Month: September 2023

An outstanding performance, with no compromises

Patients appreciate dental implant therapy that not only delivers beautiful, long-lasting outcomes, but is also minimally-invasive and causes less discomfort.

Anthogyr, a Straumann Group brand, provides a high-quality portfolio of implant solutions to suit both bone and tissue level indications. Products are designed for a less invasive surgery, reducing patient discomfort as well as treatment time and cost.

The portfolio includes Axiom® Bone Level endosseous implants, designed for biological integration, with one single connection for prosthetic convenience. Subcrestal placement favours bone preservation, while you gain surgical flexibility with two bone profiles: REG and PX.

Axiom® Tissue Level transgingival implants are designed for biological safety, respecting the biological processes by preserving the epithelium and connective tissue attachment. Tissue management is maximised with a tissue-favoured designed: smooth surfaces with optimal gingival contact.

To find out more about the Anthogyr implant range, visit the website today.

For more information about the Anthogyr implant systems available, please visit www.straumann.com

Learn to deliver complex rehabilitation with Ucer Education

A Certificate in Full-Arch Implant Reconstructions is launched for experienced clinicians who want to deliver safe, quality care for the rehabilitation of edentulous patients. 

This course will take place at ICE Postgraduate Dental Institute and Hospital, Manchester, and is led by Specialist Oral Surgeon, Professor Cemal Ucer and Professor Simon Wright

This is a highly-prestigious programme, that will enable you to carry out dual-arch reconstructions and rehabilitations using advanced implant procedures. It comprises a series of webinars, face-to-face teaching, live surgery, hands on training and advanced skill development.

You will learn everything from treatment planning protocols, to different augmentation techniques and biomaterials that can be used to treat the atrophic jaw.

Treat more people and take more referrals when you can incorporate these advanced implant procedures into your existing service list. Contact Ucer Education today, to advance your scope of practice.

Please contact Professor Ucer at ucer@icedental.institute or Mel Hay at mel@mdic.co

01612 371842

www.ucer-clinic.dental

Many different ways to scan

Primescan from Clark Dental is an intraoral scanner that offers a quality performance for high-precision digital impression taking.

With the Primescan intraoral scanner, you can optimise diagnostics and treatment planning, helping to increase patient comfort while expanding your practice with its versatile workflow options. For a more accessible option, you can enjoy all of the benefits of Primescan in a computer configuration: Primescan Connect is fast, accurate and easy to adopt and use.

For those seeking to get started in digital dentistry, Primescan Connect is great way to ease yourself in. With DS Core, you can share your scans with other case files, collaborating effortlessly with your laboratory partners and colleagues. Plus, it’s easy to integrate into any workflow and practice set-up.

To discover more about Primescan and Primescan Connect, get in touch with Clark Dental today.

 For more information call Clark Dental on 01268 733 146, email

info@clarkdental.co.uk or visit www.clarkdental.co.uk

Achieving a good night’s sleep

A good night’s sleep is crucial. It allows us to consolidate our memories, think clearly, remain vigilant and alert, and pay attention during the day. A lack of sleep can also affect mood, and cognition, impacting peoples’ abilities to carry out day to day activities. Some patients may experience illnesses or accidents as a result of poor sleep, and others may have underlying conditions which lead to sleep deprivation. By understanding the various factors which may impact quality of sleep, and the consequences of this, clinicians may play a crucial role in providing treatment which improves their patients’ sleep.

Recommendations for sleep

People might know of how long they should aim to sleep for, with research suggesting that the ideal zone is somewhere between 7 and 7.5 hours. However, the number of hours they actually sleep for may be different.[i]Studies show that in recent years many people are paying more attention to their sleep, with some prioritising a good night’s sleep over other activities. Despite this, experts suggest that when patients’ self-report their time spent sleeping, there are likely to be inaccuracies. This is because people tend to overestimate how much sleep they get per night, with a fairly large population sleeping less than 6 hours on average.i

This raises some concerns for professionals as, when the amount of time spent asleep drops below 7 hours, the prevalence of a number of disorders begins to increase.i With many patients leading busy lives, they may not be getting the quality of sleep they need, which is why it is important to understand the risks, and what to look out for.

The impact of a poor night’s sleep on general health

Sleep deprivation carries a number of risks – having the potential to affect attention span, mood and physical health. Research suggests that vigilant attention, reaction times, and cognitive performance begin to decline quickly once a person has been awake for more than 16 hours.i These are essential factors when undertaking tasks at work for example, or while driving. Because of this, sleep deprivation may be dangerous, having the potential to contribute to car accidents.[ii]

It is also important to consider the effects that sleep deprivation may have on patients’ health – including the potential impact on metabolism, hormone regulation, and emotional health. There are also known and suspected relationships between insufficient sleep and a number of health issues. These include, hypertension, obesity, type-2 diabetes, immune function, cardiovascular issues, mental health issues, and memory issues including dementia.i

Treating the cause

For some people, poor sleep may be caused by medical/dental issues. In these cases, clinicians are able to have an active role in improving their patients’ sleep. Obstructive sleep apnoea, for example, is a common condition which affects an estimated 3.9 million people in the UK.[iii] The condition causes the patients’ breathing to stop and start during sleep, and must be monitored and treated as it can lead to more serious health issues.[iv]

Obstructive sleep apnoea can cause patients to have restless nights, regularly disrupting sleep. And, if left untreated, the condition can lead to issues such as high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression or low mood, and issues with concentration increasing the risk of accidents. Some patients may also find that their condition puts a strain on their relationships.iv

The condition has been linked to a number of causes, including obesity, age, family history, smoking, drinking alcohol, neck and tonsil size, sleeping position, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).iv Patients should be tested for sleep apnoea, and should be provided with the appropriate aid to improve their sleep. This might be a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine or a mandibular advancement device (MAD).

The Dental Sleep Medicine course from the IAS Academy provides clinicians with an opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge they need to offer this to their patients. The course is led by Dr Paul Reaney, and discusses the fundamental concepts in dental sleep medicine. This includes the consequences of sleep deprivation, interpreting sleep tests, how to implement the latest NICE guidelines on sleep disordered breathing, and providing care to those with obstructive sleep apnoea. Delegates will be introduced to MADs, and will learn how to screen and clinically assess patients to decide whether referral is appropriate, or whether treatment in the dental practice is the best option.

By assisting patients to improve their sleep, clinicians have the ability to drastically enhance their quality of life. A poor night’s sleep can affect many aspects of a patient’s life, from their ability to work and drive, to their mental and physical health. Because of this it is important to monitor and treat patients, particularly if they have a condition such as obstructive sleep apnoea, as they may require additional care.

For more information on upcoming IAS Academy training courses, please visit

www.iasortho.com or call 01932 336470 (Press 1)

Dr Paul Reaney

BDS. MFDS RCS(Eng). MFGDP(UK). DPDS. Dip PCOrth RCS(Eng). MDTFEd

Paul is a Dentist with Special Interest in Orthodontics and has successfully incorporated a Dental Sleep Medicine Clinic, Snoring SolutionsNI, within his general practice.  He gained accreditation by examination to the European Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and is currently a Committee member of the Irish Society of Dental Sleep Medicine.

[i] Worley, Susan L. “The extraordinary importance of sleep: the detrimental effects of inadequate sleep on health and public safety drive an explosion of sleep research.” Pharmacy and Therapeutics 43.12 (2018): 758.

[ii] Dinges, David F. “An overview of sleepiness and accidents.” Journal of sleep research 4 (1995): 4-14.

[iii] Sleep Apnoea Trust. HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE UK HAVE OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNOEA (OSA)? Accessed June 23. https://sleep-apnoea-trust.org/research/

[iv] NHS. Sleep Apnoea. Accessed June 23.  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-apnoea/

Buxton Coates Solicitors celebrate launch with free HR support for dental professionals

To celebrate the launch of Buxton Coates Solicitors, a full-service, independent law firm providing bespoke legal services for dental professionals, their team of experts is offering 10 hours of free HR and employment advice to dental practices on 10th October 2023 to help offset the ongoing challenges increasingly being faced by the sector.

HR and employment advice needs are, perhaps, higher than ever before, in so small part as a result of skill mix changes to the NHS contract, IR 35 and the self-employment issue, staff shortages across the profession, and increased regulatory requirements.

With this in mind, the Buxton Coates team, who have over 20 years of experience between them, can offer comprehensive support in a number of significant areas, including associate agreements and self-employment issues for dental hygienists and dental therapists.

In addition to HR and employment advice, Buxton Coates offer the following services, making them the ideal legal support partner for all dental professionals:

  • Practice sales and purchases
  • Practice incorporations
  • Commercial advice, including expense sharing agreements, partnerships, and shareholder agreements
  • Commercial property advice, including leasehold drafting and negotiation, plus freehold sales and purchases, as well as overseeing buy-to-lets and property portfolios for landlords
  • NHS contract advice and NHS disputes
  • Commercial litigation, including contractual disputes.

Buxton Coates Solicitors officially opened their doors in July 2023, following a buyout from FTA Law, marking a change in name but continuing their commitment to delivering exceptional service, ensuring clients continue to receive an unbeatable level of expertise, professionalism, and dedication.

Speaking about this exciting move, Sarah Buxton, director of Buxton Coates Solicitors, commented: ‘Thomas Coates, the Managing Director, and I are delighted to be operating under the Buxton Coates name. Rest assured, our principles and values remain resolute, and we are very much looking forward to supporting dental professionals in the years to come.’

She continued: ‘Our specialist team embraces new and dynamic ways of offering legal services focusing on absolute transparency on fees and a high level of prompt and efficient service tailor made to you and your needs.’

To claim your free 30 minutes of advice, please email info@buxtoncoates.com and disclose the issue you would like to discuss on 10th October – a true 10 out of 10 service to get you started!

At the heart of the matter

Could oral indicators of CVD improve preventive healthcare?

We all know that oral and heart health are linked. There has been much research on the topic over the years, though more is needed to determine the exact mechanisms involved. I was interested to read recently about how a mouth rinse could be used to assess a patient’s risk of heart problems.

The concept is based on a study[i] that explored the oral inflammatory load and whether this could predict vascular function in young adults. The cross-sectional and correlational analysis looked at 28 systemically healthy 18 to 30-year-olds. Mouth rinse samples were collected from each participant and tested for oral neutrophils – white blood cells – which are a validated measure of oral inflammatory load. Researchers also tested participants for blood pressure, arterial stiffness and endothelial function (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation), which is a known early risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The study found a link between high oral neutrophil counts in the mouth rinse sample and impaired endothelial function. This suggests that testing for oral neutrophils in mouth rinse could indicate risk of heart problems in the future.

Of course, this line of research requires further study before it can be reliably implemented within the dental or healthcare workflow. For a start this was a small-scale study and the first of its kind as far as I’m aware. However, it offers an exciting new way of supporting the preventive healthcare we professionals dream of. It is the latest in a line of scientific findings that show just how important the mouth is for the health of the entire body. It’s also another way to integrate dental and general healthcare, promoting a truly holistic approach.

Such a risk assessment could also prove useful for patient education – especially if it works from such a young age as 18. If we have a quantitative measure that clearly defines a patient’s risk of CVD, this offers gravitas for our professional recommendations and may help to persuade patients of the need to make and maintain positive lifestyle changes. As this year’s World Heart Day campaign promotes, is it essential for patients to know their own hearts and how to keep them healthy.

Until such a time when this or a similar test becomes available to dental professionals, it remains our duty to help patients achieve and maintain high standards of oral health for the good of their mind and body. With regards to optimising heart health in particular, this includes avoiding or treating gingival diseases through excellent plaque control and regular dental or dental hygiene appointments. A thorough at-home oral hygiene routine with clinically proven products and professional support as necessary remains the gold standard for all patients.

For further information please call EndoCare on 020 7224 0999 or visit www.endocare.co.uk.

Author: Dr Michael Sultan BDS MSc DFO FICD is a Specialist in Endodontics and the Clinical Director of EndoCare

Reference:

[i] Ker-Yung H, Avin G, Yixue M, Jennifer WS, Dina A, Forsyth J, Kevin W, Wyeld T, Chunxiang S, Glogauer M, King TJ. Oral inflammatory load predicts vascular function in a young adult population: a pilot study. Frontiers in Oral Health. 2023;4. DOI=10.3389/froh.2023.1233881   

Dentex partners with Queensway Group in ‘deal of the year’

Believed to be the largest independent dental business transaction in the UK in recent years, specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced a landmark partnership between North East-based dental business, Queensway Group and Dentex.

Queensway Group has meticulously expanded and grown since being founded in 1994 when Paul Averley, a graduate dentist from Newcastle University, set up his first practice in Billingham. Today, Paul is partnered alongside esteemed sector leaders in the profession – Guy Deeming, Richard Elliott, Ian Lane, Paul Howlett, William Carter, Uzma Olbrich, Rob Banks, and Matthew Garnett.

Now a dominant force in UK dentistry, with 40 surgeries across eight locations in the North East of England, Queensway is a sophisticated, multifaceted business operation comprising private dental and skin services with private and NHS specialist oral surgery and orthodontics together with a highly specified full-service digital laboratory.

The Queensway Partners engaged Christie & Co to find a strategic investment partner to accelerate the growth of the business, with the expansion of the group’s footprint, capabilities, and ongoing service provision to patients, clinicians, and colleagues – a partnership with dental corporate, Dentex, has supported this objective.

Paul Averley, Managing Partner at Queensway Group, comments, “We are delighted to be entering into partnership with Dentex and look forward to this new and exciting chapter in the life of Queensway Dental. Working with Dentex will secure the future and longevity of the Queensway brand and will provide stability for our amazing team and wonderful patients. This business relationship will create some excellent opportunities for the Queensway business and our people, and enable us to grow and develop, whilst continuing to provide high standards of clinical care for our patients.”

Oliver Snowden, Director of Partnerships & Acquisitions at Dentex, comments, “In my 10-plus years in the dental sector, I have seen a number of successful independent dental groups, but the Queensway Partnership is something truly unique. The vision of the owners to build such a diverse and forward-thinking business is remarkable. It was clear from our first meeting that the business has a ‘patient first’ approach to dentistry and a culture that allows its clinicians and colleagues to thrive in a state-of-the-art setting. After a competitive sales process led expertly by the Christie & Co team, I was delighted that the Queensway Partners chose to partner with Dentex. We now look forward to getting to know the wider team and supporting the business with its exciting growth plans.”

Paul Graham, Head of Dental at Christie & Co, comments, “Queensway Group, incorporating dental, orthodontics, skin clinic, and laboratory – this cluster of practices rooted from humble foundations in the North East of England – is, by far, one of the most impressive dental organisations that we’ve seen in the UK. This was, of course, the intent of the laser-focused Partners, their various management teams, and the whole Queensway infrastructure, to be the best at what they do and offer.

“Dentistry is currently one of the post-pandemic growth sectors, and so, when we launched the sale process, we knew lots of interest would prevail – between private equity (PE) houses and existing trade buyers, we had upwards of 30 parties vying for the opportunity. The landscape then suddenly changed with the UK having to deal with the economic and geopolitical challenges that were orbiting. However, testament to the strength of Queensway, the competitive and strategic process that we conducted, and of course with Dentex as their new partner, the outcome delivered did not faulter. This landmark transaction contradicts some of the negative rhetoric around M&A activity in the sector and underpins the strength and resilience of the UK dental market, with demand still strong for quality dental businesses which are accurately priced.”

The Queensway Group and Dentex transaction was completed for an undisclosed price.

The Queensway Partners were advised in respect of the transaction by Christie & Co’s agency and consultancy teams, as well as Inspire Financial Management, and Knights plc as legal advisors. Dentex was advised by PwC, and legal advisors Charles Russell Speechlys.

Combine excellent images and innovative digital solutions

Obtaining excellent diagnostic images is vital for producing an appropriate treatment plan and, ultimately, a successful outcome. The CS 8200 3D Neo Edition is the ideal CBCT imaging system for improving diagnosis and ensuring accuracy in treatment planning.

The system enables improved diagnostic capabilities, with features which facilitate metal artifact reduction, improved communication with patients, and straightforward treatment planning. Plus, enjoy the benefits of integrated software solutions which encourage improved communication within your dental team and the ability to view all of your images in one place.

Get in touch with the team at Carestream Dental for more information.

 

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

Service offerings for complete compliance and total peace of mind

When your decontamination equipment breaks down, this can incur considerable costs and downtime for your practice. With Eschmann Care & Cover, you can protect and maintain your Eschmann equipment for complete compliance and total peace of mind.

Care & Cover is a comprehensive service offering that includes: Annual Validation and Pressure Vessel Certification, Annual Service and Software Upgrade, Unlimited Breakdown Cover, Unlimited Eschmann Parts and Labour, Nationwide On-Site Support from our team of over 50 engineers and Technical Telephone Support, all with no hidden costs. Plus, you and up to 6 members of your team can receive Enhanced CPD training from an Eschmann engineer.

The right support is crucial to help extend the working life of your decontamination equipment and help you remain compliant, and get your systems back up and running as soon as possible should a breakdown occur.

To find out more or to receive your package quotation, visit the website today.

For more information on the highly effective and affordable range of infection control products from Eschmann, please visit www.eschmann.co.uk or call 01903 875787

Cutting-edge imaging

Clark Dental is proud to offer dental professionals a range of imaging solutions, made to the highest standards for a superior performance.

This includes the ORTHOPHOS 2D / 3D X-ray system, which achieves sharp and autofocused images, even in anatomically difficult cases. The state-of-the-art Axeos 2D/3D specialist system boasts of 4 volume sizes to suit all indications (5 x 5.5cm to 17 x 13cm).

Other solutions include the Xios AEG Supreme, which is able to produce outstanding image quality to enhance diagnostics. The 3 sensor sizes, a unique replaceable cable and choice between USB or WiFi connectivity make it an ideal system for various dental practices.

Experience the future of imaging with Clark Dental – visit the website or get in touch with the team today.

For more information, call Clark Dental on 01268 733 146, email

info@clarkdental.co.uk or visit www.clarkdental.co.uk