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March Newsletter

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Welcome to our monthly round up of practice news & oral health advice.

Thank you for reading our March Newsletter. At the time of writing, it really feels like Spring has sprung, the sun is shining and dare we say it, it even feels warm! There is a sensation of optimism in the air that Spring brings and the anticipation of new beginnings.

With our newsletter we aim to keep you updated on the latest news and developments from the practice as well as share with you oral health advice and tips. Whether you’re a long-standing patient or new to our practice, we’re committed to providing you with the best possible care and service. We always welcome feedback, so please let us know if there are areas you think we are doing well or where we can improve.

Please support our fundraising for 2025!

This month we continue with our commitment to raise funds for our three designated charities Footprints Conductive Education Centre, Reverse Rett & The B.R.I.L.L. (Brain Injury Living Life) Team at Nottingham University Hospital Charity. In September our team will set out to climb Ben Nevis in a bid to raise vital funds for each of the charities. Our total currently stands at £568.

 

We are starting a raffle this month to win a 10th generation iPad. Our practice is part of a buying group where local practices join together to receive better deals on certain products and materials and the buying group at The Campbell Academy has kindly purchased the iPad for our raffle prize. Tickets are priced at £1 each. Please call in to reception to purchase.

If you’re still feeling generous after buying a raffle ticket or two and you can spare another couple of pounds then please click the link below to donate and sponsor our Ben Nevis climb. Please select which charity you would like to donate to, we would like to be able to have split the fund raising equally by the end of the event! Thank you in advance from us and the charities, we really do appreciate your support.

Click here to donate & support our team, don’t forget to select your chosen charity!

This Month’s Training.

This month has seen our team upping their training game in dental photography and an update on sterile surgery set ups. We have also travelled to Manchester to receive more training on giving our patients the best experience and on customer service. We have attended the first local study club from the International Team for Implantology to further increase our knowledge about dental implant complications.

 

Protecting your Smile with Exceptional Standards of Cross Infection Prevention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At our practice, safety is a top priority which is why we uphold the highest standards of cross infection prevention. After every patient, our team follow strict protocols of cleaning of the environment and all instruments go through extensive cleaning and sterilsation. Your health matters to us and we’re committed to delivering exceptional treatment with uncompromising standards of cleanliness.

Regular Dental Health Checks hold one of the keys to a healthier you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every dental health check you attend is bespoke to you. We follow a system to ensure every aspect of your oral health is checked.

  1. We update our admin and have the opportunity to check that the details we hold for you are correct.
  2. We listen to any information about your general health by updating your medical history. We ask about medications and allergies but this is also the time to update us on any underlying conditions that you may be receiving care for, as well as any impending operations or procedures.
  3. We will try to find out a little about you, your social circumstances, family and support network and any habits such as alcohol intake and smoking.
  4. We will ask you for your opinion on how healthy your mouth is and if you are aware of any problems that may be present.
  5. We will check your jaw joint and make a record of any problems here.
  6. We will check for any lumps or swellings on your head and neck.
  7. We check your cheeks, lips, bottom and top of your mouth and tongue for any abnormalities. Steps 5 and 6 form your oral cancer screening. This is done at every dental health check.
  8. It is only now that we check your teeth! We check teeth for evidence of decay or fractures and fillings for signs of chips or breakages. We check for signs of infection.
  9. We check for evidence of acid erosion or damage to your teeth due to habits such as teeth grinding and clenching and regular wear and tear!
  10. We check that your bite is working as it should and any discrepancies in the position and arrangement of your teeth.
  11. We check your gum health for signs of gum disease and if present, then we will grade and stage the disease as soon as we can.
  12. We check your level of oral hygiene and give any tips and advice that you might need. We discuss and give dietary advice when it is needed.
  13. We may recommend X-rays and other special tests that are needed to make a diagnosis. We may also take a digital intra-oral scan of your teeth.
  14. We create a bespoke treatment plan for you.

Click for an A-Z of oral health conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At WDC we are great believers in getting and staying active to improve well being and health as a whole. Our team have access to Go Vida. This is a well being platform in the form of an app. We’ve been using this for over a year now. We regularly partake in step challenges which encourage our team to increase their daily steps and be more active when they can. You’ll often see one of our team ‘walking up the hill’ on Bramcote Lane or round the block at lunch time, getting some fresh air in their lungs and movement in their legs! On our run up to our ‘big hike’ in September we are planning a big virtual walking challenge with a difference. This time we intend to invite our friends, families and WDC patients along on the virtual challenge by logging their steps and trying to increase their level of activity. This is a virtual challenge, so all steps are logged on your smart phone as individuals. We hope to launch this within a month or so, so watch this space for more details!

 

 

The Connection between your Oral Health and your General Well-being.

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Most people realise the importance of brushing their teeth but often don’t understand the impact poor oral health can have on general health.

There are many links between oral health and systemic diseases. Taking care of your oral hygiene impacts more than just your teeth. It can influence your overall well-being.

Periodontitis (known commonly as gum disease) is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the supporting structures of the teeth. It affects your gums, the bone around the teeth and the connective tissues. Left untreated, the chronic state of infection and inflammation is not good for you and can trigger an inflammatory and immune response throughout the body. It potentially can contribute to the development or worsening of systemic diseases. I like to explain to my patients that if their forearm was chronically sore and bleeding, red and inflamed, they would want to do something about it and would realise that in the long term it should not be left untreated as it would impact their overall health. Your gums have a similar surface area, so you can well imagine the long-term effect of chronic inflammation of your gums on your overall health. Reducing inflammation is vitally important and good daily cleaning between your teeth plays a huge role as well as other risk factors for the disease.

Cardiovascular Health: There is a correlation between periodontitis and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke. The inflammation caused by gum disease may contribute to the formation of arterial plaques and narrowing of blood vessels.

Diabetes: Individuals with diabetes are more susceptible to infections, including periodontitis. The presence of gum disease can also make it more challenging to control blood sugar levels particularly so with type II diabetics. The relationship between diabetes and periodontitis is bidirectional, with each condition having the potential to affect the other. The links between type II diabetes and periodontitis are clear and have been undisputed for some time now, yet patients with type II diabetes are not always well informed of this connection. If you are newly diagnosed as a type II diabetic, it is well worth a trip to your dentist, hygienist or dental therapist to have your gum health checked out. Conversely, if you are having problems with gum disease, it is also worth double checking your diabetic status.

Connections have also been made with periodontitis and Alzheimer’s disease as well as gum disease and pregnancy complications. More research is needed around these conditions.

The link between periodontitis and systemic disease demonstrates the importance of looking after your oral health. Regular dental examinations and good oral hygiene regimes are vital to your overall well-being.

Having a healthy mouth is an integral part of your body’s health. We need to prioritise our oral hygiene and form good habits, in the same way that we need to prioritise a healthy diet and exercise regime. By doing this we have the potential to further reduce our risk of some systemic diseases and live a healthier lifestyle.

If you are due (or overdue!) an oral health examination, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the practice for a check-up with one of our dentists or dental therapists. We are here to help.

All our team are following the latest Coronavirus prevention Advice

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Appointment Information During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

We firmly believe that both routine and urgent dentistry is essential for good health and that by following our strict protocols, that we can treat you safely. If you cannot attend your appointment or feel that you would rather postpone, then please do phone and let us know that you won’t be attending so that the appointment can be offered to someone else who may be in need.

Where possible, please do not attend the practice without an appointment. If you have any queries then please do not hesitate to call us on 0115 9283253 and we will do our utmost to help you.

Please do not attend the practice with any symptoms of COVID-19 or if you should be self-isolating because you have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19. For more information please see www.gov.uk.

We also politely ask that if you have a case of COVID in your household then to let us know before you attend the practice so that we can discuss your individual treatment needs.

Our waiting room is open, so no waiting outside in the cold. Chairs are still distanced and are all cleaned after someone has used them! Unfortunately at this time, our water machine and fabulous magazine selection are still unavailable!

We look forward to seeing you all soon. In the meantime, please look after yourselves and stay healthy.

 

 

 

 

At WDC we are taking all the recommended Coronavirus Precautions

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For more information visit our Practice Information to see the latest coronavirus awareness policies.

Healthy drinks should be default options on kids’ menus, foundation claims

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Healthy drinks should be default options on kids’ menus, foundation claims

BY  ON 2 OCTOBER 2018

healthy drinksThe Oral Health Foundation is calling on restaurants to offer healthy drinks as the default option on children’s menus.

California recently passed a law meaning milk and water will be the default drink sold with kids’ meals in restaurants.

The foundation believes a similar initiative rolled out in the UK could help fight the effects of sugary drinks on children’s oral health.

‘We know that some children are consuming several sugary and fizzy drinks every day,’ Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, says.

‘This is not only contributing to oral diseases, but is at the forefront of general health issues like obesity and diabetes.

‘Around one in four (24.7%) five-year-olds in the UK have tooth decay.

‘The amount of sugar young children are consuming, along with how often, is the root cause of the problem.

‘Any initiative to make water and milk default options for children’s meals must be driven by the restaurant industry.

‘If they fail to show a commitment, then we would be pushing for its introduction by a change in the law.’

Sugar-filled cereals

Research also shows that kid’s cereals could provide at least 50% of a child’s daily sugar allowance in one 30g bowl.

Figures from Sinks-taps.com found none of the cereals tested were below 25% of a child’s recommended daily allowance (RDA).

Of the cereals tested, Frosties came out top of the sugar pile, containing 71% of a child’s RDA per bowl.

‘This investigation into the sugar in children’s cereals has been truly worrying,’ Richard Broadbent, managing director of Sinks-taps.com, said.

‘We hope this information will help parents make more informed decisions on breakfast foods for their kids.

‘It is especially concerning how, even with the recommended serving size, there is a large percentage of a child’s daily allowance of sugar used up before school.’

Article credit: https://www.dentistry.co.uk/2018/10/02/healthy-drinks-default-options-kids-menus-foundation-claims/

Image credit: https://www.thefoodrush.com/articles/health-hydration-and-happiness-can-kids-drinks-have-it-all/

Children’s Tooth Extractions On The Increase

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Dentists have accused the government of having a “short-sighted” approach to tooth decay in England after hospital operations to remove children’s teeth increased to nearly 43,000.

There were 42,911 operations in 2016-17 – up from 40,800 the previous year and 36,833 in 2012-13, NHS figures show.

The British Dental Association said England had a “second-class” dental service compared to Wales and Scotland.

The government said it was “determined” to reduce the number of extractions.

Doctors said many of the tooth extractions would be caused by the food and drink children consume and were therefore “completely preventable”.

Dental surgeon Claire Stevens, who works in a hospital in north-west England, said most of her patients were aged five to nine, but it was not uncommon to remove all 20 baby teeth from a two-year-old because of decay.

She said she has also extracted a 14-year-old’s permanent teeth due to fizzy drinks. They then needed false teeth.

‘Startling’ figures

An analysis of NHS figures by the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, found the equivalent of 170 hospital tooth extractions a day were being carried out on under-18s.

These are done in hospital under general anaesthetic, rather than at a dental practice.

Data pic

The operations would have cost the NHS about £36m last year and £165m since 2012, the LGA found.

Mick Armstrong, chairman of the BDA, said: “These statistics are a badge of dishonour for health ministers, who have failed to confront a wholly preventable disease.

“Tooth decay is the number one reason for child hospital admissions, but communities across England have been left hamstrung without resources or leadership.”

 
Media captionDental surgeon Claire Stevens says it’s not uncommon to remove all 20 baby teeth in a two-year-old

The BDA said England was receiving a “second-class service” because, unlike Wales and Scotland, it has no dedicated national child oral health programme.

It said the government’s centrepiece policy Starting Well – aimed at improving oral health outcomes for “high-risk” children – had received no new funding and was operating in parts of just 13 local authorities in England.

“The BDA has insisted that national authorities must provide resources to enable all children in England to benefit,” it said.

‘Cutting back’

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said the figures were “startling” and “should act as a wake-up call to policy makers and act as the catalyst for change”.

The LGA said the data demonstrated the “urgent need to introduce measures to curb our sugar addiction which is causing children’s teeth to rot”.

The Royal College of Surgeons said the statistics were “alarming” and called for supervised tooth brushing sessions in all nursery schools across England.

 
Media captionPeople use circular motion, horizontal, rolling or vibratory techniques to clean their teeth, but which is the right way?

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said it was “determined to reduce the number of children having teeth extracted because of tooth decay” and pointed to its sugar tax, which comes into effect in April on soft drinks with the most added sugar.

“Our world-class NHS dentists are also playing a vital role to improve dental hygiene – in the last year 6.8 million children were seen by a dentist, representing 58.5% of the child population,” she said.

The spokesman added that the Starting Well programme was introduced last year to improve the oral health of children most at risk in 13 high priority areas and NHS England was planning to expand the programme to other areas.

Dr Sandra White, director of dental public health at Public Health England, said parents could reduce tooth decay through cutting back on their children’s sugary food and drink and encouraging them to brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day, as well as regular trips to the dentist.

Government initiatives in Scotland and Wales are said to be behind their falling rates of tooth decay in young children.

In Scotland, the Childsmile programme is claimed to have cut £5m off treatment costs and the Designed to Smile programme in Wales has helped reduce decay among five-year-olds in deprived areas.

A debate on children’s dental examinations and treatment is due to take place in the House of Lords on 18 January.

Text credit: BBC  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42662425

Image Credit: Dentistry http://www.dentistry.co.uk/2016/02/29/rising-number-of-childrens-teeth-extractions-in-england/