unknown (to me) commercial third party installing software onto my system (which is massively firewalled both by hardware and software – which would appear to more than can be said for the NHS system if the recent Cryptolocker problem is anything to go by).

But having the system obviously ticks another box for those who confuse boxticking with patient care. By having a system that once again means all the responsibility still lies with the registrant even though they have no control of it is highly convenient for the powers that be. They get to have a load of committee meetings about the procurement, knowing full well that if and when it fails, and if and when patients suffer from it, it will be the clinicians who will get the blame for it. Having a system imposed from above without actually making sure it works is nothing new: lets face it the NHS hardly have a great track record in getting IT infrastructure correct out do they? Heaven help us if our friends at Capita get involved with implementing one of these systems; patients will probably end up with an 18 month wait instead of an 18 week wait. Still, at least losing patients in the system will make the waiting lists look good for the managers and they can get their bonuses for being so successful…..

So unless we get some form of indemnification from those who perpetually get to wash their hands of responsibility, I can’t see how we can use these portals and still adhere to our required standards. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Image by Benjamin White

Below you will find some of the top news and blogs posted on GDPUK, week commencing 6th November.

1. At LMC Conference, doctors will vote on GPs leaving the NHS https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/2771-gps-to-vote-on-leaving-nhs

2. BDIA takes initiative towards Brexit https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/2776-bdia-leads-initiative-on-brexit

3 .MPs debate child oral health https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/2778-mps-debate-child-oral-health

4. @DentistGoneBadd posts a serious blog https://www.gdpuk.com/news/bloggers/entry/2037-dentistry-is-not-immune-from-harbouring-sexual-abuse-we-must-be-vigilant-too

5. Portsmouth graduate wins student of the year award https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/2780-portsmouth-graduate-wins-student-of-the-year-award

6. Coca-Cola ‘threatened to cut investment’ over sugar tax https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/2779-coca-cola-threatened-to-cut-investment-over-sugar-tax

7. Enough is enough: BDA demolish case for ARF levels https://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/2770-enough-is-enough-bda-demolish-case-for-arf-levels

It is always a very sensitive time when a practice is transitioning to new ownership. Practice owners can feel a great attachment to their team, having spent time and resource on their development, as well as getting to know them on a personal level. When told the news, team members can feel vulnerable and anxious about what the future may hold and so delivering the right message at the right time is critical for success. 

Before the transition

Whether the proprietor has decided to sell to an individual or a corporate group, the value of the dental team is recognised by potential buyers and they will often seek to retain staff. It is understood that the front-desk team’s relationships with patients adds goodwill, as does the approachable and professional dental nurses and hygienists. If the seller is unable to tell the team of the change early on in discussions, they may want to consider ways in which they can help the team to prepare for the change so that they do not feel exposed when they are told the news. Are the team up-to-date with their training and educational needs for confidence in what they have to offer the new owner? Is their appraisal detailed with all their achievements to date? Have their personal development needs been identified and an action plan put in place? 

All in the timing

When to tell the team about the sale of a practice is a debated subject. Too soon, and it opens up a window for gossip and uncertainty, particularly if word gets out to patients who may then look to switch practices or be reluctant to commit to more extensive treatment. Too late, and the team might feel let down and shocked by the imminent change in management. Unfortunately there is no mathematical equation for working out the right moment and it will vary depending on the individual practice. 

Supporting the team

The team emotions are often one of the heaviest burdens on a principal and so selling to an experienced purchaser who can be trusted to continue looking after all members of staff.  Rodericks Dental, for example, offers a quick completion so that the “secret” does not need to be kept for a lengthy period. Further still, they can visit the practice out of working hours, even at the weekend, and they offer extensive training and support services for all professionals to advance their careers.

Selling a dental practice can opens up great new opportunities for the owner and the team. Managing the team during the transition can be challenging but with the right approach and support, it can go smoothly.

For more information please visit www.sellyourdentalpractice.net, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01604 602491 (option 5).

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/rodericksdental,

Twitter @rodericksdental and LinkedIn

“I first met Dental Elite at BDIA where they were presenting a lecture on practice sales and acquisitions,” reflects Dr Ninan Vettasseri. “Impressed with their experience and knowledge of the market, I decided to give them a call. And I’m glad I did, because not only was Katrina very supportive, but whenever there were hiccups she came up with a solution straightaway.

“If I could go back and do it again, however, I would do two things: Do my homework before putting the practice on the market and spend more time on marketing – the latter of which would have generated a higher completion price if I’d dedicated more time to maximising my practice’s potential.

“My advice to vendors would therefore be to plan well in advance and learn as much as you can about the process – not to mention to keep on track with UDA targets!”

For help planning your exit strategy in advance or selling your practice, get in touch with Dental Elite.

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

As a Brit, I was both ashamed and proud of the revelations coming out of Westminster this week - ashamed that a small number of our elected representatives could act in such a grubby and misogynistic manner, but also proud of the way that the whole decades-long business is being exposed and acted on in an open way, even if it has been fuelled and inspired by our free press.  There was something typically British and admirable in Sir Michael Fallon’s quick decision to resign from his post as defence minister, as opposed to my disdain for the USA’s Orang-Utan in Chief who has a considerable number of accusations of sexual assault outstanding against him and is a self-confessed and unashamed “pussy-grabber.”

It’s become obvious from the ubiquity of the ‘metoo’ hashtag (#metoo) 

this week, that few walks of work life are free from sexual innuendo, threats and frank abuse and I have been wondering at what point the medical and dental professions will stand accused of similar behaviour either in the present or the past.  What follows, has bothered me for years. There was nothing I could do about it at the time, and nothing I can do about it now, but I felt it was time to at least illuminate the fact that dentistry is not immune from the abuse of women.

I trained in the eighties in a fairly well-known dental school. There was a reasonably affable relationship between the students and lecturers – there were some lecturers who were frankly, evil bastards and there were some who treated you as sentient adults and although you wouldn’t go out for a pint with them, you would say “Good morning” to them in a corridor without ducking into the nearest toilet facility.

Some lecturers (and yes, it IS males) however, had a closer than affable relationship with female students and it is one that I need to focus on.  This married lecturer was a reader in restorative dentistry and was a phantom head instructor.  He always seemed to have a pally relationship with the female students and before long it was rumoured that he was having an extra-marital affair with a young student in the year below me.  The affair became quite open within the dental school and he would often turn up at finals nights and exam celebration nights at Med Club.  I didn’t follow that closely, the ins and outs of the relationship, but since it was so well-known, I assume that the dental school authorities turned a blind eye to it since the female hadn’t protested.

A few months after I qualified and left the dental school, friends of mine who were still at the dental school separately told me that the lecturer and been frequently ‘bothering’ a new and attractive dental student in a sexual manner, to the point where the young woman went to the head of the restorative department to report it. 

She was later called to the Professor of the department where she found herself confronted by the Prof and the lecturer in question with the threat that if she were to take her complaint any further, they would ensure that she would fail finals.

I was told a few months later, that the young woman managed to find herself  a place at another university and transferred.  She apparently took her complaint no further.

I believe the head of the department is long retired (or hopefully dead), but the lecturer in question has risen to the heights, is nationally known, and is in active charge of students.

I didn’t know the victim, or even if she would have wanted to have taken this incident further.  The fact that I didn’t?  I am ashamed. 

Dr Andrew Farr talks to The Revu about his recent experience of undertaking the ITI Foundation in Implant Dentistry (FID) course and why, along with the guidance of his mentor, he is now more than ready to place his first implants.

What first motivated you to attend the FID course?

We were already offering implant treatment at our practice, but I was keen to learn for myself how to place and restore implants. I qualified over 10 years ago and received no implant training at all at undergraduate level, so it was a question of looking at the introductory courses out there that could get me confidently started in implant dentistry and the FID course was definitely the one that suited me best.

How did you find the course content?

Because it’s a Foundation course it’s designed to give you a solid theoretical understanding of how and when to use implants and to guide you in implant selection. I believe that the theory is very important when you are starting out in implant dentistry and the FID course definitely gets you off on the right foot.

I was very impressed at the quality of the teaching from some of the most experienced implant dentists in the UK, including Dr Shakeel Shahdad, Prof Nikos Donos and Dr Nikos Mardas. Between them they have a vast amount of experience, and I found them to be very open and honest about real life situations in practice, both good, and occasionally not so good. It would be easy for the experts to just say how good they are at placing implants, but that’s not what the delegates need, nor what they did. It’s just as important to learn about the things that can go wrong as well as the vast majority of cases with highly successful outcomes.

The FID modular course is spread over six months and you successfully completed the course in September. What has been happening in that time?

The most significant thing I’ve done is to partner with my mentor, Michael Betteridge. Michael is a specialist oral surgeon who is very experienced in providing not just oral surgery care in the primary care environment, but also a highly-regarded dental implant service, and is therefore ideally suited to being a mentor.

Are you looking to now move on to an MSc course or similar in implant dentistry or is mentoring giving you everything you currently need?

For the time being, with the help of Michael, my plan is to first get the basics right in practice before considering moving onto further education and I’m already in the process of planning my first implant cases. It can be a bit daunting when you first start out, but it’s probably more a fear of the unknown and that’s why a mentor is such a good idea to guide you over those first hurdles until you find your feet.

How have you found the support from Straumann - do you plan to place Straumann implants?

Yes, that’s my plan. Straumann are market leaders and when you are starting out you want to place the implant that offers the best chance of long-term success and is backed by a huge amount of research.

The support they offer is terrific and our local Straumann representative Hayley has been a great help in terms of my surgery set-up and making sure I have everything I need to get me started. Everyone at Straumann really knows what they are doing and if I have any problems I know they are there to help. It’s about the whole support package - not just the implant.

What are your plans now going forward?

I want to be doing a lot more than just placing the occasional implant. My aim is to eventually place something in the region of 100 implants a year and be in a position to accept referrals from local colleagues.

Finally, would you recommend the FID course to other GDPs?

Yes, I would definitely recommend this course - it’s ideal for any clinician looking to get the best start in a career in implant dentistry.

In association with Straumann, the next ITI Foundation in Implant Dentistry course begins in February 2018. For further information or to reserve your place, please call the Straumann Education Department on +44 (0) 1293 651270 or visit iti.org/uk

Facebook: Straumann UK

Twitter: @StraumannUK

broadstreetdentalsurgery.com

Broad Street Dental Surgery, Broadway House, 32-35 Broad Street, Hereford HR4 9AR

Andrew Farr BDS(Hons), MJDF RCS Eng 

Andrew joined Broad Street Dental Surgery, Hereford in October 2014. Born and raised in Caerphilly, South Wales he studied dentistry at the University of Cardiff, graduating with honours. He completed his vocational training in Plymouth, then spent a year as a Maxillofacial Senior House Officer at Derriford Hospital where his duties included emergencies in A&E, head and neck surgery and wisdom tooth removal. He has developed an interest in orthodontics and is qualified to offer Quick Straight Teeth short-term orthodontics.

24^th November 2017

The Mecure, St Pauls Hotel & Spa, Sheffield

Now in its third year, Sheffield’s 2017 Dental Charity Ball is nearly upon us!

With much fun to be had, including a magician, an obligatory photobooth, and games to be played, this year see’s the ball support a fantastic charity that promotes dental health both here in the UK, and across the globe. Working to provide access to safe and affordable dental care for those in the poorest communities, Dentaid  provides equipment, volunteers and training. Every penny raised from the ball goes directly to Dentaid, who will also be attending to help educate those attending of the great works that they and their volunteers do.

A video from the 2016 ball below!

With tickets costing £45 per person, or just £400 for a table of ten, it is a great event for all to attend, whether as your Christmas party or simple as a festive, charitable knees up!

Set up and supported by S4S Dental Laboratory, 4Health, one80 Dental, and John Holland, you can book your tickets at s4sdental.com/charityball2017. For more information on the charity, visit dentaid.org.

The Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP(UK)) says further action is needed to tackle the nation’s sugar habit.

The Faculty is supporting Sugar Awareness Week (30th October – 3rd November 2017), organised by the Action on Sugar campaign group, which aims to build public pressure to persuade the government and the food and drink industry to implement stronger sugar reduction policies.

Action on Sugar also aims to raise public awareness of the adverse health effects of consuming too much sugar and the costs to the NHS of treating sugar-related illnesses. The campaign has produced two free, downloadable posters, highlighting the differing types and amounts of sugar in everyday foods and drinks.

Sugar Awareness Week runs from 30th October to 3rd November 2017, and the focus of the national campaign this year is on the large amounts of sugar available on price promotions. Local areas across the country are also running their own Sugar Awareness Week events.

Dr Mick Horton, Dean of FGDP(UK), says:

“This is an important campaign. Dentists and dental practice teams spend a lot of time educating patients about the importance of diet to oral health, but this can be quickly undone by the lure of discounts and adverts for sugary food and drinks. The average person in the UK eats three times the recommended maximum intake of sugar, and our bad habits start early. A quarter of primary school children, rising to a third in secondary school, have tooth decay, an almost entirely preventable disease, and action to further restrict marketing of high sugar items would help encourage people to make healthier choices.”

Jenny Rosborough, Registered Nutritionist and Campaign Manager at Action on Sugar says: 

“We currently consume 2–3 times more free sugars than is recommended and the biggest source in the diets of children and teenagers are sugar-sweetened drinks. Excess consumption of free sugars (i.e. those that are found naturally in fruit juices, honey and syrups, plus sugars added to foods and drinks ) is associated with a greater risk of tooth decay and leads to increased energy intake (compared to other energy sources). What’s more, sugar-sweetened drinks are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Whilst we urge both the government and food manufacturers to act now, our message to dental practitioners is to help educate their patients about the impact of sugar consumption on their teeth.”

For more information on Sugar Awareness Week visit Action on Sugar online here.

Simplyhealth Professionals and the University of Birmingham spinout Oral Health Innovations Ltd have announced today that 100,000 assessments have been carried out by the highly regarded Denplan PreViser Patient Assessment oral health assessment tool (DEPPA). 

DEPPA is an evidence-based online individual risk assessment tool which helps patients understand their current oral health and future disease risk. It assesses an individual patient's medical history, dental history, lifestyle and their clinical status and provides feedback on current health and future disease risk directly to patients via a personalised report.

In May 2017, Simplyhealth Professionals also announced the addition of Young DEPPA (YDEPPA) to bring the benefits of comprehensive online patient assessment to young patients and their parents or carers for the first time. The primary benefit of YDEPPA, like its adult counterpart, is to support communication with young patients about their oral health. 

The system was developed for the UK by Oral Health Innovations Ltd to help patients understand their oral health needs and to support decision making by dental professionals.

The reports use a traffic light colour-code system of red, amber and green to indicate what is going well and what the patient needs to improve on with the help of their dental care provider.

Henry Clover, Director of Dental Policy at Simplyhealth Professionals said: “There is evidence to support that personalised biofeedback, delivered using reports such as DEPPA for patients, is more likely to trigger the emotional response required in order that behaviour change can occur than traditional methods. Improved oral health can only be achieved through a strong partnership between dentist and patient.”

Recent research has shown that patients who receive an individualised communication about risk  as part of a routine dental consultation took advice on periodontal disease more seriously, and felt better able to follow it, than those who receiving a routine consultation alone (p<0.05). ¹

Moreover, research presented earlier this year at the International Association for Dental Research conference showed that sharing the report with patients resulted in reduced levels of bacteria in their mouths and gum inflammation, and better daily oral hygiene routines.²

Iain Chapple, Professor of Periodontology and Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the University of Birmingham, commented: “As routine dental consultations incorporate risk assessments for future disease, it is vital that we understand how to communicate this risk to patients, so they can distinguish between generalised advice and individual risk.”

DEPPA and Young DEPPA are available free of charge to all Denplan Excel certified member dentists. Non-Excel certified member dentists can also benefit for just £100 per month (inc VAT) for up to two dentists in a practice or for £150 per month for three or four dentists.  For more information visit www.simplyhealthprofessionals.co.uk        

A few basic things are always needed in a banner ad to ultimately give you an excellent click through rate. (CTR) We have collected our experiences and thoughts together to produce a short blog on what makes a successful banner advert.

A clear call to action (CTA), has to make sense for your product or service. Such as “Shop Now”, “Learn More” etc. A call to action always has to be included.

Secondly the banner ad can be compared to the billboard in the street, the consumer has a split second to decide if they are interested in the product or service. So you need to decide what you want the consumer to see and take away in those few seconds you have to grab attention to your product or service. This can be a catchy headline, an aspirational image or a hybrid of the two!

Basic animation is also always recommended. Animated GIF is therefore recommended over a static image. Keep it simple and to the point, telling a story rarely works. But the advantage of the animated GIF is that you can put together a  series of frames then combine them in such an order that will eventually form some sort of animation and attract attention.

A theme I always go back to when talking to customers is the landing page. The clickthrough needs to land on a landing page that delivers what the banner ad promises. So that when you do secure the click from the consumer, you make sure they get the information the consumer desires. So basically you need to ensure you promote a product or service and not a website / homepage!

This blog - http://www.boxofads.com/blog/always-fine-tune-your-landing-page/ sums up the value of a landing page quite nicely. While designing a campaign think about it as a whole, an ad makes the first impression, and a landing page is a continuation of this impression.

We also recommend that our clients don’t just have one version of the their banner ad. We always say to test the colours, the CTA or the headline and see what works in line with the branding of your business. The software we use (DFP) can handle more than one ad in the space you book, so it's always worth testing a few banners and seeing what performs best. The same can also be said of landing pages as well.

Thanks for reading, hope this short guide to what makes a successful banner is useful.

The British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) and Federation of the European Dental Industry (FIDE), as the trade associations representing the dental industry in the United Kingdom and Europe, have today issued a joint letter outlining their priorities for the ongoing Brexit negotiations.

The initiative, proposed by the BDIA, saw a letter addressed to the European Chief Negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier and the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis, highlighting the important economic and public health role played by the dental technology and devices sector, and calling for action to be taken to safeguard it.

BDIA Chief Executive, Edmund Proffitt, comments, “The measures outlined by our associations would ensure that our industry is able to continue to provide access to innovative dental technology in the UK and throughout the EU, to the benefit of patient oral health and the economy, beyond the UK’s exit from the EU in March 2019”.

Chief amongst these measures is a commitment to parity of UK and EU legislation after Brexit. The UK’s decision to leave the European Union came at a critical point for the dental industry, coinciding with the publication of the EU Medical Device Regulations (MDR), and future divergence in legislation would risk disadvantaging both patients and businesses across Europe.

Other priorities to ensure a successful outcome to the negotiations include the maintenance of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s involvement in ongoing discussions concerning medical device regulation, the continued adoption of the CE marking process for medical devices and allowing UK Notified Bodies to operate under the MDR.

Over 9,000 dental professionals attended BDIA Dental Showcase 2017, which took place at the NEC in Birmingham on the 19-21 October.

This year marked the first time in which this prestigious event has been organised by its new owners MA Exhibitions, in collaboration with George Warman Publications. The result of the partnership between a professional show organiser and the dental publisher has been a tremendous success, seeing an 11.29% rise in visitor numbers to 9,080.

From MA Exhibitions, event director Ed Wyre said “The response from the dental community has been incredible. Not only have visitor numbers seen a substantial increase, we’ve seen a significant increase in the percentage of dentists (41%, up from 33% in 2016) and practice managers (11%, up from 5.5% in 2016) attending. It’s fantastic to see so many decision makers leaving the practice to attend the show. Other dental groups also saw a rise in numbers, highlighting the event’s importance to the whole dental team”.

In addition to the bustling show floor of 300+ exhibitors, three brand new features were a major draw for visitors to this year’s event.

The impressive Dental Practice of the Future was the flagship feature at the show and gave visitors access to a fully functioning reception, patient lounge, surgery and decontamination room brimming with state-of-the-art equipment in a purpose-built practice setting. The surgery itself housed a 150-seat lecture theatre where packed out keynote presentations on topics such as medical emergencies, radiation protection and the future of dentistry took place.

The CDO Zone proved to be extremely popular, as it provided the unique opportunity for visitors to meet with the highest level of the dental profession. Chief Dental Officer England Sara Hurley and her team were on hand each day ready to discuss and answer any questions visitors had on NHS dentistry. This was a fantastic chance for GDP’s and DCP’s to engage face to face with the CDO and her team, who have never been so easily accessible to the profession.

Sara Hurley, chief dental officer England said “The show was a tremendous success for us. Having a platform in which we could directly engage with so many dental professionals face-to-face and facilitate discussion around our initiatives and their experiences in practice was invaluable. This is the perfect example of industry coming together for the good of oral health, and we’re delighted to be a part of it. We are already looking forward to 2018”.

The 150-seater Dental Update Theatre offered a balanced variety of clinical CPD and business orientated sessions led by leading experts, providing advice and guidance in each of their topics. On Thursday 19^th October, the Dental Update Theatre hosted the annual Dental Update Study Day, organised by Professor Trevor Burke. Visitors also had another chance to increase their dental knowledge and top up their CPD in the Mini Lecture Theatre, which proved extremely popular over the three days.

Ed Tranter, managing director of MA Exhibitions said “We are delighted with the show. We always strive for quality in our events, and this was no exception. We had a significant rise in visitor numbers, and the quality of those visitors was outstanding – testament to the partnership with George Warman and the diverse range of exhibiting companies and CPD sessions. In addition, exhibitors put in a huge amount of effort into their stand builds all of which looked incredible. BDIA Dental Showcase is a show that has such a strong community of companies behind it and we look forward to being a part of that in the coming years and taking the show from strength to strength”.

Stuart Thompson, managing director of George Warman Publications and BDIA council member, said “The response has been encouraging. Feedback from exhibitors and sponsors has been very positive and we are pleased with how the show went. We are delighted to be taking the show to the level the association aspired to achieve and we’re looking forward to progressing it further in the years to come”.

BDIA Dental Showcase 2018 will take place at London ExCeL, 4-6 October 2018.

The show was opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony involving the show’s new owners and its headline sponsor, Oral-B. (L-R): Stuart Thompson, managing director, George Warman Publications; Jane Kidson, UK professional oral health country manager, Oral-B; Razi Hyder, professional oral health associate director, EMEA, Oral-B; Ed Tranter, managing director, MA Exhibitions; Ben Pegram, UK market strategy and planning manager, Oral-B; Mark Allen, chairman, Mark Allen Group. Pictured above.

Friday 3 November 2017

National Motorcycle Museum

To celebrate their 25th anniversary, the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners, in partnership with Simplyhealth Professionals, will host a conference, on Friday 3^rd November, bringing together six of the UK’s leading oral health experts.

Designed for clinicians, the conference will provide an overview of the latest research that provides the foundation for the contemporary management of common dental diseases, insight into complex inter-relationships between oral diseases and general health of patients of all ages, and reveal evidence that demonstrates the long-term impact of traditional treatments on oral and general health.

The programme will provide dental professionals in general practice and other clinical settings with the knowledge to help them deliver extended oral health care. The lectures will also describe the skill-sets that will help delegates select biologically respectful, minimally invasive techniques and future-proof their practices by integrating general health care with everyday clinical dentistry.

Professor Nairn Wilson, one of the UK’s most International respected academics, and former Dean of Kings College London Dental Institute, will open the conference and introduce each of the presenters.

• Professor Mike Curtis, Dean of Dentistry at Queen Mary’s University of London - How strong is the link between oral and other diseases – hype or reality?
• Avi Banerjee, Professor of cariology and operative dentistry at Kings college London - Dental caries and the human body: the "MI"ssing link?
• Professor Trevor Burke, The University of Birmingham School of Dentistry - The ultimate guide to restoration longevity
• Iain Chapple, Head of School at the University of Birmingham School of Dentistry - Time to put the mouth back in the body: the truth about periodontal-systemic links
• Dr. Stephen Fayle, Consultant in Paediatric dentistry at University of Leeds School of Dentistry - Extended oral health care for all ages.

Finally, Chief dental officer Dr Sara Hurley will discuss the conference themes and join the lecture team in answering delegate questions on the exciting future for oral care and holistic dentistry in the UK.

The conference will be held from 9am-5.30pm at the National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull, West Midlands, B92 0EJ. Tickets are £205 for members and £290 for non-members.

To purchase your ticket, go to www.holisticdentistry.eventbrite.com

Masters of ergonomics, A-dec, have recently started working with Curran Dental. A-dec are well known for their high-quality dental chairs which offer the utmost comfort for both patient and practitioner. Curran Dental offer technical support and project management to dental practices, and pride themselves on providing a high-quality service.

Pleased to be bringing a new partner on board, A-dec’s Nick Olive says: “I am very excited to be working with Curran Dental, whose reputation for exceptional service fits really well with the A-dec ethos.”

Sue Curran, director of Curran Dental is also very happy about the development, she says: “We chose to work with A-dec because we know they are a company with integrity, that puts patient and practitioner comfort first. We are excited to be working with a quality conscious company such as A-dec and are honoured to bring their products to our customers – we can’t wait to see what the future brings.”

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

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

“We enjoyed a top-level scientific program. Highlights were the interdisciplinary approach, the live surgeries and also an excellent program for the laboratory technicians who play a very important role in treatment – this is crucial for the benefit of the patients.” Dr. Beatriz Aranguena, Spain

“Nobel Biocare events are always interesting – lecturers from all over the world providing different concepts and approaches are widely represented here. They help to follow trends in the contemporary dental market and to be at the cutting edge, both clinically and scientifically.” Dr. Ivan Kondratiev, Russia

“The Nobel Biocare symposium in China has been well organized with fantastic academic topics. It provides dentists with a good chance to be exposed to the latest ideas and technologies of the dental implant industry.” Prof. Ye Lin, China

1.  Depending on clinician preference and close cooperation with the laboratory.

2.  Imburgia M. Patient and team communication in the iPad era – a practical appraisal. Int J Esthet Dent 2014,9(1): 26-29

3.  Imburgia M, Coachman C. Using digital devices to improve communications between clinicians and patients during implant- prosthetic treatment: a clinical study [#519]. 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Association for Osseointegration. Rome, Italy: Wiley; 2014. p.538

Disclaimer: Some products may not be regulatory cleared/released for sale in all markets. Dental professionals should contact the local Nobel Biocare representative for current product assortment and availability.

Nobel Biocare is a world leader in the field of innovative implant-based dental restorations. The company’s portfolio offers solutions from single tooth to fully edentulous indications with dental implant systems (including key brands NobelActive®, Brånemark System® and NobelReplace®), a comprehensive range of high-precision individualized prosthetics and CAD/CAM systems (NobelProcera®), diagnostics, treatment planning and guided surgery solutions (NobelClinician® and NobelGuide®) and biomaterials (creos™). Nobel Biocare supports its customers through all phases of professional development, offering world-class training and education along with practice support and patient information materials. The company is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Production takes place at five sites located in the United States, Sweden, Japan and Israel. Products and services are available in over 80 countries through subsidiaries and distributors.

The Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP(UK)) held an anniversary dinner on Friday 13^th October to commemorate 25 years since it was established. Hosted at Drapers Hall in London, the dinner included three very special awards to reflect the everyday commitment of General Dental Practitioners to their practice and their patients.

Dr Mick Horton, Dean of FGDP(UK), opened the evening by reflecting on the role of the Faculty now and into the future:

“Our anniversary celebration is a great occasion for us to look forward to our new future.  We are now laying the foundations for forming a new chartered medical college after 25 successful years at RCS.  

“It’s a bold step: one that we believe will inspire our members and open a gateway to new partnerships that promote professionalism in dentistry. For the public and for patients, a clearly identifiable, confident and active standard-setting body will help us to cultivate greater confidence in dentistry overall. We want to focus on developing the appeal of a modern medical college for new generations entering practice.

“We are delighted to award our Anniversary prizes to three extremely worthy winners.  Their own personal achievements mirror the quality of standards and the diversity within the general dental profession, and we congratulate them on their awards.”

Award Winners

Foundation Dentist of the Year – Claire Culverwell

Claire works as a Dental Associate at Crook Log Dental Practice in South East London. Her career began as a Dental Nurse, before studying Dental Hygiene and Therapy at the University of Liverpool. She then decided to study Dental Surgery at King’s College London and was nominated by her Foundation trainer, Baber Khan.

Claire commented: “I went the long way around to my career in dentistry, but I am glad I did, because I’ve been in contact with patients from the very beginning, allowing me to develop a range of skills. This award means a lot to me, because getting to this point in my life has taken great effort and commitment. I wasn’t sure I would ever get there, but I know that all the effort has paid off. I’m surrounded by people who push me to be my best every day, and I’m loving every minute.”

Community Dentist of the Year – Jason Wong

This prize recognises GDPs and DCPs who have made a significant contribution to improving oral care in their local community, and was awarded through a process of open nomination by peers within the profession.

Jason commented: “I am honoured that a colleague had the thought and put in the effort to nominate me and delighted that the FGDP(UK) panel chose me for the award. I believe that we are all part of a great profession and that all of us who benefit from being part of it need to put something back in for the benefit of the whole profession.”

Dean’s Award – Dentaid

The Dean’s Award, sponsored by Simplyhealth, was presented to Dentaid for their support of the The Real Junk Tooth Project in the UK.

Andy Evans, CEO of Dentaid, said:

“Everyone at Dentaid is delighted and honoured to win the Dean’s Award. In recent years, we have become increasingly aware that many people in the UK struggle to access dental treatment for a wide variety of reasons and this has a negative impact on their general wellbeing.  Thanks to an incredible team of volunteers, many vulnerable people and those who could not register with an NHS dentist in Dewsbury were able to visit a dental surgery in the evening, without an appointment, and receive pain relieving dental care.  They only paid if they could afford to.  Over seven months 150 people received emergency treatment thanks to the Real Junk Tooth Project.  Dentaid’s next step was to purchase a mobile dental unit so we could bring a similar service to other parts of the country.  This unit also went back to Dewsbury in September when we treated almost 200 people in two weeks at clinics held outside schools, community centres and public buildings.  We are very grateful to all our volunteers and supporters for enabling this project to be such a success.”

As part of the 25-year celebration the FGDP(UK) will also host a conference on Holistic Dentistry on 3^rd November in Solihull.

Sirona Connect has always stood for comfortable, digital intraoral impressions in the dental practice and the quick and secure transfer of data to the dental laboratory. And with growing success, up to 2016, more than a million dental restorations were made using Sirona Connect. Dentsply Sirona has now enhanced the no. 1 in digital lab connections with the latest Sirona Connect software 4.5 update. Additional software services and new portal functions offer advantages for dentists and dental technicians.

Bensheim/Salzburg, October 10, 2017. The number of digital intraoral impressions completed in dental practices is steadily growing. Sirona Connect is increasingly used in practices and labs for transferring the impression data to the dental lab, allowing dentists to provide their patients a modern practice concept, take impressions quickly and comfortably thanks to intraoral scanning, and ensure faster overall treatment. Sirona Connect benefits the dental lab with direct connection to the practice, and quick and secure transfer of digital impression and order data. In addition, Sirona Connect saves the practice and lab valuable time by enabling the immediate exchange of information during the patient's visit.

Sirona Connect SW 4.5 with enhanced features

With the new Shade Detection tool for the CEREC Omnicam, the latest Sirona Connect software analyzes the scan and indicates the tooth color as a VITA* Classic or VITA* 3D Master shade. This function supports dentists in selecting the suitable shade for the restoration.

For even more flexibility, digital intraoral impressions can be made for Dentsply Sirona or third party implant systems and different scan bodies can be used.

Sirona Connect SW 4.5 also allows the practice to make an open scan export of the model data in STL format for direct transfer to the lab's CAD software.

There is another interesting enhancement for Sirona Connect labs. For the first time, they can create a customized lab profile on the Sirona Connect portal and show offers for appointments, materials, degrees of refinement, special services, and much more for the individual lab. This gives Sirona Connect dentists an optimum, customer-friendly overview of the range of services and saves them time when ordering from a lab.

The new Sirona Connect SW 4.5 is available to Sirona Connect users with CEREC Omnicam, CEREC Bluecam, and APOLLO DI as a free auto-update or as a download at www.dentsplysirona.com.

Due to various certification and registration periods, not all products are immediately available in all countries.

Whether you already run a dental payment plan at your practice or you’re considering launching a plan for the first time, award winning Patient Plan Direct invites you along to its Cost Saving Clinic at this year’s BDIA Showcase @ The NEC, Birmingham – 19^th to 21^st October.

This 15-20 minute investment of your time, could prove to save your practice thousands over the coming years.

Why visit the cost saving clinic?

If you already offer a payment plan…

If you work with a plan provider other than Patient Plan Direct that supports and administers your existing payment plans, we’re confident we can demonstrate how your practice could significantly cut the costs of running your plan and increase your practice profits, even if you opt to continue working with your existing provider.

Irrespective of the type of plans you offer patients (Full care, Maintenance, Membership, Hygiene only) or which provider you currently work with, we can share with you a range of options and methods to help you cut your plan administration costs!

If you’re thinking about launching a payment plan…

You may be looking to launch a payment plan simply to nurture patient loyalty or offer patients a convenient means of accessing their regular care, or you may be looking to launch plan as a means of transitioning to practice privately, stepping away from the NHS.

During your clinic appointment we’ll share with you the important considerations when selecting which plan provider to work with and tops tips on ensuring you maximise the profitability of your payment plan, whilst building a successful base of plan patients and offering the right range of plans to suit your patient demographics and oral health requirements.

Where and when is the cost saving clinic?

We’ll be hosting our cost saving clinic at stand E16 on all three days of the BDIA showcase exhibition.

You can pop along to our stand at any time, where one of our business development team will be more than happy to conduct our cost saving clinic exercise, which won’t take any longer than 15-20 mins.

If you would rather chat through the exercise in a little more privacy or away from the hustle and bustle of the show, one of our team will be more than happy to take you for a coffee (or something a little stronger) outside of the exhibition hall.

Whilst you’re welcome to simply ‘roll-up’ to our clinic at any time, to avoid disappointment we recommend you pre-book an appointment before the show. To do so, simply drop our team an email or give us a call to let us know which day and time works best for you and we’ll reply to confirm your appointment.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Tel: 08448486888

What do you need to bring along?

If you already offer a payment plan, please bring along your latest monthly plan schedule / report provided by your existing provider, or at the very least a note of the administration fees you’re currently charged and details of the plans you offer patients.

If you’re considering launching a dental plan for the first-time, you don’t need to bring along anything other than an appetite to understand how to launch a successful and profitable payment plan 

See you soon!

We look forward to seeing you soon. In the mean time you can discover more about Patient Plan Direct and how we’ve helped other practices on our website http://patientplandirect.com/case-studies/

Have you recently qualified and seeking to enhance your knowledge and skills in implant dentistry?

In partnership with Straumann, the ITI is proud to present the highly regarded ITI Foundation in Implant Dentistry course. Now in its tenth year, the FID is a comprehensive programme specifically designed to assist delegates towards meeting the requirements of both the GDC and the FGDP Training Standards in Implant Dentistry for a safe and predictable start in implant dentistry.

This modular course, divided into six modules of two days each, covers all the essential materials needed for assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning, plus the opportunity to gain one-to-one practice mentoring in the clinical environment. Taught by some of the most experienced implant dentists in the UK, including Prof Nikos Donos, Dr Shakeel Shahdad and Dr Nikos Mardas, it delivers a wealth of implant experience combined with the ITI philosophy to deliver an evidence-based curriculum in a continuously peer-reviewed format.

Delegates have full access to the renowned ITI Online Academy – a ground-breaking e-learning platform that meets the needs of implant dentistry professionals by complementing and backing up the modular course’s didactic teaching. FID has its own dedicated Campus on the ITI Online Academy with learning modules, lectures and treatment examples all part of the FID curriculum.

There are a number of options for further training after the delegates have completed the FID course. Delegates can choose to continue on the ITI Training Pathway: the UK & Ireland Education Programme, offering a wide range of Straightforward and Advanced level courses. Beyond the ITI many UK Universities also offer formal certificates, diplomas and MScs in Implant Dentistry. The FID is recognised by the University of Bristol as Approved Prior Learning (APL) for their MSc in Implant Dentistry and on completion of the FID, delegates have the option to apply for entry directly into the second year of the MSc. There is also the option of self-guided preparation for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Diploma in Implant Dentistry (Dip Imp Dent RCSEd).

Don’t miss out on your chance to take a significant first step on the ITI Pathway!

Early Bird Discount - Book before 31st October and save £900!

All delegates who book before 31st October 2017 will benefit from a £900 discount off the full course fee of £6,000 +VAT (£5,100 +VAT).

Book a free place for one of your practice staff on either a Dental Nurse or Treatment Coordinator course when you book your place on the ITI Foundation in Implant Dentistry course!

Calling all past FID delegates – If you refer a friend on to the FID 2018 course and they enrol and pay the deposit, you will receive a £50 John Lewis voucher!

Places are limited to a maximum of 24 delegates so to reserve your place or for further information please call the Straumann Education Department on +44 (0) 1293 651270 or visit iti.org/uk.

Start date: 20th February 2018 with modules running through to 19th September 2018

Venue: ITI Education Centre, Crawley

CPD: 78 hours of verifiable CPD

Materials, lunch and refreshments are provided

www.straumann.co.uk

therevu.co.uk

straumanndigitalperformance.co.uk

Facebook: Straumann UK

 Twitter: @StraumannUK

When running a marketing campaign we are told that landing pages are an extremely important part of the sales journey. This is still a true statement and something we always make clear to all our clients.

In this blog, I want to look at what happens when once you have a landing page created but it still isn’t converting in the way you desire, what mistakes are being made with the page and where could it be improved? I have identified a few reasons why the page may not be performing as you hope...

Social Proof

Reviews and testimonials are incredibly important. Reviews or testimonials will act as social media proof, so when a customer is looking to purchase, they will often look to others for cues concerning whether to make the purchase or not. So making the excellent reviews or testimonials prominent is certainly a good start to improving your landing page.

Being Clear?

Is your landing page actually clear enough? Have you explained what your business offers and how it is unique? Your landing page should always contain a clear description of what your company actually offers! The copy needs to be clear and not overly full of jargon and too many words.

Too Much Text!

Remember you only have 5 seconds to convince the person clicking on the site. This means the landing page must be focused on one single objective, which is clicking on your call to action (CTA). As I said before it needs to stay clear and direct. Not too much text but enough to get the message across. Focus on the benefit: this is what you will get by clicking here.

What is your USP?  

It is vitally important that you have a very clear and exciting USP. An exciting Unique Selling Proposition leads to people clicking on the CTA because they want to know more. Explaining your USP can work well either using a bullet list or a short, informative video, that gets the message across and leads to the results you desire.

Too many details.

If on your landing page you present a form in which you want your potential clients to share their details, make sure you ask only for the information that is really essential. If you want to send the prospective client a white paper about selling their dental practice, you only need a name and an email address. Focus on getting the essential details and achieving the result of someone engaging with your business.

Always be testing.

The only way to know that the content is persuasive, the video or images work and how successful the form is, you have to keep testing and tweaking the page. On a an optimised landing page, every aspect, should be tested to ensure you’re using the right option to maximize your conversion rate.

Thanks for reading and we hope you have picked up a few pointers to improve one of the most important sales funnels in a modern business.

Small, strong and enduring, and completing the Straumann portfolio for narrow space indications, the Ø 2.9mm implant brings all the Bone Level Tapered (BLT) advantages to narrow interdental spaces.

The Straumann Bone Level Tapered (BLT) Ø 2.9mm implant is the implant solution for narrow interdental spaces or ridges. The smallest in the Bone Level Tapered range, it completes the portfolio for narrow space indications and integrates seamlessly with the reliable Straumann® Dental Implant System.

Benefitting from the clinically-proven BLT design, it has a parallel body with full-depth thread and three cutting notches for self-cutting in underprepared sites. Its apically tapered design delivers excellent primary stability in soft bone and fresh extraction sockets as it adequately compresses the underprepared osteotomy and allows the clinician to effectively master the patient’s anatomy, even when limited, and protects the anatomical structure with its round tip.

As well as the tapered implant body, all Straumann BLT implants possess the powerful combination of Roxolid®, SLActive®, Bone Control Design™, CrossFit® connection and prosthetic diversity.

Roxolid®

Roxolid has enabled Straumann to create smaller implants than ever before, thus reducing invasiveness, by preserving bone and minimising the amount of bone grafting required. Roxolid is a high performance alloy, specifically designed to offer higher strength than pure titanium, making these smaller implants possible. Smaller implants increase the range of treatment options available to the clinician and patient acceptance will be higher when less invasive treatment options are offered.

SLActive®

The SLActive surface allows fast and predictable osseointegration, enabling safer and faster treatment and higher treatment predictability in challenging protocols. Clinically proven to provide safer and faster treatment in 3-4 weeks for all indications, it increases safety during the early healing phase and leads to a superior structural and functional connection between the implant and vital bone.

Bone Control Design™ and CrossFit® connections

Bone Control Design optimises crestal bone preservation while the CrossFit connections simplify handling and increase confidence in component positioning, ensuring precision against rotation and long-term flexibility.

Prosthetic diversity is ensured by compatibility with the full range of Straumann prosthetic components, including the unique oval design for optimal soft tissue management in smaller spaces.

The BLT Ø 2.9mm implant is indicated for single-tooth restorations of the central and lateral incisors in the mandible, and lateral incisors in the maxilla.

And coming soon… single use instruments will allow you to place the BLT Ø 2.9mm implant with sterile, disposable burs, drills, taps and profilers, ensuring your instruments are always sharp and minimising the cost and inconvenience of sterilisation.

For more information on the range of Straumann® Bone Level Tapered Implant solutions, please contact Straumann on 01293 651230 or visit straumann.co.uk.

Facebook: Straumann UK

Twitter: @StraumannUK

No one can have missed the inexorable rise in the use of social media for virtually every kind of interaction we experience in the modern world. From a few users 10 years ago there would appear to be now virtually every corner of the globe unaffected by it (except for maybe some long lost Amazonian tribes – lucky them).

Dentistry has not been slow to embrace this revolution, and as a mechanism of disseminating information world wide, sharing new techniques, and even asking advice about a case, then it there is no doubt that is it hugely helpful. Accessing social media though our smartphones is perhaps the most common application of this media, and it is thought that phones are now become part of the way in which we experience life, and how we form our memories. Certainly, creating a virtual scrapbook on our social media persona that shares with other people is something that will help you look back on events perhaps differently to how you did in the past.

But I worry that some people don’t understand the dangers of social media enough. I’ve written about this before on this blog, and the majority of what I said then holds true now. But there now seem to be some people who take the whole social media thing to be a benchmark by which they should measure their own lives against. There is a relatively new Facebook group called ‘Mental Dental’ which was set up to help dentists with some of the challenging mental health issues that can occur in our profession. Personally as someone who has suffered mental health issues in the past, I think it’s a pretty crass title, but the ethos of the group is actually a pretty good one. Whilst much of the time it might be seen as a moaning forum, there are some quite worrying threads that appear from time to time, and it may be that having this type of forum is beneficial to those wanting to ask advice, or just offload anonymously.

However, one of the recent threads that drew my attention was a post about how a practitioner felt he or she was so unsuccessful when compared to all the other dentists who were posting their personal and professional successes all over social media. This concern was so great in this practitioners mind that they were considering leaving the profession because of it. There has always been a degree of ‘Keeping up with the Jones’s’ in all aspects of our lives, and until one becomes satisfied with themselves as a person, there might always be a tendency to search for success via the medium of materialistic gains. However, what struck me in this case was what appears to be the sheer despair this person was feeling, and all as a result of what some people post on social media.

Social media to this person had become the real world, and the posts of amazing composites, perfect implants, and then fast cars, and exotic holidays was seen as the absolute reality of other peoples lives. The superficiality of such posts is obvious to many, but not to others who may already be suffering from a change in their perception of the world due to the mental health issues that appear to be quite common in our profession. It might not be so easy to ignore these sorts of posts when someone is feeling depressed by the profession, and the damage that this can then do could potentially be quite serious.

There seems to be a lack of humility generally on social media that is behind these types of posts. Whilst it is everyone’s right to post what they want and when they want, certainly the ‘Look at Me aren’t I great’, or the so-called ‘Humble brag’ type of posts sometimes serve only to sometimes make other people feel negatively toward the poster, or more worryingly, negative towards themselves. There is no background to a social media post usually, so the context is completely lost. Does the poster EVER have a bad day? Do they Ever have things go wrong in Clinic? Have they ever worried about their Health/Finances etc.? Given the tone of many of the posts we see, the answer to all the above appears to be no.

It’s important then to keep in mind all that happens on social media is NOT necessarily true, and that we should look more deeply into posts like this. It is vitally important that we should all keep in touch with the real world around us.

Social media is here to stay, but it needs taking with a large pinch of salt at times.

The question posed to the court was whether an employer can be vicariously liable for sexual assaults perpetrated by an independent doctor?

Between 1968 and 1984 Dr Bates was engaged by Barclays Bank to carry out medical examinations on potential and existing employees of the bank. Barclays at that time were undergoing a positive drive to recruit women into the bank and as a result a number of the individuals assessed by Dr Bates were women, some as young as 16.

Accusations against Dr Bates

The employees would go to Dr Bates’ home, where he had created a purpose-built treatment room. He would see the patients on their own with no chaperone present. They were required to undress to their underwear. The allegations against him included inappropriate breast examinations and digital vaginal or anal contact. Following the examination, Dr Bates would send a pro-forma document setting out the details of the examination to the bank. If the report was satisfactory the individual would be offered employment.

Dr Bates died in 2009, however in 2013 a police investigation was carried out which concluded that had he been alive, there would have been sufficient evidence against him to warrant a criminal prosecution.

Barclays’ vicarious liability

In 2016, 126 claimants sought damages against Barclays Bank in relation to the sexual assaults they had suffered. They claimed that the bank utilised the services of Dr Bates in the role of medical examiner in order to satisfy themselves that the person was fit to work for the bank and to confirm that they would be suitable for the life assurance policies in place.

In July 2017, the Hon Mrs Justice Davies ruled that, yes, the bank was vicariously liable for the actions of its self-employed contractor. The reasons she gave were as follows:

A two-stage test must be considered to determine whether or not a vicarious liability exists:

1. Is the relevant relationship one of employment or “akin to employment”?
2. If so, was the tort sufficiently closely connected with that employment or quasi employment?

When is a relationship “akin to employment”?

When the following criteria are satisfied:

– The employer is more likely to have the means to compensate the victim than the employee and can be expected to have insured against that liability;

– The tort (act) will have been committed as a result of activity being taken by the employee on behalf of the employer;

– The employee’s activity is likely to be part of the business activity of the employer;

– The employer, by employing the employee to carry on the activity will have created the risk of the tort committed by the employee;

– The employee will, to a greater or lesser degree, have been under the control of the employer.

The bank argued that Dr Bates was an independent contractor, and that he bore personal liability for the acts. Had the claim been made much earlier his personal estate would have been able to settle the claims.

However, to determine whether the relationship was “akin to employment” the judge applied the five criteria set out above:

– The judge concluded that whilst Dr Bates would have had indemnity insurance, that insurance would not have covered him for cases of sexual assault; his estate was distributed many years earlier.

– Employment was conditional upon the bank being satisfied on the basis of the medical examinations that the applicant was medically suitable for service. Dr Bates was the chosen doctor of the bank and he used their stationery.

– The purpose of the examination was to enable the bank to be satisfied that a potential member of staff would, health wise, be an effective member of the workforce. This was an intrinsic part of the business activity of the bank.

– The bank directed the employee where to go and gave no freedom of choice. They directed the doctor to undergo an examination, including a chest measurement! Many of the claimants, who were as young as 15 and 16 saw the doctor alone in his room and were asked to remove their clothing. The judge concluded that the bank created the risk of the tort (sexual assault) taking place.

– The fact that Dr Bates organised his own diary and carried out other medical activities did not negate the argument that he was under the control of the bank at the relevant time. The fact that the assessment took place at his home rather than the bank made no difference to this conclusion.

Tort closely connected with the employment

When considering stage 2, she concluded that the sexual assaults occurred during the course of a medical examination which the bank required the applicants to undertake for the purposes of securing employment. Dr Bates was trusted to do the work and placed him in a position to deal with the employees. This gave him the opportunity to abuse his position. The abuse was inextricably interwoven with the carrying out of his duties.

Would a practice principal be vicariously liable for the tortious acts of their Associates?

In short, the answer is yes. Whilst many associate dentists prefer to maintain their self-employed status for tax purposes (the Tooth Counsel has blogged on worker v self employed status on a number of occasions) the relationship that they have with the practice is almost entirely “akin to employment”. It is now common practice for associate dentists to appear to members of the public to be an integral part of their dental practice, bookings are made and diaries organised by the practice, patients and referring dentists are introduced to the associate via the practice, uniforms are often worn and the practice systems and stationery utilised. If an associate dentist commits an actionable tort against a patient or other member of staff whilst engaged by the practice, then the practice itself would be liable.

Whilst the principal of the “independent contractor defence” remains intact, this judgement sees the court extending the scope of vicarious liability significantly. Whilst the facts of the above case are extremely unlikely to arise in today’s society, particularly in a dental setting where nurses are present at all times when a dentist is seeing a patient, it is a valuable lesson to reinforce the view that the employers should not be complacent about the potential for poor behaviour by their independent contractors and the liability that may follow.

If you have any questions about this blog, or require advice and assistance in relation to your liabilities within the work place please feel free to email Julia Furley on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call us on 020 7388 1658.

The British Dental Association and CloserStill Media have announced a major new collaboration, that will see the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show launched in May next year.

The new collaboration of the BDA’s British Dental Conference and Exhibition, and CloserStill Media’s Dentistry Show, will take place on 18 to 19 May 2018 at the Birmingham NEC and will be the undisputed leader in dental events.

The BDA Conference & Exhibition has been running for over 100 years and is the BDA’s annual flagship event for its members and the wider dental profession. The Dentistry Show, will have been running for 11 years in 2018. The new event will now become the key date in all dental professionals’ diaries with over 10,800 visitors attending the two day event.

The new event will be free of charge and open to all.

BDA Chief Executive Peter Ward said:

“We’re committed to offering our members and this profession the biggest and best event in the dental calendar. This collaboration with our friends at CloserStill Media will take our landmark event to the next level.

“Our British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show is now the one date every dentist needs in their diary. And we’ve opened the doors to the whole profession, to give them all access to the latest innovation, education and quality CPD.

“Our members are our number one priority. On top of one unmissable national conference, we are working to ensure they have access to more exclusive events in more locations across the UK.”

Alex Harden, Event Director of The Dentistry Show said:

“This is an exciting investment for us all. Between us, the team now running The Dentistry Show and The BDA Conference have been responsible for running some of the UK’s fastest growing events over the last two decades. Our combined experience, sector knowledge and significant commercial and marketing resources will be focused on delivering for both exhibitors and the audiences for these powerful brands.” 

It is with great excitement that A-dec announce a new partnership with Henry Schein in the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, which will mean that A-dec’s range of exceptional dental solutions will now be available through Henry Schein.

As the world’s largest provider of healthcare products, and one of the most well-known names in dentistry, Henry Schein has the resources and expertise to bring A-dec products into more practices across the country. Known for its comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices, Henry Schein is the perfect partner for A-dec.

With a range of renowned dental chairs and high quality clinical solutions, A-dec is one of the most trusted brands in dentistry all over the world. A-dec means quality, reliability and absolute functionality and the team in the UK is looking forward to working with Henry Schein’s longstanding customers, and helping them improve their lives in day-to-day dentistry.

To find out how this partnership could benefit you, or to get a closer look at A-dec’s fantastic range of dental solutions, contact the UK team today.

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

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

No matter how good you are at delivering local anaesthesia, the chances are that your patients will still be very fearful of the procedure. Well, there’s a way round it! The Wand is a computer controlled anaesthetic delivery system that pushes the anaesthetic solution of your choice through a needle.  The rate and pressure of delivery is what allows you to get your anaesthetic to where it is needed without much of the traditional discomfort/pain that is associated with using a syringe.

The lightweight handpiece is a 15cm plastic tube that is held in a comfortable pen grip, providing an increase in tactile sensation and control. For the needle phobic patient, this will dispel all their preconceptions of dental treatment, but it would be a waste to limit its use to such a small group. All patients will be grateful for you minimising the discomfort of local analgesia. Most patients report to not actually feeling a thing when The Wand administers its magic!

The Wand is now distributed exclusively by Dental Sky.  To request a demo please call 0800 2944700 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

www.dentalsky.com/wand-dental

Dr Neel Patel and Dr Vinit Gohil, both Specialists in Prosthodontics, explain the benefits of guided surgery, why they use it routinely and how anyone involved in implant dentistry can incorporate guided surgery and its benefits into their everyday practice.

The increase in predictability and accuracy that digital dentistry enables is now well-documented, and we have been taking advantage of this for some time at our practice in Oxford with the use of guided surgery and implant placement. Although until now we have been incorporating conventional impressions and study casts in the planning stages of the guided surgery workflow, the development of intraoral scanners facilitate an entirely ‘digital’ workflow. In addition to investing in an intraoral scanner for digital impressions, we hope to also incorporate a 3D printer into our practice, thus completing the entire workflow digitally.

Why guided surgery?

Although it might seem obvious, the key to successful implant-supported restorations is the correct placement of implants with respect to the supported restoration. It is well-documented that both biological and hardware complications are commonplace in implant dentistry, and unfavourable implant positioning will greatly contribute to this. Optimal plaque control and maintenance of the peri-implant tissues is critical, and the transition between the implant, abutment and restoration need to be ideal in order to facilitate this.

Where possible, we plan for screw-retained restorations and prostheses, as not only does this help facilitate maintenance of our patients’ implants and restorations, but can also help minimise complications as access to both the peri-implant tissues and abutment screws is always possible.

Optimal implant positioning also avoids the need for complex custom abutments, suprastructures and angled screw systems, thus relatively simplifying the restorative phase and can also reduce the overall cost.

The majority of our dental implants are placed with a guided surgical template where possible, even straightforward ones, as the guided surgical template ensures that the implant is placed in, or very close to, the position it was planned to be in. Many of us who have placed dental implants will be able to relate to the occasional difficulties in getting the dental implant to be placed exactly within the prepared osteotomy. Using a guided surgical template can reduce the margin of error significantly when compared to ‘freehand’ or non-guided placement.

Restoration-guided implant placement

The ideal workflow involves being able to visualise the proposed definitive tooth position, shape and form. This can be either a conventional diagnostic wax/tooth set up, that has been scanned and formatted into a surface scan (.STL file) or even a digital wax/tooth set up. Both of these can be imported into many of the available implant planning software together with the patient’s 3D CBCT images. The surface scans (.STL files) and CBCT images are aligned together through a process of segmentation (partitioning of the digital images into multiple objects) and merging (superimposing identical surfaces together). Although it may sound complicated, both these processes are easily done with a few clicks of the mouse in coDiagnostiX and other planning software.

The dental implants can be precisely planned with reference to the proposed restoration/tooth position, and the software can be easily manipulated to not only change the implant position, but also visualise potential abutment designs and relationship of proposed implant positions to vital structures.

Designing the guided surgical template is also straightforward in most cases. However, at this stage, all the information a laboratory would require to design and print it can also be transferred across to them with the press of a button.

The next step is to trial the surgical template in the patient’s mouth to make sure it fits correctly, and although uncommon (provided the planning is accurate), it can be easily adjusted and modified if required to obtain a stable and precise fit. The surgical procedure involves using the guided surgical template at every step of the osteotomy preparation sequence, followed by placing the implant through the guided surgical template.

We feel it is important to use the guided surgical template for every part of the osteotomy preparation including placement of the dental implant (where available), and not just for the pilot drill, as advocated by other guided surgery systems. As we have mentioned already, getting the dental implant to be placed exactly within the prepared osteotomy can be challenging, especially in softer bone and sites with difficult access. The guided surgical template will ensure that your implant is guided into the same place as the osteotomy and more often than not, if planned appropriately, the angulation does not need to be constantly checked (especially with adjacent implants).

We believe restoration-guided implant placement with guided surgical templates will become commonplace in implant dentistry and form an integral part of the patient treatment workflow.  Nearly all implant practitioners utilise 3D CBCT imaging to help aid assessment of implant sites, adjacent anatomical vital structures and to plan proposed implant positioning. It is now even routine to incorporate the proposed restoration/tooth positon with a radiographic template and in the absence of one, even easier to import the required information through ‘segmentation’ (data separation) and ‘merging’. With all this information already present, all it takes is a couple of small steps to transfer this vital information into a guided surgical template which, when planned appropriately, will allow the implant to be placed precisely where it was planned to.

Straumann Restoration-Guided Implant Placement Course

Through our postgraduate teaching and lecturing experience, it has become apparent to us that many clinicians are nervous about taking the next step that would allow them to incorporate guided surgical templates into their practices and implant workflow. As such we have  teamed up with Straumann ITI to provide a two-day course on Restoration-Guided Implant Placement including the use of coDiagnostiX planning software, guided surgical templates and the Straumann Guided Surgery system.

The course is aimed at clinicians who are competent in implant dentistry and would like to incorporate guided implant placement into their everyday practice, and those clinicians that are just getting into implant dentistry and would like to incorporate the concept of Restoration Guided Implant Placement for their patients. Most of the course will be dedicated to live demonstrations and hands-on experience of the coDiagnostiX planning and guide design software. On the second day, each participant will complete the entire coDiagnostiX planning and guided surgical template design process, prior to learning about the Straumann Guided Surgery system and using it to place implants with a guided surgical template.

We appreciate there is a learning curve in using guided surgical templates, and although they are by no means a substitute for surgical experience, we feel they can greatly enhance the overall treatment outcome. For us, one of the main advantages of restoration driven implant placement with guided surgical templates, is the ability to plan for screw-retained restorations and prostheses with optimal implant positioning. This ensures that our patients’ implant restorations and prostheses are ‘retrievable’, facilitating future maintenance and hopefully minimising the risk of subsequent complications.

We usually only have one opportunity  to get it right with implant placement, and it is important we do so as it is well-documented that the implant position will influence numerous factors that will ultimately determine the success and longevity of our patients’ implant treatment in the long-term.

The Straumann ITI Restoration-guided Implant Placement course takes place on 3^rd November 2017. For more information or to book your place, contact Straumann on 01293 651230 or visit http://www.cvent.com/d/ctqnvx

straumann.co.uk

therevu.co.uk

Facebook: Straumann UK

Twitter: @StraumannUK

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BDS MFDS MClinDent MPros

Neel is a registered Specialist in Prosthodontics, and after graduating from the University of Bristol in 2002, he worked both in the Community Dental Service and General Dental Practice, and also held hospital posts in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. He subsequently completed 4 additional years of specialist training in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute during which he obtained the MClinDent in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics, with Distinction, and the Membership in Prosthodontics from the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh.

Neel received a scholarship from the International Team for Implantology (ITI) to undertaken a 2 year full time Fellowship in Implant Dentistry at the Center for Implant Dentistry at the University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. He has gained extensive experience in all aspects of restorative, aesthetic and implant dentistry including complex treatments and managing the failing dentition. His special interests include the use of digital technology in dentistry, in particular with guided implant placement and 3D planning, and the management of complications with dental implants.

In addition to his private and referral practice limited to restorative and implant dentistry, he is also involved in post-graduate dental education and lectures both locally and nationally on topics related to implant dentistry and fixed and removable prosthodontics. Neel is a registered speaker and mentor for the UK & Ireland Section of the International Team for Implantology (ITI) and part of the Straumann Clinical Mentoring Programme for other dentists starting out in implant dentistry.  He is co-director of the Oxford ITI Study Club and is part of the UK & Ireland Young ITI Committee.

Vinit Gohil

BDS MFDS MClinDent MPros

Vinit is recognised as a specialist in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics by the General Dental Council. He graduated with honours from the Guy’s, King’s & St Thomas’ Dental Institute, King’s College London. Following graduation he undertook 3 years of hospital-based further training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Paediatric and Restorative Dentistry. Vinit also gained experience in sedation and special care treating anxious and medically compromised patients.

He subsequently completed 4 years of specialist training in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute, during which he obtained the MClinDent in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics, with Distinction, and the Membership in Prosthodontics from the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh. During his training he gained extensive experience in all aspects of restorative and implant dentistry including complex rehabilitations and managing the failing dentition.

He now principally works in private practice in Oxford and his clinical practice is limited to implant and restorative dentistry. His main clinical interests include management of failing crown and bridgework, rehabilitation of patients with dental implants utilising digital technology, removable dentures and dental implant complications.

In addition to his private practice, he is also involved in post-graduate dental education and lectures both locally and nationally on topics related to implant dentistry and fixed and removable prosthodontics. Vinit is a visiting lecturer at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute where he is involved in teaching post-graduate dentists and is an examiner for the UCL Diploma in Implant Dentistry. Vinit is also involved in teaching on the MSc in Dental Implantology at the University of Bristol. Vinit is also a registered speaker for the UK & Ireland Section of the International Team for Implantology (ITI) and co-director of the ITI Study Club in Oxford.

Today is the 20th anniversary of the first posts by four members of GDPUK, by email.

Yes, that is how we started, unbelievably before Google and Facebook!

I do love telling this story, and I'd like to share it with you. I was online from 1996, in those days it was dial up with those nostalgic modem sounds. The web was much more simple in 1997, and I taught myself, as many of you did, how to write a web page, rudimentary html, including how to upload it and make it display. I was interested in email communication, and before the ease of modern social media, email lists were the best method, using an internet protocol older than the WWW.

I was a member of an American dental group, IDF, which is still going, but it was very US centred, not particularly useful for a UK dentist. In April 1997, I got the idea of founding a mailing list for UK dentists, and thought about how to get a group together. The BDJ was the way forward.

So, I wrote a letter on my word processor software, posted to BDJ that month and carried on with work and my family. This was the pace of life only 20 years ago. Then in June, [only 8 weeks later :) ] I received a postcard [!!] from the editor of BDJ, saying yes, we will publish your letter. So, in the second August magazine, my letter was published, three colleagues replied, and we got started in the September. Here is the Medline link to that letter .... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9293127

I must have the hard copy somewhere, ready for the GDPUK museum!!

We are celebrating the anniversary of GDPUK with our Conference in November. Early bird discounts available here https://www.gdpuk.com/conference/ I am looking forward to an interesting and unique day in Manchester - meeting colleagues old and new... all are welcome.

Looking forward to a celebratory drink with you all at the end of that day… cheers.

Thanks for reading and helping GDPUK grow for 20 years.

Tony

Change payment provider today and save up to 60%

The Straumann® Bone Level Tapered Implant features the Straumann® Bone Control Design™ and the CrossFit® connection together with its corresponding prosthetic CrossFit® components from the Bone Level product portfolio.

The implant has an apically tapered and self-cutting design which, when combined with our Roxolid material and SLActive surface, make it particularly suitable for anatomically and clinically challenging situations like those involving soft bone or fresh extraction sockets where higher initial stability is required.

The Straumann® Bone Level Tapered Implant now includes a surgical protocol using single use drills, profile drills and taps designed for flexibility and efficiency. Single patient drills always comes sterile, sharp, ready to use. After the surgery, simply dispose of the single patient instruments and save your clinic the time for reprocessing and space for storage.

For more information on our range of Straumann® Bone Level Tapered Implant solutions, including the new single use instruments, please contact Straumann on 01293 651230 or visit straumann.co.uk.

Facebook: Straumann UK

Twitter: @StraumannUK

Concurrent with the prevalence of obesity and a rise in physical inactivity, around 422 million people worldwide now have diabetes. As one of the leading causes of death across the globe, The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for action to raise awareness and help reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes, improving access and the quality of care for people with all forms of diabetes.[1]

In the UK, the number of people with diabetes is increasing rapidly[2] and in order to stem this rise, readily available diabetes education with an emphasis on the prevention of type 2 diabetes is urgently needed. The other pressing issue is that an estimated 630,000 people in the UK have undiagnosed or untreated type 2 diabetes² and the longer they live without intervention the worse their health outcomes are likely to be.

As dental professionals will be aware, diabetes occurs when the body is unable to efficiently metabolise glucose circulating in the blood stream due to either inadequate production or the impaired effectiveness of insulin.[3] If the body is unable to process the glucose in the blood and levels remain elevated for long periods (hyperglycaemia), permanent damage to parts of the body such as the eyes, nerves, kidneys and blood vessels can occur.[4] In addition, if blood sugar levels are poorly controlled salivary flow can decrease and encourage bacterial growth and/or dry mouth, which may lead to ulcers, soreness, halitosis, infections and tooth decay.[5] Uncontrolled diabetes can also impair the function of white blood cells and cause reduced blood flow around the body including the oral cavity, where the gingiva and teeth can become weak and more susceptible to infection.[6]

Over the last two decades, the profession has seen more and more evidence to suggest that diabetes heightens the chances of developing periodontal disease^[7],[8] and increases periodontal destruction.[9] It seems that the link between these two chronic diseases is more complicated that we first thought, as a further study also reveals that periodontal infection can adversely impact glycaemic control[10]^,[11] making it more difficult for diabetic patients to control their blood glucose levels. In fact, a recent systematic review tentatively suggests that when periodontal treatment is maintained for at least three months it can improve the general health of type 2 diabetic patients by affecting glycaemic control.[12]

Of course, it is important that dental professionals understand diabetes in order to be able to adequately inform, advise, monitor and plan treatment for patients already with the condition and for those that may be at risk of developing it. As with most serious diseases, successful treatment to reduce the risk of complications depends on swift diagnosis – but, regrettably, it is possible for individuals to have abnormal blood glucose levels for some time and be fairly asymptomatic. Equally, it can sometimes be hard for people to notice the early symptoms of diabetes or they may simply disregard the warning signs and put them down to fatigue, stress or the side effects of medication. The dental practice, however, has been recognised as a suitable location for identifying patients with pre-diabetes and undiagnosed diabetes.

Research conducted in the last year has revealed that a considerable number of patients with severe gum disease have undiagnosed diabetes. A study at the University of Amsterdam confirmed that periodontitis is an early sign of diabetes and, therefore, could serve as a valuable risk indicator to help prevent more severe complications. [13] Similarly, as patients attend the practice routinely, practitioners are ideally placed to discuss diabetes. If a patient mentions dry mouth, ulcers or increased thirst, or indeed any of the other early signs or symptoms of diabetes such as feeling more tired than usual or using the bathroom a lot, losing weight without trying or blurred vision,[14] dental professionals should advise them to visit their GP for screening.

As well as making patients aware of the risks of diabetes and possibly helping to identify undiagnosed or untreated cases, dental professionals can also arm patients with the skills and guidance they require to make a positive impact on both their oral and general health. This includes offering dietary advice and helping them to enhance and maintain excellent oral health. Practitioners can also teach brushing techniques and recommend consistently effective adjuncts like the Waterpik^® Water Flosser, which has been clinically proven to be twice as effective as dental floss for improving gingival health.[15] In fact, the Waterpik^® Water Flosser can remove plaque biofilm from treated areas in just 3 seconds[16] and can significantly reduce gingivitis and bleeding for patients with diabetes.[17]

The escalation in the prevalence of diabetes is posing a challenge to all aspects of the healthcare system. However, with the promotion and education of patients to raise awareness of the risks of diabetes, as well as strategies to improve both general and oral health, patients could potentially live longer, happier lives with fewer complications.

For more information on Waterpik International, Inc. please visit www.waterpik.co.uk. Waterpik^® products are available from Amazon, Costco UK and Superdrug stores across the UK and Ireland.

It is true to say that most of us love a bargain. If a product or service can be acquired for less than its recommended retail price, it can bring a sense of achievement that makes us feels good. Consumer scientists have suggested that not only do our brains react positively to appealing items but also to the prospect of grabbing a bargain. However, when we become excited about a bargain it can also interfere with our ability to clearly judge whether it is actually a good deal or not. Most people have experience of purchasing a cheap item, only to find themselves trudging back a month later to replace it with a more expensive brand. Essentially, there are some things that there is no point in scrimping on.

For example, over the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of patients going abroad for dental treatments. Admittedly, some procedures such as dental implants can be cost a third of the price in some countries when compared to the costs of private treatment in the UK; however, there can also be added costs involved and they may not always be monetary. Experts explain that patients should research overseas clinics, practitioners and treatments carefully and think about every eventuality before embarking on any type of medical procedure abroad. It is not that treatment abroad is necessarily of a lower standard or that clinicians are less competent than those practicing in the UK, the difference lies in the potential for additional risks or difficulties that could be faced if a complication crops up.

Firstly, many patients arrive in the country on the day of their treatment is due to take place with very little prior consultation or time to establish a clinician/patient relationship. There could be a language barrier making it difficult for patients to understand how the procedure is going to be carried out, what they should expect and any aftercare instructions. As well as these potential risks, there may also be hidden costs involved such as add-ons or unexpected travel and accommodation to consider if things take longer than expected. Fundamentally, however, if a problem does arise or if the treatment is not successful, the practitioner that carried out the work is not nearby to call upon and it can be extremely expensive to return for any remedial work or for a clinician in the UK to put it right.

Another serious issue that is encountered in the dental industry is the amount of illegally supplied and possibly harmful medicines, products and devices that could potentially enter the UK supply chain. In 2015 alone, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) stated that £15.8 million worth of counterfeit and unlicensed medicines and devices were seized in the UK. This figure was almost twice as much as those recorded in 2014, providing clear evidence of a grave and growing concern.[1] Fraudsters tend to concentrate on low cost, high turnover, high demand products and these counterfeit items are, in most cases, packaged to a high standard making it difficult for them to be distinguished from the genuine article. Consequently, dental materials and instruments have been known to reach treatment rooms posing a significant risk to health and safety. The MHRA warns practitioners to remain vigilant, advises them think very carefully about where they obtain medical devices and medicines from and to check that products are CE marked and authorised by a notable body.

The old saying, “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is” is a wise one. A good deal or a bargain could end up costing you or your business far more than just a few pounds. For instance, some practices might be tempted to cut costs on consumables or disposable items that they use in high volume. However, products such as single-use gloves should also be purchased from a reputable supplier with certification to ensure that they are fully compliant with the relevant regulations in the UK. Cheaply manufactured gloves could potentially rip, leak or fail on application and pose significant risks to health and safety as well as your professionalism. Similarly, gloves that have not been manufactured or processed properly could cause a reaction or skin irritation leading to downtime and loss of revenue.

On the other hand, if you order your examination gloves from Unigloves you will have the reassurance that they have been manufactured by experts that believe in delivering safety through quality. The Vitality Range from Unigloves may not be the cheapest, but they could be the most cost effective. These single-use gloves are of premium quality, specifically designed for the dental sector to provide unrivalled barrier protection, strength and comfort. Furthermore, Unigloves employ additional steps and stringent standards to ensure that every glove complies with all the relevant parts of the Medical Devices Directive and the Personal Protective Equipment Directive.

Don’t be enticed into buying cheap products or consumables as not only could you end up buying twice, it could also end up costing you dearly in terms of hygiene, protection and safety as well as your clinical reputation. Dental practices that keep standards consistently high and provide safe, quality dental care are the ones that are most likely to keep their doors open and maintain a healthy client base.

For further information about Unigloves products, please visit www.unigloves.co.uk

When it comes to our jobs, security and stability are often paramount concerns. We must weigh our responsibilities and commitments that need to be taken care of. In ensuring a secure future, we dutifully plan our careers, with projections for where we will be in five, 10, even 20 years from now.

There is nothing wrong in that, but the problem becomes when all that we have considered tried and true leaves us jaded and burned out.

Suddenly, our comfort zones are a source of discomfort.

Leadership development and CEO coach and consultant Lolly Daskal provides advice on the best plan of action for people who are mulling changing their jobs after many years[i].  

Her recommendations include to make a list of things that we love to do and pare it down to determine what is best for us; leverage our experience, because it is a rare quality that can only be acquired over the years; compile a competency inventory of your outstanding qualities, both work related and not; seek the advice of a career counsellor who can help us focus on targets and suitable jobs; and also ensure that our resume is current, well designs and tailored to the needs of employers.

Daskal also cites the importance of proactive networking to acquire a strong set of contacts, and to make sure to keep in touch with those within your target industry. She believes that it is up to each of us to act to change every day, because a desired career will not simply fall into our laps. It is also essential to remain positive, and be able to “sell” ourselves in an interview by recounting our achievements.

We may still resist the beckoning for change due to fear.

“It's ok to be afraid. But not ok to let those fears stop you from following a new path that might make your life a heck of a lot better in many ways-personally and financially,” wrote work and career expert Kerry Hannon in forbes.online[ii].

“One refrain I hear time and time again from successful career switchers: ‘I never second guessed my decision. I only wish I had done it sooner.’”

Having the courage to face our fears may pay dividends. Take the example of a dental associate who has carved out a career in a principal-owned practice. There are no particular issues with their job, but they wish to try a new challenge that will bring fresh rewards.

It may entail working among a professional team, supported by top-quality equipment and resources. Fitting the bill on that count is Rodericks Dental, an expanding group of dental practices in the UK that prides itself on delivering excellent patient care and providing professionals with on-going opportunities for training and development.

It may be the place where you can find fresh inspiration and a place to grow. The grass can be greener on the other side, you just have to be prepared to take the first step.

For more information please visit www.rodericksdental.co.uk/careers, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01604 602491 and ask for Christina Regan in our Dental Recruitment Team.

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/rodericksdental,

Twitter @rodericksdental and LinkedIn

The stock market is a volatile environment at the best of times, but since the Brexit referendum and Trump’s election as US President, the market has been subject to an even higher level of turbulence than usual. This began to show before the results were even announced, but as soon as Theresa May declared that article 50 would be triggered in March 2017, the pound fell further against the euro and the dollar. This had an inverse effect on the FTSE 100, which climbed to a high of 7,000 before falling in October as concerns emerged over whether the Bank of England would increase interest rates.

Although it didn't take long for this inverse relationship to peter out, with both the pound and FTSE increasing at one point, we have since seen a range of interactions between currency and equity markets – including the FTSE 100 hitting a record run. The shock result of a hung parliament in the snap election naturally exacerbated the situation, with stock prices shown to increase and plummet in equal measure. Until Brexit negotiations are complete, it is likely that the uncertainty and volatility will continue.

For dentists with investments in the stock market, it has no doubt been a tense time, though experts predict that it might actually be the long-term actions of the government that will prove to be the most pertinent to investors’ outcomes. Investment director for personal investing at Fidelity International, Tom Stevenson also adds, “It will pay to keep an eye on your long-term financial goals and to place your investment eggs in a wide variety of baskets.”

While this is not new information, as those of you with an existing portfolio will know, it is certainly a useful reminder about the importance of a balanced portfolio; one that will no doubt prompt many of you to revisit your investments. As always, when rebalancing your portfolio, you will need to consider the level of risk versus reward of each asset – in other words, are your investments still working in a way that maximises returns and minimises losses? If recent events have caused an element of under or overexposure in certain assets, then now might be the time to either spread your investments among different classes of assets, or proverbially prune away any that are underperforming and putting the rest of your portfolio at risk.

It is worth remembering, however, that while certain shares may not be performing at their best at present, this may not be the case several months, or even years down the line. The reality is if you want to make money, you have to be prepared to be in it for the long haul. True, stocks are often regarded as a riskier investment opportunity in comparison to others, but they are also notorious for outperforming assets such as bonds or savings accounts, usually achieving an average return of around 10-12 per cent over the long-term. One could argue, then, that the risk is worth it if it produces good results.

However you choose to proceed with your portfolio it is always worth seeking the advice of a specialist Independent Financial Adviser (IFA), especially if your investment commitments are part of a much larger financial plan. A company like money4dentists can help you nurture and manage your portfolio so that it produces the best results over time in line with your needs and aspirations.

Equally, if you are new to the equity market and thinking of making an investment, specialist advice is always advisable. An IFA can work with you as little or as much as you need to advise on what kind on investments would suit your personal goals. There a number of different services available, including:

• Execution only: You instruct the IFA to buy and sell your shares at a given time and at a given price.
• Advisory: You ask the IFA for assistance in deciding when to buy and sell shares and at what price. If you are a major investor, the IFA may take the initiative and contact you to discuss potential transactions.
• Discretionary: You give the IFA power to buy and sell your shares when they think they can obtain the best deal for you.

All in all, there are good investment opportunities to be had in the stock market, despite everything that has happened, and in many instances will be a matter of ‘riding out the storm’. If you have concerns about your investments, need help rebalancing your portfolio or are thinking of dipping your toe in the water, contact an experienced IFA today.

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

It’s no secret that many people are scared of the dentist. Indeed, reports suggest that as many as half of the adults in the UK suffer from dental anxiety[1] – approximately 20 million people across the country.

Trying to ascertain precisely why people are scared is an impossible task, as everyone has a different reason, stemming from their personal experiences, but we do hear similar stories from time to time – sometimes it’s the fear of anaesthesia, or the fear of needles, the sound of the dental drill or the thought of choking. Often, it’s simple embarrassment that causes a patient’s anxiety, or the awkwardness of being forced into close proximity with a stranger. Maybe it’s because that stranger will be wearing a mask and loupes, and wielding instruments that our brains tell us will hurt – or it could be the sense of powerlessness that people feel when they are tipped back in the chair.

No matter the underlying reason for their fear, the implications it can have on a patient’s oral health can be serious. If a patient is too scared to attend regular appointments, they run the risk of developing dental caries, gum disease or worse. And, if left unchecked or untreated, even relatively minor problems can develop into more complicated issues that require more invasive treatment – the thought of which will simply dissuade the patient from visiting the practice in the future.

As such, it is important for dental professionals to address the dental anxiety issue and implement different methods in practice to assuage patients’ fears and concerns – and there are many techniques that can be employed to achieve this. Perhaps the most important – and the approach that should be adopted in every practice – is ensuring that patients are made to feel at ease from the very moment they enter the practice. This can best be done by making sure the reception area is welcoming and manned by friendly, attentive and empathetic staff. Interpersonal skills are incredibly important, both for the reception team and for the clinical personnel, to ensure that patients are treated in a way that helps them relax.

The physical environment inside the practice can also play a major role in helping patients overcome their fears. By designing the practice in a way that makes it appear welcoming and relaxing, rather than clinical or forebodingly sterile will immediately change a patient’s perception. Many modern practices are taking design cues from spas and hotels, rather than hospitals or laboratories, to create an aesthetic that encourages patients to relax before they are called into the treatment room. Such changes can be made easily and without great cost, whilst still remaining mindful of the essential cross-contamination protocols that must be stringently followed in all practices.

Similarly, many practices are beginning to play relaxing music in both the waiting and treatment areas to not only detract from the typical healthcare setting but to also mask the common sounds of dental equipment that may cause anxiety. Television screens that relay calming scenes or interesting videos are also an effective way to ‘distract’ patients from their fear and can be used to great effect in both the treatment room and elsewhere.

In the surgery, where a patient’s dental anxiety is likely to manifest most acutely, there are a number of different ways to help keep patients relaxed. Some practices have introduced a dental ‘panic button’ – which allows patients to signal to their dentists that they need a break. These small devices help put the patient back in control of their own situation. Furthermore, there are products available that can help reduce the noise of a dental drill, eliminating the sound that is so often associated with dental fear. These devices fit onto headphones and emit an inverted wave that limits the sound of the drill.

On top of this, dental chairs are increasingly being designed to offer exceptional comfort for patients. This can truly encourage them to relax – and, in conjunction with relaxing music, distracting screens and noise-cancelling technology, can produce significant results. What’s more, modern chairs can be adjusted smoothly, without jerky movements or mechanical noise, which allows any work to be conducted calmly and comfortably.

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

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

By combining some or all of these different approaches, dental professionals can help patients overcome their dental anxieties. Indeed, the use of effective interpersonal skills, distraction techniques and comfortable, effective equipment can all work together to lessen the fear of the ‘dreaded’ dentist.

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

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

The requirement to keep a register of people with significant control, or the ‘PSC register’, was introduced on 6 April 2016. Since then, all UK private limited companies – including incorporated dental practices – are legally required to maintain a statutory register with information about the people who have significant control or influence over them.

Despite this having been made a legal requirement over a year ago, it remains the case that many dental practitioners who own either all or the majority of the shares in an incorporated dental practice have failed to file their PSC documentation correctly with Companies House. This is putting many dental professionals at risk, since failure to comply with these new regulations is classed as a criminal offence and may result in either a fine or a prison sentence of up to two years. As such, it is crucial that all dentists who are identified as the director of an incorporated practice complete the correct paperwork immediately.

Firstly, any and all PSCs must be identified – these are individuals who:

1.    Hold directly or indirectly more than 25 per cent of the company’s overall shares

2.     Hold directly or indirectly more than 25 per cent of the company’s voting rights

3.    Hold the right directly or indirectly to appoint or remove the majority of the board of directors of the company

4.    Are in the position to exercise significant influence or control over the company

5.     Have influence or control over a trust or firm where they satisfy points one to four and have the right to exercise or actually exercise significant influence or control over the trust or firm.

In most cases, this will be either the company’s sole director – the practice’s principal. Once all PSCs have been registered, their details must be recorded on the company’s own in-house PSC register. It is crucial that this be kept up-to-date and accessible, since it will likely be considered in any due diligence checks if the company is being sold in the future. The register must include:

·      The individual’s name

·      Their date of birth

·      Their nationality

·      The service address

·      Their residential address

·      The nature and extent of their control of the company

Once the information has been collected and logged, it should be filed with Companies House as part of the annual Confirmation Statement. Since the deadline for this has now expired, it is essential that all information be passed to Companies House as soon as possible, to ensure that there are no legal repercussions for the company.

Similarly, it is essential that the director keeps their company’s PSC register up-to-date. They must amend the register if anything changes and is responsible for updating the information at Companies House when the next Confirmation Statement is made.

If you believe that there is no one in the company that meets the specific criteria of being a PSC, you must still fill out the register and submit it to Companies House, with the addendum: The company knows or has reasonable cause to believe that there is no registrable person or registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company. It is vital that the register is not left empty.

These rules apply to all companies, regardless of whether it is dormant or not. They do not apply, however to unregistered companies, trusts or Limited Liability Partnerships – so it is important for dental professionals to fully understand the nature of their company and ensure that the correct documentation has been made.

It should also be remembered that all PSC information should be kept for at least ten years after an individual has stopped being a PSC of the company – and their details will be kept by Companies House indefinitely. This is an important consideration, particularly for dental professionals who have not filed their PSC registers on time and have recently lost a significant part of the company. It will be necessary in this instance to include the details of any previous PSCs, even if they have already left.

If you are unsure about any aspect about the PSC register, or need assistance completing your register, contact the team at Goodman Grant Solicitors, who will be able to assist you.

Rebecca Wilding from Goodman Grant Solicitors – contact on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information, visit the Goodman Grant website at www.goodmangrant.co.uk or call us on:

Leeds office: 0113 834 3705

London office: 0203 114 2133

Liverpool office: 0151 707 0090

Recent research has suggested that the majority of patients would opt for endodontic treatments that would preserve their natural teeth rather than having them extracted and replaced with dental implants.[1]

Indeed, with a consistent success rate of approximately 90 per cent,[2] modern endodontics is the most effective means of treating and maintaining patients’ natural teeth. And a person’s natural teeth are an indescribably precious commodity. They provide better function than implants and are infinitely more effective than bridges and dentures. Taking masticatory efficiency as an example, it has been shown that fully dentate patients have a far greater bite force than both implant patients and those with dentures. This allows for far better quality of life and helps sustain a healthy, balanced diet – as well as boosting self esteem – making these treatments a far better course of action to preserve an individual’s natural teeth rather than replace them.

As we are all aware, endodontics is a GDC-recognised specialism and, as such, requires training beyond a standard BDS degree. This training lasts for a minimum of two years, after which a practitioner will have acquired the necessary skills to provide safe and efficient endodontic treatments. Despite this, less complicated endodontics are an option available to GDPs and, thanks to the quality of training available – not to mention the standard of endodontic products now on the market – the results that can be achieved by those who have not undergone specialist training are impressive.

Indeed, the tools that are necessary to perform endodontic procedures can make all the difference between a successful treatment and a failure – making it very important for any professional undertaking endodontics in their practice to be aware of the items they need for best practice.

For example, it is necessary to use a front surface reflecting mouth mirror to prevent the double image of the fine detail in an access cavity that can occur with a conventional mirror. Also, the use of endolocking tweezers is advised, in order to safely transfer small items between practitioner and nurse. An endodontic probe is similarly vital, in order to detect canal orifices.

Practitioners should also make use of rubber dams. These are important in providing an isolated operatory field free from oral contamination, as well as preventing patients from accidently swallowing or inhaling small root canal instruments.

While it may seem like a relatively minor consideration, it is also important to use suitable protective coverings for the patient’s clothes – since the accidental spillage of sodium hypochlorite can lead to complaints and even litigation.

An endodontic practice will also require a long-cone parallel radiographic system. This has been shown to be the most effective form of radiography for endodontic cases, since it allows practitioners to capture an undistorted view of the teeth and surrounding structures. Another benefit is that this system easily allows repeats, allowing for a more accurate assessment of periapical healing.

Of course, digital radiography is now being used to exceptional effect and many modern systems can be preset specifically for endodontic requirements. This technology also allows practitioners to view scans almost instantaneously, effectively streamlining the diagnostic process and allowing for a better standard of care.

Obviously, endodontic treatments are conducted on an incredibly small and complex level. Therefore, magnification is particularly useful and many practitioners opt for using dental loupes or surgical microscopes in order to complete even more intricate procedures.

A practitioner must also choose an appropriate endodontic handpiece. As always, it is vital to find a handpiece that will suit an individual’s ergonomic and clinical needs – one that will be reliable and effective and, crucially, cost effective. Low-speed models, with precise torque control and auto-reverse are ideal for endodontics, as are models with ‘micro’ heads to improve operatory visibility.

Along with this, practitioners must choose a file system that they can rely on to achieve excellent canal shaping and debridement. Often, it is the quality of the file that determines the overall success of the treatment, making the choice of instrument incredibly important.

The new HyFlex EDM NiTi file from COLTENE is an excellent example of a high quality endodontic file. With over 700 per cent higher fracture resistance than previous files, this product allows for precise and reliable canal shaping, shorter treatment times and better overall results.

When it comes to endodontics, dental professionals should have a varied toolbox at their disposal, comprised of the best products available. With these in hand, patients can receive first-class treatment and pain relief.

To find out more visit www.coltene.com, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01444 235486

I stumbled across an article recently unveiling the shocking number of motorists that shun their main dealers for ‘fast-fit’ outlets and independent garages. As I read about the millions of car owners that opt for what they consider to be the cheaper option, I couldn't help but draw a comparison to annual validation and testing with decontamination equipment. As with cars, many believe that independent companies offer a better, more cost effective deal, but in many instances this simply isn’t the case.

At Eschmann, for instance, we provide servicing, testing, validation and user training as part of our Care&Cover protection at no extra cost. Our service can help to save money as well as provide peace of mind. However, savings don't mean a thing if the job isn’t done properly, as it will only cost you more later on down the line. Whoever you use to look after your decontamination equipment, make sure you don't get drawn in on price alone.

Instead, consider the quality of the service and the reputation of the company. For instance, have you heard good things from other customers? Do reviews point to consistent results? Are they reliable? These are the sorts of questions you want to be asking yourself when considering your testing and validation needs – though of course the cost is important too.

There’s also a lot to be said about utilising the expertise of a technician with specialist knowledge instead of one who has been trained in a variety of different makes and models of equipment. As well as expert skills and a more-in-depth understanding and knowledge of the nuances of the product based on familiarity, you can count on the fact that standards are much higher when provided by the manufacturers themselves. If you had a Porsche, you wouldn't risk leaving it in the hands of a generic mechanic when you could take it to a Porsche dealer, so why would you do the same with your decontamination equipment?

Like a specialist car technician, manufacturers of sterilisers, washer-disinfectors and ultrasonic cleaners know exactly what to look for and where when working on your equipment. As such, they are able to carry out the necessary checks much more efficiently and to a consistently high standard. They will also have the specialist tools and validated test devices designed specifically for their equipment, ensuring accurate, certified results that you can rely on. If nothing else, I would say this is reason enough to utilise a manufacturer’s own engineers, particularly as you receive an official manufacturer’s stamp on your paperwork at the end of it highlighting that you’ve used their professional services.

It is also important to take into consideration what would happen if you used an independent company and needed replacement parts for your equipment. There are a number of tests that have to be performed (all of which can be found within HTM 01-05 guidelines) so there is always the possibility that follow up work might be required to ensure equipment is fully compliant. You need to know that the parts are original and high quality, not spurious and possibly cheap parts bought from elsewhere. If you have cover with the equipment manufacturer, who has a team that can provide prompt nationwide coverage, repairs are also more likely to be completed quickly and effectively, at no extra cost.

Again, you wouldn't take a Porsche to any old garage for repairs or replacements, not when you’ve got experts ready to go with the right parts at the dealership, and it is just as important to do the same with your decontamination equipment.

All points considered, I think there is a very strong case for going direct to the manufacturer for your servicing, training, testing and validation, though of course the choice is yours. As long as the company you use follows the manufacturer’s guidance on how validation should be carried out, you will meet the mandatory requirements. If there is one thing I know, though, it is that doing the bare minimum has never done anyone any favours, so make your choice wisely!

For more information on the highly effective and affordable range of decontamination equipment and products from EschmannDirect, please visit www.eschmann.co.uk or call 01903 753322

As dentists, our number one priority is the health of our patients’ teeth and mouths. But to our patients, their smiles mean much more to them than just their health. Of course, this is important too – no one wants dental pain or disease but, more often than not, dental health and hygiene ranks lower on our patients’ list than it does ours.

This is evidenced by the huge rise in cosmetic dentistry in the UK over the last several years.[1] In general, these procedures have little impact on the health of a patient’s smile. Obviously, as dentists, we must always have those considerations in mind, we must factor in the long-time health of the patient before we proceed with a crown or a whitening procedure, but for our patients, all they want is the aesthetic result.

This is, perhaps, because our smiles are considered to be one of our most important features – certainly one of the most influential. Indeed, the appearance of our smiles, of our teeth, can greatly affect the way other people perceive us. In one study, it was found that decayed and poorly maintained teeth led to more negative judgements over four different personality categories – social competence, intellectual ability, psychological adjustment and relationship satisfaction. On the other hand, those people who had whitened teeth were judged far more positively across all four categories.[2]

As we know, physical appearance plays a key role in human social interaction, and our teeth are one of the most important features that help shape the perceptions of others. This is evident in building romantic relationships, where it has been proven that attractiveness plays a key role – and our teeth even more so. Indeed, it has also been found, in a survey conducted by Match.com, that our teeth were the number one physical feature on which both genders judged their prospective partners.[3] In terms of overall attractiveness, teeth ranked second, only behind personality.[4] Indeed, most participants commented that bad teeth would be the most likely reason for declining a second date.

What’s more, good dental appearance is often regarded as important in our professional lives. Research has found that having whiter, straighter teeth is seen as a demonstration of wealth and status and makes a person look more successful and employable. It is also perceived to reflect the standard of education a person has received, with people with a better dental appearance being seen as better educated and more intelligent.[5]

When looking for a job, it is believed that having a whiter smile will also help impress employers, with a good smile often being a key factor in getting a new job. It may also help when the opportunity for promotion comes up and is a sign of professional and personal success.⁵

Evidently, then, having an attractive smile is an important feature in terms of the way other people perceive us, but having white teeth also helps improve our own self-esteem and confidence.[6]

As such, dentists must be prepared to be able to offer their patients these additional treatment options. As we all know, today’s patients are vastly different from those 20-30 years ago – they are far more discerning, for starters and they understand that their smile can be improved in a way that will give them a head start. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why we have seen a marked increase in the number of people requesting cosmetic dentistry – and, in particular, tooth whitening.

Tooth whitening is an effective way of improving the appearance of a patient’s smile, giving them the result they’re looking for. For the practitioner, this procedure is a good way of enhancing their practice’s remit and improving profits – especially when the barriers to entry for whitening are so low. Importantly, however, it is necessary for professionals to use products they know will provide their patients with the best results.

Enlighten Whitening understands the importance of a person’s smile – and is the only whitening product that can guarantee a whiter shade. This is particularly important for patients, who know what a white smile means and want to see the results.

There’s much more to a smile than meets the eye, from our patients’ health to their perceptions of themselves and the way people judge them in a wide variety of different social scenarios. As dentists, we must always look after our patients’ oral health, but we should also consider these other factors and ensure our service caters to our patients’ needs. With tooth whitening, as an adjunctive procedure that can be included as part of regular treatments, all of these considerations can be met. 

For more information, visit www.enlightensmiles.com, email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the team on 0207 424 3270

What are the three key properties you need in a composite and does Filtek One meet all these? 

I look for easy handling, relevance in every day clinic and aesthetics. Filtek One delivers on all three. It offers a wide range of applications and I find it useful in every day practice. As a nano-filled composite, it’s very strong, which provides confidence in its capability. It’s also brilliant for minimally invasive dentistry, which I think is where the profession is headed.

What do you think of the aesthetics that can be achieved with Filtek One? 

The aesthetics are very good, especially after polishing and finishing.

What do you think of Filtek One in terms of handling / ease of use / speed of workflow? 

Filtek One is super easy to handle – it’s up there with one of the easiest bulk fill products to use. It’s particularly good where access to the restoration is difficult or if you are dealing with a deep cavity, which removes an element of stress for the dentist. The simple workflow also means the cavity is open for the shortest amount of time for a stronger bond and increased patient comfort. Further still, Filtek One is available in different delivery methods – I prefer the capsules – which makes the process easier again.

What do you think about the efficiency of the process when using Filtek One and Scotchbond Universal together?

The two products work brilliantly together. Scotchbond is a phenomenal product in its own right.

Is there anything about the product that you find challenging or would like to see improved / changed? 

Not really – I think it’s a brilliant product!

What would be your advice for dentists who are new to the product?

I would also advise others to start with a simple occlusal restorative case while you’re getting used to any new product.

What score would you give Filtek One out of 10?

I would rarely give any product a 10 out of 10. But I think Filtek One is an ‘8’ or a ‘9’. Compared to other bulk fill products with similar indications, I think it’s the best.

The quote ‘life is a journey and not a destination’ can be applied just as well to your professional development. There is no end point when it comes to education in a professional capacity. This is particularly pertinent in the dental arena as it evolves so quickly, with new products, materials and techniques being developed all the time. To safely and competently care for patients, dental professionals must continually seek out new information to stay up-to-date. 

Implantology is a fascinating and innovative aspect of dentistry that is becoming increasingly popular with patients. Proactive patients are now aware of the choices available and are willing to seek out alternatives to more traditional treatments. Many are no longer passive in their approach to dentistry and are informed about the long-term benefits of dental implants following their own research online.

Walking the right career path

Professional learning is a career-long commitment, and so it is important that you choose the right pathway. Implantology opens up a whole new field of dentistry that was not available to professionals only decades ago. With the advancement of technology and techniques, it is now a popular specialty for dentists and their teams to pursue. 

Implantology allows practices to broaden their service offerings, meeting the rising demands of so many of their patients. With an ageing population, we can expect edentulism to become an ever more apparent issue in the coming years, and dental implants to become an even more in-demand treatment. This also provides greater opportunities for professionals who have the chance to develop their skill set and enjoy greater variety in their everyday work.

No longer confined to a classroom

In the digital era, students are no longer restricted to the classroom. There is now an array of teaching approaches that can be utilized to suit an individual’s schedule and preference. In a hands-on profession such as dentistry, a certain amount of face-to-face training with practical workshops is required so that you can try techniques and handle products before using them on real-life patients.

Further still, the world is becoming ‘smaller’ and so educational opportunities can easily be delivered from anywhere in the world, giving individuals the chance to learn from the very best. Peer-to-peer learning is a valuable educational tool as well, so establishing a professional network for support and guidance is crucial. Sharing of cases, discussion on products and materials, and learning from other’s challenges can help strengthen the learning process.

The right course for you

When it comes to choosing a course, your end goal will help you decide what educational program is the most relevant to you. Do you want to develop your knowledge through an academic course, or gain new practical skills for confidence treating patients in practice? The range of clinical education is now vast and so careful consideration should be given as to which will help meet your learning objectives. Examining the course structure, the aims and outcomes, method of teaching and who is involved in the course can also help you make a final decision.

Implant dentistry is of course very clinically focused, but it also has unique requirements in the practice management side of the business. Sales techniques, marketing strategy, patient communications etc. are just a few elements from the operations of running a practice that need to be managed. These too can be fast paced and in constant flux with new, improved ways becoming available all the time. Careful consideration should be given to what the practice currently has, what it wants to achieve and therefore what it might need in the future to encourage continuous growth.

A convenient learning portal

A structured platform with blended learning that incorporates all educational needs in one place, offers the best of all worlds for professionals looking to advance their skills. Mediums such as SmileTube.tv combine online modules with practical training to enable delegates to develop competency and confidence in their skills. Providing eight days of clinical hands-on training and access to over 130 continuous education credits, there is something for everyone. This all makes SmileTube.tv a cost effective and highly efficient postgraduate program for all clinicians interested in implant dentistry.

Education should be an inspiring, revitalizing and enriching experience. Selection of the right course is paramount to ensure engagement throughout and ultimately, ensure you achieve your learning goals.

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

In today’s dynamic and demanding profession, staying ahead of the competition is a major challenge. Dental practices must react and respond to patients’ changing needs. One way to achieve this is through the exchange of information among peers. Knowledge sharing can create opportunities to maximise the team’s ability to meet the needs of patients, as well as helping to generate solutions and efficiencies that will give a practice its competitive advantage.

Exchanging useful information between two or more people is something most of us do every day – often without realising. For individual employees, knowledge sharing is talking to colleagues to help them get something done better, more quickly or more efficiently. By interacting and sharing information with others, an individual may enhance his or her capacity to define a situation or problem, and apply their knowledge so as to act and solve it. For a business, knowledge sharing is capturing, organising, reusing and transferring the vast and unique amount of information that resides within the organisation and making that data available to others in the business. Those that have successfully created a knowledge sharing culture quickly find that it becomes one of their most important assets, as well as providing the key to achieving the organisation’s vision and strategic goals.[1],[2]

The literature on the subject has a long tradition in suggesting that work groups engaged in active knowledge sharing demonstrate enhanced individual and group performance. Furthermore, information sharing behaviours among group members positively contribute to the group’s innovative capacity. The exchange of knowledge between dental professionals therefore offers practices the potential for increased productivity through staff development. The latest information and thoughts can be shared on various topics of interest or previous experiences, giving practitioners the chance to seek out answers to questions that they may have.²

How can information be shared?

Most knowledge sharing occurs informally, in day-to-day, unstructured communication. For example, it might be through a discussion about a specific case or the exchange of ideas regarding a product or procedure. But with the increased improvements in information technology and integration of dental software, there has been a paradigm leap in the way dental professionals are able to share information.[3]

Personal learning environments are rapidly evolving based on the use of social media that allows learners to create, organise and share content. Through cloud computing, information can be shared, including journal articles and abstracts. Critical analysis for group discussion can also be accessed easily and quickly through virtual learning spaces.[4]

One of the main benefits of cloud computing is the ability for multi-site access. For example, clinical records can be gathered by one clinician for a case that requires multidisciplinary treatment, so that all the clinicians potentially involved can access the material and give their input towards the treatment plan and its completion. In addition, cloud computing offers security against loss of information by equipment theft or damage to practice facilities. There is also a reduced need for processing, power and memory of the computers being used to view the information along with potentially reduced back-up costs.⁴

The internet and social media provide further opportunities for dental professionals to directly connect with their peers. Individuals can network with others who have similar values, interests and roles, and easily share and discuss their experiences. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs and YouTube are just some of the powerful social media sites available that individuals can use to connect with other people in the dental field. Through the internet, professionals can share ideas, swap case reports, ask for advice, discuss recent innovations and take in industry news, as well as creating deeper and more meaningful connections with colleagues.⁴

One of the latest, dentistry specific online portals is The Exchange from Carestream Dental. This highly interactive and convenient online solution is designed specifically for its CS R4+ practice management software customers. Complementing the already extensive support available from the provider, The Exchange offers an online platform for all CS R4+ users to utilise. It enables professionals to speak directly to other users, facilitating the sharing of top tips, practical advice and experiences among colleagues.

With smartphones, iPads and many other such devices available at our fingertips, dentistry is stepping into the world of online communities and social networking, along with the rest of the world. Dental professionals can benefit immensely from innovative online tools to enhance their online presence, learn from others and exchange useful information and knowledge with peers.

For more information please contact Carestream Dental on

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

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

As a dental professional, you will undoubtedly be aware that tooth decay is the most common preventable disease in the developed world, affecting approximately 36 per cent of the global population – which is approximately 2.6 billion people.[1]

In the UK, tooth decay remains a serious issue, with an estimated 31 per cent of all adults exhibiting some sign of carious decay.[2] Amongst the country’s children, the numbers are no better – with approximately one third of school age children presenting with some level of dental decay.²

As we know, tooth decay can have a wide range of negative ramifications for patients who allow the disease to progress unopposed – including infection, tooth loss and the formation of abscesses. In deciduous teeth, dental caries can negatively impact the development of adult teeth.

What’s more, tooth decay may also lead to inflammation of the tissues around the teeth – progressing to periodontal disease if left untreated. The importance of this cannot be understated, since periodontitis has been linked to a number of serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and, according to some sources, even cancer.

There can be no question, therefore, that tooth decay is a serious problem – one that must be addressed by the UK dental profession with earnest. Frustratingly, however, we all know what must be done to prevent dental caries; after all, the disease is entirely preventable.

Indeed, with good oral care and patient diligence, dental caries can be avoided altogether. While there is some research that suggests a genetic predisposition to the disease, there can be no denying that the main causal factor of tooth decay is a lack of thorough oral care and hygiene.

Unfortunately, many people in the UK are still unaware of the actual causes of dental decay – and do not understand the best methods of preventing it. As such, it is crucial that dental professionals do everything they can to educate their patients on the importance of regularly brushing their teeth and attending routine check ups – as well as treating their patients preventively rather than reactively.

Indeed, ever since the ‘Steele’ report that was released in 2009,[3] the onus on practitioners has been to promote preventive dental care, rather than focus on restorative treatment. This paradigm shift has forced dental diagnostics into the limelight and means that dental professionals are under a great deal of professional and public pressure to identify and treat symptoms as early as possible.

Unfortunately, dental caries is notoriously difficult to detect in its earliest stages, when the effects can be easily reversed or repaired. Normally, a patient will be diagnosed with tooth decay once they have attended a routine check-up and a carious lesion, along with the resultant damage it has caused, has been physically detected by the practitioner. The next step is to treat the tooth, normally by drilling away the infected material and filling the cavity with a restorative material. Unfortunately, the efficacy of such methods is being increasingly called into question, with evidence suggesting that the structural integrity of a filled tooth is significantly less than a healthy tooth. Some research even indicates that the strength of the teeth adjacent to a filled tooth will also be compromised.

Fortunately, new technologies are emerging on the dental market that will improve the precision and efficacy of dental diagnostics – and encourage enhanced preventive care. Visual technology, fuelled by the ‘digital revolution’, are proving to be especially effective, since both practitioners and patients can more clearly see the result of dental decay – improving clinical treatments and patient education at the same time. Indeed, visual technologies are having a positive impact on the profession by allowing information to be shared quickly and effortlessly between patients and dentists, enabling an overall higher standard of care.

One such technology is the all-new CALCIVIS imaging system, which uses an advanced bioluminescent (light-emitting) substance that, when introduced to the surface of the tooth, reacts immediately with free calcium ions, indicative of dental demineralisation – the early signs of dental caries. By detecting this reaction at its earliest stage, the CALCIVIS imaging system allows dentists to undertake and communicate simple preventive treatments including remineralisation therapy that reverse a dental caries prognosis.

Dental technology is advancing to the stage where it is now possible for practitioners to offer their patients effective, individual preventive care. As such, it is important for dental professionals to familiarise themselves with such technology to ensure they have the skills and tools necessary to help patients improve their oral health in the future.

For more information visit www.CALCIVIS.com

High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) are people whose investible assets exceed £10m. The latest figures from the UK show that the HNWIs population currently stands at 552,800 (and growing) and in 2014/15, they paid over £535,000 a head in income and capital gains tax (CGT).[i]

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has been critical of how HMRC handles HNWIs however, and in a report issued in January claimed that not enough is being done to deal with tax evasion and avoidance within this group.[ii]

If this all sounds a million miles away from anything that dental practice owners should concern themselves with, don’t be fooled! The government wants to squeeze more tax out of more of the population and HMRC is now starting to look closer at those who are just inside the upper tax bracket. Many dental practice owners will find themselves in this category.

In 2011, the Affluent Unit was set up to look at individuals with incomes over £150,000 and/or a net worth between £1m and £20m. The Unit has almost doubled in size since it began, increasing its numbers of employees by 20 per cent. The Affluent Unit’s prime targets commonly include those who have property portfolios/bank accounts that are based offshore. You will also come under the scrutiny of the Unit if you habitually file self-assessment returns late and use (or have used) tax avoidance schemes.

An affluent individual is likely to have more complex tax affairs, so it is common sense that HMRC will want to take a closer look to ensure that everything is above board. The services of a specialist accountant are essential to help with tax planning so you can be confident that you are doing everything by the book. Lansdell & Rose has an expert team with extensive experience in advising dental practice owners on money matters.

If you own a thriving, busy practice and are not already in the high earners’ tax bracket, you soon will be! As HMRC expands its taskforces set up to claw back unpaid tax, you don’t want to be penalised for a mistake. Stay on its good side by working alongside experts to ensure your tax affairs run smoothly. The fact is that even if you are a higher or additional rate taxpayer, there are perfectly legitimate ways to reduce your tax bill while staying legally compliant.

To find out more, call Lansdell & Rose on 020 7376 9333,

Or visit www.lansdellrose.co.uk

Now in its fourteenth year, the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) is aiming to make 2017’s Annual Conference the best yet. With a prestigious line-up of world-class speakers and three days of exciting and inspiring lectures, presentations and hands-on sessions, delegates will be exposed to the industry’s very best.

As such, the Academy is delighted to include, in this year’s line-up, an exclusive lecture by Dr Francesca Vailati.

Francesca first graduated in medicine from the University of Bari in Italy before pursuing her dental education at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA. Specialising in prosthodontics, she returned to Europe with an MSD degree and joined the Fixed Prosthodontic Department at the University of Geneva where she remains as a senior lecturer. She has contributed to many articles in the field of restorative dentistry and lectures worldwide on a variety of topics related to full mouth adhesive rehabilitation and implant prosthodontics. Her extensive experience and undoubted expertise will be brought to bear during her highly-anticipated session at the BACD Annual Conference, entitled Adhesive Additive Rehabilitation.

Speaking about this upcoming lecture, Francesca says, “Dental wear is a frequently underestimated pathology that, nowadays, affects an increasing number of individuals, not only for the excessive presence of acid in the mouth, but also because of parafunctional habits.

“Instead of leaving these dentitions to degrade further, a non-invasive (additive) intervention should be proposed, based on an increase of vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO).”

On this basis, Francesca will explain to delegates how they can plan and execute more comprehensive rehabilitations. She will introduce to them the detailed 3-STEP technique, which will help simplify clinical protocols and enhance results. “This includes diagnosis, data collection and treatment planning,” continues Francesca, “Which come together as a different way of approaching patients.”

By the end of this inspiring lecture, delegates will have been exposed to the differences between additive and subtractive dentistry, as well as being shown how to make an initial diagnosis on the cause of tooth wear. “Delegates will also understand the rationale behind the planning of a full-mouth additive adhesive rehabilitation,” says Francesca, “We will also look at a variety of treated cases, to realise the potential applications of this technique – and its applicability in different situations other than dental erosion.”

It is without a doubt that Francesca’s lecture will perfectly embody the focus of this year’s Annual Conference, “FAB: Function, Aesthetics, Biology” and will provide aspiring dental professionals an inspiring insight into non-invasive techniques.

Delegates will also be treated to an eclectic trade show throughout the three days of the conference, where they will be able to learn more about the very latest equipment and high quality materials that are available on the market. In the evenings, they will also be able to let their hair down and enjoy socialising at one of the BACD’s fantastic dinners. This is a great opportunity for professionals to meet new, like-minded colleagues and reconnect with old friends.

The BACD Annual Conference has always been one of the most highly anticipated events in the professional calendar and this year will certainly be no different! Booking is now open, so be sure to save your space today!

The BACD Fourteenth Annual Conference 2017

‘FAB – Function, Aesthetics, Biology’

9^th – 11^th November 2017

The Hilton London Metropole Hotel, London

For further enquiries about the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry visit www.bacd.com.

Annual Oral Health Survey shows up to three million could be putting their dental health in danger as fear of the dentist and money worries lead to dental avoidance.

Britain could be reclaiming its reputation as the nation of bad teeth as a new survey from dental payment plan specialists Denplan by Simplyhealth Professionals reveals over one in 20 admit to never visiting the dentist. Even more shockingly, 1% even admit they NEVER brush their teeth, which could represent over 500,000* of us!

For those who avoided the dental chair and visit the dentist less often than once every two years, 39% said they were too scared of the dentist or pain, and the same number claimed they couldn’t afford check-ups.

In a worrying socio-economic trend, over half of UK adults (52%) said they’d cancel a routine dental appointment if they had financial worries, despite check-ups costing as little as £20. Young people aged 18-24 were the age group most likely to cancel.

14% of those that don’t regularly visit the dentist said they couldn’t access an NHS dentist, while one in five were worried they’d uncover further issues that needed treatment. In contrast, 91% of those with a dental payment plan went to the dentist every six months. 

Despite rumours from across the pond that Britain’s teeth are some of the worst in the world, according to University College London and Harvard University, Britons dental health is no worse than our American counterparts, in fact, the average person in Britain is missing 6.97 teeth, while in America the average is 7.31[2].

But these emerging bad habits could spell bad news for future generations, with almost one in 20 (4%) parents of children aged 18 or under saying their child never brushed their teeth and 7% admitting they never took their child to the dentist. [3]

Shockingly, 43% of parents of children with a filling said their child had their first one aged seven younger. Almost a quarter of parents of children aged 18 or under whose child had a filling (23%) said  they had been given their first filling at five years or younger. 

The findings from Denplan by Simplyhealth Professionals correspond with a report by the Royal College of Surgeons which showed record numbers of under-fives having rotten teeth removed. Findings also revealed that hospital extractions among pre-school children have soared by 24 per cent in just ten years[4].

Even babies are affected — last year alone, 47 children under the age of one had newly grown milk teeth taken out.

Commenting on the figures, Henry Clover, Director of Dental Policy, Simplyhealth Professionals said “It’s clear from these findings that more work needs to be done to properly educate the British public on the importance of good dental health. Seeing your dentist regularly means that any potential dental problems can be spotted early on, reducing the need for invasive or expensive treatment. If you are worried about the cost of dental care, it is always worth talking to your practice to find out if they have options available, such as a dental payment plan or subscription plan, which can help you budget or spread the cost throughout the year.”

For more information on the survey results or Denplan by Simplyhealth Professionals please contact Hannah Mepham This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Beth Heard This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01273 712 000

The survey data

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 5,068 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 24th January - 2nd February 2017.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

For the children’s oral health section:

Parents of children aged 18 years old and under took part in this survey; and if there was more than one child in the family, we asked parents to answer based on the child whose birthday fell next.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 4353 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken from 25th January to 2nd February 2017. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

About Simplyhealth

In the world of healthcare, more than anywhere, experience counts. Since 1872 – long before the existence of the NHS – Simplyhealth has been helping people to make the most of life, by managing their everyday health needs.  That’s why today we ensure over 3 million people in the UK have access to the health products, services and support that they need, when they need them and at a price they can afford.

We’re the kind of people who live by our purpose: we’re here to help people make the most of life through better everyday health. We’re proud to be the leading provider of everyday health cash plans, dental payment and pet health plans. And whilst we may be 144 years old, we’re not afraid to innovate. Whereas once we were known purely for cash plans, we now offer a wide range of products and services with one thing in common: an unflinching desire to cater for peoples’ everyday health needs – now and into the future.

We exist to help people make the most of life through better everyday health. That’s our purpose. We use charitable partnerships to also deliver that purpose, going beyond our products and services, but very much aligned to our business strategy. As a result of our success, in 2016 we were able to donate £1.7m to our charitable causes, supporting 23 different charities including Revitalise, Music in Hospitals, Brainwave Centre and Auditory Verbal, touching the lives of thousands of people across the UK.

Our future success and performance will enable us to deliver our ongoing pledge to donate 10% of our profits to charity every year, supporting health-related charities that share a similar outlook to us and a dedication to helping people with everyday health challenges make the most of life.

Simplyhealth is a trading name of Simplyhealth Access, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

For further information:

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

http://newsroom.simplyhealth.co.uk/

@SimplyhealthUK

Facebook.com/SimplyhealthUK

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

Patient Plan Direct is offering to help practices undertake a simple process, which could significantly improve your practice’s profitability and success.

The offer is to let one of Patient Plan Direct’s highly experienced business development managers to undertake a Dental Plan Health-check at your practice, reviewing the strategy and objectives associated with the dental plans you offer patients – checking you’re doing all you can to maximise the potential of your dental plan.

Irrespective of the current plan provider you’re working with (e.g. Denplan, Practice Plan, DPAS), this Health-check is completely free of charge and will leave you fully informed as to the best options of running your plan moving forward. At the very least you’ll come away with some fresh ideas and have a benchmark to assess the value your current plan provider represents.

For more details, Patient Plan Direct invite you to watch this short video:

To book your Dental Plan Health-check, simply email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Call 0844 848 6888

It has been a little while since I last wrote this blog. Various things have taken over as they tend to do in life, and the blog unfortunately was something that seemed to never quite get done. However, I’ve now found myself back in the writing frame of mind, and I still seem to have opinions that some will agree with and no doubt others will disagree with, so here we go with some more ramblings of a Yorkshireman.

I have still been keenly observing what has been going on with regards to the profession over the last few months, and there still seem to be the same old problems surfaces that always have. I shall be writing about all of these issues in the near future.

The GDC seems to still be a problem to many, and personally whilst it seems to be to have become more aware of its previous problems, I don’t think it can truly move on whilst the current chair is still at the helm. It is time for a registrant to be in charge again, and for Dr Moyes to be moved to some other Quango where he can’t oversee damage to the morale of an entire profession.

Social media is also still a hot topic, and the GDC have now issued a case study on this. Some of the profession are obviously of the opinion that social media is the real world, and seemingly lack the ability to see it in its true context. There is a lack of humility in the profession where social media is concerned, and huge damage can occur to people when they believe that all they see on their iPhone is the unadulterated truth. It isn’t.

The lack of a new NHS contract, or anything really concrete is also concerning. However, I have a fairly simple view on this. We must be deluded as a profession if we think for one moment that there is suddenly going to be a fantastic new contract that will give the patients and us everything we ask for. I will guarantee that any new contract will primarily be worded to the benefit of the DoH so that the dentists can be held responsible for whatever goes wrong with it.

I’ll write more on these subjects in the coming weeks. But for this blog I though I would concentrate on something that has seemed to be brewing for quite a time, and might actually be reaching a tipping point.

Indemnity.

Now, I can remember when my indemnity was about £1200 a year, and didn’t particularly change by much annually. But now, as a principal dentist working full time, it is £5800. This increase is over the period of about 10 years. We have seen an increase in both the activity of the GDC and especially negligence solicitors in this time, which it is claimed to account for the increase in our costs.

Indemnity is a little bit like car insurance in that you hope you will never need it, but it is a necessary evil to have. With the costs of legal representation being what they are, and the increase in the amount of cases being brought, it is not really surprising that costs rise year on year.

But how do we know how these costs are calculated individually? If you are a young driver with a fast car (which you will no doubt be flaunting on Facebook!) then you are likely to be a higher risk than an older person in a more sedate family saloon. This doesn’t necessarily translate to your dental indemnity though. It seems that the longer you are in the profession, the more likelihood you are to be sued and thus have higher premiums. Perhaps the reason for this is that when these practitioners retire, often the patients are found to have large amounts of remedial dentistry to be done. This may be the case, and I am aware of some dentists who have built up a good practice on rectifying this type of problem, especially when they perhaps encourage the patient to take some form of action against the previous dentist.

I’m not saying a wrong shouldn’t be corrected in that situation, but there do seem to be some dentists who are quite happy to throw colleagues under the bus in order to ensure they get the benefit of the patient charges to rectify the problems. Perhaps ‘There but for the grace of god go I’ would be an apt phrase to remind those considering this course of action. In addition, they will also find that their indemnity is going to increase also when this happens.

Because that’s how this kind of indemnity really works; the current members are paying for the claims that are currently being made and are going to be made in the future. In much the same way as the state pension works.  We can’t have an indemnity company suddenly have empty coffers, so they have a duty to ensure they assess the needs of the society to actively have the funds to cover their expenses. All of this is paid for by the membership.

However, this is where I spot a problem. There are some dentists who for what ever reason have higher indemnity costs. Whilst it always seems unclear why this is (as there is no apparent transparency in the fee structure when applied to an individual member), it is not unreasonable to consider that there might be an increased risk identified by the indemnifier. So they are basically saying there may be claims likely to be made against this person in the future. I have no problem with that in principle, but the issue comes when this person then leaves the society because the costs of indemnity have risen so high it is fundamentally unaffordable for them to keep paying.

What happens then? The costs of these future claims will be potentially met by the rest of the members who are maybe NOT doing the same sort of high risk dentistry as the member who has left. One can argue that this is a socially responsible and indeed professional manner in which a wronged patient can claim recompense. The problem occurs when there are more of the lower risk members paying for the expenses of the higher risk. Add into this situation that the societies offer ‘discretionary cover’, meaning that your claim only has the right to be considered by the society (and not actually guaranteed to be supported), then some people feel that they are paying an increasing amount of money for less than guaranteed and continued support in their time of need.

It seems to me that many of the members of the traditional membership societies are becoming increasingly worried about the inexorable rise in costs, and the discretionary nature of the support offered. I am aware of much conversation about the pros and cons of moving between the societies, and I’m also aware of the increase in membership of the Insurance based companies as a result of the concerns about this. One of the advantages of insurance based cover is the presence of a written contract, and the ability to make a complaint to the Insurance Ombudsman, which doesn’t exist with the discretionary membership. In addition, the insurance companies are also heavily regulated by the likes of the Financial Services Authority; the traditional indemnifiers however seem to have no regulator at all. The counter to this argument is that with discretionary cover the traditional indemnifiers can cover those who are not indeed members at the time of a claim, and for the benefit of the profession. I can recall this publically happening at some point in the past, and if I am not mistaken it was a human rights issue that became clarified as a result. However, just how many times has the discretionary cover been used in that manner, and not just to refuse cover?

The way I see it, we will reach a tipping point if something is not done soon to clarify more robustly the stance of the traditional indemnifiers, especially where their discretionary powers are concerned. I want to know that I have the support of the indemnifier in assisting me in my time of need, and not that at some point they decide to pull the plug due to a disagreement or just because it is easier and cheaper to settle (despite it being morally, ethically, and clinically wrong to do so). Does writing a blog of this nature give them grounds to refuse cover? Your guess is as good as mine since there is no real published criteria to know where you actually stand.

I can see there becoming a tipping point at some time in the future where all the good clients of the protection societies are no longer willing to put up with the uncertainty and the lack of transparency about the decisions made about any individuals’ costs and especially the discretionary element of support. These clients will leave, and since it is a requirement to have appropriate indemnity, there will be no shortage of new style companies happy to disrupt the market place and offer an alternative.

For example, what if the indemnifier needed a million pounds to cover its expenses and it had 10,000 clients? The cost per client is obviously £100 per client. But what if this indemnifier then starts to haemorrhage clients until it only has 1000? The cost per client is then £1000. These remaining clients are not necessarily going to be the high risk ones either, as it’s probably the case that those higher risk clients will have changed society much sooner in order to keep their costs down.

This is probably a gross oversimplification, and I’d actually welcome someone putting me right over this, especially from any of the defence societies. However, fundamentally what I see is an ever increasing demand on the resources of these societies, with a potentially decreasing number of members footing the bill, and those members not actually knowing if they will be fully supported by the society due to the discretionary nature of the membership. This is a prime situation for a tipping point to occur that changes significantly the whole model this operates under. This might be practitioners leaving, or it might be a re-evaluation of the business model to take things into account. However it is not something that can remain the unchanged as it appears to me unsustainable in the long term.

Before anyone says this couldn’t happen as the societies are so big and have so many customers, all I have to remind you of is Kodak not identifying the digital camera revolution, Encyclopaedia Britannica not recognising the  threat of the internet, and finally the inexorable rise of Uber in its disruption of how we utilise taxis.

All indemnifiers are also reliant on the need for legal cases to continue. By this I mean there is a symbiotic relationship between the defence and prosecution of dental cases, as without one side the other cant really exist the in the same way. Once a case is begun, then costs accumulate on both sides, and the legal profession feeds from this accordingly. These adversarial sides become dependent on one another, and in particular the defence side of negligence does not necessarily work under a no-win, no-fee basis in my experience and gets paid regardless of winning or losing (by our indemnifiers). Cynically, one would say it is therefore in the financial interests of those in the legal profession to have the current highly litigious situation in dentistry to continue, because there appears to be no shortage of work for them. The practice of dentistry becomes the raison d’etre for the existence of both the societies and those legal firms feeding it until we do something to stop it.

There may be protests from the indemnifiers of the tome of this blog; certainly I have taken no account of some of the truly awful issues that result in harm befalling patients by some practitioners. I am definitely of the opinion that we as a profession most certainly still need to put our house in order, and there is probably no room within it for some of the practices that some of our colleagues routinely feel are acceptable. However, unless you are part of the solution, then you are actually part of the problem, and I feel that there should be much more clarity evident in the world of indemnity, so that the profession can practice with the confidence that our patients need us to have when caring from them.

Otherwise, what’s the point in us continuing to serve our patients? That may well create a further tipping point…..of no one in the profession left to care.

Image credit - Guiseppe Milo under CC licence - not modified.

Oral-B has released the dates for their next series of Up-To-Date seminars.  Each of these popular evening sessions will be comprised of two 45-minute lectures.

Louis Mackenzie’s presentation is entitled ‘How to make fillings look like teeth!’  He will discuss the challenges in shaping posterior composites and carving amalgams and how restoring the complex optical properties of anterior teeth can be even more difficult. Detailed practical tips will be given for the easy, predictable anatomical shaping of posterior composite and amalgam restorations, using a unique step-by-step system designed at Birmingham Dental School. The lecture will also outline the fundamental principles of aesthetics, enabling delegates to optimise all clinical stages of direct anterior composite restorations.

Prof Trevor Burke’s lecture is provocatively entitled ‘The rise and rise and rise of toothwearology’.  Tooth wear, in the past, was treated by gross destruction of teeth using a turbine drill for crown preparations – a strange way to treat teeth which were already compromised! However, advances in bonding techniques have enabled the use of minimally invasive treatment using composite resin bonded to worn surfaces. Trevor will discuss the optimum bonding agents for this treatment, how to achieve an aesthetic improvement where needed – the concept of pragmatic aesthetics, and will indicate the rates of success which might be expected.

Clinical dental professionals are invited to attend this complimentary CPD accredited evening event at one of six locations:

London – 28^th September 2017 – Hilton Hotel (Watford)

Newcastle - 12^th October 2017 – Hilton Hotel (Gateshead)

Bristol – 2^nd November 2017 – Aztec Hotel

Manchester – 9^th November 2017 – Village Hotel (Cheadle)

Birmingham - 16^th November 2017 – Crowne Plaza (Solihull)

Leeds – 23^rd November 2017 – Village Hotel (South)

As well as two and a half hours of verifiable CPD every delegate is invited to enjoy a complimentary meal at the beginning of the evening. 

Registration and buffet is from 5.45pm with the first lecture starting at 6.30pm. The evening will finish at 9.00pm. 

Register online at www.dentalcare.co.uk/uptodateseminars.

For enquiries please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 0870 2421850. 

Last Monday 14th August 2017, I had another meeting with Jonathan Green (Head of FtP) and Matthew Hill (Head of GDC Strategy). 
It was a no holds barred meeting and I was free to ask any questions. I wasn't locked in dungeons under 37 Wimpole Street at any point! 
Here is the agenda of the 90-minute meeting, along with the GDC answers in blue. 

It raises some important considerations about what we need to do as a Profession. I think we need to think about the answers and discuss a strategy for the Profession. 

The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) Annual Conference will be opening its doors to delegates in November. In its fourteenth year, the BACD Annual Conference is, without a doubt, one of the most highly anticipated events in the professional calendar. This year focusing on ‘FAB: Function, Aesthetics, Biology’, the fully-filled, three-day event will be bringing together delegates from across the country for some of the most exceptional learning opportunities dentistry has to offer.

This includes a schedule of exclusive lectures, exciting presentations and inspiring hands-on sessions – all led by some of the profession’s leading lights. The line-up this year is better than ever and includes such names as Dr Nikos Mardas.

Nikos qualified in dentistry from Athens University and completed first a three-year postgraduate MS in periodontology and then a PhD at the Royal Dental College at the University of Aarhus in Demark.

He has experience in private practice as a specialist periodontist and has been appointed a senior lecturer at the Periodontology Unit at UCL, Eastman Dental Institute, as well as Senior Clinical Lecturer/ Honorary Consultant  in Periodontology at Bart’s & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry at the Queen Mary University London. He is also The Educational Delegate for the ITI UK & Ireland section. All combined, this means Nikos is one of the most knowledgeable periodontists working in the field today, and he will be bringing this wealth of understanding to the Academy’s Annual Conference in November.

Giving a lecture entitled Periodontal Plastic Surgery: myths and reality in gingival recession coverage, Nikos will be giving delegates an insight into the advanced concepts of modern periodontal plastic surgery. He says, “Periodontal plastic surgery refers to a great variety of procedures designed to restore form and function, and improve cosmetic disturbances around teeth and, increasingly, dental implants. Various flaps designs, soft tissue grafts and substitutes, together with micro-surgical techniques have been applied to correct different muco-gingival defects in a variety of clinical scenarios, ranging form gingival recession coverage to extraction socket management.

“My presentation will provide a summary of the evidence on the predictability of current treatment protocols for gingival recessions, utilising different techniques and biomaterials. I will be showing delegates different case examples and discussing the pros and cons of each to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of different techniques in every day clinical practice.

“I hope that delegates will be able to go back to their practice and diagnose different recession defects, understand their predictability and the difficulties encountered in their management and guide the motivated patient towards the most appropriate therapeutic approach, based on an estimation of local and systemic factors.”

With such a compelling topics, Nikos’s lecture will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the BACD’s Annual Conference and will give delegates the knowledge and insight they need to go away and improve their daily practice.

Of course, the BACD Annual Conference is not simply one of the best opportunities for dental professionals to learn more about the modern profession, it is also a chance to see what the dental industry has to offer. Delegates will be treated to a three-day trade show throughout the conference, where they can get information on the latest technology and products on offer.

What’s more, there will be plenty of time to network with like-minded colleagues at any one of the BACD’s planned social events, meaning delegates will have a chance to let down their hair and reignite their passion for beautiful dentistry in a more relaxed environment.

Make sure you book your place today to ensure you do not miss out!

The BACD Fourteenth Annual Conference 2017

‘FAB – Function, Aesthetics, Biology’

9th – 11th November 2017

The Hilton London Metropole Hotel, London

For further enquiries about the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry visit www.bacd.com.

Free attendance to the ADI Members’ National Forum is just one of the many benefits of being a part of the forward-thinking organisation – and registration is now open!

The varied presentations will cover a range of topics including: peri-implantitis, bone manipulation techniques, immediate implantation, use of growth factors, full arch reconstruction, learning from failures and the varied and increasing role of the hygienist in implantology.

Speakers include Nik Pandya (“Is Pink the Biz for Successful Implant Therapy?”), Guy McLellan (“Nazalus Implant for Full Arch Rehabilitation”) and Nigel Jones (“What Ten Years of Oral Bisphosphonates Have Taught Us”). Dr Aneel Jabbar, who won the Poster Prize at the ADI Team Congress back in March, has been invited to talk on “The Microbiology of Peri-Implantitis: Similar or Distinct to Periodontitis?” Panel discussions throughout each programme are sure to be lively and will also give delegates the chance to ask questions.

This varied programme reflects how the ADI is committed to supporting all members of the dental implantology team. A number of company members will also be on hand with exhibition stands – so attendees can get a valuable insight into the latest exciting developments in the market – and after the Forum’s close, there will be informal drinks.

The Members’ National Forum is just one benefit of joining, others include: discounted rates for ADI Study Clubs, ADI Masterclasses and ADI Focus Meetings, as well as access to 50 free patient information leaflets, access to the COIR and EDI journal, the chance to become or find a mentor and access to the ADI Members-only Facebook Group, where you can chat online about current topics of interest in the dental implant world.

If you are not yet a member, join today and you can access the benefits immediately.

The 2017 ADI Members’ Forum is a special event that only comes around once every two years. Secure your free tickets today!

ADI Member’s National Forum 2017 – Manchester Central

Saturday 25 November

For more information please visit www.adi.org.uk/forum17

International dental charity Dentaid has launched a new volunteering opportunity for dental professionals in the beautiful country of Zambia.

The team will travel to Zambia from June 9^th – 23^rd 2018. They will treat people in the town of Itezhi Tezhi and run outreach clinics in the surrounding villages, supporting the work of a Zambian dentist. Treatments will include fillings, scaling, extractions and polishing along with oral health promotion.

Itezhi Tezhi is on the edge of Kafue National Park, the largest protected area in Zambia which is home to an incredible array of wildlife including lions, cheetah, elephants, zebra and antelope. In addition to providing essential dental care for local communities the team will also have an opportunity to visit the park and stay in a safari lodge.

Dentists, dental nurses, hygienists and therapists are invited to apply to join the team of six who will spend a few days in Itezhi Tezhi Hospital before going to the surrounding villages to establish outreach clinics. Many of these communities are very remote and people would have to walk up to 120 miles to access dental services. Most people in the area work as subsistence farmers living in thatched mud huts, keeping cattle and goats and growing maize.

Other challenges faced by people in the area include wild animals stealing livestock, the quality and accessibility of education and healthcare, and lack of drinking water and employment. Many of the villages don’t have an electricity supply and our teams will be doing basic dentistry using portable equipment. Dentaid volunteers will also be asked to run oral health education programmes in schools and community buildings.

Volunteers are asked to fundraise £2500 to cover the cost of their flights, accommodation, travel within Zambia, meals on work days and to support Dentaid’s ongoing work around the world. The first night will be spent in the capital Lusaka where a visit to an elephant nursery is planned before the 5 hour journey to Itezhi Tezhi.

“We are so excited to be launching this new volunteering opportunity in Zambia,” said Dentaid’s overseas volunteering manager Jaqueline James. “This is a great new partnership working with a local dentist in an area where many people find it very difficult to access dental care. We are sure that our team will do an amazing job providing dental treatment and they will also get a rare opportunity to visit this beautiful national park and see incredible wildlife.”

For more details and to apply to join Dentaid’s volunteering trip to Zambia from June 9^th – 23^rd 2018 visit https://dentaid.org/missions/volunteer-zambia/  or call 01794 324249 to find out more.

As part of Patient Plan Direct’s continued investment in its practice-branded dental plan solution, benefiting practices thanks to amazingly low plan administration fees, the plan provider has announced work is currently underway to launch a brand new and enhanced plan administration portal. The new online platform is being built with existing clients' feedback constantly in mind in order to offer an improved user experience and additional stats, data and information on plan performance at the click of a button.

The new platform will have a focus on embracing digital processes wherever possible, meaning that users will benefit from having less paperwork to deal with in their daily practice. Navigation will be simplified making usability even more intuitive to ensure that the portal is easily accessible for all staff members.

A dashboard area will provide a snapshot of insights into plan performance, providing users with an instant overview of the important facts that they need when it comes to their dental plan. Alongside this, there will also be handy 'to do' action lists with alerts in order to encourage optimum plan management.

Simon Reynolds, commercial director, commented: “At Patient Plan Direct, we are committed to maintaining our position as a highly cost-effective plan provider, keeping our plan administration fee as low as possible while also providing our clients with the tools and support to maximise plan income and profitability. This is why we are significantly investing in our online system for client practices, to ensure that they are receiving the highest-quality service at amazingly value.”

The new platform will be rolled out in early 2018. In the meantime, whether you already run a dental plan via another provider or you’re considering launching a dental plan, if you'd like more information about Patient Plan Direct’s practice-branded dental plan solution, boosting practice profitability, please visit www.patientplandirect.com, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 0844 848 6888.

Building on over six decades of experience, Straumann® have developed a new, unique, proprietary, glass-ceramic material called n!ce™, which is coming to the market as fully crystallised milling blocks that can be polished and seated straight after milling with no additional crystallisation firing.

Glass-ceramic has become an increasingly popular material for restorations over the past few years as results are durable, aesthetically pleasing and relatively cost-effective for clinicians. Straumann say their product brings new qualities to glass-ceramic single-tooth restorations which deliver additional benefits to both clinician and patient:

• The high-strength material, made of lithium aluminosilicate ceramic and reinforced with lithium disilicate, is indicated for all single-tooth restorations, even hybrid abutment crowns where walls need to be as thin as 1.0mm.
• Smooth margin lines facilitate robust adhesion to the tooth.
• Both clinician and patient save valuable time as no additional crystallisation firing is required after milling, making same-day single crown restorations a real possibility.  
• Use of n!ce fits seamlessly into standard CADCAM workflows as it is compatible with the vast majority of commercially-available milling machines including Dentsply Sirona’s CEREC.
• The biocompatible, aesthetic material can be polished to obtain a smooth, glossy life-like appearance or stained and glazed if needed.
•  Available in two levels of translucency, and six shades for each translucency, restorations can perfectly match the VITA tooth shade guide.

For more information on n!ce fully-crystallised, glass-ceramic milling blocks, call 01293 651230 or visit www.straumann.co.uk.

straumann.co.uk

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