If you’re considering dental implants, you’re not alone. Across Nottingham and the wider UK, implants are one of the most searched for dental treatments and people tend to ask the same key questions before deciding whether they are right for them. Below, we’ve answered some of the most common questions we hear most often from people exploring their treatment options. 

The first and most common asked question is about cost. People want to know how much implants are and what influences the price. At Wollaton Dental Care we explain the full treatment journey, outline every stage and ensure you have a clear written treatment plan before anything begins. Our treatment plans are transparent. Although they obviously vary from person to person as no two treatment plans are the same, there are no hidden ‘extras’. 

Close behind cost is the question of time, how long is this process going to take from initial consultation to final crown? Every case is unique, but we can usually map out a clear timeline at your first visit which could be anything from three to six months. 

Another frequent concern is whether implants hurt. Most patients are pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the procedure is. Thanks to modern techniques and effective local anaesthesia, the procedure itself is pain free. Afterwards, we warn people they may get some pain, swelling and bruising but most of our patients report little to no pain after treatment with only the need for mild pain relief.  

People are also keen to understand how long implants last. With good care, many implants can last decades, sometimes even a lifetime. Regular appointments with the hygienist and dental health checks along with meticulous home care, are a must. We offer a five year guarantee on Wollaton Dental Care dental implants. Dental implants are the closest replacement to your own teeth you can get. 

Suitability is another key topic. Patients often ask whether their bone levels, general health or gum condition will affect their ability to have implants. Understandably people want to know, what their own options are. The truth is, until you have had a detailed assessment, this question can’t be answered with confidence. Many also want to know about alternatives such as dentures or bridges and the risks involved. This will all be discussed in detail at your assessment. 

Finally, full arch or multiple tooth solutions are an area of growing interest. Whether you’re missing one tooth or several, implant options now cover a wide range of clinical needs. 

If you’d like to explore whether implants are right for you, we can guide you through every step clearly, calmly and honestly, with your long-term oral health as our goal. 

The post Our Most Frequently Asked Questions on Dental Implants appeared first on Wollaton Dental Care.

A Guide to Long-Term Dental Health from Wollaton Dental Care. 

Throughout our lives things change as we age and our teeth are no exception! As we reach middle age and beyond, many of us start to notice changes in our teeth and gums. By this time, several decades of toothbrushing can lead to mild gum recession and for those of us who still have those amalgam fillings placed in our teens and twenties, they’ve done very well but are probably starting to show their age! It’s no coincidence that our patients start to approach us enquiring about services such as tooth whitening. Throughout our life, the coloured part of the tooth the dentine, starts to thicken and our enamel can thin, so our teeth can start to look yellower than they once did. With the right care, it’s absolutely possible to improve your dental health and your smile. 

At Wollaton Dental Care, we focus on helping everyone maintain strong, healthy smiles into later life. We always aim to plan for the future so that we can help you look after your natural teeth right into old age. Regular dental health checks, visits to our hygienists and personalised home-care advice are the foundations for excellent dental health. Prevention is key and bespoke advice on how you care for your teeth at home is vitally important particularly when it comes to preventing and treating gum disease. 

Modern dentistry has moved on. We can now use digital scanners to monitor your teeth, making it possible for us to detect small problems before they become major ones and helping you to stay healthy. For patients with worn, missing or sensitive teeth, today’s restorative treatments such as ceramic onlays, dental implants or even moving teeth with clear aligners offer comfortable, long-lasting and aesthetic solutions. 

Lifestyle choices matter too. Reducing sugar, stopping smoking and keeping gums healthy all reduce the risk of tooth loss as well as other health issues.  

If it’s been a while since your last dental visit, there’s no need to worry and no better time to start. Get it ticked off your to-do list!  

Call our friendly team at our private dental practice in Wollaton, Nottingham and book your next dental health check. We’re here for you and would love to help! 

The post Keeping Teeth for Life-A guide to looking after your smile as you get older appeared first on Wollaton Dental Care.

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View this email in your browser         October Newsletter. Our Monthly Round Up of Practice News & Oral Health Tips.   Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter. We’ve had another busy month at WDC seeing and treating our existing patients as well as welcoming lots of new patients to the practice. It’s also been the pinnacle of our fundraising efforts! We’re always happy to see new faces at the practice and even more so, those who we have been recommended to by our regular patients. It’s a great compliment to know we have looked after you well enough for us to be recommended to your friends, family and colleagues. We are always really grateful for the referral. If you know of any one who needs our help, then please do forward them this email or put them in touch with our reception team. We’d love to help. We Made it to the Mountain & raised over £5000! This month saw the team travelling to Scotland for our big hike up Ben Nevis! This has been more than a year in the planning and and we are exceptionally proud of the team for the way they have pulled together to fund raise for three charities as well as organising and executing a logistically difficult trip successfully. We chose to raise money for Footprints Conductive Education Centre, Reverse Rett and B.R.I.L.L. (Brain Injury Living Life). We have fundraised since February, selling raffle tickets, baking cakes and relentlessly asking for sponsorship! (Sorry-not sorry!) Fourteen of the team (including partners) then gave up their weekend and travelled all the way to The Highlands to climb the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Everyone in the practice has got involved in whatever way they can and the collective effort has seen us raise over £5400 for our chosen charities (including gift aid)! There is too much to say about our trip for this newsletter so we have written a blog post. If you click the link below, you can read all about it! Click here to read our short story about Ben Nevis! If you are yet to donate to our fund raising but would still like to contribute and add to our total, then please click the button below. We will close our Just Giving page for this particular campaign shortly. Click here to donate & support our team, don’t forget to select your chosen charity! Tips for Looking After Children’s Teeth this Halloween. Whether you’re a parent or a grandparent, we all care for our children and want the best for our children’s health. Did you know that the number one reason for children to be admitted to hospital in the UK is tooth decay? Tooth decay causes holes in teeth which can lead to pain and infection. It can affect day to day life for children and can lead to absence from school, pain when eating and multiple appointments at the dentist. Hospitalisation can occur because often the only cure is extraction of the affected teeth but the child is too young to be able to cope with this under local anaesthesia at their dentist. A general anaesthetic is then needed, along with all of the associated risks and hospital care. No parent sets out for this to be the outcome for their child but tooth decay can usually be prevented by following some specific guidance all year round. Brush twice a day, every day. Teeth need to be brushed thoroughly every night as the last thing that is done before bed time and at one other time as well (preferably first thing in the morning). This should be with a fluoride toothpaste. After brushing, no food or drink should be had other than water. Help your child with their toothbrushing. This is especially important when brushing the back teeth which can be more tricky to keep clean and more vulnerable to decay. If you think your child can manage their toothbrushing themselves, then still supervise them. Can’t tie their own shoe laces? They probably can’t yet brush their teeth effectively! Brush your child’s teeth for them until at least seven years old and supervise for a good while after that until you are confident in their ability to clean their teeth thoroughly. You can check how good they are at brushing their teeth by using disclosing tablets. These will stain up the plaque a bright colour so it is easy to see any plaque that has been missed. Restrict sugary foods and drinks to meal times. When it comes to tooth decay, it is not the amount of sugar that is important, it is the frequency. Every time something sugary is eaten or drank, it is a separate attack on the teeth. If treats are had such as at Halloween, resist the temptation to tell your child to ‘make those sweets last’. We understand the reasoning but when it comes to their dental health, it is better that the treats are had only in one sitting after a meal than eating a few sweets here and there, all day long. Visit your dentist regularly. Routine check ups are really important to pick problems up early. Your dentist may also apply fluoride varnish to help keep enamel strong and decrease the risk of decay. Click to Read More About Caring for Children’s Teeth. Click here to leave our team a Google Review Local Events.     Image from Visit-Nottinghamshire website. Halloween Monster Mash. Nottingham Castle, Lenton Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG1 6EL. Friday 31st October 10am-5pm. Click to find out more about The Monster Mash! Thank you for your continuing support and trust. See you again at the practice soon!     Copyright (C) *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*. 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Welcome to the May edition of our newsletter. At the time of writing, it is bank holiday weekend. There are such a plethora of bank holidays at this time of year and the extra time to be able to spend with friends and family seems such a treat. We hope our patients and team are able to enjoy some rest and recuperation. The sun shining all week has also been a huge bonus. Rest assured our surgeries and reception area are all air conditioned so you will not overheat at the practice should you have an appointment coming up! We invested in air con a few years ago and we are always so grateful of it as temperatures start to rise at this time of year.

Below you will find an update of all that has happened at the practice in the last month along with upcoming events. We consider our team to be our biggest asset and truly believe our people are what set us apart from other practices, so I hope that you find our regular updates of interest to you.

On March 25th we had our Care Quality Commission Inspection. The CQC is the regulator for health and social care services in England and one of the regulators in dental practice that we need to work with to ensure that we deliver safe and effective care.

The CQC use key lines of enquiry to investigate if they deem a service to be safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. At the time of our last newsletter the report had not been published but we are pleased to now be able to share this with you. It goes without saying that we passed in all areas.

We would like to offer congratulations and extend our thanks to our whole team but particularly to our practice manager, Hayley James. Hayley has been working at WDC for many years but has only recently been appointed as our registered manager. To have navigated through her first CQC inspection so diligently and so well, is a huge achievement and tantamount to the high standards she sets as our manager. Well done.

Click here to read our 2025 CQC Report.

Toothbrush and Toothpaste Recycling is back at WDC.

A while back we offered a very popular service for recycling toothbrushes & toothpaste tubes at the practice. This was funded by Colgate and run by Terracycle. Unfortunately, Colgate stopped funding this and so we were unable to continue to offer this service. We were astonished however, to find that recycling these products elsewhere was notoriously difficult and found it virtually impossible to find anywhere we could recommend for oral care product.

Boots do offer a limited service but there are caveats placed on how to recycle in exchange for advantage points. Otherwise, we have been unable to find anywhere else that can take these products! We have therefore invested in our own oral care products recycling service right here at the practice. The cost of this will be funded by the business. It is personally important to us to ensure that facilitate responsible recycling in our industry.

Please use the box provided in the waiting area. It is for toothpaste tubes and caps, electric toothbrush heads (those not containing RFID microchips), plastic toothbrushes, floss containers. Interdental brushes are also now accepted and even dental aligners.

Join Us and Get Active with GoVida!

In September this year our team will set out to climb Scotland’s highest peak Ben Nevis to raise money for Footprints Conductive Education Centre, Reverse Rett & B.R.I.L.L. at Nottingham University Hospital. All of these charities have a connection to pat ients at the practice.

In the run up to this, we need to get going with our training and so we have partnered with GoVida Well Being app to embark on a challenge! Between May 9th and September 19th we are going to try to walk the equivalent distance of walking from Bramcote Lane to Ben Nevis! This is 337 miles in just over four months. This time we’re throwing in a bit of a curve ball – our patients, friends and family can join us on this virtual challenge as well!

Our team have used the GoVida app for over a year now to help encourage healthy habits and get active. We would love it if our patients got involved in this challenge with us and it would really help motivate us to train for the real deal! It’s free of charge, there are no catches and no pressure. Simply sign up using the link below, download the GoVida app and link it to your phone or fitness tracker and away you go. If you are feeling charitable and would like to help us hit our fundraising target by donating to our JustGiving page as well, this would be very much appreciated by us and the charities, but even just joining in is worthwhile. It will help raise awareness of these charities and our fundraising and you will almost certainly increase your daily activity and well-being in the process.

On average, our team’s daily activity increases by a third every time we take part in one of these challenges so it really is worthwhile. Please click the link below or scan the QR code and join in!

Click to join our virtual walk to Ben Nevis.

Don’t feel up to joining in with a walking challenge or just don’t fancy it, but would still like to support us? You can donate to our fundraising for these three amazing charities below. Our current total sits at £693 but we’d love to have raised at least £1000 for each of these charities by the time we set out to conquer the beast that is Ben Nevis in September!

Click to donate to our fund raising!

The Magic of Composite Bonding!

Composite bonding is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure where a tooth coloured resin is applied to the teeth to improve their appearance. It’s great for fixing chips, closing small gaps or helping with discolouration and the resin is carefully shaped to blend in naturally with your smile and preserve your natural tooth structure. The technique for placing this sort of restoration is extremely technique sensitive and done well it can be a brilliant treatment to improve your smile easily and safely. This month one of our practice owners, Anna Lawson, travelled to Manchester to take part in an additional two full days training on this technique. She was taught by the team from The Fresh Dental Institute, receiving additional hands-on training from one of the experts in this field, Monik Vasant.

 Team Celebrations.

Our team celebrated our recent CQC success with an afternoon out in town. We went to Roxy Ballroom, (highly recommend it!), for curling and darts! We followed this with a fabulous meal at Bistro Pierre and a game of Yankee Gift Swap!

Kaylee (right) and Kirsty (left) on our recent team outing to Nottingham!

We also congratulated Kaylee Ferguson (pictured here on the right with Kirsty Ellis, on our recent team afternoon in Nottingham), on being promoted to our Decontamination Lead. Kaylee has worked at the practice in her role as a dental nurse for over seven years and is a massive asset to us. She really is the epitome of a team player! During COVID Kaylee stepped up and worked alongside our dentists at the Urgent Care Centre which was a difficult thing to do. Kaylee also played a large role during our recent inspection, being inspected and questioned on our decontamination processes and HTM01-05 (a huge document from the UK Department of Health about decontamination in primary dental practice). Kaylee now leads our team on all the cross infection and decontamination processes. A hugely important role in running the practice safely. Congratulations Kaylee.

Local Events.

On June 8th this year The Nottingham Motor Show returns to Wollaton Park! This is a free event apart from parking charges. There are food and exhibitors, music and entertainment. A great family day out

click to link to more information on the Nottingham Motor Show 2025

The post May Newsletter appeared first on Wollaton Dental Care.

Early on in the month we got a call which we knew must be coming soon, that we were going to have our Care Quality Commission inspection. For those who don’t know what this is, think, Ofsted for healthcare! It wasn’t a big surprise to us as we haven’t had an inspection for some time now so we knew our time must be coming soon! Needless to say we passed our inspection with flying colours and although these things are always a little nerve wracking, overall it was a very positive experience for us. The report has not yet been published but we will share a link to it when it is available.

It was no-secco alcohol free by the way!!

A Big Well Done!

A big shout out goes to Hayley James our practice manager. Hayley took over the role of registered manager just last year when Sam Fletcher stepped down. Being a registered manager with the CQC is a big responsibility. The CQC inspects healthcare services to ensure that they are safe, effective, well led, responsive and caring and the registered person oversees all of this. We met all of the standards in each of these areas. A great start to Hayley’s career as our practice manager. Well done to all of our team as everyone pulled together to support each other.

Outreach Projects.

At the start of the month, Monica and Hayley carried out another school visit, this time to Arnold View Primary School. They had a fun morning talking to the children about keeping their teeth healthy and visiting the dentist! The children loved it and I think Monica and Hayley did too!

Anna and Monica were also due to start their journey volunteering with Dentaid this month. Dentaid is a charity which provides mobile dental units and volunteer workers to provide outreach dental clinics to people experiencing homelessness, harm, poverty and abuse. Sadly due to a lack of funding one clinic was cancelled and then the next due to a problem with the mobile van! We are undeterred so will sign up again and keep you posted on our volunteering experience!

March also saw us signing up to be a Unity Partner for Bridge2Aid. We have sponsored Dental Therapist Magreth Jeremiah Mbukwa to enable her to undertake additional training in order to upskill and undertake more complex work in the Serengema district in the Mwanza region of Tanzania. The Mwanza region as a whole has a population of 3.7 million and has just 4 dentists and 30 dental therapists so there is a huge need for the additional help and skills that Magreth will bring.

Many of our patients will know that for some time now we have supported the work of Gold for Kids. This is a really innovative charity which recycles the scrap metal from dental restorations (such as old crowns) by refining it so that it can be repurposed. The money raised is then donated to children’s charities. We have recently been interviewed by Gold for Kids and the interview was published in Dentistry Magazine. You can read the article by clicking the link below.

Click to read our interview with Gold for Kids

Practice Changes.

This month we have made the difficult decision to give our notice to the local commissioning board that from 1st August 2025 we will be no longer be providing NHS services at our practice. All of our dentists have worked in the NHS for over 20 years and so this decision brings mixed feelings for us. Providing NHS has become increasingly unsustainable. We tried to negotiate with the ICB to allow us to continue to see children and those on lower incomes on an NHS basis but sadly this was declined.

We want to reassure our patients that this change has been made with the long term interests of the practice and our patients in mind. We prioritise a good, compliant and safe service which delivers high quality dentistry to each and every one of our patients. One of our main drives as business owners is also to be good employers and look after our team, always striving to provide them with a great place to work. We have several alternative options for continuing your care with us at the practice. You can read more about this by clicking the link below.

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of our patients for their support over the years.

Click to read more about our practice changes from 1st August 2025.

Sponsorship.

We were approached by Wollaton Cricket Club with a sponsorship opportunity and our now proud sponsors of Asif Riaz

Local Events

Foodies Festival, Wollaton Hall & Deer Park, NG8 2AE.

Great food, great music, great fun. 27th, 28th, 29th June 2025.

Click for more details

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you again at the practice soon. Best wishes, Team WDC.

The post April Newsletter appeared first on Wollaton Dental Care.

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 post March Newsletter appeared first on Wollaton Dental Care.

The short answer is yes! This question is often brought up at the practice.

Commonly our patients will often tell us that they ‘give their teeth a good brush’ after eating or drinking anything, especially anything sweet. Our team of dentists, dental therapists and dental nurses would rather you didn’t, well, not straight away anyway and here’s why!

When we eat, the pH in our mouth shifts. The pH is the scale that determines how acidic an environment or not, your mouth is. After eating and drinking, our mouths temporarily become more acidic-this is a hostile environment for our teeth, our enamel begins to demineralise at this point

and overall these are superb conditions for tooth decay and acid erosion to start to think about kicking in!

During this time, your enamel is vulnerable!! Brushing your teeth at this point potentially brushes sugars and acids into your teeth and brushing itself will also physically have a more abrasive action on enamel right now than at another time.

The good news!

Our mouths are amazing, saliva is a superhero! Saliva gradually neutralises this acid over a period of time (typically around 30 minutes or so) and helps to remineralise our enamel. After this time has passed, you can safely brush your teeth.

So people will ask us…..”What? So I need to wait 30 minutes after breakfast before I brush my teeth? I don’t have the time!”. It is a tricky one, right? Either you can get up earlier, to allow yourself the time to have your breakfast, wait 30 minutes and then brush those toothy pegs, or brush when you first get up and not after you have eaten. Honestly, your teeth will thank you for it!

If you don’t like the idea of leaving the house after breakfast without brushing, then rinsing with water after eating will help clear any food debris. You could even use a daily fluoride mouthwash at this point instead of brushing if you’re really feeling the need for something extra. Chewing sugar free chewing gum will also give you a minty kick and the chewing action stimulates your saliva flow-and we know how good the saliva is for our teeth!

When it comes to brushing, it is essential that your teeth are cleaned thoroughly twice a day. Last thing at night before you go to bed is a non-negotiable time to brush-it just has to be done (and yes-this also should be 30 minutes after eating or drinking, so lay off the late night snacks!). Any remaining plaque and food debris from the day needs to be completely removed before hitting the sack. At night, our mouths become dryer, less saliva means less protection against tooth decay so it is imperative that our teeth get the best chance at survival! The second brush of the day, however, well, timing is less important, it has to be done but when is up to you….just make sure it is at least 30 minutes after you have last eaten or drank (water doesn’t count).

Happy Brushing!

The post Should I wait a while after eating or drinking before I brush my teeth? appeared first on Wollaton Dental Care.

Understanding Dental Anxiety.

Dental anxiety is not uncommon. The sights, sounds, and sensations associated with dental procedures can trigger fear and discomfort in patients. Often patients will recount negative past experiences to us, or they are worried that a procedure is going to be painful. We believe that no dentistry should be painful. With modern local anaesthetic techniques, there should be no reason that you should experience pain at your appointments.

Often the anticipation of the unknown contributes to dental anxiety and sometimes even embarrassment. Please be comforted by the fact that there is never a need to feel embarrassed or ashamed. We are experienced in our field and making that first step to pay us a visit is often the hardest part. Once we have met you, help starts here! Unfortunately, dental anxiety often is so severe that it can lead individuals to avoid dental care altogether, putting their oral health at risk. Not just that though, living with the fear of the unknown and the ongoing anxiety of knowing that the need to visit the dentist eventually will arise, is often worse and unnecessary if you can make that initial contact.

Building Trust and Communication.

Patient wellbeing is always at the centre of our approach and we focus on creating a comfortable and friendly environment where patients can build trust in our team. We feel that ensuring open communication and understanding throughout treatment and treatment planning is key to helping people to gain confidence in their treatment.

At Wollaton Dental Care we do not offer sedation. In most cases, taking time to build a relationship with our patients is sufficient to enable them to go ahead with treatment that is needed. In a small number of cases, sedation is still required and if this is the case, we can liaise with local providers of sedation to enable you to receive the treatment you need.

Overcoming dental anxiety is possible with a considered and compassionate approach. Don’t let dental anxiety prevent you from achieving optimal oral health. We are here to help you and we want to help you! Seek out a dentist or dental therapist who takes the time to understand your fears and can provide the care and support you need to ensure you feel comfortable and confident in attending the dentist.

The post Overcoming Dental Anxiety with a Gentle Approach to Dentistry. appeared first on Wollaton Dental Care.

In today’s fast-paced world, it is great to be able to switch off, to be able to go off grid and to leave the constant sensory overload for even a few hours. To be able to do this as a team is even better. This weekend we hope to achieve this through our next outdoor team event. These occurrences outside of the workplace give the opportunity to take a break from the practice but also offer unique opportunities for personal and professional growth and friendships.

We hope that getting away as a team, creates an environment that encourages open communication and collaboration among team members. It’s quite a unique thing to go away on a mini break with your teammates and away from the confines of the surgery, individuals can interact in a more relaxed and informal way. Our latest event involves a challenging hike up Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak. Our team must trust and rely on one another, developing and building on their already good working relationships but also hopefully enjoy it together and create some shared memories and experiences.

We have decided to raise money for a local charity alongside our team event and participating in fundraising really fosters a sense of pride in us all. Even those who may not be able to take part in the physical part of the event have had the opportunity to help with the fund raising and raising the awareness and profile of the charity (Our Dementia Choir). Shared experiences outside of ‘work’ are a real leveller and give people a joint goal. The sense of achievement and pleasure from helping others creates a stronger sense of unity between us and we also hope that our patients are also proud to attend our practice and be part of Team WDC (and hopefully will promote their dental practice’s charity endeavours). Strengthened team spirit and improved morale, positively impact our practice and create a buzz in the building. It hopefully adds to our team’s job satisfaction, leading to a more positive work environment overall.

Go Team WDC!

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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.

The post The Connection between your Oral Health and your General Well-being. appeared first on Wollaton Dental Care.