Month: December 2018

It’s all about education – Craig Howlin Sparkle Dental Labs

Continued education and training is a cornerstone of success in modern dentistry. Professionals need to have the right knowledge and skills, as well as access to continued support if they are to effectively operate cutting-edge technologies and deliver a first-class service. This is true of individuals in the dental practice and the laboratory and there are a myriad of advantages to be enjoyed when you get it right.

Filling the gaps

When looking to recruit new members of staff, a practice principal or manager will initially assess candidates based on their qualifications and clinical experience. You will need to know that an applicant can fill the gaps in your team and help the business to deliver the service its patients have come to expect. Equally, if you’re looking to expand your treatment offerings by adding implant services, for example, you will need a professional with adequate qualifications and experience in the field.

The benefits

Beyond the recruitment process, staff training ensures that your team can continue to provide quality treatments and use cutting-edge technologies and materials. Providing access to CPD events and other learning opportunities afford a dental business several benefits, and is central to a happy and productive workforce.

For a start, research has found a direct correlation between job satisfaction and workplace learning in the healthcare setting.[1]Establishing a happy team is essential in the dental practice as contented staff are more likely to be motivated to do a good job. While the literature varies slightly in terms of the exact percentage, one paper found a 12 per cent increase in productivity among happy employees compared to the control group.[2]

The positive relationship between job satisfaction and workplace learning has been proven in industries other than healthcare, where it has also been linked to an increased intention among staff to remain within the business.[3]This potential positive affect on staff retention could help a dental practice to maintain a consistent service that patients will appreciate, while also helping the business to run more efficiently on a daily basis, as everyone will be familiar with their roles.

In addition, research has suggested a good return on investment for companies that support employee learning. One study found that employees at the company analysed were more likely to have been promoted or retained if they were reimbursed for their education.[4]The same paper reported a $1.29 cost saving for every $1 spent on tuition. So not only will you be likely to create a happier, more productive team, but you could also increase practice profits at the same time, simply by financially supporting your staff in their continued training.

Complete the circle

In short, the provision or at least facilitation of learning in the workplace affords several benefits for the business. However, it is just as important for you to work with a laboratory that understands the advantages of continual staff training as well. Just as the education and job satisfaction among your staff can help to maintain the service and patient care you provide, the same attributes among your lab team will ensure you receive high quality products and a consistent service from them.

Partnering with a laboratory you trust to keep all its technicians up-to-date with the latest materials, processes and technologies with enable you to meet the exceptional standards you are striving for. Effective collaboration can also help you improve the treatment planning process for patients, further ensuring first-class care every time.

Having recently undergone a complete transformation, Sparkle Dental Labs is proud of the company it has become today. It shares your passion for excellent dentistry and places great emphasis on training all its team to ensure they deliver the quality service you need. The lab is also keen to help bridge the gap between university and industry, working with UCLAN and the University of Bolton to train the next generation of dental technicians. Combined with state-of-the-art technology and a strict quality assurance system, the extensive skill and experience of the technical team is exactly what you need to take your business to new heights.

Continued education is vital for success within the modern dental profession. Individuals and businesses alike have much to gain from continual training and skill development, with patients being the ultimate winners. Facilitating training within your business is just as crucial as establishing partnerships with other companies that share your passion for learning.

 

For more information, contact Sparkle Dental Labs on 0800 138 6255, or visit www.sparkledentallabs.com

 

[1]Iliopoulos E, Morrissey N, Baryeh K, Polyzois I. Correlation between workplace learning and job satisfaction of NHS healthcare professionals. British Journal of Healthcare Management. 2018; 24(5); 226-233. 10.12968/bjhc.2018.24.5.226.

[2]Sgroi D. Happiness and productivity: Understanding the happy-productive worker. SMF-CAGE Global Perspectives Series. October 2015 https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/staff/dsgroi/impact/hp_briefing.pdf[Accessed September 2018]

[3]Chiang CF, Back KJ, Canter DD. The impact of employee training on job satisfaction and intention to stay in the hotel industry. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality &Tourism. November 2004; 4(2); 99-118 https://doi.org/10.1300/J171v04n02_06

 

[4]Lumina Foundation. Talent Investments Pay Off. White paper | Cigna realizes return on investment from tuition benefits. 2016. https://www.luminafoundation.org/files/resources/talent-investments-pay-off-cigna-full.pdf[Accessed September 2018]

A positive mindset will help during setbacks

In a series of articles exploring mental health and wellbeing, Barry Oulton, founder of The Confident Dentist which specialises in the use of emotional behaviour, looks at being consciously aware of our actions.

In the first article last month, I talked about my experiences with mental stress. The next few articles will touch upon some of the things that I learnt that helped me in those circumstances and that I use – to this day – to help me in the situations I now periodically find myself in.

As you know, I’m not a psychologist or a medical doctor dealing with patients with anxiety, depression or other mental illnesses. I am, however, an experienced dentist, husband (twice) father (of four) and friend (at least one) who has witnessed first-hand, a variety of levels of mental stress, anxiety, depression and suicide. And despite the predictable FB comments after the last article, claiming that I am attempting to offer salvation when you sign up to my training, let me make it clear – I’m just a ‘normal’ bloke who’s learnt a lot in the last 25 years and it’s time to share what I know. Please take from it what you will and share the information with those who may benefit. Please also continue to recommend yourself, patients and families, for correct medical help when necessary.

My sharing is for the majority of us that do not necessarily feel that we need medical help and if we employ some of the tips and skills I will talk about, then hopefully never will.

When you attend my communication training course, ‘Influencing Smiles’, the content is delivered in a way that each section is a piece of the jigsaw puzzle that becomes clear at the end of the two-day course. Each piece, however, has its own independent relevance to us as humans and our interaction with ourselves and others.

Many of the principles that I share have their basis in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), human-needs psychology, learning preferences and neuroscience research. I thought long and hard about using the acronym NLP in my articles as, working in a scientific profession, some of my professional colleagues would struggle to accept that something might work, even if it doesn’t have a myriad of scientific studies behind it.

Sure enough, article one sparked some interesting comments from dentists who have never attended a presentation of mine, let alone my courses. It’s important to remember that this series of articles will be like the ‘influencing smiles’ jigsaw puzzle;

each piece has its own appearance, relevance and yet put together over the next few months, will build into a brilliantly bright picture of tools that you can use to feel better when things are looking grey or don’t sound good.

Jigsaw puzzle piece No 1: Mindset

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is an approach to communication and personal development that helps us to understand how our minds work and how we can change the way we behave. The approach has been around since the 1970s and

has its roots in studies of the patterns of thought and behaviour seen in people who are highly successful in business, sport and other areas of life.

My friend Kayla lives in Los Angeles, California. One late afternoon she was driving down the coastal road and saw the most beautiful sunset across the water in the distance. Bright pinks and orange glistened on the rippling water. She stopped the car to photograph it on her phone so that she could show Michael, her husband, when she arrived home. Excited to share, she quickly raced home and burst through the front door.

“Michael, Michael”, she said as she passed him her phone, “you’ve got to see this sunset”. Michael took a look, swiped left a couple of times and said, “Sweetheart, it’s just a sunset!”

“What?”, she replied. “It’s beautiful.”

As she lifted her sunglasses onto her head and looked at the sunset picture on her phone, she realised that to Michael it was a boring, plain sunset. She now saw the same picture as him, which was indeed somewhat boring and realised that when she took the photographs she had been looking through her ‘rose tinted’ sunglasses, which had turned the sunset into the most beautiful sight.

You see, your mindset is like a pair of glasses that you subconsciously put on the moment you wake up and frequently change during the day. The glasses you ‘wear’ determine what you see, take in, think about and ultimately feel.

Do this exercise now. Temporarily put on a pair of mindset glasses that say ‘the world is a dangerous place’.

Look around the room you are in, right now, with that mindset on and notice what

you see. What comes into your conscious awareness with the mindset of ‘the world is a dangerous place’? Electricity: danger, trip hazards, fire extinguisher, stairs or steps, what else?

Ok. Now take off those glasses and put on a fresh bright pair with the mindset of, ‘the world is full of beauty and love’.

Look around the same room and with this different mindset. What do you see this time? Same room, same environment and yet you are conscious of different things. Photographs: love connection, warmth, safety, community, etc.

Your mindset focuses your mind on what to become consciously aware of. What do you think you might notice on a Monday morning with the following mindsets: ‘patients don’t have any money’, ‘people won’t pay for what I offer’, ‘they don’t want the treatment’, ‘I’m tired and fed up’, ‘dentistry is tough and stressful’.

Are these mindsets going to serve you, or serve your patients?

Please consider the next few steps:

1. Wake up and choose your positive mindset, even if it’s raining outside, the dog dumped in the kitchen or someone else is in a bad mood etc.

2. Begin checking in with yourself every morning and also throughout the day. Notice your mindset and adopt a positive one – this takes practice.

3. Run a team lunch and learn and download the free mindset exercise pdf

from www.oneminutemindset.co.uk to involve everyone in the journey.

4. Recommend this article to anyone you think might benefit from becoming aware of this information.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you’ve enjoyed it, please pass it on. I will share the second piece of the jigsaw puzzle with you in the new year. Have a good one!

Dentists invited to ‘What Next for NHS Dentistry?’ event

NHS dentists are being invited to a free event where a panel of their peers, including Eddie Crouch from the BDA, will discuss the implications of the new dental contract.

With less than 18 months before the new NHS England contract is rolled out, the panel will discuss what this means for the future of NHS practices and how they can prepare for the changes.

The ‘What Next for NHS Dentistry?’ event will be held on Wednesday 30th January from 6.30pm – 8.30pm at the Village Hotel in Solihull.

Alongside Eddie Crouch, Vice-Chair of the BDA’s Principal Executive Committee, the panel will include Ian Redfearn, owner of a prototype A practice, Paul Worskett, owner of a prototype B practice, and George Savva, owner of a mixed NHS/private practice.

Attendees will also hear from Nigel Jones, Sales and Marketing Director of Practice Plan, who have organised the event, about the results of the latest NHS Confidence Monitor survey. The survey asked almost 500 NHS and private dentists their thoughts on what it’s really like to work in the profession today.

Nigel said, ‘The new NHS dental contract will begin being rolled out in April 2020, which means practices have less than 18 months to understand what it means for them, explore their options and make sure they take any necessary measures to prepare.

‘With such a timescale, it is vital that NHS dentists begin arming themselves now with the information they need to know. It’s with this in mind that we are holding the event with peers who can share their thoughts on the ramifications of the contract rollout, as well as hearing from those who have direct experience of the prototype programme as well as running a successful mixed practice.’

To book your free place at the ‘What Next for NHS Dentistry?’ event, click here.

CPD end-of-cycle approaching for 6,000 dentists

GDC advises only eight working days for those planning to make grace period application

On 31 December this year, almost 6,000 dentists are due to complete their five-year CPD cycle and will need to submit their end-of-cycle CPD statement to the General Dental Council (GDC) no later than 28 January 2019. However, the regulator has today advised that dentists planning to make an application for a ‘grace period’ only have eight working days to do so.

As part of the Enhanced CPD scheme, dental professionals who have failed to complete enough CPD within their cycle, due to exceptional circumstances, can apply for a short grace period. Any application for a grace periods, though, must be submitted before the end of the CPD cycle, which falls on 31 December for dentists. The GDC says the easiest way to make the statement and submit a grace period application is via the regulator’s online portal, eGDC.

In addition to dentists coming to the end of their cycle this year, since the introduction of Enhanced CPD in January 2018, all dentists must now make an annual CPD statement. Annual CPD statements are also due by 28 January 2019.

GDC Executive Director, Registration and Corporate Resources, Gurvinder Soomal, said: “While end-of-cycle and annual CPD statements don’t need to be made until 28 January 2019, we encourage dentists not to leave it until the last minute. Statements can be made now and the eGDC portal really is the easiest way to do it. It is extremely important to ensure CPD statements are completed on time or registration and the ability to practise dentistry in the UK could be put at risk.” 

For anyone unsure of what they need to do, especially with regards to Enhanced CPD, clear guidelines have been produced and are available on the GDC’s website. The eGDC portal also includes a personal calculation, which illustrates specific requirements for dentists transitioning from the old CPD scheme to Enhanced CPD.

Building bridges

When it comes to transferring an NHS contract via a partnership there are a number of hurdles to be aware of – including the CQC’s latest plans to clamp down on bridging partnershipsthat are set up purely to sell a practice.

 

Finding a sales and acquisitions agent that understands the changing market and processes is therefore integral to achieving a successful outcome.

 

Dental Elite has years of experience and specialist knowledge of the dental sector meaning they are able to offer an outstanding service in line with the latest trends and regulations. This includes a complimentary CQC application service – which is also available should you choose to buy or sell through another agent. Call now for help setting up your partnership.

 

For more information on Dental Elite visit www.dentalelite.co.uk, email info@dentalelite.co.uk or call 01788 545 900

Moderate cases, maximum results

For your mild to moderate orthodontic cases, choose Incognito Lite from 3M Oral Care.

The system gives accurate results[i]and is often ideal for cases involving adult relapse case or patients who only need anterior tooth movement.

Incognito Lite offers maximum comfort, because it conforms to individual dental anatomy so it can be customised.[ii]Patients can therefore acclimate quickly, faster than with a full-arch treatment.

The set-up is 100 per cent digital, which gives you all the benefits of a digital workflow.

Despite the fact that it is only for simpler cases, aesthetics are not compromised in the slightest and patients can achieve a functional and beautiful smile.

For more information, call 0845 873 4066 or visit

http://solutions.3m.co.uk/wps/portal/3M/en_GB/orthodontics_EU/Unitek/

Or www.hiddenbraces.co.uk 

 3M is a trademarkof the 3M Company.

 Incognito is a trademark of TOP-Service für Lingualtechnik GmbH.

[i]Demling, Anton, Dr., Dittmer, Marc, P., Dr., Schwestka-Polly Rainer, Dr., “Comparative analysis of slot dimensions in lingual bracket systems” (2009) in: Head Face Med. 2009, Issue 5 p.27.

[ii]Grauer, Dan, Dr., and Proffit, William, R., Dr., Hill, Chapel, Dr. “Accuracy in tooth positioning with fully customised lingual orthodontic appliance” (2011) in: NC American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics, 2011, Vol. 140, Issue 3 P. 433-443. 

Did you know…?

…That CS R4+ practice management software is available with an array of capabilities that help you run your practice more efficiently and more profitably?

Key features include:

  • Online booking
  • Automated recalls
  • Seamless integration with DEPPA for Denplan practices
  • Chair occupancy monitoring
  • CS Engage – to optimise patient reviews
  • The Exchange online support portal
  • Integrated imaging technologies

You get all this in an easy-to-use system that ensures secure and convenient access to patient data for all authorised members of the dental team.

To see the advantages for CS R4+ for yourself, contact Carestream Dental today.

For more information, call 0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @CarestreamDentl and Facebook

An event to look forward to – British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2019

 

Over the last 12 months the profession has been through its fair share of ups and downs, but one thing that has remained consistent is the calibre of the shows and education available to dentists and dental care professionals. Perhaps one of the biggest hits of the year was the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show, previously known as the Dentistry Show.

Partnering with the British Dental Association for the very first time in the event’s history, the two-day extravaganza attracted a record breaking number of visitors and exhibitors, making it the UK’s largest free education and trade event for the dental profession. Of those that provided feedback, the comments were extremely positive and everyone in attendance appeared to take a lot away from the programme.

Speaking after the 2018 show, Rachel White, a dental hygienist said: “I’ve really enjoyed the show this year. There’s a nice mixture of new products and brands coming to the fore amongst the bigger brands, and the standard of lectures has been very high.”

 

Equally as impressed was Zahrah Adam, a general dental practitioner who said: “Now that the British Dental Association and Dentistry Show have combined, the event is bigger and better than ever before. I would definitely recommend it to other dentists.”

Building on the success of 2018, the organisers have already turned their attention to 2019, with the show shaping up to be the best event of the calendar! There are already more exhibitors than last year, and with months still to go before the event takes place the trade floor is likely to reach well in excess of 400+ stands. This is good news for delegates who will have exclusive access to an array of manufacturers and suppliers from all over the world, some established and some up and coming.

As well as a chance to get to know more about products available, including the latest innovations and those launched at the show, the exhibition provides the perfect opportunity for delegates to speak to the experts and ask questions. There will even be an opportunity to grab a bargain or two, with some fantastic deals available over the course of the two days. So if you’re on the lookout for some new equipment or tools, it might be worth waiting until May to do some shopping!

When not working on the exhibition, the organisers have been busy putting together a lecture programme that is sure to wow the crowds. Like last year, there will be a chance to learn and update clinical and business skills through both practical and hands-on sessions, and hear from some of the world’s brightest minds on a range of exciting and pertinent topics. Expect thought-evoking sessions from dentistry’s top innovators and thinkers, essential learning and CPD, practical hints and tips, and invaluable industry insight that could help to enhance your clinical skills. The show has always prided itself on offering an unrivalled programme that excites and intrigues as well as educates – and 2019 will be no different.

For all of these reasons, the upcoming British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show is without a doubt the event to look forward to over the coming months. Even more so because it is also a perfect opportunity to meet new people or catch up with peers, colleagues and friends over lunch or a drink in-between lectures or exploring the trade floor. There are very few occasions, after all, in which thousands of like-minded individuals are altogether in one place – why not take advantage of that? There’s also the annual Dental Awards held in association with Purple Media, which will take place on the first night of the show. Delicious food, good drink and great company, the Awards are always a highlight of the two-day event.

So as we embrace 2019 and the changes that lie ahead, be sure to earmark important events in your calendar like the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show, that are not to be missed. The dates are Friday 17thand Saturday 18thMay and will be held at the NEC in Birmingham. Remember; the show is completely free and open to all dental professionals – including students – so bring the whole dental team along. There really is something for everyone!

The British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2019 will be held on Friday 17thand Saturday 18thMay at the NEC in Birmingham, co-located with DTS.

For further details visit www.thedentistryshow.co.uk, call 020 7348 5270

or email dentistry@closerstillmedia.com

 

 

Gain CPD online

Are you looking for a convenient way to gain CPD?

By becoming a member of the Association of Dental Implantology (ADI) not only will you be granted access to a growing library of online resources, but you can also add to your CPD by watching ADI Webinars.

Accessible at any time, anywhere, these excellent educational resources cover a diverse range of topics relating to dental implantology and are invaluable for those looking to incorporate high quality CPD within their professional development plan.

ADI Webinars are just one of many exciting benefits of becoming a member of the ADI – find out more by visiting the website today.

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

Improving everyday dentistry

Fatima Tahli, dentist from Lambourn Dental Practice, utilised the Photography course from IAS Academy in order to improve her skills.

She said:

“The course offered excellent, highly relevant content and the speaker was brilliant. I was impressed by everything from the location and facilities to the ease of booking, pre-course information, trade information and support from the IAS team.

“The training would be ideal for all dentists looking to improve their day-to-day dentistry and I would definitely recommend it.”

For more information on upcoming IAS Academy training courses, including those that cover Photography,

visit www.iasortho.com or call 020 8916 2024