Month: November 2021

A career without compromise

Sometimes in life a bit of healthy compromise is necessary. Whether it’s agreeing on a curfew with your teenage child, or sharing out the household chores, some compromise can help move things forward and make life a little smoother. However, there are times when certain trade-offs can hold you back.

Continual compromise in your career can create a recipe for frustration and dissatisfaction. If you are a dental nurse who is yearning for a better work environment, or feeling torn between professional development and parental duties, perhaps now is the time to shake up your career and take back control?

At Colosseum Dental UK we put our people first and know that happy and fulfilled dental nurses means happy and cared for patients. This is why we work hard to provide a full and varied career package, so you can enjoy life without compromise.

Prioritising patient care

As a dental professional we know your patients sit at the heart of all you do. At Colosseum Dental UK you can be confident that you will have the excellent tools, training, clinical facilities and working environment to provide them with the highest standards of care.

Additionally, a new Pastelli uniform will help you to put your best foot forward when treating your patients.

Supporting professional progress

As an ambitious dental nurse, we know that career progression is a huge factor in making you feel satisfied and empowered in your role. We never want you to feel that you have to compromise on reaching your full potential, which is why you will find numerous opportunities for continuous professional development and personal growth with us.

Being a dental nurse might only be the beginning for you, which is why we provide the chance to apply your skills to an alternative area of dentistry and maximise your earning potential. Whether it’s a focus on a specialism, treatment coordination, becoming a practice lead, dental nurse training, or practice management, we’re here to support you in our positive environment guided by the highest standards of clinical governance.

Because we want to do all we can to help you in maintaining your professional requirements we also cover your GDC registration and Indemnity fees, allowing you to concentrate on building your expertise and experience.

Valuing personal life

When you’re not focussed on building your career, we understand the value of your personal life, as well as the responsibilities that come with it.

On top of a competitive salary package, we also offer you a wide range of benefits to help you enjoy life as well as work. These include a workplace nursery, where users can meet their family needs and save tax and NI on up to 100% of fees, as well as an Employee Assistance Programme, Cashplan Scheme, and Pension with employer contribution, for added financial security.

Further benefits such as cycle to work scheme, discounted gym membership, and technology offers help to enhance our career package, while a Reward and Recognition incentive programme provides the chance to earn more and make life a little sweeter!

Secure hours with flexible working options means you can choose what works best for you and your individual circumstances, while your Birthday off and a Holiday Purchase Scheme grant dental nurses increased flexibility in making the most of planned time off.

Don’t settle

Do you feel stuck in your role? Are you working longer, inflexible hours? Is your family time taking a back seat? Stop settling for less and start getting more from your career.

If you are looking for exciting career progression opportunities balanced with a fulfilling personal life, consider joining the Colosseum Dental UK family. Why not get in touch today and have a chat about your options?

 

For more information, pleases visit https://www.colosseumdental.co.uk/careers/job-opportunities/dental-nurses

#WeCareMore

The eco-friendly option for your infection control

In modern dentistry, eco-friendly solutions are becoming a significant asset, especially as they are kinder to the planet and boost your practice’s green credentials.

So why not invest in an infection control solution with an environmentally friendly approach?

For over twenty years, the Lisa vacuum sterilizer from W&H has been perfecting infection control in practices across the world. Its EcoDry+ feature adapts the drying time to the mass of the load, reducing cycle time and optimising energy consumption. This feature also helps to maximise the life of your instruments!

So, why not go green? Choose the Lisa sterilizer today.

 

To find out more visit www.wh.com/en_uk, call 01727 874990 or email office.uk@wh.com

 

Positioning made easy

One of the most common causes for CBCT retakes in dentistry is problems with patient positioning.

Make sure you get the images you need first time with the CS 9600 CBCT system from Carestream Dental.

Featuring innovative AI supported Live Patient Positioning software and video cameras, the system smooths the image acquisition process for patients, helping them to feel comfortable and at ease and making accurate imaging easy.

Plus, with cutting-edge 5-in-1 functionality, fourteen selectable fields of view and top of the range features such as CS MAR technology to reduce metal artifacts, the CS 9600 is a versatile, high-powered system that can be used in any indication.

Find out more today.

 

For more information, contact Carestream Dental on 0800 169 9692 or

visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @carestreamdental.uk

All that hard work has paid off…

Becoming a dentist is no mean feat, and whilst it is an intensely rewarding experience, the pathway there can be strenuous. Being considered one of the most popular degrees in the UK[i], it is no wonder that there is a great deal of competition for places, as well as an immense feeling of accomplishment once initial training is complete.

After 5 years of undergraduate studying, as well as a few years of postgraduate dental training, the least you’d expect is to be working within an environment where you are valued. The needs of your patients are your top priority, but when your own needs aren’t met, it can be difficult to deliver care to those that require it. Even after accruing several years of experience as a dentist, working in an environment that doesn’t serve your interests and advancement can be incredibly discouraging.

At Colosseum Dental UK, we think that after so many years of hard work and dedication you deserve to feel proud about coming to work, in an environment where you feel supported. Our dentists are our pride and joy, and we want that to show in everything we do.

Be proud to come to work

Here at Colosseum Dental UK, we have put time and money into making working for us as rewarding as possible.

We have invested millions into refurbishing and modernising our clinics, which means you can work in state-of-the-art facilities with ground-breaking digital technology. By making these changes, we want you to feel confident working with us. Your patients will see the difference too! We also make it a priority to ensure all equipment is in tiptop condition; we guarantee that any issues are fixed or replaced on the same day, so you can continue to deliver excellent service to your patients with minimal disturbance.

Colosseum Dental is one of Europe’s largest and most fast-growing dental companies, and so we help many communities and even more patients. But why stop there? As well as serving our teams and patients, we generate millions of funds in dividends for our beneficial owner, The Jacobs Foundation. By working for us, you are joining an organisation that supports a charitable foundation, who put a lot of time and money into child and youth development.

HALO – the words we live by

Our team’s happiness is important to us, and so we employ HALO in every clinic:

  • Happy – feel good about coming to work.
  • Action – we want you to see that we’re always striving to be better.
  • Listening – your voice will always be heard.
  • Opportunities – we want to advance your career.

By seeing HALO in all our clinics, you know that you can talk to us about any concerns you may have, or anything you think we can do better. Being a dentist means you live and breathe dentistry, so you know your stuff: we want you to have a voice, and we want to hear it! We encourage our team to be proactive; everyone has a say and any ideas and opinions are valued.

Take your career further

One of the wonderful things about being a dentist is the many avenues you can take to advance your career. At Colosseum Dental UK, we offer clinical governance and support, as well as mentoring opportunities, so you are given the utmost support when deciding on what path to take. There are also opportunities to undertake CPD.

You may also wish to move into a specialist field; we are more than happy to support advanced training, providing a network of mentors to guide and empower you.

Be part of the team

At the end of the day, we want to meet our dentists’ expectations, whether they are new or experienced. After years worth of studying, training and gaining experience, working for a company that cares more about your wellbeing and development is what you deserve. By offering outstanding clinical facilities, as well as chances to advance your career, working for Colosseum Dental UK means you will experience all the benefits in choosing a career in dentistry.

If you are interested in becoming an integral and esteemed member of our team, visit the Colosseum Dental UK website to find out more!

 

For more information, please visit https://www.colosseumdental.co.uk/careers/job-opportunities/dentists

#WeCareMore

[i] British Dentist Association. Becoming a dentist. Available online. https://bda.org/careers/becomingadentist. Accessed 17 Aug. 21.

Dental Nurse uses BSL to share oral health messages at youth club

CDS Dental Nurse, Sarah Nunn, has visited a youth club and used her British Sign Language knowledge to help share oral health education among children and their families.

Sarah, who is a Level 3 BSL student, was invited by Families of Deaf Children Essex to attend their youth club on 9th November. During the session, Sarah was able to talk and use her British Sign Language knowledge to communicate with the families and hand out toothbrush packs to the children. “The families had at least one member who is deaf, so I gave the information in BSL as well as English. I really enjoyed interacting with the children and their parents. I am currently studying for my Level 3 qualification and in attendance with me at the event were 2 interpreters. I am so proud of where my BSL journey has taken me. It was a great success and I’ve had some lovely feedback from the families that attended. To be able to connect with the deaf community and deliver information about good oral health is all I have ever wanted to achieve”.

Families of Deaf Children (Essex) thanked Sarah for a successful evening: “A big thank you to Sarah Nunn from Community Dental Services for spending time putting packs together to bring to tonight’s youth club. Sarah spent two hours talking and using her British Sign Language knowledge to communicate with our families.”

Sarah is enjoying studying to become Level 3 qualified in BSL. “I have been very fortunate that CDS has enabled me to gain my qualification in British Sign Language Level 1 and Level 2. I have also attended a deaf awareness course and this has enabled me to share knowledge and tips with the wider Essex team. CDS is a referral only dental service treating patients with additional needs who may not be able to communicate verbally, and BSL is one way we can communicate with some patients.  CDS will always book an interpreter for appointments if required, but in additional to their presence I feel my knowledge of BSL has helped me open communication with patients who I personally was unable to be support in this way.  My favourite moment with CDS so far was a little boy who was so excited that he could sign with me. His mother told me that it made the appointment so special for him. I look forward to continuing to learn this skill and share this information with my colleagues.”

BDA: New guidelines will not soften blow of Scottish Government plans

The British Dental Association Scotland has said new standard operating procedures for dentists published on 29th November will not restore access to pre-Covid levels. With high levels of Covid and other seasonal infections, and now the emergence of the Omicron variant, dentist leaders stress they will also do nothing to avert the potentially catastrophic impact of Scottish Government plans to pull away pandemic support from NHS practices.

Patients in Scotland will now be placed on one of two pathways, given the likelihood of them carrying a respiratory illness. It replaces what amounted to a ‘one size fits all’ approach that has been in place since the outset of the pandemic, which reduced capacity across the service.   

Those on the non-respiratory pathway can be managed in line with pre-Covid standard infection control precautions for non-aerosol generating procedures. However, for an aerosol-generating procedure, enhanced precautions will still be required for non-respiratory patients since pre-appointment PCR testing is not carried out in dentistry. Any patient placed on the respiratory pathway and requiring urgent care will remain subject to enhanced precautions for all procedures, which will include maintaining ‘fallow time’ gaps of up to an hour between treatments. 

The new model is unveiled on the day the Omicron variant was confirmed to be present in Scotland. Even setting aside any potential spike in Covid infection, large numbers of patients are likely to end up on the respiratory pathway given typical patterns with seasonal flu and the common cold. It is anticipated a number of dentists may opt for a ‘safety first’ approach, and use flexibility within new protocols to maintain existing protective measures, particularly given the uncertain effectiveness of triage questions in identifying symptoms of the Omicron variant.   

Over 3.5 million NHS dental appointments have been lost in Scotland since the first lockdown, driven by ongoing restrictions.  

Cabinet Secretary Humza Yousaf wrote to all NHS dental teams last month stating that all emergency support will be withdrawn by 1 April 2022, as part of a new policy to return to the low margin and high volume system the service operated to pre-pandemic. The move drew criticism from all opposition parties, given the unsustainable pressure it would place on practices. According to a BDA survey conducted at the time 80% of dentists estimate their practices are set to reduce their NHS commitment should the Scottish Government remove emergency support and return to pre-Covid models of care.  

Yousaf told the Scottish Parliament on 3 November that “reform at this stage would be a disruption.” Governments in both Westminster and Cardiff Bay are taking through reforms to their NHS dental systems at this time. NHS dental care free at the point of use remains a centrepiece SNP policy. BDA Scotland has said the Scottish Government must change course to achieve that goal, develop an interim funding package to support dentists and their teams as they work through the backlog, and begin work on a new, sustainable model for delivering care.    

David McColl. Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “Since the spring we have been pressing for a plan to safely ease Covid restrictions, to help increase patient numbers. Sadly, these new guidelines will not magically restore services. They land as we head into winter when respiratory diseases are set to skyrocket. And with Omicron now present in Scotland many practices will understandably take a safety-first approach.

“We are still facing massive backlogs, saddled with a system that is unfit for purpose. New protocols will not soften the blow of plans to pull away emergency support at this challenging time for infections and try and return to a ‘business as usual’ model during a pandemic. Ministers say now is not the time for reform. Reform won’t wait for millions of patients in Scotland who need NHS dentistry to have a future.”

The financial aspect of working with DENTALAIR UTILITIES is amazing

Joanna Kelly from Tri-Dental shares her experience of the services from DENTALAIR UTILITIES.

‘We had our air supply fitted by DENTALAIR UTILITIES in August 2021. It’s difficult to pinpoint the biggest benefit, but I would say that the financial aspect of working with DENTALAIR UTILITIES is amazing!

‘You are given true peace of mind that the monthly fee covers absolutely everything; installation, service and maintenance and even emergency callout in case of a breakdown.

It’s great knowing that the team of engineers will be available to fix any problems and be available when you need them. DENTALAIR UTILITIES has definitely made life in practice easier!”

“I would absolutely recommend DENTALAIR UTILITIES to other professionals as its customer care and products are unrivalled.  Using their services is so simple and easy – they’re without a doubt a 10/10.”

For more information, please visit www.dentalair.com, contact DENTALAIR UTILITIES at info@dentalair.com or call 0800 975 7530

#AirtotheChair

(Finally) getting down to business

In today’s profession, running a successful dental practice takes a lot more than clinical skill. Though excellent patient care and dental treatment are crucial, there are many more areas that require just as much attention from the practice owner and/or manager. These include everything from managing finances and patient expectations to monitoring practice performance, marketing, team motivation, communication and so much more!

For individuals looking to advance their knowledge and confidence in these areas, the Dentistry Show London 2021 provided a fantastic platform for learning, networking and discussion. The first major live dental event in almost two years, it was a stark reminder of the enormous benefits afforded by face-to-face interaction – and missed by many for so long. Thousands of professionals visited London Olympia to update their knowledge and skills, gain CPD and network across the profession.

Alongside clinical topics, material updates and technology demonstrations were several sessions dedicated to business management and optimisation, market trends and recruitment support. These were presented by experts in their fields, providing an enriched learning experience for any individuals with roles and responsibilities within non-clinical areas of dentistry.

Programme highlights

All good dental businesses start with a good website, so Shaz Memon offered some interesting insights into how most practices are losing money in this way. Shaz commented:

“We have found the average bounce rate for dental websites to be about 80%. This means that 80% of people who click on a practice website are leaving again within 20 seconds. With 20 years of experience in the dental marketing field, I am able to share some of the mistakes dentists might make that cause people to leave their websites too quickly.”

During his session, Shaz discussed the ‘five-second test’ to show what features must be easily accessible on a website to prevent so many people from leaving too quickly. It was all about adding the wow factor and encouraging patients to make enquiries.

For anyone considering the sale or purchase of a dental practice, Paul Wilkinson explored the key areas that mattered most with regards to practice valuations.  He was optimistic about the market having rebounded well from Covid, though pointed out the challenges of retaining good ancillary staff. As part of the lecture, Paul provided a hand-out to showcase a particular case study and show exactly what is possible in the current dental landscape.

Having attended the session, Principal Dr Tholdol commented:

“It was very informative with practical information that can be followed. I really liked the handout at the session too.”

Other popular sessions included Les Jones’ lecture on why now might be the right time to transition from NHS to private dentistry. He made a very compelling argument and offered delegates some useful advice to help them make the change as successful as possible. Delegates also had an opportunity to gain insight into what it’s like to work with some of the dental groups and corporates, with sessions delivered by Eddie Coyle of Colosseum Dental and Andy Sloan of Portman Dental.

Bringing the first day’s programme to an end in the NHS & Business Theatre, Simon Gambold discussed leadership in dentistry, offering some useful ideas to help delegates better guide their team and business to success. Following the event, he commented:

“This was a great first event back. There was a good mix of exhibits and talks.”

Another big draw for delegates was Mahmood Mawjee’s session on how to stop worrying about litigation. A passionate speaker, Mahmood kept the audience acutely engaged throughout, encouraging participation and giving clinicians an opportunity to identify the source of their stress and alleviate some of the causes. He offered some practical ways to improve daily life in practice, urging delegates to find what motivates them and brings them joy. He said:

“Life is about being happy, but a lot of dentists are not. This is still a great profession, but it is stressful and dentists need to learn to deal with that aspect better.”

Discovery and networking

As is often said, it’s not just what you, but who you know. A huge part of business is networking, as establishing and strengthening working relationships with colleagues, referral centres, industry and training providers can make a significant difference to practices. With more than 120+ exhibitors, including many that offer business support services and technologies, as well as speakers from around the globe leading professional associations and 2,500+ fellow delegates, there were plenty of individuals and organisations to connect with.

Robert Mew, Partner at Fairfield House Dental, said:

“Great to see everybody back and new faces. There were a lot of great exhibitors with a good selection of new products. Good lectures and education as well – bite size, so they leave you wanting more.”

 

Dentistry Show London returns next year – 7-8 October 2022 | ExCeL London

Find more details at https://london.dentistryshow.co.uk/

The complete X-ray solution

The Orthophos SL3D, available from Clark Dental, is a highly intuitive and innovative all-rounder for every practice to benefit from.

  • Direct conversion sensor delivers incomparably sharp image quality
  • Various 3D volume sizes ensure adaptability to different clinical scenarios
  • Sharp layer (SL) technology guarantees easy image focus
  • Interactive SL makes it simple to take subsequent lingual or buccal images
  • Optimal patient positioning promotes their comfort while supporting exceptional image capture first time

Want to know more? Clark Dental is on hand to demonstrate this and many other market-leading digital solutions designed to make your life that much easier in practice. Contact the experts for more details today!

 

For more information call Clark Dental on 01268 733 146, email info@clarkdental.co.uk or visit www.clarkdental.co.uk

Trust in the biomaterials you use

Dr Kailesh Solanki is the Principal of Kiss Dental and has placed over 1,000 dental implants in his career so far. He discusses why he chooses to use biomaterials from the Straumann Group when utilising immediate protocols in appropriate cases:

“In terms of the biomaterials from the Straumann Group, they allow me to place the product in the right area and I know that they are going to stay there. With other products, you worry that they will move, wash out and almost disintegrate. I need something stable as a product, which is why I like those from the Straumann Group. The mucoderm® and Jason® membrane deliver this stability every time. They are also easy to handle, come in different sizes to minimise wastage and deliver good clinical outcomes.”

The Straumann Group provides a comprehensive portfolio of biomaterials to suit all situations. Discover them all online or contact your representative today.

 

For more information on the complete range of biomaterials, please visit www.straumann-uk.co/biomaterials