Month: September 2023

A complete dental implant range for prosthetic success

There are approximately 11 million people aged 65 and over in the UK,[i] which means more people are retaining their natural dentition for longer. However, there are several oral complications commonly associated with age and so there are several demands placed on any treatment that is required for patients in this demographic.

For example, when a patient loses a tooth, you need high-quality treatment solutions that will support function, comfort and aesthetics – patients nowadays want solutions that will look good, in addition to feeling natural with easy maintenance. Dental implants are a fantastic solution for edentulism, but some patients may worry about the invasiveness of treatment, or whether it is truly the right option for their situation.

Anthogyr, a Straumann Group brand, has been recognised for 30 years within the field of dental implantology. Their concepts are driven by prosthetic success, supporting clinicians so they can support their patients with high-grade, versatile and science-backed products.

An outstanding performance

Anthogyr offers clinicians a full range of dental implant solutions, with options facilitating less-invasive treatment without compromising on performance. For patients concerned about discomfort or long procedure times, Anthogyr implants can help to reduce both – for a treatment pathway that suits everyone.
The portfolio includes the Axiom® Multi Level® implant concept, offering a range of surgical solutions and synergistic philosophies between bone and tissue level implants. Clinicians can opt for Axiom® Bone Level (BL) endosseous implants, with a single diameter prosthetic connection compatible with all the diameters of Axiom®BL range.

Axiom® BL implants support and promote biological integration, with a sealed internal conical connection designed to prevent micromovements and reduce bacterial intrusion. For more flexible and aesthetic treatment, Axiom® BL solutions provide subcrestal placement that favours bone preservation and soft tissue stabilisation. Two profiles include REG, suitable for most clinical indications, and PX, for improved bone anchorage in immediate implantation cases. This facilitates surgical flexibility, giving you more choice to treat patients in the most appropriate way.

Axiom® Tissue Level (TL) transgingival implants have been designed for superior biological safety, in addition to easy prosthesis insertion at the gingival level. These systems are made to preserve the epithelium and connective tissue attachment, respecting the biological process. Tissue management is optimised with the tissue-favoured design and a smooth surface designed for optimal contact with the gingivae.

Tissue level solutions from Anthogyr utilise two connections – a standard connection suitable for single and multiple restorations on TiBase; and inLink®, an intelligent lock-in system for multiple CAD/CAM screw-retained restorations.

What else does Anthogyr offer?

The comprehensive portfolio includes the Axiom X3®, with a high performing design for universal anchorage in all bone densities. Protocols can be adapted for immediate treatment, and the bone preservation concept allows more space for bone, securing stability and efficient osteotomy. The unique conical connection helps to simplify prosthetic steps, for the benefit of both the professional and the patient. Additionally, the Axiom X3® implant saves chair time and promotes minimally-invasive protocols, which your patients will appreciate.

Anthogyr also provides a Mini Implant system, a small yet powerful offering suitable for totally edentulous patients, even those presenting with severely reduced horizontal bone availability. Don’t compromise on reliability, performance or patient comfort – with the Mini Implant system, you can provide minimally invasive treatment that truly makes a difference.

Improved confidence, for professionals and patients alike

Patients want to be reassured that surgery will be comfortable, with solutions that satisfy their demands; professionals want products that simplify the workflow, providing reliability and flexibility. With Anthogyr, this is more than possible.

Solutions have been designed and manufactured to deliver a superior performance, backed by continuous ingenuity. Anthogyr allows you to support patients considering dental implants, but who may be concerned about what surgery entails or if implants are a suitable option for them.

With various advanced and intelligent features, Anthogyr solutions help you secure prosthetic success. To find out more, visit the website or get in touch with the team today.

For more information about the Anthogyr implant systems available, please

visit www.straumann.com

[i] www.ageukmobility.co.uk. (n.d.). 2022 ageing & older population statistics | Age Co Mobility. [online] Available at: https://www.ageukmobility.co.uk/mobility-news/article/ageing-and-older-population-uk-statistics-for-2022 [Accessed 12 Jun. 2023].

Tackling the rising tide of bruxism

Bruxism is a far more prevalent issue than most people realise, impacting an estimated 80% of the population at some point in their lives. The impact can be serious and far-reaching, with the potential to influence every aspect of a sufferer’s life. Being able to provide these patients with relief from the pain and discomfort caused is essential for every single general dental practitioner (GDP) and their team.

Why so high?

Incidence of bruxism is believed to have risen in recent years. Bruxism has many different causes, which include stress and anxiety, lifestyle factors and sleep disorders – the former is the most common.[i] Sadly, one in 14 adults in the UK feel stressed every single day, while one in 5 feel stressed more days than they feel fine every month. A massive 79% of people report feeling stressed at least once a month in the UK, with people suffering for an average of just over 8 days each month.[ii] Among the key reasons for such anxiety levels are lack of sleep and money worries, work and workload demands. The additional challenges brought on by the pandemic no doubt added to the stressors that many people regularly face too.

Unfortunately, higher stress could mean unhealthier lifestyle choices, which in turn can further exacerbate the risk of bruxism. For instance, stress is linked with an increase in smoking[iii] and alcohol consumption,[iv] both of which are co-factors of bruxism.[v] Just like other psychoactive substances like caffeine or certain medications, these can lead to problems sleeping – which is another risk factor for bruxism.

In fact, any sleep disorder can increase the chance of bruxism occurring, with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) remaining the highest risk factor. Any apnoea event is often accompanied by mouth movements
such as snoring gasping, mumbling and tooth grinding.v

Given the close links between all of these risk factors for bruxism, combined with the increasing stressors that we face in everyday life today, it’s no wonder that the condition impacts so many people.

The impact of bruxism

There is a myriad of both short- and long-term impacts from bruxism. The immediate and usually temporary symptoms include headaches, facial myalgia, earache, tightness of the shoulders, sleep disruption, excess tooth mobility and inflamed or receding gums. Longer-term and sadly even potentially permanent adverse effects include temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) and tooth wear or breakage.v

Add to all of these symptoms the on-going lack of sleep and pain that can come from excessively grinding the teeth or clenching the jaw, and it is little wonder that bruxism has such a huge impact on patients. Studies have demonstrated that oral health-related quality of life significantly reduced,[vi] and that’s not to mention the financial or emotional cost of repeatedly restoring broken or mobile teeth. 

Unfortunately, treating bruxism can be difficult and may require a multidisciplinary approach involving several healthcare professionals to help a patient tackle the causes. However, dental professionals can provide substantial relief for sufferers through the provision of splints or night guards.

Not all night guards are made equal

Where appropriate, occlusal splints or night guards may offer a solution to protect the patient’s teeth from further tooth wear or fractures. However, not all are made equal in quality, convenience or cost-effectiveness.

In many cases, splints fabricated in the dental lab can be expensive for the patient and this level of engineering may not be necessary. Chairside options often provide a more cost-efficient and faster solution that patients appreciate – such as the SOVA® night guard from Oraldent.

This remouldable, pre-formed device is easy to fit with a simple professional workflow and no need for any impressions. The innovative Diffusix™ Technology ensures even distribution and absorption of forces, while the biocompatible material features no BVA, PVC, latex or phthalate. Patients will also appreciate the super thin 1.6mm inside wall that optimises comfort while also ensuring that speaking, drinking and sleeping are easy. What’s more, SOVA has been proven to be an inexpensive and effective alternative to traditional gold standard splints.[vii]

Be prepared

Given the high prevalence of bruxism among the general population, all GDPs are likely to come across patients in need of support for its symptoms. As a destructive and life debilitating condition, being able to alleviate the impact of bruxism on a patient’s quality of life is essential. Finding easy to implement and affordable solutions that enable you to deliver customised protective devices is an excellent start.

 

For more details, please visit Oraldent.co.uk/bruxism or call 01480 862080

Bio – Julia Svec

Julia Svec is the Product Development Manager for Billion Dollar Smile Cosmetics Ltd. She has spent the last ten years working in collaboration with dentists, laboratories and manufacturers in North America, Europe and Asia researching and developing effective and safe non-peroxide teeth-whitening products for professional and home use.

[i] NHS. Teeth grinding (bruxism). https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/teeth-grinding/ [Accessed May 2023]

[ii] CIPHR. Workplace stress statistics in the UK. https://www.ciphr.com/workplace-stress-statistics/ [Accessed May 2023]

[iii] Lawless MH, Harrison KA, Grandits GA, Eberly LE, Allen SS. Perceived stress and smoking-related behaviors and symptomatology in male and female smokers. Addict Behav. 2015 Dec;51:80-3. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.07.011. Epub 2015 Jul 26. PMID: 26240941; PMCID: PMC4558262.

[iv] Noah R. Wolkowicz, MacKenzie R. Peltier, Stephanie Wemm, R. Ross MacLean,

Subjective stress and alcohol use among young adult and adult drinkers: Systematic review of studies using Intensive Longitudinal Designs, Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports. 2022; 3; 100039, ISSN 2772-7246 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadr.2022.100039.

[v] The Bruxism Association/ Causes of Bruxism. http://www.bruxism.org.uk/causes-of-bruxism.php [Accessed May 2023]

[vi] Turcio KH, Neto CM, Pirovani BO, Dos Santos DM, Guiotti AM, Bertoz AM, Brandini DA. Relationship of bruxism with oral health-related quality of life and facial muscle pain in dentate individuals. J Clin Exp Dent. 2022 May 1;14(5):e385-e389. doi: 10.4317/jced.59255. PMID: 35582352; PMCID: PMC9094727.

[vii] Gerstner G, Yao W, Ludkin D, Sinacola R, Frimenko K. A comparison of compliance and oral health between two bite splints, a randomized clinical trial. Clinical research. Manuscript number JPD_2018_27.

A dynamic solution up close

Curaprox is proud to be attending the British Society of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry (BSP) Conference 2023, on 11-13th October at the ICC Birmingham.

Whilst amongst some of the most passionate dental minds, we are excited to present the Curaprox Implant Kit, a collation of effective care products for your patients.

The kit contains everything a patient will need for their recovery from implant treatment, including three specialised tooth brushes (the CS Surgical, CS 708 Implant and the CS 5460 Ultra Soft brush) and a collection of Perio Plus+ solutions.

These include the specialty Perio Plus+ Regenerate Mouthwash, Focus Gel and Support Toothpaste. Each of these pair chlorhexidine and all-natural Citrox® to combat pathogens with ease.

A variety of interdental brush heads are included with the Curaprox 430 Click holder, for a choice that suits each patient best.

Curaprox will be appearing at a stand at the BSP Conference’s Trade Exhibition, where we welcome any and all professionals to find out how their patient care can blossom with the Curaprox Implant Kit.

To learn more about powerful implant care, contact the Curaprox team today.

For more information, please visit www.curaprox.co.uk

Wesleyan donates £65,000 to BMA research project on PPE

The Wesleyan Foundation has made a donation of £65,000 to support research into the effects of wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for prolonged periods. This study will help to evidence the repercussions PPE has on doctors’ and nurses’ health and ability to perform their roles.

PPE is designed to prevent disease transmission in high-risk scenarios. During the COVID-19 pandemic its use increased within medical environments, and this trend is predicted to continue. Dr Christopher Mullington, MBBS, FRCA, BSc(Hons) and PhD & Dr Helen Jones from Imperial College London are leading the research project for the British Medical Association (BMA) with the goal of helping to improve working conditions for medical professionals in the event of a future pandemic.

Dr Christopher Mullington, Principal Investigator and Consultant Anaesthetist said; “During the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS staff wore PPE throughout 12-hour shifts without breaks. We need to shine a light on an overlooked issue that PPE can negatively impact the physical and mental well-being of the doctors and nurses that wear it.

“PPE limits heat loss and places wearers at risk of heat illness, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke. This study will quantify the impact of wearing PPE throughout 12-hour shifts and will help highlight the need for interventions to improve working conditions.”

Mario Mazzocchi, Wesleyan Group Chief Executive, said: “Many of our customers are medical professionals and were on the front line of the pandemic dealing with immense pressures and challenges every day – we will be forever grateful for their hard work and dedication.

“In addition to the financial advice we offer, our mutuality means we can invest in helping the professions we serve, we hope that  donating to this important project, through our Wesleyan Foundation, will result in helping doctors well-being and ease their challenging working conditions.”

The BMA Foundation said; “As a charity, the BMA Foundation is fully reliant upon the generosity of donors. Without the money received as donations we would not be able to fund medical research and continually strive to improve health.”

In 2017 Wesleyan launched the Wesleyan Foundation as part of their commitment to supporting great causes that are important to their members and the communities in which they live and work. The Foundation has since donated over £5m and supported more than 440,000 people across 500 different UK charities, community groups, research projects and social enterprises.

Streamline image processing with precision

Embrace the age of customisable technology with the RVG 6200 from Carestream Dental, making intraoral image processing more straightforward than ever.

The RVG 6200 allows practitioners to enhance their images according to their diagnostic needs or own preferences with the CS Adapt module. With 40 pre-set image filters to choose from, and space for four personally defined settings, clinicians can optimise each appointment uniquely.

Three anatomical image enhancement modes can be applied, including endodontic, periodontic, and dentine-enamel junction – each providing detailed and easily processed scans to a variety of treatments.

The RVG 6200 is ergonomically designed to streamline and improve the image acquisition process. A newly designed, rear-entry cable reduces bulk at the cable point of entry, making positioning in a patient’s mouth quick and easy.

A straightforward installation process helps integrate the RVG 6200 with most imaging and dental practice management software, allowing the sensor to make a difference in any work space.

For more information, contact the Carestream Dental team today.

 

For more information on Carestream Dental visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

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

Materials, the foundation of exceptional outcomes and happy patients

All dentists know that materials are crucial. The time and money invested in research and development, to improve, upgrade and elevate what’s already on the market, and launch new products, shows how fundamental they are in modern dentistry and for improving levels of oral health.

A great material, one that you reach for time and time again, needs to achieve several things. First, it needs to be easy to use and handle. It must also support predictable outcomes and help you get things right, first time. For restorative cases, you’ll be looking for a material that blends perfectly with the surrounding, untreated teeth. Stability and durability are key too, to achieve that all-important balance of long-term function with aesthetics.

The kinds of treatments that are in demand, including minimally invasive cosmetic procedures and implant therapies, require an advanced level of knowledge and skill set. New techniques continue to push the boundaries and make what would once have been considered impossible, possible. Clinicians are gaining the technical abilities to do more, and help more patients comprehensively. As such, they demand materials that are high-performing and can be seamlessly integrated into everyday workflows. When combined with cutting-edge techniques, the latest tools and materials enable treatment delivery that is fast, comfortable and successful. So, there’s an interface here, between progressive dentistry and the pioneering, quality products that are required to make it happen.

Sourcing the best materials benefits dentists, dental practitioners and every patient. If an individual can receive the result that they want in just one appointment, because your practice is using upgraded products, this is an incentive to choose you. People often do not mind paying a little bit more for convenience, either. Many modern materials are multitaskers that can be used for multiple indications. This will make them popular with the practice manager, principle or whoever takes care of budgets and that other key resource – space!

Great, intuitive materials will have been developed with the whole dental team in mind. They will also offer flexibility, to make all workflows smoother, whether digital or ‘traditional’. Impression materials for laboratory-fabricated restorations can also be cutting-edge, and you may be surprised about what is now available to use. Conventional methods for taking impressions aren’t going anywhere yet, and the very best dentists will be masters of those too.

Ethical dentistry is dentistry that is tailored to the patient; an individualised treatment plan designed with their unique circumstances in mind. As such, there may be times when a traditional impression is the best option. In fact, it is often the more complex cases where you will find yourself returning to conventional impression-taking, because you know that, in combination with a high-quality material, it will give you the most accurate result, and one where the dental technician will be able to see all the margins and details.

An accurate impression – however it has been created and whether or not it gets digitised – means a restoration can be created that is precise and looks beautiful. It will fit, and the patient will be delighted by how it feels, as well as what they see. No retakes required, just high value, no-nonsense treatment delivery that leaves everyone satisfied. Modern impression materials have evolved so these things, and more, can be achieved with no need to ‘go digital’ if the case does not demand it. If you’re doing crown and bridge work – the bread and butter for most general practices – there are materials that will give you the flow, replication of detail and dimensional stability that you require for clinically successful outcomes. From COLTENE, are AFFINIS™ impression materials, available in stunning colours, so you can find your preferred combination. AFFINIS™ heavy body BLACK EDITION works well with AFFINIS™ PRECIOUS light body, in decadent silver or gold, for precise impressions that your laboratory will be happy to receive. Popular with dental nurses too, the materials are well-tolerated by patients. In the past, impressions were often one of the most dreaded parts of a dental visit, with people saying they could taste the material in their mouth for hours afterwards.

Great dentistry combines care, technique, skill, experience and the use of exceptional materials. Materials are at the very heart of the patient’s journey, supporting their comfort, also dictating how long their treatment takes to complete and how well it endures in the following months and years. With the right materials, a dentist will work more efficiently; if an impression is being made, this can mean fewer retakes and better communication with the lab and technician. Materials are fundamental to your success, giving you options as well as the results you want. Choose the best, and your practice will benefit as a whole, and earn a reputation for excellence.

For more on COLTENE, visit www.coltene.com, or call 0800 254 5115.

COLTENE loyalty scheme https://rewards.coltene.com

Nicolas Coomber COLTENE  National Account & Marketing Manager

 

 

Dentsply Sirona Announces Continued Partnership for World Oral Health Day 2024 and Celebrates The “Most Original Activity” Award Winners

Dentsply Sirona, the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental solutions and technologies, celebrates the success of a comprehensive communication campaign for WOHD 2023. The campaign slogan, “Be Proud of Your Mouth”, garnered global engagement through an array of multi-platform initiatives.

Erania Brackett, Senior Vice-President of Orthodontic Aligner Solutions & Customer Experience and Head of Sustainability at Dentsply Sirona, appeared via video at the WOHD 2023 ceremony in Sydney, Australia to reflect on Dentsply Sirona’s successful 2023 campaign and celebrate sponsoring the “Most Original Activity” award. During the ceremony, the continued partnership between Dentsply Sirona and FDI World Dental Federation for WOHD 2024 was announced.

“Be Proud of Your Mouth”: A Successful 2023 Communication Campaign

Erania Brackett, a vocal advocate for oral health on social media, expressed her enthusiasm around an impressive 2023 communication campaign and the impactful results it achieved. “Our campaign was expansive and global, involving a cross-functional company-wide communication initiative via social media, various websites, mailers, and other mediums explaining the direct correlation between oral health and overall health,” she remarked.

The sign of this successful partnership is the clear alignment of values, evidenced between FDI World Dental Federation and Dentsply Sirona through this shared sentiment. FDI World Dental Federation President Prof. Ihsane Ben Yahya explains that “Good oral health is a vital part of our daily lives, both in terms of physical health and mental well-being.”

Dentsply Sirona’s campaign, visible across a multitude of social media channels, extended its impact beyond awareness, also equipping dentists with a downloadable toolkit for educating patients about the connection between oral and general health. Dentsply Sirona’s commitment was further demonstrated by a distribution of over 400 oral health kits containing toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental timers, floss, educational flyers and personalized “Get well” cards to patients undergoing cleft treatment at Smile Train partner treatment centers in Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico.

Sponsoring the “Most Original Activity” Award

As part of the WOHD 2023 campaign, Dentsply Sirona sponsored the “Most Original Activity” award, which acknowledges exceptional initiatives to creatively promote oral health messages within the public domain. The award criteria evaluated participant numbers, external partnerships, innovation, the use of materials and alignment with the WOHD theme as well as impact through dissemination of take-home messages and/or oral care items.

This distinction was awarded to The Sudanese Association of Dental Students – specifically, the Prophylaxis Office and the External Relations Office – whose activities and accomplishments were expansive in scope, including educational visits to schools, awareness programs at dental hospitals, engagement with local businesses, and educational sessions at universities, reaching an audience of approximately 2,000 individuals.

Dentsply Sirona and FDI World Dental Federation: A Continued WOHD Partnership

At the WOHD Ceremony the continuation of the partnership between Dentsply Sirona and FDI World Dental Federation into 2024 was announced. “In the meantime, our 2023 mission doesn’t end here,” Erania Brackett communicated. “Every day, all of us at Dentsply Sirona live our vision to transform dentistry to improve oral health globally.”

Dentsply Sirona’s continued partnership reaffirms its commitment to the global oral health movement, aiming to make a lasting impact through education, awareness, and community engagement.

For more information on Dentsply Sirona’s sustainability strategy BEYOND, visit http://www.dentsplysirona.com/sustainability.

BOS urges dental professionals to champion ‘Keep Britain Smiling’ campaign

  • Tooth decay continues to be the most common reason for hospital admissions for children aged six to 10 with a staggering 40,000 children admitted every year for dental extractions.
  • The Keep Britain Smiling campaign, supported by The British Orthodontic Society (BOS), helps to tackle the issue head-on by empowering children to take simple steps to improve their oral hygiene.  Feedback to date on this groundbreaking campaign from children, parents and teachers has been overwhelmingly positive. 
  • Today at the British Orthodontic Society’s annual conference in London (28 September 2023), The BOS is calling out to dental professionals across England and Wales to become Keep Britain Smiling ambassadors by pledging their support to champion the campaign in their area – www.keepbritainsmiling.co.uk.
  • Keep Britain Smiling has already harnessed support from The English Football League and The Premier League Primary Stars who are using the power of football to connect with young children about the important of good oral health.    

The Premier League Charitable Fund offers a free resource – Taking care of our teeth.  It includes worksheets and online activities to boost the dental health habits of children aged 7-11, available to every primary school in England and Wales. It encourages classroom-based discussions on the sugar levels in different food types, the effects that sugar can have on oral health and how to make healthy choices to keep teeth strong.

Premier League Head of Community and Football Policy, Nick Perchard said: 

“Premier League Primary Stars uses the power of football to encourage children to talk about a wide range of issues in the classroom, supporting them to make healthy, positive life choices. This education resource, which includes full lesson plans and interactive content, is a great example of our ongoing work to support health and wellbeing.”

The Keep  Britain Smiling campaign continues to gain high profile support. Jay Rodriguez, Burnley and England footballer, said: 

Jay Rodriguez

“I’m delighted to put my support behind Keep Britain Smiling. The statistics on dental decay in children are shocking. The campaign tackles the issue with simple and effective messaging that empowers children to look after their teeth. The Premier League Primary Stars ‘Looking after your teeth’ resource uses football to interest and motivate children to learn about the importance of dental health. It’s great that football and healthcare can work together alongside The British Orthodontic Society to Keep Britain Smiling!”

The national campaign builds on the success of Stoke City Community Trust’s award-winning Keep Stoke Smiling project, which has used the appeal of football to deliver diet and dental health messaging to 11,000 primary school children in Staffordshire.

Speaking at The British Orthodontic Conference Alice Faulkner, Health and Wellbeing Coordinator at Stoke City Football Club Community Trust, spoke about how dental professionals can get involved and volunteer for Keep Britain Smiling. 

“Through the Keep Stoke Smiling campaign, we embarked on a mission to empower children with the knowledge and skills they need to take care of their teeth. It has reached and touched the lives of children from all corners of our city.  Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from children, teachers and parents.   I believe the positive changes we’ve initiated in oral health will continue to ripple through the years to come.”

Dr Karen Juggins, Orthodontist and Founder of Keep Stoke Smiling said: 

“Never before has the need been more urgent to revolutionise the way dental health care messaging is delivered.  I’m delighted that our campaign in Stoke is now spreading countrywide with Keep Britain Smiling which is supported by The British Orthodontic Society.  We now want to harness the power of collaboration and encourage dental communities to champion the campaign in their area.”

The Royal College of Surgeons have endorsed the campaign. Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at The Royal College of Surgeons of England, said:

 “Keep Britain Smiling is simple and effective.   It delivers clear messages like ‘spit, don’t rinse’ that empower children by encouraging positive oral health habits at a young age.   I’m delighted to support Keep Britain Smiling and look forward to seeing it continue to go from strength to strength.”

For more information, visit: www.keepbritainsmiling.co.uk

Dental Protection emphasises support as new survey reveals impact of staff shortages on wellbeing

Over a third (35%) of dental professionals say they are not able to take breaks during the day to eat or drink, and over half (52%) say the impact of exhaustion on the delivery of quality patient care is affecting their mental health, according to a new survey.

In the Dental Protection survey of over 1,300 dental professionals in the UK, over a third (36%) also say fear of dentolegal issues arising from staff shortages is having a negative impact on their mental health.

Dr Yvonne Shaw, Deputy Dental Director at Dental Protection said: “Dentistry is still a rewarding profession – being able to improve oral health and the quality of life of the public is a privilege which instils a sense of professional satisfaction. However, morale in the profession seems to be at a low ebb, and wellbeing concerns are central to this.

“Demand for dental services remains high, the environment is increasingly challenging and there is a limit on what can be done within available capacity. Clearly some dental professionals are not taking breaks during the working day and are skipping meals, foregoing essential nourishment as a result. This is exacerbated by work overload and staff shortages.

“Dental professionals are among the most dedicated healthcare professionals, so I am not surprised that many put the concerns of their patients before their own; however, not stopping to eat and drink is concerning both for the health of the dental team and the adverse impact this can have on the delivery of care.

“One of the many problems with staff shortages is the knock-on effect on the mental health of remaining staff who risk becoming exhausted and/or demotivated. Over half of our members tell us they are worrying about how exhaustion and burnout are impacting the safe delivery of patient care. The effect of not being able to provide optimum standards of care on any healthcare professional’s mental health – due to external factors and pressures outside of their control – cannot be overstated.

“Many members also tell us they work in fear of becoming embroiled in dentolegal issues arising due to staff shortages, and that this constant worry is having a detrimental impact on their mental health. I would like to reassure all members that Dental Protection is here to offer support in the event of a claim, complaint or other dentolegal issue arising from your professional practice.

“I would also encourage members experiencing work-related stress to make use of our 24/7 counselling service and other wellbeing support which is a benefit of membership with Dental Protection. The service is provided through a third-party partner and is completely confidential.”

Dental professionals who participated in the Dental Protection survey commented anonymously:

“It is apparent to me that the dental industry is a hostile place to work. I fear answering my phone or checking my emails, waiting for developments in the dentolegal case against me, or heaven forbid any further cases should arise. I genuinely try my hardest every day and always put my patients first, and genuinely believe 99.9% of the patients I treat are happy, but after one dentolegal case my confidence is at rock bottom.”

“Staff shortages are putting pressure on other staff members.”

“I cannot recruit an associate dentist to look after patients and meet targets and so I face a big clawback which will have a severe financial impact on the running of the business.”

“Being a young dentist, dentolegal issues are looming over my head. Especially from patients who have worked the system to their advantage and attempted the same techniques (esp. with young dentists or female dentists or dentists of colour). The anxiety has affected the way I work, my professional goals and physical wellbeing.”

Embrace innovation

If you’re a forward-thinking clinician who wants to embrace innovation, Straumann is both a leader and pioneer in various areas of dentistry.

The coherent and streamlined portfolio makes cutting-edge treatments accessible to more of your patients. For immediate loading protocols in tissue level cases, our TLX Implant system utilises the Roxolid® zirconia-titanium alloy for outstanding mechanical strength and healing capacity. The SLActive® surface material also promotes bone regeneration for enhanced outcomes and predictability.

The design of the TLX Implant optimises cleansability, improving stability and enabling ease of restoration, even in the posterior region, with peri-implant health preserved.

The TLX Implant system can be used with both digital and conventional workflows.

Push boundaries with Straumann solutions. With uncompromising customer service, we are driven to excel! Browse our range today.

 

For more information, please visit www.straumann.com