November 24th, 2009
Recently, several of my patients have asked me who can carry out tooth whitening. This was prompted by a recent series of advertisements in the Bath media, where a nutritionist has started to offer tooth whitening. The answer is that only dentally qualified personnel can carry out this dental procedure and it is illegal for anyone else to do so. The General Dental Council (GDC), who maintain the standards of dentistry in the UK to protect the public, have clearly stated that tooth whitening is a dental procedure and as such under the Dentists Act, can only be carried out by suitably qualified people. Go to http://www.gdc-uk.org/General+public/Tooth+Whitening/ for more information.
The main concern is that on rare occasions, tooth whitening can cause damage to the the teeth and gums. Non-dentists just do not have the ability or experience to diagnose problems that may be excerbated by the whitening procedure. After all it takes five years of dental school to train to practice dentistry. Tooth whitening is a cosmetic procedure, however it is also a dental one. I would encourage anyone who is considering whitening their teeth to consult their own dentist. Too many horror stories come out of people seeking procedures by unqualified operators where there is little or no come-back if something goes wrong. It is a question of trust. Who is better able to provide the best care; a dentist or someone who thinks the tooth whitening might make a nice profitable sideline?
Posted in Miscellaneous | 13 Comments »
November 23rd, 2009
A FREE introduction to dental implants
On Tuesday 17 November we held the first in a series of initiatives to involve GDPs with Implantology. 32 dentists from Bath and surrounding areas visited the elegant Royal Crescent Hotel for our free seminar ‘An introduction to dental implants.’
The evening, supported by Astra Tech Dental, was an opportunity to find out more about the latest developments in the world of implantology, and to meet Dr Ian Bellamy from Aquae Sulis Dental. Ian presented the different ways in which GDPs can become involved with dental implants, for example:
- referring patients to an experienced implantologist who will perform both the surgical and restorative treatment for their patients
- Working closely with the implantologist and their own laboratory, to restore the implants themselves
- Those already experienced in restoring implants may wish to progress to placing implants themselves. This involves considerable training which is greatly helped by working with a mentor who is available to help with all aspects from treatment planning to the surgical procedure.
Ian shared a wide variety of case studies, including cases which were suitable for implants, as well as scenarios in which implants are not appropriate. He demonstrated how implantology can help build a general dental practice and continue to offer excellent service to patients, and delegates also heard from one of his current referring dentists, David Morley, with whom Ian has built a successful and mutually beneficial relationship.
In the course evaluation questionnaire, dentists were offered the opportunity to register their interest in the new Clinical Coaching Course which will be running from April, as well as joining the Aquae Sulis Dental Study Club where they can meet up to share cases. 15 have already registered interest in the Study Club with similar numbers wanting to join the Study Club. 23 said they were confident to start referring patients to Ian straight away.
The evening was considered to be a great success with 27 of the 32 delegates rating the overall event as excellent and the others classing it as very good. They were also able to comply with the latest GDC guidelines for maintaining their professional knowledge and competence and gain 1.5 hours of CPD.
If you missed the event, but are interested in becoming involved with implants, please call Ian on 01225 339767 or email him at ian@aquaesulisdental.co.uk
Posted in Events | 11 Comments »
