When browsing the news I’m always astounded at how many articles there are about the lax approach to oral care among the general populace of the UK. Whilst some of these headlines are more than likely sensationalised by the media to draw in an audience, there is often a grain of truth hidden amongst the hyperbole, and one article in particular that caught my eye recently detailed some harrowing statistics that couldn’t be ignored.

A result of the recent National Dental Survey performed by BUPA Dental Care, the article revealed that over 2 million UK adults hadn’t been to the dentist in over a decade.[i] I personally find it almost unbelievable that in this day and age there are so many people out there who are willing to ignore their oral health and avoid seeking out the proper guidance necessary to ensure that their teeth remain healthy, especially for such a long period of time.

I think in many of these cases people believe in the adage “don’t fix what isn’t broken” and if they aren’t experiencing any pain or visible signs of decay they assume that their mouths are in good condition. As professionals, we know this isn’t necessarily the case. However, when delving further into the article it seems that more than a third of British people mask or ignore dental pain with the use of painkillers instead of curing it with a visit to the dentist. This is an astonishing statistic that suggests that what we really need to do is go back to education and make it clear to these people that prevention and treatment are always better options than pain.

The findings of the survey revealed that many British people skip brushing their teeth if they are in a rush and that a third of them never floss or visit the hygienist either. In a way these statistics are less surprising – how often have you told a patient they need to floss and they return with no change? It still indicates a widespread problem that we, as professionals, need to do our part in changing. Perhaps to combat these statistics we need to explore new methods of guidance to help guarantee that the message really sinks in.

One method that I think could make a big difference is a wider use of dental photography. Not only does this ensure patients will be able to visually see the damage that they are causing to their teeth, but it is also a useful way to track the progress of any treatments you offer. These photos are also useful marketing materials for the practice as long as you ensure that your patients give you the proper consent. This is especially great as with the ever-growing rise in platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, these visual aids can really help people discover what your team are capable of and even bring in new business.

Another method worth exploring is the introduction of technology with visual aids such as animations and diagrams. Not only do these help educate patients by detailing procedures in a way that they can understand, but they also prove to be invaluable resources when faced with patients who have been repeatedly given advice and don’t seem to take it on-board.

Whatever the reason behind this wide-scale neglect it’s from clear reports like these that there is more work to be done. Professionals need to be vigilant when encouraging good oral care habits in our patients, and if that means we should explore new methods to make them aware of the dangers, then it’s something worth considering.

Of course, patients too must take some responsibility, however, when making it clear that regular brushing and interdental cleaning are a necessary part of maintenance and giving the best service we possibly can, we can reassure those who have avoided the dentist for years that seeing us isn’t as scary as they may think. Hopefully these measures will help minimise these worrying statistics detailed by the report over time.

For further information please call EndoCare on 020 7224 0999

Or visit www.endocare.co.uk

EndoCare, led by Dr Michael Sultan, is one of the UK’s most trusted Specialist Endodontist practices. Through the use of the latest technologies and techniques, the highly-trained team can offer exceptional standards of care – always putting the patient first. What’s more, EndoCare is a dependable referral centre, to which dentists from across the country send their patients for the best in specialist endodontic treatment.

[i] Dentistry.co.uk. Over 2 Million Brits Haven’t Seen a Dentist in More Than a Decade. Link: http://www.dentistry.co.uk/2018/05/25/2-million-brits-havent-seen-dentist-decade/ [Last accessed june 18].

The British public could be putting their oral health - and even their general health - at risk as new research reveals that millions are overlooking the basic oral health essentials such as brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist.

The annual survey[i], conducted by YouGov on behalf of Simplyhealth Professionals, revealed shocking statistics including that only two thirds of adults brush twice a day (69%), and two percent admitting that they never brush.

Flossing is also frequently ignored, with one in three adults (37%) admitting they never take the time to floss, despite the fact that 63% know that it helps to avoid gum disease. When questioned why they don’t floss more regularly, 27% said they couldn’t be bothered or find it boring.

Furthermore, almost one in 10 (7%) are avoiding the dental chair and said they never visit the dentist.

Commenting on the figures, Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Simplyhealth Professionals, said: “With the busy lifestyles that people lead, it’s tempting to skip brushing or flossing, or delay visits to the dentist. A good oral health routine is an essential everyday activity that helps to protect against tooth decay and gum disease. Moreover, with studies increasingly finding links between poor oral health and conditions such as heart disease, strokes and diabetes, looking after your oral health is important for your general health too.”

Those adults avoiding the dentist could also be setting a bad example for the younger generation, with over a fifth[ii] (22%) of parents of children aged 18 or under saying their child only brushes their teeth once a day or less, and 2% saying their child never brushes.

Childhood tooth decay continues to be a huge issue in the UK, and remains the number one reason why children aged five to nine years old are admitted to hospital in England[iii]. 19% of parents surveyed said their child had at least one filling and, shockingly, 46% saying their child had their first filling when they were seven years old or younger.

Worryingly, the survey also revealed that 83% of adults said they never check their mouths for signs of mouth cancer. With recent figures[iv] showing that cases of mouth cancer are up by a third in the last decade, and with around 18 people being diagnosed with the disease every day in the UK, the implications of not self-checking could be serious.

“Regular visits to the dentist can help to spot the early signs of mouth cancer, but it’s important to be aware of the symptoms and any changes that you see or feel in your mouth between dental appointments,” explains Henry. “These can include unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth or head and neck area; ulcers that don’t heal within three weeks; and red and white patches in the mouth.”

[i] All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc, on behalf of Simplyhealth.  Total sample size was 5,264 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th -19th February 2018.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

[ii] All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Parents of children aged 18 years old and under were surveyed; and if there was more than one child in the family, we asked parents to answer based on the child whose birthday fell next. Total sample size was 4,294 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken from 9th to 16th February 2018. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+)

[iii] The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, The state of children’s oral health in England report, January 2015.

[iv] Oral Health Foundation – www.mouthcancer.org

Simplyhealth Professionals is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million patients registered to a Denplan product.

Simplyhealth Professionals provides the following range of leading Denplan dental payment plans under the Denplan name:

• Denplan Care: all routine and restorative care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Denplan Essentials: routine care only + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Denplan for Children: routine and other agreed care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Denplan Membership: registered with the dentist + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
• Denplan Hygiene: A dental payment plan without dental insurance for all types of practice from NHS, mixed and private to support patients commit to a consistent hygiene programme.
• Denplan Emergency Insurance: worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover only

Simplyhealth Professionals also provide a wide range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme and Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme.  Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.

Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 169 9962.

For patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402   

www.simplyhealth.co.uk

www.simplyhealthprofessionals.co.uk       

25 January 2018, The Museum of London

Join Sara Hurley, Baroness Floella Benjamin and other leading figures in dental health at this unique one-day event.

The recently published ‘State of Child Health’ report revealed that 31-41% of 5-year-old children across the UK are affected by tooth decay and this is the single most common reason why children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital. This represents a significant, but avoidable challenge to our NHS.

To tackle this problem, it is up to all professionals that work with children to spot the signs of poor oral health and take the appropriate action. In turn, we believe this will drive improvements in child oral health, leading to less hospital referrals and less complications later in life.

But, we can only achieve this by working together, with dental professionals, like you.

‘Insights: Why Children’s Oral Health is Everybody’s Business’ is a new event from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health organised in partnership with the Office of the Chief Dental Officer and the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry. The event aims to bring together those who work with children including paediatricians and teachers, as well as dental professionals, to share best practice, compare experiences and hear insightful talks from leading voices.

Speakers confirmed for the main event will form a prestigious line-up, including Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE, Sara Hurley, Dr Jenny Godson and many more.

Here’s what Sara Hurley, Chief Dental Officer England, had to say about the summit:

“This event is a vital response to the call for multi-agency collaboration to tackle the complex interplay of factors that cause childhood diseases. A real opportunity to understand why childhood dental decay is everyone's business, the nature and extent of childhood oral health issues and how it impacts on general health and well-being.  At the heart of the event is an opportunity to develop a progressive, collaborative approach and strengthen the links between the paediatric and the dental care communities to the benefit of our patients.”

Find out more about this event at www.rcpch.ac.uk/insights-oral

Annual Oral Health Survey shows up to three million could be putting their dental health in danger as fear of the dentist and money worries lead to dental avoidance.

Britain could be reclaiming its reputation as the nation of bad teeth as a new survey from dental payment plan specialists Denplan by Simplyhealth Professionals reveals over one in 20 admit to never visiting the dentist. Even more shockingly, 1% even admit they NEVER brush their teeth, which could represent over 500,000* of us!

For those who avoided the dental chair and visit the dentist less often than once every two years, 39% said they were too scared of the dentist or pain, and the same number claimed they couldn’t afford check-ups.

In a worrying socio-economic trend, over half of UK adults (52%) said they’d cancel a routine dental appointment if they had financial worries, despite check-ups costing as little as £20. Young people aged 18-24 were the age group most likely to cancel.

14% of those that don’t regularly visit the dentist said they couldn’t access an NHS dentist, while one in five were worried they’d uncover further issues that needed treatment. In contrast, 91% of those with a dental payment plan went to the dentist every six months. 

Despite rumours from across the pond that Britain’s teeth are some of the worst in the world, according to University College London and Harvard University, Britons dental health is no worse than our American counterparts, in fact, the average person in Britain is missing 6.97 teeth, while in America the average is 7.31[2].

But these emerging bad habits could spell bad news for future generations, with almost one in 20 (4%) parents of children aged 18 or under saying their child never brushed their teeth and 7% admitting they never took their child to the dentist. [3]

Shockingly, 43% of parents of children with a filling said their child had their first one aged seven younger. Almost a quarter of parents of children aged 18 or under whose child had a filling (23%) said  they had been given their first filling at five years or younger. 

The findings from Denplan by Simplyhealth Professionals correspond with a report by the Royal College of Surgeons which showed record numbers of under-fives having rotten teeth removed. Findings also revealed that hospital extractions among pre-school children have soared by 24 per cent in just ten years[4].

Even babies are affected — last year alone, 47 children under the age of one had newly grown milk teeth taken out.

Commenting on the figures, Henry Clover, Director of Dental Policy, Simplyhealth Professionals said “It’s clear from these findings that more work needs to be done to properly educate the British public on the importance of good dental health. Seeing your dentist regularly means that any potential dental problems can be spotted early on, reducing the need for invasive or expensive treatment. If you are worried about the cost of dental care, it is always worth talking to your practice to find out if they have options available, such as a dental payment plan or subscription plan, which can help you budget or spread the cost throughout the year.”

For more information on the survey results or Denplan by Simplyhealth Professionals please contact Hannah Mepham This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Beth Heard This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01273 712 000

The survey data

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 5,068 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 24th January - 2nd February 2017.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

For the children’s oral health section:

Parents of children aged 18 years old and under took part in this survey; and if there was more than one child in the family, we asked parents to answer based on the child whose birthday fell next.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 4353 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken from 25th January to 2nd February 2017. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

About Simplyhealth

In the world of healthcare, more than anywhere, experience counts. Since 1872 – long before the existence of the NHS – Simplyhealth has been helping people to make the most of life, by managing their everyday health needs.  That’s why today we ensure over 3 million people in the UK have access to the health products, services and support that they need, when they need them and at a price they can afford.

We’re the kind of people who live by our purpose: we’re here to help people make the most of life through better everyday health. We’re proud to be the leading provider of everyday health cash plans, dental payment and pet health plans. And whilst we may be 144 years old, we’re not afraid to innovate. Whereas once we were known purely for cash plans, we now offer a wide range of products and services with one thing in common: an unflinching desire to cater for peoples’ everyday health needs – now and into the future.

We exist to help people make the most of life through better everyday health. That’s our purpose. We use charitable partnerships to also deliver that purpose, going beyond our products and services, but very much aligned to our business strategy. As a result of our success, in 2016 we were able to donate £1.7m to our charitable causes, supporting 23 different charities including Revitalise, Music in Hospitals, Brainwave Centre and Auditory Verbal, touching the lives of thousands of people across the UK.

Our future success and performance will enable us to deliver our ongoing pledge to donate 10% of our profits to charity every year, supporting health-related charities that share a similar outlook to us and a dedication to helping people with everyday health challenges make the most of life.

Simplyhealth is a trading name of Simplyhealth Access, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

For further information:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

http://newsroom.simplyhealth.co.uk/

@SimplyhealthUK

Facebook.com/SimplyhealthUK

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The OH! Challenge has indicated knowledge gaps among the dental profession on a number of oral health topics, with an average knowledge score of just 51%. Launched at this year’s BDA Conference, the OH! Challenge was created to test oral health knowledge and has emphasised some interesting knowledge gaps, including:

• 46% did not know that gingivitis and periodontitis are a continuum of the same inflammatory disease

• Only 44% knew the updated BPE guidelines for code 3 sextants

• Just 3% understood that advice to rinse all traces of fluoridated toothpaste after brushing depended upon the patient's oral health needs.

These results will inform a programme of evidence-based articles for the dental team, designed to increase understanding of these all-important issues.

Iain Chapple, Professor of Periodontology, commented:

‘As a periodontologist, I was quite alarmed to see that 22% of DHCPs did not know what a BPE code 1 meant. Equally, only 23% of respondents knew that twice-daily brushing for just two minutes was likely to be insufficient for patients with periodontitis. We all benefit from continuing professional development and this is a very practical and relevant way of targeting ongoing education to keep healthcare professionals up to date.’

Dental Hygienist, Julie Rosse, also commented:

‘The results are a gentle reminder that we need to constantly revise and refresh our sources of evidence-based information in our everyday working lives.  It is obvious that we might not be using the latest evidence-based information available.’

Please visit www.listerineprofessional.co.uk now to see the results in more detail, to test your own knowledge and to follow the supporting programme of evidence-based content that will be released in instalments over the course of the year.

The OH! Challenge was created by Johnson & Johnson, the makers of LISTERINE®.

Simplyhealth Professionals has today announced a new personalised assessment for young patients which they are providing through their highly regarded Denplan PreViser Patient Assessment (DEPPA) application. Young DEPPA (YDEPPA) brings the benefits of comprehensive online patient assessment to young patients and their parents or carers for the first time.

The primary benefit of YDEPPA, like its adult counterpart, is to support communication with young patients about their oral health. YDEPPA reports offer personalised biofeedback in a patient friendly manner. Dentists can access YDEPPA from the main menu of DEPPA by selecting ‘Young Patients’.

The reports use a traffic light colour-code system of red, amber and green to indicate what is going well and what the patient needs to improve on with the help of their dental care provider. Smiley symbols enhance the colour-code effect for young patients. The reports clearly indicate if any aspects of oral health should be of particular concern to patients and their parents or carers. Prevention advice tailored to the age of the patient forms the second page of the report.

A young patient DEPPA report (patients under 17 years of age) comprises two key scoring elements:

• A composite score (YDEPPA score) out of 100 measures patient perception and current oral health status, including two risk factors for dental caries and one risk factor for dental erosion. There is no separate measurement or reporting of future disease risk in YDEPPA as at the present time the evidence base for future disease risk factors in young patients is not as developed as that for adults.
• A summary of patient overall care needs (Low, Moderate or High) which may be helpful in fee category guidance in Denplan Plans for Children.

Henry Clover, Director of Dental Policy at Simplyhealth Professionals, said: “There is evidence to support that personalised biofeedback, delivered using reports such as DEPPA for patients, is more likely to trigger the emotional response required in order that behaviour change can occur than traditional methods. The earlier that we can educate young patients on what they can do at home to support dental care plans, the better their oral health will be in the long term.”

On an individual patient basis YDEPPA supplies valuable guidance to inform the development of a care (treatment) plan. YDEPPA reports allow clinicians and patients to monitor the success of care plans over time.

YDEPPA is very quick to complete, comprising just 14 questions. Reports can be either printed in hard copy and given to patients, or e-mailed to them with consent.

YDEPPA protocols were developed using Adult DEPPA, the Oral Health Assessment (OHA) and The Oral Wellbeing Assessments (OWA) as the starting point. Both the OHA and the OWA were developed as part of Denplan Excel for Children. Stephen Fayle, Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry, Leeds, who guided the development of Denplan Excel for Children was a key adviser in the development of YDEPPA, as was Iain Chapple, Professor of Periodontology, University of Birmingham, and Liz Chapple, Managing Director of DEPPA service provider, Oral Health Innovations*.

Liz Chapple said: “This is a really exciting development as it is the first of its kind. YDEPPA is very simple to use, instantly producing a comprehensive assessment of a child’s oral health in an easy to understand format. If it achieves anything near the positive impact on behaviour that the adult version has achieved, its impact on prevention could be lifelong.”

Notes:

* Simply Health are also grateful to the many additional colleagues who provided advice during the development of the YDEPPA protocol for the Pilot Study. The Pilot Study was conducted in November 2016. A dozen practitioners who were prolific users of Adult DEPPA were recruited to take part. We used an on-line survey to elicit their feedback.

About Simplyhealth Professionals:

In February 2017, Denplan rebranded as Simplyhealth Professionals.

Dental

Simplyhealth Professionals is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million patients registered to a Denplan product.

Simplyhealth Professionals provides the following range of leading Denplan dental payment plans under the Denplan name:

·         Denplan Care: all routine and restorative care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Denplan Essentials: routine care only + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Denplan for Children: routine and other agreed care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Denplan Membership: registered with the dentist + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Denplan Hygiene: A dental payment plan without dental insurance for all types of practice from NHS, mixed and private to support patients commit to a consistent hygiene programme.

·         Denplan Emergency Insurance: worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover only

Simplyhealth Professionals also provide a wide range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme and Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme.  Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.

Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 169 9962.

For Patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402   

For details of all of our products, visit www.denplan.co.uk

Simplyhealth is delighted to announce today that it is investing £137k into Teeth Team, a nationally-recognised, award-winning child oral health improvement programme.

Teeth Team, which was set up in 2010 in Hull, works to improve the oral health of children in socially deprived communities. The investment from Simplyhealth will enable Teeth Team to continue its work and roll out its programme to an additional 50 schools in 2017. In addition, Simplyhealth Professionals and its member dentists will be proactively involved in delivering the programme as it expands.

With charitable giving at the heart of the healthcare organisation, Simplyhealth is passionate about supporting charities and organisations that are focused on making a difference to the everyday health of people.

In the last two years, Teeth Team has recorded a reduction of 19.8% in local children experiencing dental extractions under general anaesthetic. The oral health survey for five-year-old children 2014-15 in Hull, carried out by Public Health England Survey (DPH), recorded an improvement from 43.4% to 37.8%.

Chris Groombridge, Chair of Trustees for Teeth Team, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this momentous support and investment from Simplyhealth to our charity. To be working in partnership on this level means that moving forward we can expand the programme into scores of new schools in other areas of need and continue to make a real different in child oral health.

“What is important about this partnership is that it’s not just financial – it is a commitment to the charity on other levels and grows our network of support as we push to take this essential programme national.”

Last month Teeth Team won the Outstanding Innovation Award 2017 from the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD). The programme was described as “excellent” and a “clear winner” by the BSPD Executive judges and as the prize the charity will present to the Annual Conference and Scientific meeting to be held in Manchester in September.

Henry Clover, Director of Dental Policy at Simplyhealth Professionals, said: “We are incredibly excited about being involved with Teeth Team. Simplyhealth Professionals is ideally placed to provide practical, proactive support through our member dentists, some of whom will have the opportunity to visit these schools and help children understand the importance of preventive oral health care through the Teeth Team programme.”

Simplyhealth has pledged to donate 10% of pre-tax profits to health-related charitable causes in 2017. Roger Cotton, Head of Charitable Giving at Simplyhealth, said: “This programme presents a great opportunity to provide hard evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of the ‘prevention’ approach to better oral health amongst the five- to nine-year-old age group. In the longer-term, we also hope that the accumulating evidence as the project expands can be used to lobby government and encourage it to divert a percentage of the savings realised by Teeth Team for the NHS to help fund further expansion of the project to other areas and schools.”

For more information about Teeth Team, please contact:

Emma Ideson, Teeth Team Press Officer

T: 07976 512340 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. W: www.teethteam.org.uk

Teeth Team, 543-549 Anlaby Road, Hull, HU3 6HP

In the field of dentistry, dentists may sometimes experience stress at work – after all, it can be a very fast moving, performance-driven environment.

As such, dentists (just like everyone else) are at risk of developing a substance abuse problem such as an alcohol or smoking addiction. According to a recent well-being report published by the British Dental Association, almost half of general dental practitioners (GDPs) surveyed reported low levels of life satisfaction and 44 per cent reported low levels of happiness.[i] On top of that, 55 per cent admitted to experiencing high levels of anxiety the day prior to being surveyed, which suggests that the number could be even higher if you take into account those dentists who suffer from sporadic episodes of anxiety and nervousness.

As it stands, the exact number of dentists suffering from an addiction problem and/or mental illness is unknown. What we do know, however, is that high levels of stress at work can have a negative effect on emotional well-being and mental health,[ii] which is why the profession must continue to place importance on staff welfare. After all, with the right help and support, such a risk could be completely avoided.

Luckily, there is help available for those dentists that need a hand with getting over an addiction. The Dentists’ Health Support Programme, which is managed by the Dentists’ Health Support Trust (DHST) offers dentists in difficulty an opportunity to remedy their problems, get their life back on track and, where possible, back into practice. Part of the struggle can be to admit to having a problem, but with the help of an organisation like DHST, which has an 80 per cent success rate (the highest of any comparable charity in the country), dentists can receive the necessary diagnosis and intervention that they need to get better.

All support, treatment, rehabilitation and assistance with recovery and reintegration is delivered by an expert team comprising of a psychiatric nurse and a recovering alcoholic with many years of sobriety under his belt. Without such a service, dentists would have no-one to turn to – and it is for that reason that the profession must continue to offer its support to charities like DHST. Similar to other organisations within the dental sphere, the work of the Dentists’ Health Support Programme relies entirely on the generosity of the profession for its funding.

One of the establishments that has taken an active role in providing monetary support is the Association of Dental Groups (ADG). “At the ADG, we are very much aware of the importance of providing support to dentists in need,” says David Worskett, the Chairman of the ADG. “That is why we will continue to assist the Trust and the delivery of the Programme as much as we can, and we encourage others, where possible, to do the same.

“While addiction isn’t a prevalent problem in the profession, it is important that a service is available, even if it serves just one person.”

The Dentists’ Health Support Trust is grateful for all of the support that it receives from the profession. If you would like to help, get in touch with the Trust today – any donation, no matter how big or small, would be hugely appreciated.

For more information about the ADG visit www.dentalgroups.co.uk

For more information about the Dentists’ Health Support Trust call 020 7224 4671 or visit www.dentistshealthsupporttrust.org

Dedicated to providing excellent patient care and dental treatment, Rodericks Dental is extending its services to bring eye care back into the healthcare setting.

It seems that too often these days, a visit to the opticians puts more emphasis on retail than healthcare. A trip to the opticians can feel more like shopping than tending to important eye conditions.

Rodericks is looking to change this by providing a combined healthcare solution for their valued dental patients that focuses more on their healthcare needs and giving advice on how to take care of their eyes.

The first Rodericks Dental Eye Care successful service was opened more than year ago from Buckingham House Dental Practice, with second following last year in Luton House Dental and Eye Care. Providing the same patient-centred care the group has become known for in dentistry, Rodericks is excited to watch the service develop and open more eye care services in the coming months.

Rodericks Dental – proud to be the corporate with a difference.

For more information please visit www.rodericksdental.co.uk

The festive season seems to creep up on us every year. You may try to keep it low key, but it all takes up a lot of time, money and effort and often gives way to ‘seasonal stress.’ On the plus side, online shopping has provided a welcome reprieve from parking problems, trudging around crowded shops and standing in long queues. However, less than one in five people actually look forward to shopping for presents during the lead up to the festive season.[i] Added to this, is the worry of absorbing the extra expenditure - it is believed that most families will spend around £800, mostly on food and drink. There is also more pressure to overspend at this time of year and there is an increase in the proportion of people turning to credit to cover the cost of presents and food.[ii]

We all look forward to having the family together and eagerly waiting for everyone to arrive for the celebrations brings great joy. Nevertheless, some family gatherings can easily turn into an airing of grievances and there is always the worry that one relative could become awkward or drunk. These occasions can become exhausting and overwhelming, with festive cheer turning into festive fear for many people.

The pressure of Christmas can just be too much for some and the mental health charity Mind, states that one in four adults feel anxious about social gatherings during the festive period.[iii] It can be a tough time of year for everyone but if one feels under pressure to be sociable, to join in or to be on good form because everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves, social gatherings and parties can be uncomfortable and overpowering.

A lot of people suffer from low self-esteem or lack of confidence and chatting, dancing or getting up close to others is totally off limits for some individuals.

One of the reasons for this is that around 25 per cent of the entire population suffer from halitosis at some point in their lives[iv] and a great many others believe that they have it. In addition, to cope with the pressure directly associated with the festive season, there is a lot more alcohol and comfort food consumed. Some people even turn to smoking in their hours of need as insecurities become intensified. It is little wonder then that while stressed and tired, people might forget or skim over their normal oral health routines and end up with embarrassingly unpleasant smelling breath.

Nine out of ten cases of malodourous breath have an oral cause,[v] which is why dental professionals are ideally placed to help. When delivering instructions to improve oral hygiene levels, you can also recommend CB12 mouthwash to prevent unpleasant breath for up to 12 hours. Used each morning as a daily oral deodorant, this clinically proven formula is quick and easy to use - ideal during the busy holiday season. You could also encourage your patients to carry CB12 boost chewing gum - discreet mouth refreshment to power through any worrying breath inhibitions after meals and on the go.

Save your patients from ‘seasonal stress’ with sound advice and recommendations to bring little more cheer and good health to this time of year.

For more information about CB12 and how it could benefit your patients, please visit www.cb12.co.uk

Since it was established in 1972, Curaprox has become a leading name in oral health.

“As a team, we pride ourselves on offering proven solutions that encourage best practice, correct technique and ensure an efficacious oral hygiene regimen – and that is why we are delighted to be expanding our service to the Irish market with a new team member,” says Richard Thomas, MD of Curaprox UK.

“Though we have had a presence in Ireland since 2014 supplying our products via two renowned distributors, our goal has always been to expand Curaprox UK. That is why we have recruited Orla Sheehy to look after Curaprox Ireland as a Senior Business Development Manager.”

Orla is originally from Carlow, and has worked as an Operations Manager for a dental equipment company and for GSK.

Over the coming months Curaprox will be increasing its support to oral healthcare professionals across Ireland through regional meetings and by attending exhibitions.

Orla will also be working very closely with iTOP tutor Barbara Derham as part of Curaprox’s efforts to increase its educational presence.

In the meantime, Curaprox will continue to produce oral healthcare products that are safe, gentle and effective.

To find out more, contact Orla on 085 1644648 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information please call 01480 862084, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.curaprox.co.uk