Author: Dental Design

Keep your career moving with Rodericks Dental

With so much going on, you may have let your skills and career progression slow a little recently. However, with the world becoming familiar with the new normal, the time has come to reboot your development and get back on track.

Rodericks Dental understands what it takes to refine and broaden your capabilities for optimal patient care and job satisfaction. With several individuals who have worked as practising clinicians, the senior management team know dentists and what they need to thrive. This first-hand experience is used to tailor the educational and career advancement opportunities on offer to all.

Whether you’re looking to expand on your current skill-set, move into a new discipline or find a new role that challenges you in all the right ways, consider joining us at Rodericks Dental!

 

For more information on the career opportunities available at Rodericks, please visit www.rodericksdentalcareers.co.uk,

or contact Ashley Lillyman at recruitment@rodericksdental.co.uk or on

01604 970988 (option 1)

#wearerodericks

 

Drive-in success

What is the link between the BACD and Queen Elizabeth I losing a necklace under a tree?

Earlier this year, current President of the BACD Dr Abrahams suggested that staging an event with a distinct wow factor should be created to thank the organisation’s members for their unstinting support. BACD Director Dr Shameek Popat knew that with the recent unprecedented times, it was important to come up with an event setting that would not only be Covid safe, but could also be morphed into a more intimate configuration should Covid restrictions change.  He had recently been to drive-in cinemas and felt this scenario could be drawn on for a memorable BACD event.

Chenies Manor House in Buckinghamshire is a landmark property with beautiful grounds which have been used as a spectacular backdrop for many film productions. The venue is also well known for having hosted the launch of a spectacular line up of Porsche cars including Porsche 912 and the new all-electric Taycan. It is also linked with Queen Elizabeth I famously losing a necklace under its 1,000-year-old oak tree.

Dr Popat could not think of a better place to kick off the BACD educational calendar with a drive-in event scheduled for the evening of Friday 3rd September.

Dr Shameek Popat

Previously, Dr Popat had organised a lecture with Dr Christian Coachman on a yacht in Majorca and the world-renowned speaker was delighted to be invited to speak again, this time from his Madrid studio whilst delegates view him on a big screen while sitting in a deckchair or in their cars and indulging in Indian street food, a pop up bar, live music and complimentary ice creams/candy floss delivered by servers on tricycles.

Aston Martin and DK Engineering will also be bringing exciting cars including classical Porsches and Ferraris for guests to ‘play with’. For delegates who prefer to stay in their cars, they will be provided with Bluetooth speakers to hear the lecture whilst food and drinks will be delivered to their cars. Dr Popat will also be bringing his Tuk Tuk to offer rides around the ground to add to the fun of the evening.

Commenting about the event Dr Popat said: “All the event sponsors have been very generous and we have the best gift bags you can imagine for the delegates. Philips, for example, produces some of the world’s most effective oral healthcare products. At the BACD we are all about health, as well as cosmetics, and are really looking forward to seeing what Philips has in store for the oral healthcare market this year!

Given the BACD has a strong focus on ethical cosmetic dentistry, the BACD and Align Technology have naturally connected through this common goal and we continue to nurture this partnership, as can be seen from Align’s support of this unique and special event.

Judging by the popularity of this event, I am delighted to see that everyone is keen on meeting and networking with their fellow colleagues. So I am in particular looking forward to our annual conference in Edinburgh this November which is also filling up quickly. We still have a few places, so potential delegates shouldn’t leave it too long to book”.

Mel Pomphrett Philips’ Professional Relations Manager added “Philips is so excited about the drive-in event and working closely with the BACD again, as well as at its Conference in November”.

For more information about both BACD events please visit https://bacd.com

BSPD welcomes new universal focus on the voice of the child

Newly published guidance1 to improve how children and young people (CYP) experience healthcare is welcomed by the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD). Drafted by NICE (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), the guidance entitled ‘Babies, Children and Young People’s Experience of Healthcare’ is designed to ensure the preferences and feelings of young patients are consistently central to their treatment.

This approach is already espoused by BSPD whose members have researched and published systematic reviews2 highlighting the importance of making the voice of the child central to research and put children and young people in control of their dental treatment3.

The NICE guidance covers issues such as safeguarding, disabilities, consent, shared decision-making and sets out that healthcare staff should communicate with:

  • Kindness, compassion and respect
  • Cultural sensitivity
  • A non-judgemental attitude

It is aimed at commissioners and providers of healthcare who now have a responsibility to apply the guidance where appropriate. It should also be read by non-clinical staff, such as receptionists.

Professor Paul Ashley, a member of BSPD as well as the NICE committee which drafted the guidance, said: “Children have a right to express their views on decisions affecting them. This guidance shows how listening to and treating children and young people with the respect and dignity they deserve can lead to better care.”

“Poor healthcare experiences increase likelihood of unmet healthcare need among CYP, which could mean worse health outcomes in adult life. Positive experiences of healthcare also plays an important part in health equality, ensuring that every contact counts to build up trust.”

He added: “Paediatric dentists are already adept at tuning in to their patients needs and wishes. This has become more challenging since the pandemic with remote check-ins replacing face-to-face care. Familiarity with dental clinics is fundamental to allow children and young people to develop confidence and trust in our services.”

References:

  1. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng204
  2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17683320/
  3. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/research/features/help-im-scared-dentist

The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) is the leading UK organisation of dental professionals dedicated to improving the oral health of children in the UK www.bspd.co.uk.

NEW EduQual Level 7 PG Diploma in Implant Dentistry

Thinking about training to become an implant dentist? Want training and mentoring from an experienced team of instructors?

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The programme includes theoretical and hands-on teaching, exploring everything from treatment planning to surgical techniques and restorative procedures.

Dr Simon Chard, Principal of Rothley Lodge Dental Practice, says:

“Fazeela was instrumental in my development as an implant surgeon. I learnt so much from her training and it set up the pillars of my surgical career following gold standard protocols.”

Places are limited – don’t delay!

 

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

{my}dentist announces record investment in salaries of frontline staff to ensure clinicians are supported

{my}dentist has announced a record investment of nearly £4 million into the salaries of its frontline practice colleagues to ensure clinicians have access to the best support network in the sector.

Effective from 1 August 2021, {my}dentist dental nurses have received an average pay increase of 5.5% which is nearly double the government’s award for NHS workers.

In addition, {my}dentist has introduced further career progression opportunities for its 4,000 dental nurses, with new pay tiers for nurses with four to six years’ experience and six plus years’ experience, and a new area support nurse job role. Each of these tiers will see increases in their minimum and maximum hourly rates.

The longest-serving dental nurses will also be rewarded with an increase in their annual leave entitlement.

The record level of investment has been designed to recognise and reward frontline colleagues and ensure that clinicians can continue working with some of the best practice teams in the dental sector.

Dental nurses are supported throughout their careers at {my}dentist and have the opportunity to take post-qualification training to become advanced and head dental nurses. {my}dentist also operates a comprehensive student dental nurse training programme accredited by the NEBDN with £500 qualification bonus and a development programme for qualified nurses, Flourish, which is endorsed by the British Association of Dental Nurses.

Further benefits include payment of the GDC retention fee, medical indemnity insurance, Dental Hero recognition scheme and access to a Dental Nurse Forum to share best practice.

Tom Riall, chief executive of {my}dentist, said: “Our dental nurses have given extraordinary support during the pandemic, making a huge difference to our patients across the UK, and supporting our clinicians to grow their private revenues at the fastest rate on record. I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to make this investment which has been designed to recognise the crucial role of our dental nurses and to reward their long service and outstanding experience.

“Dental nurses joining {my}dentist can be assured of support to advance their careers with a transparent progression structure and a clear pathway of what they can achieve throughout their career with us.”

{my}dentist currently has opportunities for dental nurses across the UK. For more information visit www.mydentistcareers.co.uk

Promoting the importance of the dental implant team

The ITI Congress UK & Ireland 2021, proudly supported by Straumann, is putting the spotlight back on the dental implant team. The dynamic event will present lecture programmes dedicated to different roles within the practice, including a day designed specifically for dental hygienists and therapists.

Introducing the programme, Dr Ross Cutts – ITI Fellow – comments:

“We wanted to build upon the resources we had to provide content specifically designed for dental hygienists and therapists at Congress and I was delighted to help Karen Walker and the team as they constructed the programme. There was also a strong emphasis on ensuring a combination of lectures and hands-on learning for delegates, which we have delivered.”

Karen Walker was not only instrumental in organising the programme, but she is also sharing her expertise as a highly experienced dental hygienist at the Campbell Clinic and respected speaker for the Campbell Academy in her own session. Entitled “Implementing Risk Assessing for Implants in Practice and Dealing with Complications”, Karen provides some insights into her lecture:

“I will be following on from Ian Dunn’s session on the importance of risk assessment for implant and periodontal patients. I will look at how to apply an effective risk assessment tool for daily practice in a practical way. I will also discuss the possible treatment complications to be aware of and how to deal with them effectively, offering treatment protocols and clinical guidance.

“This is definitely an area that needs improvement in practice. Many dental hygienists and therapists don’t feel that they have sufficient knowledge to perform risk assessing, but they absolutely do. Dental hygienists and therapists already do so much when they see patients – much of the risk assessment and planning is done automatically. As such, they just need to be shown how to apply this in all aspects of patient care using simple tools.

“Through this session I hope the delegates will gain confidence in their abilities and take away a step-by-step sequence to put into practice immediately for effective treatment planning and risk assessing.”

Adding why she feels dental hygienists and therapists would benefit from attending the programme, Karen says:

“The dental hygienist and therapist programme has been developed by dental hygienists and therapists working in clinical practice, ensuring the evidence is relevant and the guidance is applicable to everyday practice. It’s real-world dental hygiene and therapy.”

Dr Colin Campbell will be presenting “Being an Autonomous Clinician”, about which he says:

“Maintenance is key to success with dental implants, so dental hygiene and therapy is critical. Encouraging dental hygienists and therapists to take responsibility for and make treatment and maintenance decisions for their patients is just as vital. They need more autonomy to be able to work collaboratively with dentists for the benefit of the implant patient.

“I hope to show dental hygienists and therapists attending what is possible. I work very closely with my dental hygienist, Karen Walker, and we have developed our service together over the past 14 years. She is completely autonomous and is a great role model for how others can progress in their career. Every long journey starts with a single step, so I hope to inspire delegates to take those initial steps when they go back to practice.

“This is an exciting Congress programme. I have always enjoyed speaking to team members as they are so enthusiastic and interested in growing, so I’m looking forward to it. There are some great speakers in the dental hygienists and therapists programme as well, including Ian Dunn who is a real headline act. In addition, the friendly environment and chance to socialise will be much appreciated by all. The world is changing and as things open back up, this will be a fantastic event to attend.”

For any dental hygienists and therapists looking to develop their skills and confidence relating to dental implantology, the dedicated ITI Congress programme is not-to-be-missed. It will be accompanied by an extensive trade floor with various dental implant products and technologies on display, as well as various opportunities to catch up with friends and network with colleagues. The Straumann Party also promises a chance to relax and have fun with people from across the industry – register online today to make sure you don’t miss out!

 

ITI Congress UK & Ireland 2021

Partnered by Straumann

October 1-2 2021, Edinburgh

 

For more information, or to register for your place, please visit https://events.iti.org/congressuk-ireland/

Could your dental website be losing you £100k a month?

A strong online presence is important for businesses in nearly every sector today. For dental practices, an effective website can make a massive difference to the diary and to the business reputation. However, there are many dental websites out there that simply are not optimised for maximum patient conversion.

Shaz Memon, Founder of Digimax Dental and author of Instagram for dentists, is passionate about helping dentists capitalise on their websites’ potential. He comments on why dentists may not even realise that their websites are not as successful as they could be:

“In our experience of speaking to dentists, most really value their websites and understand why they are important. However, many don’t know how to determine whether theirs is good or not. Most will assess their site based on whether it looks good and contains the right information. While these factors are, of course, important, they can create a false illusion. A successful dental website is a piece of user-experience art, a successful website ensures every kind of target patient stays on the site for as long as possible, and completes an enquiry as quickly as possible. 

“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. Clearly, making the pages look aesthetically-pleasing is not enough, but dentists and even some of the website designers out there don’t know about the other features to consider. We have found that when people remain on the website for longer, they typically stay for 3-4 minutes – the more people stay for that long, the more likely they are to make an enquiry, the greater the opportunity is to gain new patients.” 

So, if the aim of the game is to keep patients interested and therefore encourage them to browse the practice website for longer, how can this be achieved? According to Shaz, there are a huge number of aspects to think about, though the key points can be covered with 5 simple steps. He continues:

“I use what I call ‘the five-second test’. This is an assessment of whether essential pieces of information can be viewed easily on a website, within five seconds of landing on the homepage. Without searching too hard or scrolling too much, a visitor should be able to find the practice address/location, phone number, ‘contact us’ section or link, top 3-4 treatments available and Google reviews. All of this means they instantly have the basic information they need to determine whether the practice meets their needs and if it is worth looking at further. The reviews also provide immediate social proof that the practice is good enough to provide the standard of care they seek.”

The length of time visitors spend on the website and the bounce rate are the two key measures for success of a website, alongside the numbers of unique visitors and patient enquiries generated. In order to monitor your website performance accurately, Shaz recommends reviewing the analytics directly.

“Basic Google analytics are more than adequate to monitor a level of success or failure,” he says. “This enables dentists to access the information directly, without having to rely on their design agency or another third party for accurate results.”

While all this might sound fairly straightforward, it can be more difficult to put into practice. Shaz reflects on the challenges dental principals may face in truly optimising their business websites:

“Ultimately, there is no education in this field for dental professionals. Few people know what to do and how to get the very most from their websites. Most people will depend on websites designers but then don’t understand why their site isn’t performing as it should. I always use the Amazon website as an example – it has been carefully and very successfully refined to optimise user experience and maximise on sales. I want to show more dentists how to combine a great design with features that will retain and enhance patient interest.”

Shaz will explore all of this in his session entitled “Your website is losing you money, and you don’t even know it” at the Dentistry Show London this September. About his talk, he adds:

“There are about 120 points that are in our ‘website success formula’ using data and learnings from studying thousands of websites. At my agency Digimax, we don’t only want to deliver on the initial wow-impact of the website to our clients, we want these websites to become long-term, wow patient-generating machines. I will discuss the top 5 during my lecture. With 20 years of experience in the dental marketing field, I will also be able to share some of the mistakes dentists might make that cause people to leave their websites too quickly.”

Delegates attending the session can expect to leave with a better understanding of how to increase leads without increasing marketing spend and what changes they should consider for their own website. Shaz will also explore how some practices can lose in excess of £100k every month by not implementing simple things into their business homepage.

Don’t miss all of this and more at the Dentistry Show London 2021! Register online for free today.

London Dentistry Show 2021

Friday 17th and Saturday 18th September

Olympia London

Register for free at www.londondentistryshow.co.uk

Decisions, decisions

Several factors may affect surgical and restorative outcomes, including the quality of the solutions themselves, the implant placement technique, the experience of the clinician and the patient’s compliance with maintenance protocols. With a plethora of implant systems and components now available on the market, careful product selection is key to treatment success. The right solutions are integral to optimising clinical results, while also ensuring a positive patient and practitioner experience. Among the decisions to be made is the choice between bone or tissue level implants.

Confident product selection

To have complete confidence in the solutions selected for each case, you need to work with systems that are backed by science. The use of only evidence-based products will also show patients that they can trust in the quality of treatment they will receive, emphasising the value of their investment and encouraging treatment acceptance.

Aside from research supporting the safety and effectiveness of solutions, the reputation of the brand and feedback from other users should be considered. Honest reviews from colleagues will provide insight into whether an implant system may be right for you. These will also commonly provide useful tips and advice for maximising on the features available and therefore optimising outcomes. 

Building a personal armamentarium

In many cases, you will achieve the best outcomes when using implant systems and components you have some practical experience with. Knowing how products work and how they might benefit particular patients will enhance both the case selection and treatment planning processes for more predictable results. This means that each clinician needs to build their own armamentarium of core products that they use in the vast majority of their implant cases.

It is important to find a balance that provides access to a broad range of products that is streamlined enough to enable efficient and simplified workflows. It can be beneficial to look for flexible systems that meet various clinical requirements and indications, and which are compatible with several different components. For example, consider using both a bone level and tissue level implant system from the same provider – especially if both systems are compatible with the same components. This versatility will not only enhance ordering efficiency, but it will also likely be much more cost-effective. 

Once you have a go-to range of solutions you feel comfortable with, selecting the right items for each individual case should become simpler. The clinical demands of a case, combined with the patient’s desires and expectations, will determine which products are best suited to delivering the required outcomes.

Bone vs. tissue level

As already mentioned, among the many possible variants, it is important to decide between a bone or tissue level implant. Traditionally, bone level implants have provided a solution in aesthetically demanding cases. Studies show that both immediate and early implant placement protocols using bone level implants result in good aesthetic, clinical and patient-centred outcomes.[i] There is also evidence of excellent clinical and radiographic results after 3 years for single unit bone level implants when either a submerged or transmucosal technique is utilised.[ii]

Tissue level implants have been developed to enable one-stage surgery that optimises healing and patient comfort. These have also been found to offer high implant and prosthetic success rates, even after 10 years.[iii] In addition, research suggests that tissue level implants with an SLA® surface are at lowest risk of developing peri-implantitis after 9 years.[iv]

Both bone and tissue level implants have been associated with minimal bone loss.[v] A 2012 systematic assessment found no statistically relevant difference in survival rates between each type of implant, 1-3 years post-op.[vi]

Latest generation products

To elevate your implant procedures, it is important to update your armamentarium with the latest solutions when appropriate. That means trying new generation products as they become available to see how you and your patients would benefit from the upgrade. For instance, Straumann® is introducing the new TLX implant system – where tissue level meets immediacy. It has been designed to mimic the natural anatomy and respect the biological distance in all dimensions for ideal soft tissue conditioning and aesthetics. While perfected for immediate placement protocols, it still supports conventional placement and loading procedures for greater flexibility, giving you total peace of mind. It also uses the same drill set and TorcFit™ connection as the Straumann® BLX bone level implant for maximum simplicity and efficiency.  

Putting patient care first

At the end of the day, every decision you make for each patient’s implant treatment will influence the clinical success achieved and their satisfaction with your services. Making the right choices and selecting the most suitable products for every case is crucial. Ensure you have an effective range of evidence-based solutions at your disposal to make the process that much easier.

 

For more information on the new Straumann® TLX implant system, please visit www.straumann.com

 

[i] Esthetic, clinical and patient-centered outcomes of immediately placed implants (Type 1) and early placed implants (Type 2): preliminary 3-month results of an ongoing randomized controlled clinical trial. Huynh-Ba G, Meister DJ, Hoders AB, Mealey BL, Mills MP, Oates TW, Cochran DL, Prihoda TJ, McMahan CA. Clin Oral Implants Res. 2016 Feb;27(2):241-52

[ii] Sanz M, Ivanoff CJ, Weingart D, Wiltfang J, Gahlert M, Cordaro L, Ganeles J, Bragger U, Jackowski J, Martin WC, Jung RE, Chen S, Hammerle C. Clinical and radiologic outcomes after submerged and transmucosal implant placement with two-piece implants in the anterior maxilla and mandible: 3-year results of a randomized controlled clinical trial. Clin Implant Dent Relat Res. 2015 Apr;17(2):234-46. doi: 10.1111/cid.12107. Epub 2013 Jul 9. PMID: 23837502.

[iii] Amorfini L, Storelli S, Mosca D, Scanferla M, Romeo E. Comparison of Cemented vs Screw-Retained, Customized Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Assisted Manufacture Zirconia Abutments for Esthetically Located Single-Tooth Implants: A 10-Year Randomized Prospective Study. Int J Prosthodont. 2018 July/August;31(4):359–366. doi: 10.11607/ijp.5305. Epub 2018 Apr 6. PMID: 29624628.

[iv] Derks J, Schaller D, Håkansson J, Wennström JL, Tomasi C, Berglundh T. Effectiveness of Implant Therapy. Analyzed in a Swedish Population: Prevalence of Peri-implantitis. J Dent Res. 2016 Jan; 95(1):43-9. (Doctoral thesis reference: ISBN 978-91-628- 9491-7).

[v] Kumar VV, Sagheb K, Kämmerer PW, Al-Nawas B, Wagner W. Retrospective Clinical Study of Marginal Bone Level Changes with Two Different Screw-Implant Types: Comparison Between Tissue Level (TE) and Bone Level (BL) Implant. J Maxillofac Oral Surg. 2014;13(3):259-266. doi:10.1007/s12663-013-0532-5

[vi] Vouros, Ioannis & Kalpidis, Christos & Horváth, Attila & Petrie, Aviva & Donos, Nikolaos. (2012). Systematic Assessment of Clinical Outcomes in Bone-Level and Tissue-Level Endosseous Dental Implants. The International journal of oral & maxillofacial implants. 27. 1359-74.

Setting new standards with Primescan

By using Primescan available from Clark Dental, you can experience a new level of diagnostic excellence.

Smart features take the user-experience beyond that of an ordinary intraoral scanner -with extremely accurate and details digital impressions ready to be sent to the lab in mere minutes.

Seamless, validated open data transfer options mean that you can send impressions to the lab instantaneously, streamlining the restorative process and boosting communication between your practice and your lab.

To find out more about the exceptional features on offer from Primescan, book an appointment to a Clark Dental showroom today.

 

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

The simple life

COLTENE believes that there are always ways to do things more simply, more efficiently for upgraded dentistry.

It offers dentists high-quality, hardworking restorative products that are adaptable and uncomplicated.

With its BRILLIANT EverGlow™ stackable submicron hybrid universal composite, you have a material that will simplify workflows. It can be used for restorations in both the anterior and posterior regions and is just as useful for everyday dentistry as it is for more complex cases.

BRILLIANT EverGlow™ offers:

  • 7 basic colours – all you need!
  • Good wettability on the tooth surface for effortless handling
  • And much more.

Visit COLTENE’s website or give the team a call today.

 

For more on COLTENE, visit www.coltene.com,
email info.uk@coltene.com or call 0800 254 5115.