There can be very few dentists who turn patients away because the challenge is too big. Even if they can’t complete treatment themselves, they’ll at least point the patient in the right direction.

"Beware That Patient's The HS2" - When Patients Act Like Express Trains. By DentistGoneBadd

If your patients feel more confident using a bit of glue on your superb denture, do you despair? Well you shouldn't. It's all cool according to a new white paper.
Meeting A Sticky End
Why Dental Fixatives Are No Longer Taboo
By @DentistGoneBadd

Domiciliary dental care was in the news the other day — or rather a lack of it. Hopefully there may be some discussion now on adequate funding for treating the housebound. "Sorry. Don't Do House Visits"

Free CPD opportunity*: Caring for your patients with dentures

By 2050 our global population of those aged 60 years or older is expected to more than double to two billion people.¹ Statistics reveal the older you are the more likely you are to be edentulous.²

Research shows that denture patients are using a mix of up to 14 different methods to clean their dentures ranging from soap and water to bleach.³ In one study only 12% of subjects had clean dentures.?

To provide further insight for dental professionals GSK, manufacturers of Poligrip®, have launched a distance learner module. The module content examines the impact of an ageing population, the effects of tooth loss and dentures for patients and the role of denture fixatives and cleansers.

The module is available online for access at the convenience of the dental team member and is free to complete. Completion can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards verifiable CPD.

Visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk to complete the module now! 

*which can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD

References:

1. UNFPA & HelpAge International, 2012
2. Oral health and function – a report from the Adult Dental Health Survey 2009. The Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2011 (Ed. I O’Sullivan).
3. GSK Data on File, 2014. Multinational diary study denture cleaning
4. Dikbas I et al. Int J Prosthodont 2006; 19 (3): 194-298

Trade marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.

When patients hear the news that they need dentures, everything else you tell them is often unheard.¹ At least 32% of patients don’t know what questions to ask their dentist when getting their new denture fitted.²*

To help support your patients on their denture journey, we have created the Poligrip® Partner Programme in conjunction with dental professionals.

Ask your GSK representative today for further information on the Poligrip® range and Partner Programme.

The Poligrip® range

The Poligrip® range includes:

-          Poligrip® Overnight Whitening Daily Cleanser

-          Poligrip® 3 Minute Daily Cleanser

-          Poligrip® Ultra Fixative Cream

-          Poligrip® Flavour Free Fixative Cream

Recommend the Poligrip® range to help your patients with dentures eat, speak and smile with confidence.

For additional support GSK have developed a distance learner module on the topic of “Caring for Patients with Dentures”. The module has been designed to provide you with an insight into the patient experience of dentures as well as supporting you when providing practical advice.

For further information on the Poligrip® range and to complete the distance learner module visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk. What’s more, completion of the module can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD!

Trade Marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies

References:

1. Kessels RPC. J R Soc Med 2003;96:219-222
2. Data on file, GSK. RH02678, December 2014

*Based on a survey of 1748 denture wearers in four countries

CHGBI/CHPOLG/0017/16

By 2050, 22% of the global population will be aged over 60.¹ This increase in the elderly population may present a greater stress on your dental practice and the need for specialist oral health products.

This year the GSK Consumer Healthcare team will be at DTS to showcase one of the UK’s leading denture brands, Poligrip®. Visit stand 630 to find out more about the Poligrip® range of cleansers and fixatives and understand how they can help make your patients’ denture experience more comfortable. 

The stand will feature additional materials to help support your patients in adapting to life with their new dentures and the Poligrip® team will be on hand to answer your questions.

GSK sponsored lecture – “Implants are great, but we still need dentures”

Visit the DTS Education Forum for a GSK sponsored lecture session on “Implants are great, but we still need dentures”. The lecturer, Tim Friel, has been a fully qualified Clinical Senior Lecturer for 28 years. He has a clinical interest in all aspects of fixed and removable prosthodontics and dental care of older people with special care requirements – all which will become evident in his presentation.

Visit the DTS Lecture Theatre[SS1]  on Friday 22^nd April at 12:45 for this unmissable opportunity!

-ENDS-

Reference:

1. UNFPA & HelpAge International, 2012

Nearly 15 million people in Britain wear removable dentures[i], and with an increasingly aging population, the number of people requiring prostheses is likely to rise. But how much care do your patients take keeping their dentures clean? Do they require more information about how to look after them and why it’s so important for them to do so?

A recent study found that the vast majority of patients assessed (84%) had very poor levels of denture hygiene[ii]. This was attributed to the lack of hygiene instructions given by dental professionals, as after clinician led patient education, denture cleanliness index (DCI) scores increased significantly².

Currently there is no clearly defined or regularly used standard or scoring system for determining denture hygiene in the UK. Therefore, the researchers devised the DCI scoring system prior to the audit, which ranges from 0-4. Additional studies are required to refine, test and evaluate the classification, however it could help dental professionals in the future to determine denture hygiene status of patients and highlight any areas of concern².

Compared to dental care, denture hygiene has received little attention, yet neglecting to look after prostheses can significantly increase an individual’s risk of developing oral infections and systemic diseases[iii]^,[iv].

Dentures offer a reservoir for microorganisms to thrive and it is well documented that patients wearing partial sets are at a higher risk of developing periodontal disease and dental decay of the teeth directly adjacent to the dentures[v].

Several studies have shown that plaque biofilm accumulates on the internal surface of dentures and certain pathogens may even preferentially colonise on prostheses over oral soft tissues^3,[vi]. Acting as a reservoir for bacteria and fungal microorganisms, these pathogens are involved not only in the appearance of local infections like denture stomatitis, but also systemic diseases such as endocarditis, pneumonia and respiratory track infections³.

Problems can also arise if there are any surface defects or other flaws in the denture which are either inherent and due to the fabrication process or acquired due to general use. These can cause imperfections and roughness, which increases the surface area on which bacteria can adhere and potentially colonise[vii].

Furthermore, if the finish is rough it can make cleaning the prosthesis and mechanical removal of the microorganisms difficult, as well as causing discoloration of the denture base materials. The irregularities on the surface can provide niches in which microorganisms are protected from oral hygiene measures, thus allowing the entrapped microbial cells to attach irreversibly to the prosthesis⁷.

Working with a laboratory, such as Sparkle Dental Labs, that complies with all of the current standards and regulations, uses the very best materials and creates dentures that fit perfectly is essential. The renowned company are able to offer complete traceability on every item and all dentures are fitted to duplicate models to ensure ultimate precision and patient comfort.

In the future the DCI scoring system could be used to help practitioners to identify patients suffering from poor denture hygiene. However, in the mean time dental professionals are encouraged to continue to fit quality dentures and offer patients oral healthcare advice.

For more details about Sparkle Dental Labs, please call 0800 138 6255, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit:

www.sparkledentallabs.com