Month: January 2023

Elleven Dental unveils luxury ‘eco-practice’ on London’s Wimpole Street

This week, multi award-winning dental practice, Elleven Dental, opens at 74 Wimpole Street. The ‘new Elleven’ has taken significant steps to reduce its carbon footprint, support staff wellbeing, and educate patients on the importance of preventative dental wellness

Led by partners Dr Sameer Patel (Clinical Director), Dr Shivani Patel and Dr Anthony Lam (Orthodontic Specialists), the practice will continue to offer services across General, Cosmetic and Orthodontics, as well as providing all specialist dental services.

Opening its doors to new and existing patients Monday 16th January 2023, the practice boasts state-of-the-art consultation rooms, cutting-edge dental technology and a team of world-class specialists.

The residence on Wimpole Street has also been designed to perform as a luxury eco-centric practice – allowing Elleven Dental to help drive the sustainability movement within the UK dentistry sector.

The internationally renowned dentistry provider has also refreshed their branding, which reflects Elleven’s priority of long-term wellness for both its patients and its staff, in a sustainable setting. Elleven Dental’s updated logo – a vine insignia – has an organic, natural feel, which is carried throughout the materials and natural hues of its Wimpole Street clinic décor.

As part of Elleven’s focus on enhancing staff wellness, it has introduced communal dining areas and wellbeing pods within its Wimpole Street clinic and will be launching an initiative which gives staff the option to take ‘meditation time’ when needed. Staff will also be treated to regular team outings, have access to a local co-working space for quiet working, and encouraged to contribute to minimising the business’ carbon footprint – by either walking, cycling or coming to work via public transport.

Dr Sameer Patel, Founder and Clinical Director at Elleven Dental says: “We’re incredibly excited to be entering a new phase of growth and innovation at Elleven Dental, starting with the launch of our brand new, luxury practice on Wimpole Street. We have created a state-of-the-art facility, centred around staff wellness, exceptional patient care and preventative dental support – as well as fulfilling our dream to become an eco-centric practice, supporting our nation’s mission to reduce waste. We hope to inspire other dental providers to follow suit, and can’t wait to welcome our patients to our new practice.”

Dr Anthony Lam, Orthodonic Specialist and Partner at Elleven Dental says: “Our updated slogan, ‘Dentistry for Life’, perfectly reflects Elleven’s goal as a business; to educate patients on the importance of preventative dental care, safeguarding their oral health and wider wellbeing in the long term. It also celebrates the ongoing relationships that we have developed with many of our patients, who choose to stay with Elleven Dental year after year because of the outstanding treatment and customer care they receive from our dedicated team.”

The clinic at 74 Wimpole Street is open to new and existing Elleven Dental patients from 16th January 2023. To book an appointment, visit ellevendental.com/contact-us or call +44 203 885 1420

Convenience without compromising on quality

StyleItaliano was founded by Walter Devoto and Angelo Putignano, with the ethos that beautiful aesthetic and restorative dentistry is possible with repeatable and simple techniques.

To help professionals achieve exceptional results in their everyday practice, StyleItaliano has paired with 3M Oral Care to offer a range of courses that cover vital clinical topics.

This includes their virtual and hands-on training courses, Essential Lines and Essential Shape, and their Direct and Indirect Veneers on Anteriors and Posteriors programme (with limited availability).

So, what can professionals expect from the StyleItaliano courses?

The essentials: for superior posterior and anterior composites

Essential Lines explores techniques for shaping the occlusal anatomy, without missing proportions or information which is drawn onto the tooth. This session is hosted by Dr Giuseppe Chiodera, who will guide you through the techniques needed to produce outstanding posterior composite restorations, using the fewest number of steps.

Dr Jordi Manauta’s course, Essential Shape, is ideal for professionals looking to perfect their anterior restorations. Dr Manauta will also be guiding professionals on how to achieve optimal results using minimal steps.

Professionals who sign up to either or both courses will receive a practice kit, containing products from 3M Oral Care. This includes:

  • The Filtek UniversalRestorative composite syringe from 3M
  • Scotchbond Universal Plus Adhesiveunit dose from 3M
  • Sof-Lex Finishing and Polishing Discs from 3M
  • Sof-Lex Spiral Finishing and Polishing Wheels from 3M

3M Oral Care is delighted to offer you the very best of their portfolio, to help you produce work that is truly exceptional.

There will also be instant access to on-demand training, allowing you to work conveniently, at a pace that suits you. Live training and Q&A sessions are also available, conducted over Zoom and giving you the opportunity to share your queries with Dr Chiodera or Dr Manauta – make sure you have your questions ready!

The Essential Lines and Essential Shape courses are priced at €249 each – however, when you sign up to both courses, you will receive a discounted rate of just €380!

Looking to perfect your veneers? No problem!

Taught by the StyleItaliano founders, in addition to honorary members Dr Manauta and Dr Anna Salat, the Direct and Indirect Veneers on Anteriors and Posteriors course is taught over four days. StyleItaliano will provide you with everything you need for the duration of the course, including products from 3M Oral Care.

On day one, you will receive an insight into the world of indirect posterior restorations and cementations. There will be some theory and hands-on activities, such as covering the guidelines for adhesive onlays and overlays, cavity design and temporisation, in addition to a 4-step preparation technique of a full coverage overlay restoration. Day two will explore ‘whiteology’, which is a unique concept blending simple techniques, handpicked materials and first-class education. One of the practical activities will be restoring bleached teeth. On the third day, you’ll discuss the guidelines on direct composite veneers and receive hands-on guidance on how to finish and polish a veneer in as few steps as possible – but always with optimal results!

And on the fourth and final day, you will focus on indirect anterior restorations and how to use veneers in complex cases. There will be a practical, project mock-up, veneer prep techniques and advice on patient communication and treatment approval.

Education at its finest

StyleItaliano and 3M Oral Care are delighted to join forces and offer professionals educational resources that truly make an impact.

To find out more, get in touch with the team or visit the website today!

Register your place at the course of your choice HERE:  http://go.3M.com/es-si

 

For more information, call 08705 360 036 or visit www.pra.co.uk/Dental

Natural, clinically-proven relief from xerostomia

There are several different causes of xerostomia, though it is most often a side effect of medications. No matter the cause, you need a solution you can trust to help patients fight the symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Consider Xerostom from Oraldent.

Available by prescription by dentists, it is clinically-proven to increase salivary flow by up to 200%.[i] The innovative product range contains only natural ingredients to deliver reliable relief from dry mouth symptoms. Available as a mouth spray, pastilles, gel, toothpaste and mouthwash, the unique formulas offer saliva stimulants, saliva substitutes and oral hygiene support – meeting all patients’ needs.

To find out more, visit the website or contact the team today.

 

For more details, please visit Oraldent.co.uk, call 01480 862080 or email info@oraldent.co.uk

 

[i] Ship JA, et al. Safety and effectiveness of topical dry mouth products containing olive oil, betaine, and xylitol in reducing xerostomia for polypharmacy-induced dry mouth. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation 34 (2007) 724-732.

 

Expand your skillset with the Straumann Group

Are you looking to expand your skillset? Do you want to learn about dental implantology? Or are you looking to offer orthodontic treatment? Train with the Straumann Group – the brand committed to providing and supporting world-class education and business development.

Straumann Group has partnered with the UK’s top educators and training providers to offer CPD and skill progression opportunities to dental professionals, enabling them to access high-quality training and education at all stages of their careers. Programmes can help you deepen your knowledge with more advanced MSc-level training, learn completely new skills and take your business to the next level.

With a wide range of courses available, including topics on implants, bone and soft tissue grafting, orthodontics, business development and many more, consider training and education opportunities with the Straumann Group.

 

To find out more about training and education with the Straumann Group, visit https://straumanngroupcourses.com

Latest figures reveal depth of Scotland’s access crisis

The British Dental Association has called on the Scottish Government to fix the broken system underpinning NHS dentistry, as new data reveals little sign of a recovery in attendance and ever-widening health inequalities.

Figures from Public Health Scotland show participation rates – contact with a dentist within the past two years – continued to fall. On 30 September 2022 just 50.4% of all registered patients had seen an NHS dentist within the last two years, still down on the 52.6% seen in 2021, and a considerable reduction from almost two-thirds (65.1%) in 2020. The participation rate among registered children was higher than for adults (65.7% compared to 47.2%).

The gap between the most and least deprived areas in Scotland continues to grow, with the new data showing record inequalities in participation rates. In September 2008, the gap in child participation between the most and least deprived areas was three percentage points; this had increased to seven percentage points by 2010, eighteen percentage points (55.3% compared to 73.1%) in September 2021. The figure now stands at twenty percentage points (55.9% compared with 75.8%).

The BDA has warned that lower levels of participation will inevitably translate into a higher dental disease burden, with deep oral health inequalities expected to widen even further given the cumulative impact of limited access to services, the temporary suspension of public health programmes, and the impact of lockdown diets. Lower participation will reduce the chance of picking up early signs of decay and oral cancers at routine check-ups, and delays in treatment will mean higher costs to the NHS and worse outcomes for patients. 

Registration rates remain high due to lifetime registration – over 95.4% of the Scottish population were registered with an NHS dentist in September 2022– but the percentage of children registered fell marginally. 

Free NHS dental for all remains a key Scottish Government policy. BDA Scotland has long warned that a return to a ‘business as usual model’ – low margin and high volume – will put practices under unsustainable financial pressure, with soaring running costs raising the risk of closure or movement to the private sector. BDA Scotland stresses that Ministers must continue with additional financial support for practices, set to end on 1 April 2023 to support dentists and their teams as they work through the historic backlog of dental care and until a new, sustainable funding arrangement for NHS dentistry is in place. This data follows recent reports of a growing exodus of dentists from the NHS.

David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “Patients in Scotland’s poorest communities are paying the price for the crisis in dentistry. The Scottish Government must not try to hide behind positive sounding registration figures. The reality is patient participation remains on the floor, and inequalities are set to widen. Dentists are reconsidering their futures working in a broken system. NHS dentistry is on the critical list, and real reform won’t wait.”

Customise your infection control

Are you seeking a unique steriliser that can be adapted to suit your individual needs?

Look no further than the Lyla steriliser from W&H.

From the start, the Lyla instantly streamlines your daily workflows with fast cycles, effortless interaction and reduced maintenance needs.

However, you can also upgrade the system by using optional Activation Codes to add new features. For instance, you can transform the S-type Lyla into a B-type steriliser, add faster cycles and more. Effectively, the Lyla can become whatever system you want it to be, meaning that you can tailor its functionality to suit you.

To find out more, please contact W&H today.

 

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

Why wait? Straighten and whiten together

For patients already enjoying the benefits of clear aligner treatment, they can now have the additional benefit of whitening and brightening at the same time – with no additional wear time. 

Building on the success of SDI Pola’s award-winning at-home whitening range, new Pola for Aligners incorporates Pola Night 10% carbamide peroxide gel, carefully selected for use with any aligner system, to deliver exceptional results without the chair time, and with minimal sensitivity.

Pola for Aligners offers:

  • Superb patient comfort with a formulation of potassium nitrate and fluoride to reduce sensitivity while making it ideal for long-term use.
  • High viscosity gel that stays securely in aligner trays.
  • No mess with just a small amount of gel required.
  • Customised use from two hours a day and safe for overnight wear.

Even if patients have attachments on their orthodontic appliances, or use straight edged or scalloped aligners, this does not interfere with the whitening process.

Pola for Aligners can be prescribed as a one-off treatment during orthodontic treatment or customised for extended periods of use for simple, safe and effective whitening results.

“So many patients are now choosing aligners to straighten their teeth, and because patients are used to wearing their aligners, this is a natural step to help them have whitening treatment as an additional bonus.” Dr Linda Greenwall, Specialist in Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics.

For more information about Pola for Aligners visit https://sdipola.co.uk/products/pola-for-aligners/. Take advantage of the excellent deals and special offers on the entire SDI Pola Advanced Tooth Whitening range at https://sdipola.co.uk/offers/.

Need more time? Train now, to be more productive and fulfilled

Time is something often in short supply for dentists. Sometimes, despite putting all the hours in, you will wish you had more left at the end of the week.  

An ideal work-life balance means something different to everyone and it can also change throughout the course of your career. As a novice, you likely couldn’t wait to start caring for patients, keen to absorb new experiences and as much knowledge as possible. The learning curve while you’re building the basics is often the steepest it will ever be and, even when you’re coming home exhausted, every day teaches you something new. In those early days, ‘good’ stress will keep you on your toes and motivated to find a way to help and engage with people, especially those whom you’re struggling to connect with.

As you progress, though, you might want more time to focus on family, friends or hobbies, or things that will enrich your career, like education and further training. You may feel frustrated by knowing that, if you could get to know your patients better, this would be the key to them improving their oral health.

One sign that your work-life balance is imbalanced is when you start feeling blown off course and disconnected. A healthy work-life balance means you will be (mostly) fulfilled and content, wherever you are, in practice or not. Because this is a personal metric, and there will be times when you are happy to sacrifice your career for personal commitments, and vice versa, you must know when to make changes. Take a step back to consider your priorities, what really matters to you. All dental professionals aim to be doing the kind of dentistry they want to do, and that they enjoy. But you will also want time to teach, learn, travel as well and have some left for yourself.

A way to create more time and freedom in your future is to start postgraduate training early in your career. For me, learning how to be an implant dentist ticks every box. Firstly, it will teach you how to be a great communicator, who really gets the most out of every appointment. Even if you think you have good relationships with patients now, when you are delivering implant therapies you will be having better conversations with them about function and aesthetics, and the role they have for keeping their treatment stable and maintained.

When you learn to be an implant dentist, you will also be able to create a brilliant team around you. These will be the people who make coming into work less stressful, and far more enjoyable, as well as improve your treatment outcomes. Once you tell colleagues you offer implants and want to build a team, you will find they will be proud to stand alongside you, learning about the processes and protocols and getting to know the patients during their journey. The satisfaction that comes from restoring a smile will be even greater when it’s shared.

Implant work is scientific, creative, challenging and can help you appreciate what it means to really care for people. Delivering and restoring implants will allow you to form deeper bonds with patients and colleagues and develop personally as well as professionally.  It will open the door to lifelong learning and even travel, as you find out about the latest techniques and materials. With demand for dental implants set to keep rising, you will have a valuable income stream too, for the chance of financial freedom.

For high-quality training in the heart of London, The One to One Implant Education offers fully accredited postgraduate training to take you from novice to confident implant dentist. This is a comprehensive and progressive programme, with a significant portion of the teaching time dedicated to getting hands-on with to live surgery. You will be taught by renowned implantologists and educators who have carved out inspirational and aspirational careers and now want to share that knowledge. You’ll learn transferable skills, like communication, and gain an understanding of the importance of teamwork. You’ll be ready to get going as soon as the course is complete, with the opportunity to continue your learning with the advanced programme, which will take your practise to a whole new level.

To get the time you need and want, take a step back and think about how you can direct your career. Take postgraduate training early and you will give yourself more freedom and flexibility, as you settle into your dentistry, to enable you to create the right work-life balance for you. Choose a high-demand area like dental implants, where you will be both a leader and be working as part of team, and you will be on the road to finding more fulfilment, productivity and a real enjoyment of your work.

To reserve your place or to find out more, please visit
https://121implanteducation.co.uk or call 020 7486 0000.

Author bio:
Dr Fazeela Khan-Osborne is the founding clinician of the FACE dental implant multi-disciplinary team for the One To One Dental Clinic based on Harley Street, London. She has always had a passion and special interest in implant dentistry, particularly in surgical and restorative full arch rehabilitation of the maxilla. She has been involved in developing treatment modalities for peri-implantitis within clinical practice.

 Dr Khan-Osborne is also the Founding Course Lead for the One To One Education Programme, now in its 20thyear. As a former Lead Tutor on the Diploma in Implant Dentistry course at the Royal College of Surgeons (England), she lectures worldwide on implant dentistry and is an active full member of the Association of Dental Implantology, the British Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.

‘We all need to be beating that drum together’

Claire Berry argues the case for a business-focused approach to  dental hygiene

It is almost 10 years since regulatory barriers were removed to give some dental care professionals (DCPs) direct access to patients – a move hailed at the time as a key policy change.

The change followed much petitioning from professional organisations at a time when there were also moves by the Department of Health to make greater use of the skill set of the dental team.

Dental hygiene and therapy may have come a long way since then, but some attitudes have failed to keep pace.

Many in the profession have yet to fully acknowledge the autonomy of dental hygienists and therapists – and it is a bit of a bugbear for Claire Berry, an award-winning dental hygienist.

Claire has made it her mission to remind the profession (dental hygienists and therapists included) of the value of the roles.

She is passionate about the importance of utilising their full scope of practice and the powerful dynamic of patient education and positive behavioural change they bring to the profession.

With fellow award-winning hygienist Faye Donald, Claire runs The Contemporary Hygienist, a movement designed to empower and support DH&Ts, providing quality training, and discussion groups and networking opportunities.

She wants to raise the bar for her profession and give colleagues the confidence to strike out for a more independent and business-focused way of working that, she argues, benefits everyone.

Claire explains: ‘The majority of us are self-employed, often travelling from clinic to clinic to care for patients. Ultimately, we are a business, but when we work across practices it is often wrongly assumed we are “someone’s” hygienist. It can create confusion – from who sets the boundaries to appointment times, from what equipment we use to product recommendations.’

This scenario is neither conducive to high-quality oral health care nor business success.

‘For as long as people continue to “shoehorn” everything into a 20-minute hygiene appointment, the profession suffers, the patients suffer, and the clinician ultimately suffers. We all need to be beating that drum together.’

She adds: ‘We must work together to change the mindset towards a more “associate hygienist” concept. We sometimes fall back on the thinking that “this is how it has always worked”, but times are changing.’

Independent thinking is only part of the solution. Using the best equipment to help meet the needs of patients and having the freedom to choose the best products are also vital components of a successful business.

Claire says: ‘As a self-employed DH&T, you need to think as a business. I buy my equipment because I want to invest in my business, and I choose how I practise, giving my patients the best care. I want a long career, so I will work to the best of my abilities using the equipment and treatment modalities I choose. This mindset also allowed me to take control of my career pathway. By investing in my business, I became an asset to any practice. It is a nice position to be in.’

Claire takes her physical health seriously, too, so the equipment she invests in supports her and allows her to work without risk to her neck, joint or back.

‘Only you will care enough about that, so ensure you use the right tools to support health and career longevity. Choosing my products and equipment has given me the freedom and autonomy to be the clinician I want. There is fulfilment in that.’

Longer appointment time is, she adds, vital for DH&Ts to carry out their duties successfully and particularly important to deliver pain-free treatments to patients who might be nervous or need anaesthesia.

Whilst communication is the cornerstone of patient relationship-building, Claire believes developing technologies can help the profession earn patient trust – especially if it means faster, more effective and pain-free procedures.

‘I’m all about pain-free care, especially as a hygienist. We see periodontal patients far more over a lifetime than other dental team members. Minimally invasive and pain-free procedures empower patients, and we should use the most effective methods.

‘It can help to earn trust if a patient recognises we have invested in equipment that makes their treatment more enjoyable, comfortable, effective and efficient. They are far more likely to choose that clinician over someone who fails to prioritise this.’

So when she discovers game-changing technology that offers this, Claire believes it is worth the investment.

She has been using The Wand for a couple of years now. A computer-assisted system that administers anaesthesia via a pen-like device, The Wand helps calm even the most needle-phobic patients.

It allows the delivery of LA to target a single tooth without affecting the structures around it.

Claire says: ‘I use it to treat localised sites that require deeper access. I can target specific teeth painlessly so that the patient leaves looking normal and feeling great. It is ideal for patients who are needle phobic or who dislike the after-effects of local anaesthetic.

‘The Wand goes hand in hand with guided biofilm therapy (GBT), which is designed as a protocol to be minimally invasive and pain-free. It’s a no-brainer that I continue that experience even when they require a local anaesthetic.’

More recently, she has started using the new Wand Travel Kit, which means she can easily transport the equipment between surgeries.

Compact and easy to carry, it is ideal for DH&Ts working at multiple sites. For Claire, it’s another investment that increases the value of her care delivery to patients.

‘The experience I offer has perceived value to the patient, so any cost is immaterial. They expect pain-free treatment wherever they attend an appointment with me using equipment that enhances my ability to screen for and treat disease. Plus, they get treated by a clinician who enjoys every minute of what she does!’

Claire’s mindset shift about her work, the investment in her business and her autonomy as a clinician have alleviated much stress in her day-to-day dentistry.

She adds: ‘The Wand has further enhanced this for me, with the travel kit ensuring the optimum pain-free care wherever I practise. Now is the best time to invest in yourself. Set your business apart and feel empowered.’