The future for The Savernake Forest Dental practice

Jonathan Taylor writes;

These are interesting times for the practice. New technology abounds in Dentistry. We know that it is all too easy to stand still and suddenly find that we are left behind, so a significant part of our annual budget is spent on improvements in the practice, some examples of which I have described below.

I have recently introduced an Ozone treatment system. Ozone is produced from oxygen and is a strong disinfectant. A soft rubber cup is placed over a tooth and, once sealed, a short burst of ozone is pumped over the tooth surface. This kills bacteria in the surface dentine of the tooth and will be useful before final fitting of crowns and inlays. An air abrasion unit can be used instead of the usual drill for preparation of small fillings and flowable tooth coloured resin can be placed into minimal cavities, so that far more tooth structure is preserved.

'Cerec-3 D' is an amazing computerised camera system which will scan prepared tooth surfaces and create an image of the tooth and enable us to design the tooth restoration and shape the biting surface to give a precise fit. Once we are happy with the design, the information is sent direct to a milling machine which will produce the restoration in less than 20 minutes. This can then be checked for fit, stained and glazed all in one appointment! Crowns, inlays and veneers can all be produced in this way.

Our new digital x-ray machines give so much new information, you can see magnified images of what is really going on, the dosage is lower and the results are instantaneous. Dental Implants have improved a lot recently and now involve simpler surgical techniques. They are used successfully for many types of treatment, replacing a single tooth or providing real stability and retention for loose dentures. More and more patients are finding that implants can be their preferred choice.

Although we will always be fully committed to our Private practice, Judith and I are looking forward to becoming trainers and mentors of newly qualified dentists. This will be good for all concerned and will help the practice to offer treatment to those left behind by the cost of private dentistry.

Denplan is a payment scheme which appeals to nearly one in three of our patients and at an average cost in our practice of 80p per day, registrations are increasing, but you must be dentally fit first. We like it because it is so compatible with our ethos of prevention.