Nina Farmer qualified as a dental therapist from Sheffield Dental School in 2013. Following this, her passion for wellbeing and a holistic approach to patient care inspired her to return to studying, becoming dual trained as a nutritional therapist in 2019. Nina enjoys providing workshops, lectures, and articles both for dental professionals and the general public and, recently, Nina obtained a post-graduate Level 7 Diploma in Dental Education, Coaching and Mentoring.
Nina will be presenting at the upcoming ADI Team Congress in May 2025 as part of the Dental Hygienists & Therapists Programme. Her session “Nutrition and lifestyle considerations for a dental implant patient” aims to highlight the importance of a whole-body approach to patient care. She shares an insight into her session, and why it is an important topic for clinicians right now:
“My session will serve as an introduction to how dental care professionals can support dental implant patients through nutrition and lifestyle advice, no matter what stage in treatment the patient is at. Following the ADI Team Congress 2023, delegates requested that this topic be discussed at the next meeting, with more dental professionals and patients than ever aware of the influences that systemic health can have on dental health and healing.
“I will highlight that, despite being an outpatient procedure, dental implant surgery is still surgery and involves a healing process. As a dual qualified dental therapist and nutritional therapist, my session will shed a light on nutrition as well as particular nutrients that can best support patients throughout their journey, all the way from preparation, to implant placement, to long-term health. I will also discuss the importance of functional testing, supplementation, and a multidisciplinary approach.
“When patients are recovering from dental implant surgery, they may assume that their options are limited when it comes to maintaining nutrition. It’s important for dental professionals to remind them that they have more options than sugary milkshakes, and encourage them to reach for nutrient dense soft food during healing, to ensure their health is as robust as possible.”
However, promoting nutrition for dental implant patients is not without its challenges. Nina explains:
“This is a relatively new subject; I have not seen a lot of discussion in this area. My aim is to open people’s minds to it, and the importance of good nutrition to support healing post-implant surgery. Currently, some clinicians are recommending vitamin supplements, but it’s important to expand on this, raising awareness for how it can have an impact on healing. Clinicians should not only provide surgical treatments and carry out plaque removal, we are healers as well, and should do everything in our power to support patients here too.”
Nina describes what she hopes delegates will take away from her session, carrying this knowledge into their day-to-day practice:
“I hope that those who attend my session will feel confident with offering nutritional advice to their patients and answering any questions they have. Because dentistry and dental recommendations must be safe, the areas I will discuss are evidence-based, so as not to compromise these high standards. Once patients understand the ways in which nutrition and their general health impact oral health and healing, they are empowered to take control and make educated choices.”
The ADI Team Congress 2025 promises to offer delegates an enriching learning experience. Nina shares what she is most looking forward to:
“I have never attended an ADI Team Congress before, so this will be my first time and I am so excited to be attending! I am delighted to have been invited to speak, particularly to discuss this topic, as it shows the level of diversity of the event and caters to all areas of interest relevant to dental implantology.
“I believe that nutritional and lifestyle considerations are really relevant to the systemic and holistic direction which dentistry is going at the moment. It is important to embrace this, and consider the effects that these factors can have on our patients.”
For more information, please visit www.adi.org.uk
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