DTUK1910

Published by Dental Tribune UK Ltd © 2010, Dental Tribune UK Ltd. All rights reserved. Dental Tribune UK Ltd makes every effort to report clinical information and manufacturer’s product news accurately, but cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims, or for typographical errors. The publishers also do not assume responsibility for product names or claims, or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune International. Managing Director Mash Seriki Mash@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Director Noam Tamir Noam@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Editor Lisa Townshend Tel: 020 7400 8979 Lisa@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Features Editor Ellie Pratt Ellie@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Features Editor Dr Liviu Steier Liviu Steier [lsteier@ gmail.com] Advertising Director Joe Aspis Tel: 020 7400 8969 Joe@dentaltribuneuk. com Sales Executive Sam Volk Tel: 020 7400 8964 Sam@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Marketing Manager Laura McKenzie Laura@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Design & Production Ellen Sawle ellen@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Dental Tribune UK Ltd 4th Floor, Treasure House, 19–21 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8BA C olgate is promoting oral health in the UK with its 2010 Colgate Oral Health Month with the help of the Brit- ish Dental Association. The initiative was unveiled at the British Dental Conference, which was held in Liverpool. Colgate Oral Health Month promotes improved oral health. The theme for the 2010 campaign is ‘Discover three Es- sentials for an Even Healthier Mouth’, which are: • Brush teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and replace toothbrushes regularly • Avoid sugary snacks between meals • Visit the dentist regularly. The launch included presentations from Dr Tony Jenner and Dr Gill Davies. Dr Jenner, a specialist in Dental Public Health and the immediate past deputy chief dental officer for England, talked about the guidance document Delivering Better Oral Health – An evidence-based toolkit for prevention. Dr Jenner said: ‘‘Success- ful adult dental health surveys show the population of adults in England with no teeth has reduced dramatically. This is a very encouraging picture but the longevity of the dentition does however give its own prob- lems. As we keep our teeth for longer, root caries also has the potential to become a serious problem that is difficult to treat. The 1998 National Dental Health Survey shows 66 per cent of adults had root surfaces that were exposed, worn, filled or decayed. The same survey shows perio- dontal disease being an increas- ing problem with the aging population.’’ Dr Gill Davies, also a special- ist in Dental Public Health, then spoke about how the evidence in the toolkit can be put into practice. She said: ‘‘I am delighted that Colgate has asked me to give particular focus on prevention for adults. Since the launch of the toolkit we have tended to fo- cus on child prevention, leaving out prevention messages for gum disease and older adults. ‘‘Adults who visit the dentist have an obvious opportunity to come into contact with a cred- ible source giving appropriate advice. In fact, patients turn up and they expect to be ad- vised by their clinician on what they should be doing to look after their own teeth. It’s about maximising the effects of prevention and mobilis- ing our clinical teams to make the most of this opportunity.’’ Dr Davies then reviewed the evidence for the preventive mes- sages and treatment of caries in adults, as well as the prevention of periodontal disease. Putting Evidence into Practice will form the basis of the Colgate Oral Health Month 2010 CPD programme. This verifiable CPD Pro- gramme is available to all dental professionals. To participate, visit www.col- gateohm.co.uk from 1 September 2010 and download this interac- tive programme. Colgate Oral Health Month 2010 will run throughout the month of September. Colgate is once again looking to partner with the dental profession for better oral health by providing Colgate Oral Health Month 2010 practice packs. These packs contain educa- tional materials, motivational stickers, patient samples and materials to help dental teams drive the awareness of improved oral health by creating their own oral health month practice dis- plays. If your practice has not been involved in Colgate Oral Health Month before and would like to register to receive a Colgate Oral Health Month pack, please call Colgate on 0161 665 5881. Please note that one pack per practice will be delivered at the end of August, subject to avail- ability. DT 2010 Colgate Oral Health Month Dr Paul Langmaid, Dr Amarjit Gill, Rhona Wilkie (Col- gate) with Professor Damien Walmsley Dental hygiene clinic puts film on YouTube A dental hygiene clinic in London is using social marketing to attract cus- tomers by putting a short film on the video sharing website YouTube. Smile Pod, a walk in dental hygiene studio based in London’s Covent Garden, offers a range of treatments for cleaning and whitening teeth as well as botox and other cosmetic procedures. In the film, journalist and TV presenter Zoe Griffin explains that not only did she have her teeth professionally whitened at SmilePodbutshehasbeenusinga Sonicare ‘to make her bright white smile last’. Carina Leney, marketing manager for Philips was in- vited to support and participate in the programme and can be seen being interviewed in the film. She explains the ben- efits of the new FlexCare+ in a coffee shop chat – giv- ing the film a conversational and relaxed feel which makes the recommendations appear to come from a friend. Zoe Griffin can then be seen in a lively vox pop session showing Sonicare to shoppers in the street and asking for their opinions. The whole Smilepod concept focuses on people getting their teeth cleaned in the same con- venient way they get their nails or hair fixed. Mike Hutter Smilepod’s direc- tor said: ‘‘For too many people, finding a dentist and overcom- ing personal fears are big barri- ers to achieving a healthy mouth. Smilepod brings high-quality professional dental care to the high street in the form of walk-in dental hygiene. ‘‘Our pledge is to make the very best oral care available to all, in an inviting environment and at an affordable price. Our highly-trained team of den- tists can, like hygienists, clean or whiten teeth in a friend- ly, informal atmosphere. In this way, we can help people defeat their ‘tooth demons’, giving them the know-how and support they need to enjoy a healthy mouth for life.’’ Philips’ Carina Leney added: ‘‘We were delighted when this creative and energetic practice invited us to participate and you will see from the finished film which has been posted on- to Smile Pod’s website and YouTube that the power of word of mouth marketing cannot be underestimated. It is exciting to work with innova- tive practices seeking novel ways to leverage the power of social networking.’ The short film can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=XbFRAQQ4LjM. DT Course on improving communication in the practice T raining provider Smile- on has teamed up with Dental Protection Ltd to offer a course on how to improve communication in the practice. The three module pro- gramme, Communication in the Practice is for all members of the dental team. The course is divided into three modules, each of which counts towards one hour of veri- fiable CPD: Module 1: The essentials of com- munication Module 2: Communication with patients Module 3: Communication with- in teams The course includes authen- tic examples of how skilful and flexible communication in the workplace can help to reduce and even prevent complaints, le- gal claims and ultimately, loss of business. As, a result the team will learn how to build longer-lasting relationships with patients. A spokeswoman for Smile-on said: ‘‘Designed with the entire dental team in mind, the course is guaranteed to stimulate dis- cussion Smile-on will also soon be releasing additional course modules 4, 5 and 6.’’ For more information call 020 7400 8989 or email info@ smile-on.com. DT July 19-25, 20102 News United Kingdom Edition