Modern Dentist Magazine Issue 11

Old ways won’t open new doors Issue

11 ISSN 2515-6128

Sustainable dentistry Sara Harford and Darshini Ramasubbu HEE and CSH Sustainability Fellows

Evolve or become extinct

Nathalie Smets, Ancar

Leadership What is Slow - Change Dentistry?

Culture Miguel Stanley DDS, Lisa Bainham, ADAM

Key contributors to this issue

Slow Dentistry

Welcome Innovation can be described as a significant positive change from what existed before. In dentistry, we have a number of revolutionary innovations – from augmented reality through to the smart toothbrush, but innovation doesn’t have to just focus on digital, it can be a new way of working as well as a physical product. In this edition of Modern Dentist Magazine, you will find a number of new ideas looking to change our way of thinking, and open up some new doors along the way.

Firstly, Lisa Bainham, President of ADAM, examines the role of the practice manager and their contribution to change and growth within a dental practice, while offering her top tips for change management. We have a fantastic interview with Sara Harford and Darshini Ramasubbu focusing on sustainability within dentistry – they discuss their vision for going green while advising on a new approach to making healthcare, and specifically dentistry, more sustainable.

Dr Miguel Stanley DDS, Co-Founder of Slow Dentistry, introduces the formula for success: Slow Dentistry; the dental movement encouraging clinics to go the extra mile to protect their patients.

Slow Dentistry’s first meeting is taking place in London on the 23rd November if you would like to find out even more about going slow in dentistry and how this can impact your day-to-day practice, and improve the safety and well-being of your patients.

LuxaPrint Ortho Plus, and share how DMG will continue to push the boundaries when it comes to 3D printing; while Dr Raj Kumar, Forma, outlines the difficulties he had when selling his former practice, before he partnered with Frank Taylor & Associates and changed tactic. Dr Harbinder Singh Dewgun, Lion House Dental Practice, told Modern Dentist about the introduction of Nuvola aligners to this practice, and how this new treatment has enabled him to feel confident and enthusiastic about his treatment offering.

We heard from Dr Lau Berraondo, Enhance Clinics, who detailed his relationship with Medifinance after they helped him with the financial requirements of his busy, modern dental practice; and Dr Zankruti Patel, who discussed her experience with Green Apple Dental Recruitment as a locum dentist in the UK. Finally, we heard from DenGro about the importance of tracking your calls as you could be missing valuable data in your practice.

And as always, we have our panel of experts featuring their columns on the editorial board. I hope you enjoy this issue, and if you have any comments or feedback, then please do get in touch via the details below.

Take a look at our product review section, dedicated to providing you with advice on everything from the advantages of 3D printing to selling your practice, plus introducing you to the latest innovations in dental products and services. This edition features Dr Wayne Hirschowitz, Vantage Health, talking about his experience of using CT Dent over the past ten years for dental scans within his implant practice. The team at DMG introduce their latest product: the

Poppy Green Editor, Modern Dentist Magazine 01765 600909 | @Modern_Poppy poppy@charltongrant.co.uk | www.moderndentist.co.uk

Editorial Contributors Heidi Marshall

Mike Hughes

Sophie Gray

Kelly Saxby

Nathalie Smets

Sophie Kwiatkowski

Partner Dodd & Co

Managing Director Green Apple Dental Recruitment Limited

Dr Marco Roy DDS PhD Poznań Candeo Clinic and Poznań University of Medical Sciences Department of Prosthodontics On behalf of Nuvola

Mark Barry

Director ESM Digital Solutions

Principal Dental Practice Consultancy Service Marketing and Sales Country Manager Ancar

Dental Compliance Manager Isopharm Accountant PFM Dental Accountancy

Ray Cox

Chairman Medifinance Ltd

Rob Griffin

Business Owner Aspired Finance

Co-Editor - Poppy Green, poppy@charltongrant.co.uk Project Manager - Amanda King, amanda@charltongrant.co.uk

Modern Dentist Magazine is published by Charlton Grant Ltd ©2019

All material is copyrighted both written and illustrated. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. All images and information is collated from extensive research and along with advertisements is published in good faith. Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this publication was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Modern Dentist Magazine

Contents 39

5 ways to grow your dental practice

25

11

Unnecessary expenditure

Sustainable dentistry

News

07

Leadership - Change Culture

Lisa Bainham, President of the Association of Dental Administrators and Managers (ADAM), examines the role of the practice manager and their contribution to change and growth within the dental practice, while offering her top tips for change management.

Interviews

11 Sustainable dentistry

17

A rising topic and concern within the profession, going green is on everyone’s agendas. Sara Harford and Darshini Ramasubbu, HEE and CSH Sustainability Fellows, discuss their thoughts, vision and approach to making healthcare, specifically dentistry, more sustainable.

Regional Focus: East of England

Modern Dentist’s latest Regional Focus examines the East of England, where we spoke to Nick Stolls, Regional Representative, about current and coming challenges as well as how we can continue to build bridges and create positive change.

Editorial Board

23 25

Evolve or become extinct Nathalie Smets, Ancar

Unnecessary expenditure

Mike Hughes, Dental Practice Consultancy Service

4|Modern Dentist Magazine

a car through a

limited company 39 27 Buying How could 3D printing change 27 our approach to dentistry?

Cost vs performance when

29 buying new technology 41 29 A round-up on tax

31 Paperless practice 42 The cost of taking your dental 31 practice into the digital world

5 ways to grow your dental practice

Heidi Marshall, Dodd & Co

Mark Barry, ESM

Dr Sandeep Kumar, Founder of MiSmile, discusses his strategies for overcoming the challenges faced by practice owners in order to drive patient numbers, patient satisfaction and practice income.

Ray Cox, Medifinance

Communicating and selling with integrity

Sophie Kwiatkowski, PFM Dental Accountancy

Sophie Gray, Isopharm

Rob Griffin, Aspired Finance

Dr Barry Oulton, Founder of The Confident Dentist Academy, considers how communication can affect clinical and business outcomes.

The BDIA Dental Showcase was back for another year, bringing together suppliers, manufacturers, service providers, associations, and dental care professionals under one roof for an invaluable event dedicated to celebrating innovation in dentistry. Modern Dentist was there to capture the action and provide the highlights of this year’s BDIA Dental Showcase.

Features

32 35

Scanning the horizon

Dr Marcos White, practice owner and lead cosmetic dentist of The Courtyard Clinical Academy, voted ‘Most Innovative Practice in the UK’ at the Private Dentistry Awards, discusses how the adoption of digital technologies has improved his dental practice for the better.

Taking time to talk about health

This article looks at the need to talk to patients about their oral health, and how using terms they can relate to in order to communicate the adverse effects of a lack of preventive self-care may help in achieving more successful outcomes. Brought to you by Johnson & Johnson, the makers of LISTERINE®.

44

BDIA Showcase 2019 Highlights

What is Slow Dentistry?

What separates a great dentist from a mediocre one? Why are some dentists more expensive than others? How can I find a good dentist for my needs? These questions and so many like them are raised daily by people around the world who are trying to get the best value for money and best quality of care from a dentist. Miguel Stanley DDS, CoFounder of Slow Dentistry and Head of International Relations,, introduces the formula for success: Slow Dentistry, the dental movement encouraging clinics to go the extra mile to protect their patients and answer those all important questions.

Issue 11 | ISSN 2515-6128

44 What is

Slow Dentistry?

66 Paul

Graham

Product Review

49

10 years on and still no need to purchase a scanner

51 53 55 57 59

Dr Wayne Hirschowitz, Clinical Director of Vantage Health, talks about his experience of using CT Dent for the past ten years for dental scans for his implant practice.

The advantages of 3D printing Introducing the newest product from DMG LuxaPrint Ortho Plus, full range available in 2020. Offering 99% transparency with extreme impact resistance, DMG discuss how they are pushing the boundaries of 3D printing in dentistry.

Selling your practice

Dr Raj Kumar is the Principal Dentist at Forma, a private practice in London’s square mile. For 23 years he juggled the responsibility of running this practice as well as his original ‘baby’, a busy NHS practice in Birmingham. Here he explains the difficulties he had in selling his former practice and what he learnt along the way.

A game changer

Dr Harbinder Singh Dewgun, Principal Dental Surgeon at Lion House Dental Practice, tells Modern Dentist how the introduction of Nuvola aligners from GEO has helped patients gain confidence while enabling Dr Dewgun to feel confident and enthusiastic about his treatment offering.

61

If your practice runs marketing campaigns, you should be measuring their ROI. But if you’re only tracking clicks, you’re missing valuable data...

Case Study

62

Slow Dentistry – changing the pace of your dental care

62

All-In-One Diagnostics Dürr Dental

63 63

Nuvola clear aligners

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Retaining your staff Dental Seekers

Spotlight

65

Funding for healthcare professionals

Dr Lau Berraondo, Clinical Director at Enhance Clinics, details his relationship with Medifinance and how they have helped him in terms of the business side of his practice and the financial requirements of a busy, modern dental practice.

Why dentists use Green Apple Dental

Recruitment to find them a job Speaking to Modern Dentist, Dr Zankruti Patel discussed her experience with Green Apple Dental Recruitment, one of the UK’s leading specialist dentist recruitment agencies placing qualified GDPs and Specialists into permanent and locum roles throughout the UK.

Is your practice tracking calls?

Subscribe for

Helping those in need over the festive period

The Charity helps dental students, dentists and their families when they face hardship, supporting those who do not have the funds to pay for some of the normal things in life. This may range from contributions towards food and daily living costs, and funds to improve the quality of life for those retired due to ill health, to more specific needs like paying someone’s annual retention fee or indemnity, to help them get back on their feet and into the profession.

10 Minutes with...

66

Paul Graham

Head of Dental at Christie & Co.

Our publications contain advertising material submitted by third parties. Each individual advertiser is solely responsible for the content of its advertising material. We accept no responsibility for the content of advertising material, including, without limitation, any error, omission or inaccuracy therein. We do not endorse, and are not responsible or liable for, any advertising or products in such advertising, nor for any any damage, loss or offence caused or alleged to be caused by, or in connection with, the use of or reliance on any such advertising or products in such advertising.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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News

Leadership - Change Culture

Lisa Bainham, President of the Association of Dental Administrators and Managers (ADAM), examines the role of the practice manager and their contribution to change and growth within the dental practice, while offering her top tips for change management.

As practice managers, or someone managing a dental team, we have the pleasure of generally being the person/people that have to implement the changes to systems within our practices or teams.

To grow, we often need to change; and quite often it’s not always the managers that bear the brunt of this change. So, how do we ensure that our team not only embrace the change but go on to then promote a high-performance culture and continuous improvement?

Recognising personality types and politics within your team and presenting changes accordingly is a massive help. Not all of us react in the same way but will often get there in the end, dependent upon good leadership techniques.

It may be that you need to adapt your style of leadership to get the required response.

Our teams are usually made up of four types: • Persons who will initiate the change process • Persons who will accept the proposed change • Persons who will be indifferent to the proposed change • Persons who will not accept the proposed change

Encourage and promote positivity and flexibility

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Modern Dentist Magazine

News

Lisa’s top tips for change management within your teams…

(is their job harder?), or will the changes touch them from a “hierarchy” prospective?

Encourage and promote positivity and flexibility – if you aren’t positive, why should others be?!

Also, be flexible in order to help and listen to suggestions from your team when discussing the changes.

Embrace reality with productive actions and behaviors – ensure your team realise the benefits of the change - not just to the practice but for them individually too.

Enlist positive members of your team and help them to influence others that are maybe a little more resistant to the change.

Be open – encourage your team to talk to you about their concerns or obstacles; it might even be something you haven’t considered and could be valid.

Look at your organisation chart and roles. Try to consider how the changes will affect different team members and be active in reflecting on what their resistance may be and why. Are your team going to be affected financially, physically

Most importantly!

Remove obstacles and eliminate “well poisoners”, or “dementors” (for the HP fans).

Sounds harsh, I know, but after 20 years of building and growing two successful practices and now a team of 42, I haven’t been without my fair share of these types of employees… (much more dangerous than the greater spotted “Matilda’s” (they waltz in, do their job and waltz out again type), who are generally harmless and will sometimes be spotted using initiative and surprising you with their attitude towards change, when nurtured and guided

How do we ensure that our team not only embrace the change but go on to then promote a highperformance culture and continuous improvement?

8|Modern Dentist Magazine

To grow, we often need to change properly, and quietly warned about the well poisoners.

The well poisoners will often try their best to prevent change and ensure that others are not embracing change positively. Recognising that type of team member is crucial, and one to one management may be required to get them on board. In my opinion, it’s sometimes a case of “they are either on board for the journey or they need to get off the bus”.

Most of the team will be able to identify a well poisoner but often new or younger team members aren’t so lucky and could be easily influenced to resist change. Again, recognition and removal of these negative barriers will help the wonderful changes happen.

Lisa Bainham

is President of the Association of Dental Administrators and Managers (ADAM).

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Interview

Sustainable dentistry A rising topic and concern within the profession, going green is on everyone’s agendas. Sara Harford and Darshini Ramasubbu, HEE and CSH Sustainability Fellows, discuss their thoughts, vision and approach to making healthcare, specifically dentistry, more sustainable.

Q

First of all, how much does dentistry impact on the environment?

A

Dentistry is highly resource intensive, hugely wasteful and contributes significantly to the carbon emissions from healthcare services in the UK. The carbon footprint of dentistry, developed by a team led by Dr Brett Duane,

showed that patient and staff travel was actually the biggest contributor, which surprises most people when they consider how dentistry impacts the environment. Other impacts include the procurement, energy use by dental practices, decontamination and waste.

Dentistry, like other areas of healthcare,

We need to support patients and the industry to make more sustainable choices

unfortunately uses a lot of single use items, which are either incinerated, go to landfill or in the case of packaging, recycled. The healthcare sector as a whole is the largest carbon emitter in the United Kingdom (UK), with the National Health Service (NHS) contributing approximately 4.5% of the UK’s carbon emissions.

Q

Why is climate change one of the biggest threats to dentistry, but also to global health?

A

Climate change significantly impacts our environment, but is also considered to be detrimental to the health of the global

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Interview

population as the environment is a major determinant of health and both co-exist. The UCL Lancet Commission (2009) has stated that climate change is “the biggest threat to global health in the 21st century�.

the future which focus on incorporating sustainable principles may affect the practice of dentistry, for example, with regards to single use plastics or the disposal of waste.

Some climate effects are well understood, for example, heat waves and flooding. Changes in crop yields can lead to food shortages, infectious disease transmission and poor air quality can lead to respiratory disease - all of these systemic issues can subsequently impact oral health. Some effects of climate change are uncertain due to political, population, social and economic factors.

Q

Climate change is not necessarily a threat to dentistry but potential policy changes in

12|Modern Dentist Magazine

What projects have you both undertaken in order to raise awareness and increase understanding of sustainability among dental care professionals?

A

We surveyed the attitudes of dental team members to sustainability at the BDIA conference in 2017, we facilitated a teaching session for Foundation Dentists on environmental sustainability in the South West, we developed a guide for use in dental practices (covering topics such as travel,

waste and energy - check out the link on the next page), we organised a conference in London on sustainability in dentistry, and we contributed to a seven research paper series on sustainability in dentistry in the British Dental Journal. Most of these projects were taken during our year as Clinical fellows and Scholars in Sustainable dentistry, where we were co-hosted by the centre for Sustainable Dentistry and Health Education England.

Q

Do you think we need to take a new approach to dentistry and how we work with patients, clinicians, suppliers, educators and the wider industry if we are to make a substantial difference and develop better and greener practices?

Interview

A

Definitely. We need to engage all of the above and we need to support patients and the industry to make more sustainable choices. Education on sustainability in dentistry should start at the under-graduate level, and encompass all team members. This involves working with universities and looking at ways undergraduate and postgraduate curriculae can encompass sustainable principles. Liaising with the BDA, LDN’s, representative bodies, the Chief Dental Officer, primary and secondary dental services is paramount in disseminating sustainable practices and generating new ideas for dental staff to utilise. Communicating about sustainable initiatives the dental practice/setting is undertaking and the reasons behind them can be incorporated into dental practices’ wider marketing plans.

Q

How can dental teams be supported and aware of how best to minimise their waste and carbon footprint?

A

We worked alongside the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare to help raise awareness of sustainability within dental practice by producing a How-To Guide for Dental Practices: a freely accessible resource for dental teams containing a broad range of tips on to become more sustainable. A few examples include how to carry out a waste audit and reduction, support staff to commute via public transport or bicycle, how to adapt a building e.g. with the installation of insulation or solar panels and how to promote sustainability within the team and to patients.

There is an online module (link is external) with

free CPD, available free-to-access for dental professionals as part of the e-Den dentistry package on e-Learning for Healthcare. These resources and others are brought together on Dental Susnet - a network for sharing resources and best practice in sustainable dentistry. It is free to join and we would encourage anyone who is keen to learn more about sustainability, to keep up to date with relevant issues or provide resources to join (link below).

The NUS Green Impact Scheme (see link below) is a sustainability accreditation scheme which helps to support dental practices to institute sustainable practices, and support them to minimise waste and reduce their overall carbon footprint.

Modern Dentist Magazine

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Interview

The healthcare sector as a whole is the largest carbon emitter in the United Kingdom (UK), with the National Health Service (NHS) contributing approximately 4.5% of the UK’s carbon emissions A number of launch webinars for the guide and the Green Impact Scheme were delivered and a recording of the first launch is available here (see link below).

the footprint of aligner-producing companies must be considered, in terms of the single plastic used and shipping from countries where they are produced, e.g. Mexico and China.

We hope to see support from healthcare and dental organisations and policy makers in the future.

A much stronger emphasis on prevention is also required, to reduce the need for treatment.

- Link to Guide: https://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/dentalguide - Link to NUS Green Impact: http://www.greenimpact.org.uk/dentists - Link to E-lfh module: https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/myElearning/Index?

HierarchyId=0_22_40233&programmeId=22

Q A

What other green strategies could dentistry look at adopting?

As research suggests that travel by staff and patients is the single biggest contributor to the dentistry carbon footprint and we are still some way from addressing it, this should be a focus when adopting sustainable strategies. Minimising journeys and therefore patient travel to the dentist would require a wholesale pivot in the model of delivering dentistry. For example, by commissioning small clinics to improve access and reduce travel times or digital products that can facilitate remote advice/consultations that are accessible for all members of the population. Again, this is some way off.

Some innovations where contacts with the dentist can be reduced might be beneficial, e.g. clear aligners vs. conventional orthodontics where possible, where the patients can be monitored remotely rather than multiple appointment sessions. However,

14|Modern Dentist Magazine

Q A

Is the digitisation of dentistry a sustainable option?

At the moment, it is not a huge benefit from an environmental perspective. The sort of things people are doing include digitising letters (emails instead), digital medical history recording and NHS form completing, e.g. using tablets instead of paper, and taking digital impressions. These processes remove some waste from the workflow - paper, impression materials and emissions from lab work deliveries. However, these do not contribute to reducing the footprint of staff and patient travel.

There are also issues with some of these ‘digital alternatives’. When using equipment (e.g. tablets, computer hardware, scanners, milling machines, 3D printers), their lifespans and energy-efficiency and disposal must be considered to ascertain whether they actually offer any appreciable benefit from an environment perspective.

Q

What is the top piece of advice and/or guidance you would give to practices wanting to make a change and shift to a greener, more sustainable way of working?

A

Start with small changes. Don’t try and do everything at once. For these small steps, try and get the whole practice on board, including patients. Find sustainable areas that team members are interested in and identify

a leader or a champion who can help create a sustainable culture and support others to make incremental changes. Put the topic of sustainability on the agenda of staff meetings and start the discussion.

Q A

What are your visions for sustainable dentistry going forward?

A vision for sustainable dentistry really starts with an emphasis on disease prevention and the promotion of health.

Dr Frances Mortimer, of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, identified four key principles of sustainable practice, which included prevention, patient education and empowerment, lean service delivery and low carbon modalities of treatment. Using these four principles gives a template of how to make any area of healthcare more sustainable.

Making sustainability a policy priority, creating dialogue between key groups, incorporating it into education at an undergraduate and postgraduate level, adhering to recall guidelines, digitising where it adds environmental value, purchasing sustainable products and materials where possible and maximising energy efficiency are all key, as well as exploring new ways of delivering care and emphasising the prevention of diseases.

Sara Harford and Darshini Ramasubbu

are HEE and CSH Sustainability Fellows.

References: Dentistry carbon footprint: Duane B, Berners Lee M, White S, Stancliffe R, Steinbach I. An estimated carbon footprint of NHS primary dental care within England. How can dentistry be more environmentally sustainable? BDJ 2017; 223: 589-593 BDJ sustainability paper series: Brett Duane, Sara Harford, Darshini Ramasubbu, Rachel Stancliffe, Eleni Pasdeki-Clewer, Richard Lomax and Inge Steinbach.

Environmentally sustainable dentistry: a brief introduction to sustainable concepts within the dental practice BDJ 2019; 226: 292-295

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Interview

Regional Focus:

East of England Modern Dentist’s latest Regional Focus examines the East of England, where we spoke to Nick Stolls, Regional Representative, about current and coming challenges as well as how we can continue to build bridges and create positive change.

Q A

The dental profession in the East of England are working with a system that is broken – it is a national problem and follows years of underinvestment. We are facing a number of issues, like the rest of the country, and one of those problems is contracting. With the current NHS contract there is an ever increasing number of practices struggling to hit their 96% target, and this is being replicated across the board, not just in our region.

It creates a problem not only for dentists’ business plans but for our patients and their ability to access dental care.

Like in every part of the country, the Eastern region are also facing NHS reorganisation, which is causing an uncertainty over commissioning of services. Equally, commissioners are facing a degree of uncertainty over their future at the moment

in the first third of their careers has changed the most. We are seeing many young dentists tending to remain as associates and looking to augment their professional lives with other elements of work, creating a portfolio career and getting their professional input from multiple sources rather than just one practice. Brexit does play a part, however the impact on our overseas dentists is still unknown.

We are seeing an increase in the number of dentists returning to the EU coupled with a reduction in the number that are applying to come over to the UK to work.

– there are a lack of numbers of commissioners, so contracts that were supposed to be managed in a way that generates collaboration between the commissioner and provider are now being managed at arm’s length. We are seeing a lot of the work that was undertaken by the commissioners and contract managers being sent back to the BSA (Business Service Authority), meaning that they are now undertaking a lot of the basic management of the contracts.

What are the main challenges that dental professionals in the East of England are facing at the moment and how are they tackling these?

Another area of challenge in the East is recruitment. We are seeing large numbers of practices in the rural community struggling to recruit – this is partly down to low contract values, but also because many dentists prefer a metropolis setting. Retention also falls under that banner, with many dentists retiring early or leaving the profession. I believe that this is ultimately down to morale or more specifically, the lack of it. Morale has changed massively over the last five years and the needs of those

Litigation is something that is causing real concerns for a lot of my colleagues – they are working under a cloud of fear, either because of patient complaints, or because they are misinterpreting the current contract’s wording and are therefore being targeted for innocently undertaking work that the authorities would consider fraud. This is a cause of huge concern.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Interview

Q

What has been the key positive or negative area of change in the region in the past decade, and how have professionals in the area responded to this?

A

There has been lots of positive change, especially in terms of children’s oral health. Many LDCs have been assisting local authorities in addressing the hot spots within the region where child oral health is particularly poor.

They have been working to try and introduce systems to coordinate an approach to children’s oral health, for instance, tooth brushing clubs have been opened in schools. Other areas of work have included the introduction of the Office of the Chief Dental Officer’s initiatives of ‘Starting Well’ and ‘Dental Check By One’. NHS England have also been commissioning services through community dental services to try and address oral health education. The LDCs have really been at the forefront of this effort, bringing organisations together in order to create a public health approach to child oral health, and so far it has been incredibly rewarding and positive.

We have also seen a lot of positive improvement through Local Dental Networks (LDNs). The East of England have got some very good Chairs of the LDNs and they have introduced some really positive initiatives that have been steered by the LDCs. We are also seeing an improvement in referral services. Most of the region now uses an electronic service for patients being referred by primary care dentists. Although it was a bumpy ride to begin with, and it is still not sorted completely, we are finding that the service is providing a more consistent and rapid approach to the way that patients are referred both to secondary care and level 2 services of primary care.

We have also developed in the last few years the Practitioner Advice and Support Scheme (PASS), which are schemes that we set up for dentists who are struggling either with homelife or work-life. These schemes are essentially a friendly person to speak to, but will also include mentoring if necessary. These schemes are set up directly by LDCs and they tend to be regional.

In terms of the negatives, there are major problems with the procurement of orthodontics, special care dentistry and out of hours. It is taking a huge amount of the commissioner’s time to undertake these procurement

18|Modern Dentist Magazine

LDCs are trying to encourage younger dentists to be a part of the LDC network because they bring a vibrancy and a knowledge that a lot of LDCs desperately need projects. The NHS long term plan recommends that the government consider repealing the regulations that insist on procurement taking place, so maybe we will see the end of this overburdening and divisive process to be replaced with something more fit for purpose. We are seeing the loss of a lot of well-established contractors around the region simply because they couldn’t provide the service for the figures that some bidders are coming

in at and that is a great shame.

Value for money isn’t simply about who can provide the service for the cheapest price.

Q

A

What are your core aims as a regional representative to the East of England LDC?

I have been doing this role for the best part of fourteen years, co-ordinating the communication

Interview

between each of the LDCs in our region and while each of those LDCs are an independent organisation, it is important from my prospective that there is a degree of co-ordination for those LDCs so that they have somewhere that they can go to ask a question and disseminate information.

It is also important that I recognise what ‘good’ looks like. So if we see an example in one LDC where things are going well and I think that could be replicated across the whole of the region, then I distribute the information

in order to assist with that. I need to be available to support some LDCs, and it is important that I am available and that they can trust me in that endeavour.

Q

The commissioning areas are increasing in size with the reorganisation of the NHS, and that is creating a challenge for us in the East. We are continually working to discover how that is going to impact LDCs and how we can navigate through that process, making sure that we get the information nationally and support practices locally.

How have the needs of dental professionals in the region changed in the last five years?

A

What we are seeing, in terms of the needs of dental professionals in this area, is a greater need for pastoral support both for performers within a practice, but also providers. A lot of dentists are struggling and if we can’t help to support them with their specific concern then we need to be able to signpost them to an organisation that can help.

Q

Have patient expectations changed in the East of England and to what do you attribute any such changes?

A

Patient expectations have gone up hugely. They expect very high standards but their expectations have probably gone beyond the point of what is attainable. We are seeing an increase in the number of complaints and for a lot of young dentists, the fear of litigation is permanently looking over their shoulders.

We are finding that a lot of patients are confused about what is in and out of the NHS dental contract, much in the same way that dentists are. They expect everything to be provided within the NHS. Access has become much more of a problem and so in the Eastern region we are seeing patients having to make much longer journeys to be able to access practices that are providing NHS dental services and have the availability to fit them into an appointment both routine or as an emergency.

Q

How do you and the LDCs in the region ensure LDCs maintain their relevance to the profession?

A

The difficulty that LDCs are facing is the age gap and to an extent the gender gap as well. Most of the LDCs in the Eastern region are populated by dentists who have been in the profession for a long time and have gained a

If you don’t have any NHS dentists then you don’t have any NHS dentistry

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Interview

lot of experience and knowledge, but if they are not careful they will lose sight of what younger dentists’ requirements are and what strengths the younger dentists can bring to committees - there is a potential for us to lose touch with the younger generation. The LDCs are trying to encourage younger dentists to be a part of the LDC network because they bring a vibrancy and a different perspective that a lot of LDCs desperately need.

LDCs are continuing to put on their own CPD courses. They often have access to speakers to provide updates in NHS England initiatives who are not always accessible to clinical organisations for CPD in the region via Health Education England, and it is important that we tap into that resource. We try and keep communication flowing but we also have collectively an initiative in the Eastern region which includes creating newsletters from many of the LDCs.

Q

don’t have access to specialist advice or training which dental schools can provide. What we are finding is a huge reliance on local colleagues that have the desire to provide academic or educational services. There are a group of dentists within each county that have an eagerness to provide education and they are the ones who are providing, in many cases, the coordination of training or providing the training themselves.

We also don’t have any large cities in our region, so the opportunity to attract innovation is vastly reduced.

Now that is not to cast any criticism on my colleagues, there are a number of practices in our region who are extremely innovative and there are some practices that are at the forefront of innovation, but in general terms across the region, it is very difficult to attract innovation and build centres of excellence.

Q

How do you feel the pace of innovation differs in the East compared to other regions? Where is the region ahead of the curve in this area and how might it be behind?

A

The biggest obstacle to our ability to innovate in the East of England is not having a dental school. This makes recruitment more difficult.

A lot of students will go and work within 50 miles of the dental school that they graduated from. It also means that dentists in our region

I think the public are confused and you can see that quite clearly by the fact that many of them are put off going to the dentist because of patient charges; and they are also confused by what is and isn’t included within the NHS contract.

A

There is a greater need for pastoral support 20|Modern Dentist Magazine

How do you think the dental profession is perceived by the public? Do LDCs have a part to play in building relationships on this level?

There are a number of ways that we can build bridges and inform the public. I have been encouraging LDCs in the Eastern region to do this via the media. There are important roles within the media and within communications that we can provide. For example, our region has created a three minute video to be distributed to schools to help inform young people and encourage those

that might be considering a career in dentistry. It is all about breaking down the barriers.

Q

Do you feel that the East of England has a voice in wider conversations outside of the region?

A

It is always difficult to know how much of a difference we are making, but we are always represented at meetings with commissioners in the region, and we continue to voice our concerns and put pressure where it is needed. We never underestimate the importance of putting pressure on those people that might have a way of influencing dentistry, from a national perspective.

Q A

What does the future look like to the dental professionals in the region?

Unless some of the problems that I have highlighted here are addressed, then we are going to find that NHS dentistry is going to continue to struggle.

We need to start to work more entrepreneurially and unless we try and partner with primary care networks and general medical practices, then we will continue to be marginalised. NHS dentistry is very much in a silo which sits outside of the rest of primary care health and unless we start to become more integrated, then our future within the NHS and NHS dentistry as a whole is under threat.

If you don’t have any NHS dentists then you don’t have any NHS dentistry.

Nick Stolls

is the Regional Representative for the East of England.

Editorial Board

Or Become Extinct Nathalie Smets, Marketing and Sales Country Manager at Ancar, discusses the importance of staying up to date with the latest technologies and trends, otherwise risk facing tough competition.

Keeping up with the latest technologies and trends can be overwhelming, and knowing when to make an investment can seem like a tough question to answer. While it’s neither necessary nor prudent to jump on every new piece of technology earning recognition in the field, it is important to stay up to date on what tools can help you bring your practice to the next level.

If you’re not willing to improve what you currently have, then you risk losing patients and income.

Now, it’s not about spending your money on anything. Obviously, investments must be optimised and adapted to a strategic plan.

Regularly assessing the condition and age of your equipment is critical. Ask yourself these four questions to determine if the time is right for you to make a dental equipment upgrade or investment.

How much will it cost me?

Remember, the baseline price of a new piece of equipment is not the total cost. Think about interest rate, training fees, installation expenses, and any other costs that may exist.

How will it improve ROI?

It’s important to carefully consider the return on investment (ROI) of any large purchase for your practice. Compare the overall cost of the equipment with the potential for increased efficiency, additional patient load, and ability to perform new procedures and/or diagnostics in-house. Although most equipment won’t be profitable on day one, you may find that what seems like a huge initial investment will pay off sooner than you expect.

How can it help me to expand my practice?

There are several ways new equipment could expand your practice. If investing in new technology allows you to perform new procedures, you have the potential to generate additional income. Having the latest technology may also help you to attract new talent to your practice.

What’s the cost difference between maintaining old equipment and buying new equipment?

The most obvious sign that it’s time to upgrade your dental equipment is frequent breakdowns and failures. Equipment maintenance can be costly. If you’re regularly shelling out money for a repair service, you might be better off investing that cash in new equipment. Don’t forget to factor in money lost while essential equipment is down.

Any appointments that need to be rescheduled are money out of your pocket.

What’s in it for you?

If you’ve answered all of these questions but are still on the fence, consider these additional potential benefits that newer equipment could bring to your dental practice.

• Improved efficiency • Greater volume of procedures • New patient attraction • Giving better care to your patients

It is necessary to leave the comfort zone and understand that, in order to go further, it is not enough to do the job right inside the box, but it is essential to invest. Generally, a higher return implies a higher risk. It is no coincidence that, usually, the dental clinics that invest the most are those that manage to differentiate themselves from the rest. Clinics that invest in equipment, marketing, personnel, infrastructure and/or administration, usually show a stronger image and end up being referents in the field.

Nathalie Smets

is the Marketing and Sales Country Manager at Ancar.

While it’s neither necessary nor prudent to jump on every new piece of technology earning recognition in the field, it is important to stay up to date on what tools can help you bring your practice to the next level

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Sure-Seal Biocompatible Antibacterial Osteo-inductive Shrinkage Bonds to dentine Radiopaque Compatible with all systems Premixed Extended working time

V

Traditional sealer

Editorial Board

Unnecessary expenditure

Mike Hughes, Principal at Dental Practice Consultancy Service, takes a look at expenditure within the dental practice, and discusses some areas where practitioners can save money.

It is often said that if you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves, but does this apply in a business setting and in particular within a dental practice? Just think about those little traps that we all fall into, we sign up to join a gym in January and for the first few weeks remain loyally committed to its use, then the better weather comes along and our attendance becomes a little less frequent and as summer comes, suddenly we hardly go at all, and as summer fades into autumn our intentions are good but our activity level is low and then we are back to Christmas planning! No time for the gym and attendance becomes part of the next year’s New Year’s resolution. Unfortunately, however, throughout that summer period, autumn and the approach to Christmas, we continued paying the direct debit for a service that we don’t use. Businesses can fall into the same trap and it is the responsibility of the practice owner to try to keep on top of these things. The reality is, however, that many issues within the running of the dental practice are delegated and checking for unnecessary expenditure, or indeed reviewing commitments to ensure that they still represent value for money, tends to fall down the list of priorities until perhaps it gets to a point where someone says “I’m really not making as much money out of this practice as I used to or as I think I should!”

At the moment, many practitioners will be in the process of completing their financial records for submission to their accountants, so next year, rather than just ticking off the paperwork, why not spend a little time thinking about the money that is spent and whether it is still appropriate to the business.

It probably makes sense to at least start with the biggest items of expenditure, the biggest of which is usually payroll. Obviously, any changes here are going to have implications for other individuals on a personal level and can therefore be difficult to address, but is the current level of staffing within the practice currently appropriate and offering value for money? I do realise that there could be some significant personal implications but if the staffing level is inappropriate, it is expensive and as I write this article, the news this morning reported the departure of the Chief Executive of Tesco, who is widely credited with getting the business back on track, and one of the ways in which he did this was by significant reduction to the workforce. The savings may not be as significant for you but then again, the turnover and net profit are not the same either.

Have you dropped into the age-old trap of reordering consumables from the same supplier without considering alternative suppliers or even looking to renegotiate with the existing one? Are there alternative products now available that might replace your tried and tested purchases, and which could result in savings with no actual drop in quality?

The same applies to laboratory expenditure.

Associates are difficult to come by, particularly in some areas of the country, however, generally speaking, associate remuneration has tended to fall and if significant elements of the practice turnover are being generated by associate dentists, controlling this cost can have one of the biggest impacts on the bottom line.

Telephony. The development of VOIP telephone services has given the potential to reduce the required number of phone lines within a business.

Quite often, one line essentially supplying data is adequate to satisfy the needs of small businesses, but some still cling to multiple lines including one for an often defunct fax machine. I do still retain a fax number but it delivers as a pdf to my email – no phone line.

The list goes on, but has the business been committed to contracts for services that are rarely or no longer used? I go back to the gym analogy at the top of the page. If you don’t use it, ditch it!

Mike Hughes

Principal, Dental Practice Consultancy Service.

It is often said that if you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves, but does this apply in a business setting and in particular within a dental practice?

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Moden Dentist Mag1_Layout 1 17/01/2019 16:53 Page 1

Specialist Dental Accountants Business Well Planned www.doddaccountants.co.uk ow Kn w ho for ts tis n e d

healthcare

We’re Making Tax Digital ready, are you?

For a confidential, no obligation discussion about how we can help your dental business, accounting and advisory needs contact Heidi Marshall on 01768 864466 or email heidi@doddaccountants.co.uk.

Editorial Board

Buying a car through a limited company

We’ve had a lot of queries from clients recently about buying a company car. Any Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) car will qualify for a 100% first year allowance (providing it’s a “brand new” car, i.e. not pre-owned and is purchased not leased) so the entire cost of the vehicle can be offset against company profits in year 1. If you are spending £80,000 on a car then your company will save 19% of this in corporation tax, so £15,200. This tax relief is a first-year allowance relief and won’t diminish the company’s Annual Investment Allowance for the period.

If your company is providing you with a car, you will be liable for tax on the company car benefit. The rates are a little high in the current tax year but are then set to drop to 0% in 2020/21 for zero-emission vehicles. From 2021/22 they are due to increase, albeit slightly.

The benefit in kind (BIK) charges on these ULEV cars (with emissions of zero CO2/km) are as follows: 2019/20 – 16% of list price 2020/21 – 0% of list price 2021/22 – 1% of list price 2022/23 – 2% of list price Assuming you were to spend £80,000 on one or two electric cars, you would save corporation tax of £15,200 in year 1. Benefit in kind charges of £12,800 in 2019/20, £nil in 2020/21, £800 in 2021/22 and £1,600 in 2022/23, which means tax for a higher rate taxpayer of around £5,120, £nil, £320 and £640 respectively (i.e. 40% of the benefit).

How could 3D printing change our approach to dentistry?

The role of 3D printing in dentistry is becoming more and more commonplace with many labs employing some form of 3D printing and a growing number of clinicians are opting for inhouse printing technology.

At ground level, 3D printing is used to generate models from intra-oral scans, which are used in more traditional workflows such as for finishing and verification of restorations or making gum shields etc. by vacuum forming.

As a result of rapid material developments, as well as practical machine cost and print speeds, the application of 3D printing is now being used for the direct printing of restorations, dentures, splints and surgical guides.

Clinicians who employ 3D printing in their everyday dentistry report many benefits in terms of cost and efficiency, however, the one area and the key benefit in terms of patient care is the ability to plan and deliver treatment.

Be it dentistry or any other aspect of life or business, a good plan is the starting point of a good journey. A good plan requires knowledge and information and the journey can only be completed successfully with a right tools. The way dentists plan and execute that plan is changing. More and more dentistry is being performed away from the chair. It involves software and 3D printing.

•

Implant placement using surgical guides is becoming more commonplace and when used correctly, provides for predicable implant placement. This can then be used to prefabricate a provisional crown which is optimally suited to the patient.

•

Traditional waxups are incredibly useful however can be prohibitively costly to the patient and often not utilised as a result. Digital waxups are considerably more cost effective and can help engage the patient and manage their expectations.

If you are looking at electric-only vehicles, there is no fuel benefit to worry about.

Class 1A NIC is also payable by the company at a rate of 13.8% on the BIK. As the car would be owned by the company, any repair costs, servicing, insurance etc. can be paid for by the company, obtaining 19% corporation tax relief.

However, don’t forget, when the car is sold/traded in, as you’ve had full tax relief at the outset, any proceeds are taxed in full in the company. Therefore a £80,000 car that you have had £15,200 tax relief on when purchased will have, for example, £7,600 of this tax relief clawed back on sale if the car is sold for £40,000.

Heidi Marshall

Partner, Dodd & Co.

The design element of any 3D process can be lengthy so clinicians and laboratory technicians are still working closely with the technician designing to the dentist’s prescription and the dentist then printing inhouse.

With access to 3D printing, the role of the dentist will still be the same – to deliver excellent, patient focused care, however the approach taken to achieve this is always changing and for many will soon incorporate 3D printing.

Mark Barry

Director, ESM Digital Solutions.

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Editorial Board

A round-up on tax

Cost vs performance when buying new technology

Ray Cox

Chairman, Medifinance Ltd. With technology moving at a quickening pace, the dental industry is growing, and its digital future is bright.

Investing in new technologies also means investing in new techniques. With materials and instruments changing to envelop the digital age, dentists now have to embrace further training as part of their own personal development, as well as for the benefit of the practice and their patients.

Developments in CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/ComputerAided Manufacturing) technology allow for procedures that would traditionally need a skilled dental technician and could potentially take several weeks to be completed, to now be manufactured chairside or within a much quicker timescale. Digital advances in modern IT solutions within practice mean that the sharing of information, for example, by uploading files for education and treatment planning, gives higher patient satisfaction and ensures that more complex treatments can be explained in new ways. The use of apps, videos and interactive 3D imaging allows your patients to engage even further with treatments and post-op care.

Developments haven’t only happened in the surgery, but also in the reception and treatment co-ordinator areas. By using advanced workflows, digital signatures and online booking systems, patients can take advantage of the ease and convenience that a modern, digital practice can offer, which is much more in line with the way that a modern consumer makes their day to day purchases.

Consideration should be taken that, alongside these predictable, efficient techniques, invariably there will be more regulation and validation. Manufacturers and dental companies will need to provide better training, more stringent processes to ensure patient safety and better support programs to help the latest wave of dentists move forwards into the spiral of the digital dental era.

The initial financial outlay of training, equipment and more advanced materials needed to delve into this new and exciting age will soon be outweighed by the return on your investment (ROI) in terms of more predictable outcomes, faster delivery times, improved accuracy and reduced surgery time. Using a reputable equipment supplier and a specialist finance broker will ensure you secure the best deal for your money and allow you to spread the cost of your investment across manageable monthly repayments.

Although you may be in the process of having your 2018/19 Tax Return completed for the 31st January 2020 deadline, we are currently in the 2019/20 tax year. This runs from 6th April 2019 to 5th April 2020.

So, what is new for the 2019/20 tax year?

Personal Tax The personal allowance is £12,500. The Budget announced that the personal allowance will be frozen at £12,500 for 2020/21. The basic rate band limit has been increased to £37,500 with the tax rates staying the same (basic rate – 20%; higher rate – 40% and additional rate – 45%). The lifetime allowance for pensions was increased to £1,055,000.

Employment Tax These points will be of interest if you have employees with benefits.

From 6th April 2019 the figure used as the basis for calculating the benefit for employees who receive free private fuel from the employers for company cars is increased to £24,100. From 2020/21, there will be a new range of low-emission percentages when calculating car benefits. There is also the introduction of an ‘electric range’ which is the number of miles which is essentially the maximum distance for which the car can be driven in electric mode without recharging the battery.

There were new salary sacrifice rules which impose a cost on the taxable benefits based on the value of the amount of salary given up if this is greater than the charge that would be otherwise be due.

Corporation Tax The rate of Writing Down Allowance (WDA) on the special rate pool is reduced from 8% to 6%. There has also been a temporary increase in the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA). For expenditure on or after 1st January 2019, the maximum AIA is increased to £1 million (previously £200,000). This means that you can gain tax relief on assets purchased for your practice to a much higher value than before.

This is only for a 2-year period, so make the most of it!

This is just a snapshot of some of the tax updates announced, so if you want to know more on any of the points raised, please speak to your accountant.

Sophie Kwiatkowski

Accountant, PFM Dental Accountancy.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Digital Dentistry PGCert : Pink and White Esthetics in a Digital Workflow

with Dr Ioana Datcu (private practice in Ravenna, Italy) PGCert in Foundations of Digital Dentistry stand-alone day December 5th 2019 ICE Postgraduate Dental Hospital and Institute 6 CPD hours

ÂŁ199 (Half price offer running until November 15th) The challenges in managing peri-implant pink esthetics The importance of thinking digital: the digital revolution When, where, how and why the new technologies are being incorporated into the treatment plan sequence of our daily routine How to manage the soft tissue in different situations and in a digital workflow From virtual planning to implant surgery Conventional surgery vs guided surgery in a digital workflow

FIND OUT MORE http://icedentalimplants.co.uk/pgcert-digital-dentistry/ 24 Furness Quay, Salford Quays, M50 3XZ daniel.naughton@icedental.institute 0161 413 8337

The ICE National Reference Centre for Digital Dentistry will provide all necessary equipment in conjunction with Henry Schein Dental.

This is a stand-alone course as a part of the PGCert in Foundations of Digital Dentistry, held at ICE Postgraduate Institute and Hospital.

The use of a digital workflow can save valuable time for the dentist and patients and improve the accuracy of treatment planning and surgical guidelines.

Topics covered include application of DCBCT scans, 3D data and CAD/CAM manufacturing.

Editorial Board

Paperless practice

The cost of taking your dental practice into the digital world

Sophie Gray

Dental Compliance Manager, Isopharm.

What new technologies should practices be aware of that can assist with maintaining high levels of care and compliance?

How should practices weigh up cost and performance when investing in new technology?

Care and compliance often go hand in hand with extensive components of record keeping, which usually have lengthy retention periods; this leads to paper-based systems that become unrealistic to manage.

We look at the cost of new digital dentistry equipment and at first glance it can seem expensive. But the reality is, can you afford not to keep up?

Have you recently assessed the paper-based systems in place in your practice?

But when you look at the bigger picture not changing can actually be a cost to your business…

While it’s important to think about how you can reduce the amount of compliance and management paper-based records you have, go a step further and consider all the paper-based documentation that you utilise for patients such as medical history forms. Once completed and signed by the patient/clinician, they are often scanned onto a system and then shredded, which again goes back to an unproductive, costly and timeconsuming process.

By investing in your business the right equipment can actually increase your bottom line profit by £1000’s. By structuring the best finance options and maximising your tax reliefs coupled with the extra revenue modern equipment will generate, investing in your business can easily make the decision a no brainer.

Why not consider a solution which allows patients to complete medical history forms and sign treatment plans digitally?

Advantages of cloud-based applications: • Cost-Effective - Digitising paper-based systems reduces printing and other operational outgoings.

• Increased Productivity – Employees won’t have to waste time locating documentation. Cloud-based applications also allow for collaboration between users, which can benefit employees across different sites and regional headquarters.

• Automation – The majority of compliance activities revolve around a continuous cycle with predefined revaluation intervals which can be automated. This ensures tasks are completed on schedule, and some may even provide prior notifications allowing employees to prioritise their workload and plan their time more effectively.

• Maximise use of space – Space is often a luxury within a dental practice, why waste what you do have on storage when you may be able to use it more efficiently.

• Improved Security – Storing documents in this way is safer than keeping sensitive files in an office environment. Digital documents are encrypted and protected by numerous layers of security, and access can be restricted, so only relevant individuals can view and edit.

• Efficient Recovery – A fire or flood could potentially wipe out stored paper-based records, whereas utilising a cloud-based application would result in efficient recovery and continuity of services.

• Eco-friendly – Paper waste is probably the most abundant type of waste that businesses produce; by introducing a cloud-based application, you can drastically reduce this.

The dental world is changing and a changing world requires change!

The prices you can charge your patients for your services and having the latest technology not only provides confidence for your patients but tells patients how serious you are about your business. We all want confidence in our dentist and having the latest technology can install confidence for your patients. Not only does it install confidence with your patients it but also installs confidence in your staff that your business is serious about providing the best options for your patients.

We are all the same when paying for services, not just in dentistry, if you are presented with the latest technology by a provider who is passionate about their business you are happy to pay the going rates.

£50,000 investment. £960 per month over 60 months. £576.00 after tax relief. /20 days = £28.00 a day cost to your business.

How much could a £28 a day investment return you?

Actual cost £34,560 cost after tax relief (assumes 40% tax relief).

Rob Griffin

Business Owner, Aspired Finance.

For further information or personalised quotes, please contact us at ASPIRED FINANCE.

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Features

Scanning the horizon

Dr Marcos White, practice owner and lead cosmetic dentist of The Courtyard Clinical Academy, a practice based in Huddersfield, voted ‘Most Innovative Practice in the UK’ at the Private Dentistry Awards, discusses how the adoption of digital technologies has improved his dental practice for the better.

Marcos White will tell you that he is “passionate about raising the profile of high quality restorative dentistry and also the environment that it is carried out in”.

Testament to his forward thinking approach is underlined by his adoption of digital technologies which has led to his practice being shortlisted for an impressive 14 awards over the years.

Investing in digital In 2012, before most dental companies had brought the concept of intraoral scanners to market, Marcos had already purchased his first digital scanner. Five years on and he

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has three – all iTero digital scanners. Why? Because: “We ended up sharing the first iTero we purchased only a year ago amongst four surgeries, which was not that practical, or the most efficient way of running the practice, so the purchase of two further scanners became the most sensible option.”

“I had used a couple of scanners over the previous four years and had kept abreast about what the digital world had to offer. I was doing lots of Invisalign treatments and iTero was the orthodontic scanner of choice, it had a successful track record, its Outcome Simulator facility also offered a unique way of communicating with patients, so that’s really

When you come out of dental school, you soon realise that dentistry is not just about being skillful as a dentist, you also need to learn pretty quickly how to wear a business hat

Features

You end up with a more relaxed, more engaged patient, who has a better understanding of the overall process and is looking forward to the outcome of their treatment they see their problems in colour on screen and the whole experience removes that negotiation pitch to get to the treatment stage. If it is ugly and the Outcome Simulator then shows them how it can be improved, they are sold instantly without real effort from you to sell that dream. And in some cases, you even get a bigger treatment plan than initially anticipated: patients feel more involved and more in control, and are able to project themselves further.”

how it started. However, since using my first iTero I have a bit more perspective on this. I admit having been a bit shortsighted or even carried away by the technology. I essentially chose the iTero for orthodontic purposes and completely overlooked any other modality for which I could use it. It was only after I started using it that I realised its full potential and how adaptive it is for restorative work. In fact, I now use it for pretty much everything, including full arch implant cases,” adds Marcos.

“For consultation purposes, it is such a fantastic tool. There isn’t that trust that you have to slowly build with your patients;

“You end up with a more relaxed, more engaged patient, who has a better understanding of the overall process and is looking forward to the outcome of their treatment. The scanner also gives you more cachet in the eye of the patient who values you more for having such a high tech dental practice. And with the scanner being so accurate, the work is much more predictable, which gives me the confidence I need to deliver that dream.”

“However, dentists need to understand that there is a learning and training element to factor in to get to that stage. Embracing an intra-oral scanner requires a different mindset: your team has to be fully on board; you need to work with laboratories that can support it; the appointment lengths have to be changed etc. In my practice we actually offer dentists the opportunity to come and watch how we use the scanner. It isn’t complicated in the least but it is easier to demonstrate how the whole configuration works around patients and members of the dental team.”

“When you come out of dental school, you soon realise that dentistry is not just about being skillful as a dentist, you also need to learn pretty quickly how to wear a business hat. So when investing in new kit, no matter how incredible the marketing spiel is, despite recognising the positives, one has to anticipate what could go wrong and what solutions you have in place. The iTero scanner has a big sales force and support is far more impressive than what I have been accustomed to, you can have resellers and distributors who sell great pieces of kits but often you end up disappointed when you need the support.”

“My nurses, treatment coordinators and other members of the team all love it, it is a very simple scanner to use, they all feel involved and valued, and you know how important this is for the smooth running of the business. It also gives me more time to focus on the treatments and my patients get the best out of me too.”

“So more accuracy, more predictability, patients who are better informed from the start, faster consent, purer sales process, great support, all in all much easier. Well if investing in a scanner and going completely digital isn’t evidence of how pleased I am, then I don’t know what is!”

Dr Marcos White

is the practice owner and lead cosmetic dentist of The Courtyard Clinical Academy.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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Features

Taking time to talk about health This article looks at the need to talk to patients about their oral health, and how using terms they can relate to in order to communicate the adverse effects of a lack of preventive self-care may help in achieving more successful outcomes. Brought to you

by Johnson & Johnson, the makers of LISTERINE®.

Tooth decay affects 31% of British adults and 66% have visible plaque. What’s more, although 60% say they clean interdentally regularly, UK sales indicate the true figure is more likely to be in the region of 5%.1 Added to that, figures suggest that if a person has only five minutes to get ready, one in 20 would skip brushing their teeth, plus one in ten are prepared to cut oral care products from their shopping list if finances are tight.1 All this data suggests there seems to be a need for more effective communication between dental professionals and patients regarding the importance of self-care.

No time to waste

However, as Freeman wrote (1999): ‘The dentist, hygienist, and dental nurse within their busy work schedule have little if any time for prolonged patient interviews. Somehow they must find a system which permits the elicitation of patient details in as short a time as possible.’2

Freeman (1999) is not alone in recognising the need to make the most of the dental professional’s limited time. For example, in relation to smoking cessation, the NHS toolkit, ‘Delivering better health’, revised in 2017, recommends a route created by the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training that takes less than 30 seconds to deliver.3

Health literacy

Known as very brief advice (VBA), there are three elements to it. Together, they increase the chance of a successful quit attempt and reduced delivery time:3

For example, in one concurrent community dental survey where 41% of dentists remembered offering patients smoking cessation advice, only 7% of smokers in that same community remembered receiving that advice during their dental appointment.5

1. Establishing and recording smoking status (ASK) 2. Advising on the personal benefits of quitting (ADVISE) 3. Offering help (ACT).

Further information about the VBA process can be found at http://elearning.ncsct.co.uk/vbastage_2.4

Another aspect that may be worth considering is how much information patients take on board during an appointment in the dental practice.

As Misra and colleagues (2013) point out, ‘Forgetting health advice undermines adherence with such instructions and is a potential problem.’5

In line with this result, Misra and colleagues (2013) found that, ‘Overall, dentists’ recall was greater than that of patients. So not only did dentists recall more activities taking place in the consultation overall, but specifically they appeared to recall more oral health advice being offered and more discussion of follow-up actions. Patients, on the other hand,

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Features

remembered a similar number of performed procedures and general issues, but were particularly poor at recalling dental health advice and future actions relating to the consultation.’5 Looking to the future, they concluded: ‘In order to support patient adherence in dental settings, measures need to be taken in practice to ensure that patients remember consultation advice immediately postconsultation.’5 Within these parameters, also of potential significance is each patient’s health literacy.

According to the NHS, a patient with low health literacy will, in general, have difficulty with:6 • Reading and understanding health information • Knowing how to act on the information • Knowing which health services to use and when to use them.

This is a relatively common challenge, given that research indicates that over 40% of adults struggle with health content created for the public and more than 60% struggle with health information that includes numbers or statistics.6 Indeed, according to Stein and colleagues (2018), who conducted a randomised controlled trial in a clinical dental context to explore the effects of the conceptual model of health literacy as a risk, ‘…oral health literacy has been identified as a potential barrier to effective disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.’7 Upon completion of the trial, they concluded: ‘…the conceptual model of health literacy as a

36|Modern Dentist Magazine

Figures suggest that if a person has only five minutes to get ready, one in 20 would skip brushing their teeth risk demonstrates a significant improvement in important clinical outcomes, such as gingival status and oral hygiene, in adult patients.

The hypothesis that patients provided with communication sensitive to oral health literacy will improve their gingival status and oral hygiene was supported.’7

What matters to patients?

Perhaps a possible solution can be linked in with the suggestion that patients do not think about their oral symptoms in just physical terms but also in relation to how it affects their quality of life.8 To achieve this, according to Swapnadeep and colleagues (2014), ‘…a dentist must have proficient motivational skills. The ‘common sense’ approach of motivating an adolescent to brush for fresh breath as opposed to oral health works every time!’8 They added: ‘Making adjustments as and when the need arises the dental professional must gently guide the patient from unawareness to compliance. Carefully handled the patient will move through the stages of resistance to ambivalence and finally compliance or more simply from ‘not ready’ to ‘unsure’ to ‘sure’.’8

Features

On this basis, it may be worth finding out what matters to a patient in terms of quality of life factors and framing preventive care to match it.

One example, already referred to, is that of bad breath, which is a common problem. Clearly, there are a number of possible causes, including medical problems, but keeping one’s mouth clean and fresh will help.9 So, if during conversation you ascertain a patient is concerned about bad breath, which may be a good motivating factor on which to base preventive advice.

A holistic approach

Walker and colleagues (2018) acknowledged the significance of effective communication between dental professionals and patients, writing: ‘Communication is considered one of the cornerstones of clinical dentistry and is underpinned by the General Dental Council’s (GDC) standards for the dental team.

Communicating effectively with patients allows for better patient and clinician satisfaction and wellbeing and can reduce dental anxiety.’10 What’s more, poor communication does not only affect patients. On this, Walker and colleagues (2018) continued: ‘Communicating effectively with patients allows for more accurate identification of a patient’s presenting complaint, better patient satisfaction, concordance, reduces dental anxiety and influences emotional and physical wellbeing.

It has been recognized that deficiencies in communication skills training can lead to high psychological morbidity, emotional

References 1. Oral health statistics. UK snapshot: April 2019. Oral Health Foundation Briefing Sheet, 2019 2. Freeman R. Communicating effectively: some practical suggestions.

BDJ 1999; 187(5): 240-244 3. Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention.

Public Health England. Third edition, revised 2017 4. Very Brief Advice on Smoking. NCSCT online training. http://elearning. ncsct.co.uk/vba-stage_2. Accessed 22 August 2019 5. Misra S et al. Dentist-patient communication: what do patients and dentists remember following a consultation? Implications for patient compliance. Patient Preference and Adherence 2013; 7: 543-549 6. Health literacy. NHS July 2019. https://beta.nhs.uk/service-manual/ content/health-literacy.

burnout, depersonalization and low personal accomplishment. Training in communication skills has been shown to develop a sustainable improvement in both objective and subjective ratings in a number of clinical situations.’10 Offering a final overview of the situation for dentists and their teams, Freeman (1999) stated: ‘Dental health professionals must try to know about their patients’ psycho-social background as well as gaining an understanding of their own reactions to the care they provide. Recognising patient and professional factors which singly or in combination affect surgery routines allows the influence of psychological and social factors to be contained.

Reducing barriers and resistances, in this way, strengthens the treatment alliance…, thereby enabling patients to accept and comply with preventive dental health care advice and restorative treatment plans, being offered and provided.’2

All this data suggests there seems to be a need for more effective commutation between dental professionals and patients regarding the importance of self-care

Accessed 21 August 2019 7. Stein L et al. Effects of the conceptual model of health literacy as a risk: a randomised controlled trial in a clinical dental context. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2018; 15(8): 1630-1640 8. Swapnadeep et al. Psychology as a tool for fostering better dentist patient relationship: a practical guide. Annals and Essences of Dentistry 2014; 6(2): 64-69 9. Bad breath. Oral Health Foundation. https://www.dentalhealth.org/ bad-breath. Accessed 22 August 2019 10. Walker TWM et al. Are dental students well-equipped to deal with difficult communication situations? BDJ 2018; 224(3): 163-168

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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2019

At Price Bailey - It’s all about you The right advice for your business life

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Features

5 ways to grow your dental practice Dr Sandeep Kumar, Founder of MiSmile, discusses his strategies for overcoming the challenges faced by practice owners in order to drive patient numbers,

patient satisfaction and practice income.

Over 35,000 dental practitioners are employed within the UK*. Where those under the NHS will face challenges of high workload and squeezed appointment times, those operating within the private sector will have contrasting problems; balancing common challenges of patient retention and attracting new dental practitioners with their own patient book.

Having established and developed the UK’s first Invisalign focused dental clinic in the UK, I not only understand the fundamental challenges experienced by practice owners, but have developed my own strategies to overcome them in order to grow patient numbers and drive increased income, without affecting standards of treatment and care:

1

Focus on retaining new patients, not just attracting them

Too many businesses, including those operating within the dental sector, focus on driving new sales without having an effective strategy in place to retain patients for the long-term.

When growing my Invisalign treatment offering, I worked incredibly hard to create a digital patient journey, which comprised of a unique lead generation and nurturing process that attracted and retained a consistent flow of patients to the practice.

A key part of this process was creating and implementing the right messages through marketing activity to ensure we only attracted relevant patients who were not only looking for private treatment but would also benefit from Invisalign. This was and continues to be supported by a proactive patient onboarding process, with positive and consistent patient communication, establishing trust in our professional capability from the outset.

2 Understand capacity

5

In taking the time to assess existing staff capacity, where they are able to maintain treatment to high standards without squeezing appointments times, you will be able to forecast growth more effectively. This means understanding at which point, i.e. what level of income, you will need to employ a new dental practitioner and what volume of patients they will need on their books to enable you to maintain your profit margin.

In any business sector, the entrepreneurs who create their own circle of proven peers are those far more likely to achieve greater levels of success themselves.

One of the main challenges in growing a dental practice is ensuring you have the right staff levels to fulfil patient demand.

3

Find your practice niche

When patients are looking for a new Dentist, they initially search by location and then review the practice itself. To ensure you consistently attract the right demographic, you need to showcase your market niche and highlight what treatments your practice specialises in.

Positioning yourself as an expert in certain treatments will demonstrate to potential patients exactly why they should choose your practice over local competitors – not only resulting in an increased number of patients, but ones you are likely to retain for the long-term.

in training and 4 Invest technology

Dental technology has grown significantly in recent years – from an increase in digital dentistry through to automated patient tracking and management software to improve operational efficiencies.

By consistently investing in the latest technology and associated staff training, not only will you ensure staff feel valued by investing in their professional development, you are also likely to increase patient retention in offering the highest standards in patient care, delivered by the latest treatment methods on the market.

Mindset for growth

When building a business, it’s vital to condition your mindset for growth. Without having an unwavering belief in your capability to successfully grow your business, combined with diligence, accountability and a willingness to learn from and accept mistakes, the whole process of business development will be that much harder.

For me, a fundamental reason for creating MiSmile was to offer a platform for dental practitioners to surround themselves with like-minded professionals, resulting in a network of practice owners who can support and learn from one another as they continue to grow and develop their own business.

Dr Sandeep Kumar

is the Founder of MiSmile.

MiSmile is the largest Invisalign network within the UK and the only GDP network supported

by Align Technology, with proven experience to fast-track Invisalign growth, now supporting over 70 members nationwide, who have successfully created more than 10,000 beautiful Invisalign smiles. mismile.co.uk/join * https://www.statista.com/statistics/318885/ numbers-of-dental-practitioners-in-the-uk/

When building a business, it’s vital to condition your mindset for growth

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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Features

Dr Barry Oulton, Founder of The Confident Dentist Academy, considers how communication can affect clinical and business outcomes.

There is a simple truth that if we communicate better, we can be more effective at explaining what’s best for each of our patients and therefore increase the amount of dentistry accepted that they agree is right for them.

The most successful place to be when communicating is from a position of rapport. Being in rapport is something that we do daily with many people without even realising it. Learning how to make a conscious effort to be in rapport is a hugely beneficial skill and is easy to learn.

For instance, once in rapport, it’s important to find out the ‘real’ reason the patient wants our services.

No one ‘wants’ an implant; rather, they desire what they think the benefits of the implant will bring them. This is often a mixture of something they don’t want such as embarrassment, rejection and of something that they do want such as a confident smile, social acceptance, connection, confidence.

By finding out their deeper motivation (whilst in rapport), we are better positioned to serve our patients. Put simply, we are serving them better because they are choosing the better options.

of influence and persuasion, so you can lead your team, have your patients listen to you and understand you, increase your private dentistry and deliver the type of dentistry you want to.

I believe that providing dental colleagues with an awareness of their own communication and being able to recognise a patient’s emotional state is a game-changer for patients, the team and the business.

Last dates in 2019 for the popular ‘Influencing smiles’ two-day, hands-on dental communication and sales training course for dentists and, as a special offer, their dental nurse or practice manager who can come along free of charge, are:

Many dentists have already found that training and investment in this area is an untapped way to increase profits, and so can you!

• 29th-30th November, Sheffield

If you would like to learn more, The Confident Dentist Academy specialises in effective communication training for dentists, team members and specialists.

As a delegate you will be taught to be a master communicator, understanding the principles

• 6th-7th December, London.

For further details, please visit www.theconfidentdentist.com or call 0333 220 2447 or email sally@theconfidentdentist.com

|41

Modern Dentist Magazine

Features

BDIA

Dental Showcase 2019 The highlights

The BDIA Dental Showcase was back for another year, bringing together suppliers, manufacturers, service providers, associations, and dental care professionals under one roof for an invaluable event dedicated to celebrating innovation in dentistry. Modern Dentist was there to capture the action and provide the highlights of this year’s BDIA Dental Showcase.

Returning to the NEC Birmingham, the BDIA Dental Showcase launched what promised to be its biggest and best show yet. The event, which took place from 17-19 October 2019, saw the return of the Showcase’s most popular features as well as some brand new elements, such as the Specialist Zone, which

was introduced this year due to delegate feedback. The zone was home to content designed for dentists who specialise in one of the thirteen specialities, or for dentists who are looking to specialise; it proved a popular element of the Showcase, with many delegates interacting with a number of Britain’s renowned specialist societies with the hope of learning more and potentially becoming a member.

Another addition to this year’s programme was the Digital Workflow Showcase, which provided a look into the future and how a digital practice might run; showcased an entire workflow from beginning to end, exhibiting how digital can create a more efficient and cost-effective practice in the long term.

Showcasing excellence The exhibition hall was packed with the very best of the dental industry, showing off the latest products, services and technologies looking to keep practices at the cutting

“Putting innovation into practice”

42|Modern Dentist Magazine

Features

“The Showcase certainly brought the dental professional and market together for a true celebration of innovation in dentistry” edge. The educational line-up certainly proved to be of interest too and had something for the entire practice team, with sessions from leading experts in the field.

The Dental Update Theatre brought the highest quality clinical content on offer, with a range of lectures and presentations throughout the Showcase, featuring experts providing practical information and tips. The Innovation Theatre took a peek into ‘tomorrow’s world’, showcasing live demonstrations and lectures on the latest digital equipment; while the Chief Dental

Officer, Sara Hurley, was on hand in the CDO Zone, answering any questions regarding the NHS contract reform, Level 2 accreditation, clinical leadership, and more. The Spotlight Theatre hosted key companies who presented their latest products that could revolutionise the practice, while offering short sessions where delegates could discover new resources, processes and perspectives to implement in the dayto-day tasks involved in a practice.

There were lots of opportunities for on-stand CPD, plus some exciting competitions offered by exhibitors.

The networking opportunities available at the Showcase were second to none. Many of the dental associations were present and available to answer any questions or queries. Plus, the Networking Bar, Bridge2Aid Bash and the FD Ball, all offered a more informal meeting place for likeminded professionals.

The Showcase certainly brought the dental professional and market together for a true celebration of innovation in dentistry, and we look forward to taking part again in 2020!

Check out www.dentalshowcase.com to find out more about the BDIA Dental Showcase 2020. |43

Modern Dentist Magazine

Features

What is Slow Dentistry?

I have been practicing Slow Dentistry for the whole of my career. Implementing a standard ‘one hour per patient’ appointment as a minimum - regardless of the time I need to be with them What separates a great dentist from a mediocre one? Why are some dentists more expensive than others? How can I find a good dentist for my needs? These questions and so many like them are raised daily by people around the world who are trying to get the best value for money and best quality of care from a dentist.

However, if you think about it, every single dental clinic and dental professional in the world is different. So the answer will always be different. They may belong to a group of clinics - and we know that the business model of networked clinics is expanding globally, offering more affordable dentistry. We also know that the NHS provides a service that helps those that really need help to improve their oral health and fix their smiles. And depending where you are on the globe, you can also find dental insurance companies that can help subsidise your dental treatments.

But do any of these business models really understand the difference between high-quality and low quality dentistry? Do companies, corporations, the NHS and insurance companies know the difference between a highly experienced dentist and a newcomer to the industry? Do they care about the quality of the materials used, the techniques applied and, most importantly, that an adequate amount of time was allocated to execute the treatment according to the gold standard guidelines established in the scientific literature? Having interviewed dentists in over 50 countries in the past 20 years, I have come to understand that unfortunately not. Or if so, it is very rare.

44|Modern Dentist Magazine

Who then, is out there to defend the patients to ensure they get a fair deal at the dentist? We see the dental industry booming, it is growing at an impressive rate boosted by companies developing new technologies that can accelerate the speed and efficiency of dental treatments like never before. Intra-oral scanners; CBCT; 3-D printers; and incredible software can help us diagnose, treatment plan and execute with more precision and speed than ever before.

However, studies show that these technologies are available in a fraction of dental practices around the world and despite being a growing industry, the public has very little or no perception that such technologies have the potential to improve the overall quality of their dental treatment.

For example, it is the current understanding that a dental implant placed using a 3-D printed surgical guide is safer than one placed freehand.

Of course an experienced dental surgeon would argue this point, but surgical guides always require a CBCT and this should be ubiquitous and the standard of care whether a dental surgeon is experienced or new to placing implants.

Features

These things are very difficult to implement due to the high cost of these technologies, however I am very happy to see that the trend is growing and that dentists around the world are embracing the fact that digital technologies can improve treatment quality, efficiency and streamline workflows like never before. I have been talking on the subject for many years now around the world, and I truly think that digital technologies are incredible tools for bringing the patient into the workflow, by allowing them to see what we are seeing. I believe, it will also oblige dentists to execute treatment plans with a higher standard of care, because when you use these technologies, and outsource to digital laboratories, it means that multiple eyes are now on the case, which tends to improve the quality of care.

But let’s talk about the basics. Who’s controlling the simple things in the dental clinic? I have spent a lot of time interviewing patients and people from every walk of life and I asked one simple question. Who controls the quality of your dentistry when you go to the dentist?

And inevitably they don’t know the answer.

When I suggest that it is their dentist alone, meaning that a highly ethical dentist will inevitably do things better than a dentist who is just there for profit. This of course makes them think.

I have been practicing Slow Dentistry for the whole of my career. Implementing a standard ‘one hour per patient’ appointment as a minimum - regardless of the time I need

The formula for success in the future will be: Slow Dentistry plus digital dentistry

to be with them. The time allocated allows us to correctly disinfect the room in between every appointment according to the gold standard rules; explain in-depth each treatment and it’s costs so that everyone is on the same page; and wait all the time necessary for the anaesthetic to take its full effect; and finally, if necessary and when needed, use of a rubber dam on 100% of all root canal treatments and most direct restorations. These are basic staples of high-quality dentistry that are focused on ensuring that the patient has a safe, pain-free consultation.

However, if a practice is focused on seeing as many patients a day as possible - and typically this is one every 20 minutes - it is physically impossible to correctly implement gold standard disinfection protocols, let alone set up a rubber dam or the other parameters discussed. So time becomes a huge factor of practicing excellenceand this proves it.

Now established as a dental movement, Slow Dentistry® recognises clinics worldwide which implement the four basic and easy to follow cornerstones (you can find out more at Slowdentistry.com). This growing movement is encouraging clinics to go the extra mile to protect their patients and practice gold standard dentistry, which is invariably overlooked by business models which focus on for-profit only, and rely on patients’ ignorance that speed at the dentist is something to be lauded.

It’s a tough and controversial thing to discuss, because I sometimes agree that the fastest we can treat our patients the better. However, it should never be done at the risk of the patient’s safety. Every single patient in the world has the right to disinfected chair, spittoon, dental unit and room. They have the right to a signed valid consent, the right to pain free dentistry and to have a rubber dam correctly set up when their dentist is undertaking direct restorations and root canals. But we all know that this takes time.

Slow Dentistry® intends to take a direct approach and promote these cornerstones to the general public, making sure that they are aware that during a visit to the dentist they are entitled to, and can demand, these for basic cornerstones are met. If not, they can walk, and find a dentist which does adhere to these standards of care, and find then on the Geo locator on our website.

For those clinics that want to believe in this, but cannot understand the business model, the only way to offset the time spent in patient protection will be to embrace digital dentistry to speed up the treatment and execution of complex treatments through software and digital technology.

So the formula for success in the future will be: Slow Dentistry plus digital dentistry.

Come and find out more at our first Slow Dentistry® meeting in the UK on 23rd November in London, and follow our social media. If you feel that you are part of this movement and are already been practicing this way, then sign your clinic up at https://www.Slow Dentistry.com/ how-to-become-a-member/ and help us fund this movement to bring this message to more people around the world.

200 places are available to the first dental professionals to book. To reserve your place email enquiries@Slow Dentistry.com; You can read more about Slow Dentistry® at https:// www.slowdentistry.com; you can also follow us on Instagram @SlowDentistryglobalnetwork

Miguel Stanley, DDS

Co-Founder of Slow Dentistry and Head of International Relations.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

PRODUCT

REVIEW P49 10 years on and still no need to purchase a scanner

Dr Wayne Hirschowitz, Clinical Director of Vantage Health, talks about his experience of using CT Dent for the past ten years for dental scans for his implant practice.

P51 The advantages of 3D printing Introducing the newest product from DMG LuxaPrint Ortho Plus, full range available in 2020. Offering 99% transparency with extreme impact resistance, DMG discuss how they are pushing the boundaries of 3D printing in dentistry.

P53 Selling your practice Dr Raj Kumar is the Principal Dentist at Forma, a private practice

in London’s square mile. For 23 years he juggled the responsibility of running this practice as well as his original ‘baby’, a busy NHS practice in Birmingham. Here he explains the difficulties he had in selling his former practice and what he learnt along the way.

P55 A game changer Dr Harbinder Singh Dewgun, Principal Dental Surgeon at Lion

House Dental Practice, tells Modern Dentist how the introduction of Nuvola aligners from GEO has helped patients gain confidence while enabling Dr Dewgun to feel confident and enthusiastic about his treatment offering.

P57 Funding for healthcare professionals Dr Lau Berraondo, Clinical Director at Enhance Clinics, details his relationship with Medifinance and how they have helped him in terms of the business side of his practice and the financial requirements of a busy, modern dental practice.

P59 Why dentists use Green Apple Dental Recruitment to find them a job

Speaking to Modern Dentist, Dr Zankruti Patel discussed her experience with Green Apple Dental Recruitment, one of the UK’s leading specialist dentist recruitment agencies placing qualified GDPs and Specialists into permanent and locum roles throughout the UK.

P61 Is your practice tracking calls?

If your practice runs marketing campaigns, you should be

measuring their ROI. But if you’re only tracking clicks, you’re missing valuable data...

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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Product Review

10 years on and still no need to purchase a scanner Dr Wayne Hirschowitz, Clinical Director of Vantage Health, talks about his experience of using CT Dent for the past ten years for dental scans for his implant practice.

Q A

Why do you use a dental imaging centre?

Practising in London and Kent, it is very convenient for patients to access a professional and quality imaging centre. This ensures consistency of images as well as having the additional facility of requesting a radiologist report. It is imperative for my implant practice to rely on the most modern imaging and trained staff so as to offer my patients the best possible care at reasonable prices. Accuracy, consistency and safety is of paramount importance.

It is imperative for my implant practice to rely on the most modern imaging and trained staff so as to offer my patients the best possible care at reasonable prices.

Accuracy, consistency and safety is of paramount importance

Q A

What made you choose CT Dent?

I was introduced to CT Dent after researching the possibility of purchasing a scanner or using a bespoke facility. I did not believe the primary driver of any equipment acquisition is to recover capital costs.

A patient will only be referred for a scan based on clinical need and not on economic grounds. In light of increasing litigation, in my experience having been in practice for over 30 years, a surgical dentist cannot have too much information when planning complex and often high risk surgery.

Q A

What kind of treatments do you refer patients for a CBCT scan for?

Primarily for my implant practice. However, when surgical removal of impacted, partially erupted or teeth necessitating removal and are close to strategic anatomical structures, a CT scan is mandatory to protect vital structures.

Q A

Have you had any feedback from your patients on the service?

In the 10 years I’ve used CT Dent, I’ve been accustomed to patients complimenting the service they receive from the centre. There has never been an instance when a patient who arrives early or late is turned away. They are impressed by the efficiency of the service as well as the professionalism.

Q A

Are you happy with the service you have received from CT Dent over the past 10 years?

Absolutely, yes.

Q A

Do changes in technology make a difference to you in terms of quality scans?

There have been significant advances in technology especially with regards to digital dentistry including digital scanners. I’ve changed my older software platform for a modern version with impressive improvement in quality.

About CT Dent

Q A

At the time, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was still a relatively new imaging modality for dental and maxillofacial radiology, with the vast majority of CBCT scanners sited in dental hospitals. CT Dent saw there was a need for general dental practitioners to be able to refer their patients for this imaging to a specialist imaging centre.

Do you or your patients have concerns over radiation doses?

Absolutely. Therefore, it is important to convey accurate information to patients so they can make informed decisions regarding their treatment options. Explaining radiation doses and putting this into perspective especially when compared to medical scans, this often allays fears, however, the radiation doses are not insignificant and this must be conveyed clearly to patients.

Q A

Have you ever considered buying your own scanner?

As I’m reaching the latter part of my career, no.

If I was embarking on an implant focused career, probably yes. I believe that purchasing new equipment should not be the primary economic driving force as this may lead to unnecessary use. However, as we all know, it has to be financially viable.

You can contact CT-Dent at: www.ct-dent.co.uk or via telephone: 020 7487 5717

CT Dent was created to provide healthcare professionals with the best quality X-ray imaging using the latest state of the art technology, where all scans are taken by qualified radiographers. CT Dent launched its first imaging centre in the UK in 2007 in Devonshire Place, in the heart of central London.

Since launching 12 years ago, CT Dent has grown significantly and now has more than 10,000 registered users who refer their patients to seven imaging centres in the UK. In addition to their head office centre in London, other UK centres include Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Nottingham, Leeds and Colchester.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Crystal clear!

LuxaPrint Ortho Plus.

What do you need for high spirits in 3D? A 3D printing material for splints with the clearest transparency!

LuxaPrint Ortho Plus offers 99 % transparency – every bit as good as the transparency of drawn-down splints.

Another, important advantage: No brittleness and extreme impact resistance. You can discover even more clear advantages of LuxaPrint Ortho Plus at www.dmg-dental.com/luxaprintorthoplus

Product Review

The advantages of

3D

printing Introducing the newest product from DMG LuxaPrint Ortho Plus, full range available in 2020.

Offering 99% transparency with extreme impact resistance, DMG discuss how they are pushing the boundaries of 3D printing in dentistry.

Q A

Tell us about the advantages of LuxaPrint Ortho Plus and what benefits this product can bring to the dentist…

DMG 3Delite 3D Printer is a compact capsulated system ideal for the clinic, no mess and easy to use. It offers versatility for chairside production of high quality restorative solutions.

• LuxaPrint Ortho Plus; Clear transparent, exact fit and not brittle.

LuxaPrint Ortho Plus fits into the system very well.

Dentists can produce splints and orthodontics appliances that are extremely accurate and exceptionally clear. The exact fit is important with these types of appliance. Also, the material is designed to have great flexural strength without being brittle.

• LuxaPrint Ortho Flex; versatile, optimal elasticity, high tear resistance, unbreakable and easy to clean.

Q A

There are nine high-quality light-curing resins available as part of LuxaPrint – could you tell us more about these and their innovative features?

Available now • LuxaPrint Model; Finest surface structure for accurate fit and surface detail. Dimensional stability and precise.

• LuxaPrint Tray; Quick to print, extremely stable and an exact fit.

• LuxaPrint Cast; Fine surface detail, dimensionally stable and easy to cast.

• LuxaPrint Ortho; Exact fit for implant drill sleeve, drilling template in accurate position, clear transparent makes visual positioning easy and autoclavable.

New in 2020 • LuxaPrint Crown; Excellent aesthetics, verified high stability, semi-permanent application for restorations and easy to polish and finish.

• LuxaPrint Gingiva; Optimal elasticity, high tear resistance, minimal shrinkage and natural Look.

• LuxaPrint Base; Immediate full and partial dentures, accuracy of fit, two colours, easy to polish, extremely low shrinkage and dimensionally stable.

Q A

How is LuxaPrint looking to push the boundaries of 3D printing?

LuxaPrint will give both surgeons and the smaller laboratory the option to embrace this new technology. With the DentaMile software, which is cloud based, you do not need a complex computer or expensive software package. Just log on to the browser with you tablet or PC to access the software.

Having such a broad range of resins manufactured by DMG gives a totally validated approach to 3D Resin Printing.

Q

How can the introduction of a 3D printer improve the day-to-day processes found in dentistry?

A

Additive manufacturing is the future in digital dentistry. The joining of DMG Resins and the RapidShape Printer brings together the best of technology and products. For the dentist, having the option to print chairside allows quick turnaround of urgent cases. Being cloud based, the collaboration between clinician and technician grows stronger and means better communication and therefore more accurate restorations.

Find out more here: www.uk.dmg-dental.com

Additive manufacturing is the future in digital dentistry COMMENT

For more than 50 years, DMG have been making everyday life easier for dentists and laboratories thanks to dental materials with a real pioneering spirit and love of quality – made in Germany.

Being cloud based, the collaboration between clinician and technician grows stronger and means better communication and therefore more accurate restorations

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Modern Dentist Magazine

“Don’t make the same mistake I did - use Frank Taylor & Associates from the beginning!”

A simple statement, but something Dr Raj Kumar really wishes he’d done when he originally decided to sell his dental practice in Birmingham.....

I spent several years trying to sell my practice with a local agent and lived through the stress and turmoil of four aborted sales before I came to FTA for help.

FTA had a wide net of potential buyers and they booked in over 30 viewings .

I made the mistake of using a local sales agent in the hope of finding a local buyer, however as it turned out, my buyer came from over 100 miles away.

The FTA team was great - they kept the sale on track, chased things up and negotiated an accurate market value. It was good to have them at the end of the line whenever a question or issue came up.

If I was selling again, I would use FTA from the beginning!

For more information on how Frank Taylor & Associates can help you sell your dental practice please call

0330 088 11 56 National coverage, with a local perspective. We’ve been established for 30 years and have offices in numerous locations across England and Wales to support our clients wherever they reside.

www.ft-associates.com

Committed to the Practice Sales Promise, a voluntary code of practice which sets minimum standards a seller should expect from their agent.

A database of almost 5,000 potential buyers who are actively looking to buy a dental practice - all of whom have been financially pre-assessed.

Product Review

Selling your practice Dr Raj Kumar is the Principal Dentist at Forma, a private practice in London’s square mile. For 23 years he juggled the responsibility of running this practice as well as his original ‘baby’, a busy NHS practice in Birmingham. After much deliberation, and one too many trips up and down the M40, he decided to focus on his private work and in doing so, address his work-life balance. Here he explains the difficulties he had in selling his former practice and what he learnt along the way.

Q A

How long did it take for you to sell the Birmingham practice?

Five years in total, but that was largely due to the choices I originally made at the time. I opted for a local agent as I thought it better to have someone familiar with the area and local buyers. However, every year the local agent would get a buyer, take a deposit, and then not chase the buyer up and the initial enquiry would go cold and the sale would collapse.

Frustratingly, I repeated this cycle for four years before trying a different tactic and getting in touch with a national agent, Frank Taylor & Associates (FTA).

Q A

Did FTA bring a flood of new buyers?

Initially, I saw a lot of the same faces the local agents had introduced, however, because of their reach, they put me in contact with a London dentist, who not only turned out to be a serious buyer, but also came in with the best offer.

Q A

What advice would you give to others wanting to sell their practice?

Never give up and ensure your agent has the same ethos! The agent must keep communicating with the buyer and keep the pressure on them. You need someone who’s as keen to sell your practice as you are and is prepared to ‘go the extra mile’ to make sure it happens, and make the process as smooth as possible for both the buyer and the seller.

Q A

Did you have any concerns with FTA?

My reason for not choosing them initially was that they were based miles away and wouldn’t have any good local knowledge. This was a big mistake!

Their buyers’ pool was massive and I saw many more prospective purchasers through them. FTA were professional in the same way you’d expect a lawyer to be professional. I was very impressed. Sadly, agents don’t always have a great reputation. FTA’s service and expertise contradicted any negative stereotypes I had regarding agents.

Q A

How do you feel now you’ve sold the NHS practice?

I’d been commuting to London for over 20 years.

Now I can focus solely on my private practice. It’s given me a new lease of life as I have much more time and have readdressed what’s important to me in life. I loved the Birmingham practice, however, after 27 years there, I needed a change and realised the hours I spent commuting each week was not a good use of my time.

I’m so grateful to FTA for facilitating this change and would recommend anyone speak to them first. In the unlikely event that you’re not happy with them after 6-9 months, you could always then try a local agent.

From my experience, you will not need to.

You need someone who’s as keen to sell your practice as you are and is prepared to ‘go the extra mile’ COMMENT

Established as the UK’s most successful independent valuer & sales agents for the dental market, Frank Taylor & Associates specialises in practice valuations, sales, purchases & business improvement services for dental professionals.

The company has been involved in the sale and valuation of thousands of dental practices nationwide & fully understands the complexities of the dental sales market. From securing practice purchase finance, advice to meet CQC regulations, employment/HR legal services or financial planning advice, the Frank Taylor & Associates group does more than you think!

For more information please visit www.ftassociates.com or call 0330 088 1156.

Dr Raj Kumar

is the Principal Dentist at Forma.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Product Review

A game changer Dr Harbinder Singh Dewgun, Principal Dental Surgeon at Lion House Dental Practice and Buckingham Dental Practice, tells Modern Dentist how the introduction of Nuvola aligners from GEO has helped patients gain confidence while enabling Dr Dewgun to feel confident and enthusiastic about his treatment offering.

QWhy choose Nuvola aligners from GEO? I wanted to be able to offer my patients alternative options to achieve aesthetic results A and staying as far away as possible from destructive

techniques. After attending the Nuvola course, I was very impressed with the dedicated support network provided for the clinician and careful planning that went into delivering the treatment.

The help and guidance with treatment planning is straight forward and it is easy to communicate with the technician. I find this as an asset for Nuvola, which is definitely beneficial for the clinician when assessing the alignment of the case.

In the past I have found using other aligned brands difficult to work with as you had to “pay” for different levels of support and posting cases on forums where you were unsure how quickly, or if ever, you would get a response. There is no different level of support with Nuvola, the responses are superb, fast (less than 24 hours), and reassuring to know who the technician is working on the case with you.

The lab costs are very reasonable and fixed (graded on case variations) and delivery of the retainers packaging is very impressive. The beauty is that Nuvola honour the case from beginning to the end without additional costs. Very rare to find this nowadays.

Patients are complimentary of the comfort of the aligners as they were anticipating major discomfort.

The transparency of the retainers are incredible, which provide the patient with confidence when undergoing their treatment.

has Nuvola aligners improved efficiency within the practice?

QHow We live in a socially conscious world and aesthetics play a huge role. The fact that A Nuvola Aligners are an option for clear retainers

has generated interest amongst our long standing patients. The previous assumptions were that conventional techniques (veneers and crowns) were the only way to achieve an “aesthetically pleasing” result. But since introducing Nuvola, it has opened a new dialogue with patients.

Treatment uptake has increased via the use of Nuvola 3D. It is a real game changer as patients are able to download and see how their teeth will align and

what to expect for the end result in a step by step basis. This method alone allows the patient to cement their choice of treatment. has Nuvola improved the patients’ experience?

QHow From conventional metal braces and other bulky removable appliances, Nuvola’s slick presentation A and attention to detail has allowed patients to respond in a more confident manner towards their treatment.

The patients are fully informed of their treatment plan and what to expect from beginning to end through the use of Nuvola 3D and printed models.

QWhat is it like working with Nuvola?

Fantastic! The team are excellent and very helpful.

They make every effort, ensuring that you are A fully supported throughout the entire case.

Cinzia Hatch is a real gem and merit to Nuvola.

Anytime I have asked help with cases, she takes great pride in ensuring I am taken care of and is always on hand for support. I cannot speak any more highly of the Nuvola team. you recommend Nuvola’s services to other dental practitioners?

QWould Always! In fact I have recommended many colleagues who are now moving over and using A Nuvola Aligners due to the reliable and excellent service.

I am very proud to have added Nuvola to my clinical practice and feel confident and enthusiastic to be able to offer this method treatment to my patients.

Dr Harbinder Singh Dewgun

is the Principal Dental Surgeon at Lion House Dental Practice.

The next Nuvola Course 2020 will be announced shortly.

Look out for updates on www.geoorthodontic.com, or contact info@geoorthodontic.com for further information.

Treatment uptake has increased via the use of Nuvola 3D. It is a real game changer as patients are able to download and see how their teeth will align and what to expect for the end result Functional, practical and aesthetic Nuvola offers an effective alternative to traditional orthodontics.

For over twenty years we have been experimenting with and researching innovation in the field of modern orthodontics. We have combined three great features into one product: functionality, efficiency and aesthetics.

We take care of the most important thing: the beauty of your smile.

Nuvola has changed brand... stay tuned for further information regarding their new collection.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

www.medifinance.co.uk • Equipment Finance • Treatment Finance • Practice and Indemnity Insurance • Practice / Business Loans • Commercial Mortgages • Vehicle Finance • Personal Loans • Wealth and Investment Management

what our clients say “...thank you so much, you helped me fulfill my dream...” “...thank you for your professional, quick service...” “...Medifinance’s help with our situation was much appreciated...” “...a user-friendly finance company...” “...they are very helpful and very efficient...”

intelligent lending Medifinance facilitate Dental Practitioners to develop and grow their practices with tailored loan and business funding facilities Our team of Tier 1 Associates fully understand the dental industry and are commited to developing long term relationships enabling Medifinance to support Dentists through every stage of their career At Medifinance we take the time to understand your financial needs both personally and professionally so we can find the correct finance solution for you and your business

specialist lending Our hand-picked team of experts have vast amounts of experience within the healthcare sector and bring their unique skills and knowledge together forming a formidable team of 15 associate directors, plus a greatly experienced support team. So, with access to a wide panel of specialist funders, Medifinance are best placed to find you the right funding solution for your needs

Call us now: 03331 500 287 practice purchase Whether an experienced operator, or looking to buy your first practice, Medifinance can provide an independent assessment of a potential acquisition through the lens of a potential lender, and can help you to raise finance on very competitive terms

Product Review

Funding for healthcare professionals Dr Lau Berraondo, Clinical Director at Enhance Clinics, details his relationship with Medifinance and how they have helped him in terms of the business side of his practice and the financial requirements of a busy, modern dental practice.

Q A

What services of Medifinance have you used?

I have used Medifinance for all my finance needs ever since I set up my first dental practice in 2001. Ray Cox and his team are very knowledgeable within the dental sector and always produce the best results. More recently they helped me set up the practice pension scheme and also arranged a large limited company loan with excellent terms from the lender. The whole process was seamless and straight forward.

Q A

How do you feel Medifinance has helped your practice? Have you seen an improvement in the running of your practice?

Being a busy and modern clinic, we have much to keep track of. After being introduced to Medifinance, we have changed the way we run the business side of the practice, with respect to equipment acquisition and financing. Our days have become much smoother and it has allowed me to concentrate on the more clinical aspects of modern dentistry.

Q A

What sets Medifinance apart from other specialist lenders?

Medifinance have a broad knowledge of the dental market making it incredibly easy to work with them as they are able to advise on a wide range of aspects with their large specialist team at their disposal. For example, Martin How, used his knowledge to arrange a large limited company loan and arranged the tendering process, attended meetings with lenders and negotiated on our behalf.

This made the experience much smoother and meant that Medifinance had all the correct information when discussing my case with the lender.

Q

Medifinance’s team is made up of specifically chosen professionals with extensive experience – how have you found this has helped when employing their services?

A

One of the main benefits of working with Medifinance is their dental sector knowledge and their hand-picked team means that no matter what your finance need, whether you are buying equipment, buying a new practice or just need a capital injection, you will always have advice from a specialist in that particular field.

Their hand-picked team means that no matter what your finance need, whether you are buying equipment, buying a new practice or just need a capital injection, you will always have advice from a specialist in that particular field

Q A

Why would you recommend Medifinance‘s services to others in the sector?

Medifinance make such a difference to the running of our business and the organising of the financial requirements of a busy practice. The process is quick and easy, and the team are all really helpful and friendly with knowledge of our sector that is second to none. I highly recommend Ray Cox and his team.

Lau Berraondo

is the Clinical Director at Enhance Clinics.

COMMENT Medifinance has been established within the Healthcare sector for almost 20 years. With a team of highly experienced Specialists within all areas of healthcare, Medifinance are perfectly placed to help you with all your finance needs.

Managing Director, Mr Ray Cox, comments “It has been a pleasure working with Lau over the past 18 years and I look forward to continuing to support Lau and the team in his future endeavours.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Green Apple Dental Recruitment is the UK’s leading Dentist Recruitment Agency As experts in Dentist Recruitment, we help hundreds of GDC registered Associates find Locum and Permanent roles in NHS, Mixed, Private and Specialist practices across the UK every day Why do Dentists choose Green Apple Dental Recruitment to help with their job search?

Top Locum and Permanent jobs throughout the UK Extensive knowledge of the marketplace A professional and personal service Discreet and considerate at all times The UK’s most experienced Dentist Recruitment Team Handle the entire process from interview to contract stages

Whether you are finishing your foundation training, relocating or looking for a better contract value; or if you prefer more flexibility in a role or additional days, Green Apple Dental can help you secure your dream job.

Don’t just take our word for it, visit our website to read the testimonials we have received and view the hundreds of vacancies we have:

www.greenappledental.co.uk

Contact us today for a confidential discussion about how we can help you find the perfect new role

Call 020 8300 7971 or email dental@greenappledental.co.uk

Product Review

Why dentists use Green Apple Dental Recruitment to find them a job

Speaking to Modern Dentist, Dr Zankruti Patel discussed her experience with Green Apple Dental Recruitment, one of the UK’s leading specialist dentist recruitment agencies placing qualified GDPs and Specialists into permanent and locum roles throughout the UK. Why did you choose to use Green Apple Dental and what has your experience been Q like so far?

It was nearly ten years ago that I first reached out to Green Apple Dental. I was in a period A of doing a lot of locum work in the UK and I had

been with a few agencies but my main source for finding work, at the time, was either word of mouth or through dental journals. I was introduced to Green Apple Dental and they were unlike any of the previous agencies I had had experience with.

They were incredibly efficient and worked hard to get to know me and build a working and lasting relationship, while finding me good locum work.

Kelly is fantastic and will always get in touch if she has something she thinks might be of interest to you, even when her out of office is on! Kelly and her team really think about every aspect. For example, I had started working at a job facilitated by Green Apple Dental, and I received some mail, which was quite unexpected since I had just started working there.

But, it was a ‘Good luck in your new role’ mug from Green Apple Dental – such a thoughtful idea and really kept the relationship strong because it felt like they were invested in me and my career.

What roles has Green Apple Dental helped you to find?

Q I can be a last minute person, so it was always, “I’m free to start in the next week and I am A flexible on location”, which is why I thought an

agency would be the most helpful for me when looking for a new job. Green Apple Dental are one of the best agencies I have ever worked with because they sorted everything out very quickly.

They have an extensive client base of corporate and independent dental practices, which I found to be much more beneficial and it opened up a range of opportunities for me, whereas the agencies I had used before would continue to put me through to the same corporate places.

Would you recommend Green Apple Dental?

QDefinitely!

The service I have received has been outstanding compared to other services I have A received from other agencies. Green Apple Dental has a much wider client base, all over the country, and they really look after you.

I would definitely recommend Green Apple Dental. It is a personable and effective service.

Dr Zankruti Patel

is a Locum Dentist in the UK.

I was introduced to Green Apple Dental and they were unlike any of the previous agencies I had had experience with.

They were incredibly efficient and worked hard to get to know me and build a working and lasting relationship, while finding me good locum work

COMMENT At Green Apple Dental we pride ourselves on our professional but personal approach to work. We work hard to understand both the needs of the practice as well as of the dentist so we can work effectively and efficiently at matching the best suited candidates to the role.

Zankruti has been a fantastic locum to work with, she keeps us up to date on her availability and she is flexible in regard to travelling and even staying away from home in some instances. When she is in practice she works hard to offer top-notch patient care and meet the UDA requirements.

January through March is our busiest time of year for locum dentists. Practices should start considering now if they are going to need locum assistance with their UDA contract and contact us as soon as they can so we can start to prepare to get a locum in place.

If you are interested in locum work contact us today for a confidential discussion regarding your availability and requirements or visit our website to register and view our full list of vacancies throughout the UK. www.greenappledental.co.uk 020 8300 7971

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Convert more leads into patients Every month our award winning online software helps practices catch, nurture and convert patients worth more than £1.5 million. Join them.

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Dr Erika Schoeman Principal, Elegance Dental

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“ Previously we were using InfusionSoft but found this far too technical. DenGro is a clear winner.”

Amy Cuckoo Marketing Manager, Aura Dental

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C onve r t mo re le a d s

Product Review

Is your practice tracking calls?

If your practice runs marketing campaigns, you should be measuring their ROI. But if you’re only tracking clicks, you’re missing valuable data...

Great marketing is all about joined-up thinking. You need to understand how each activity relates to the next and how those activities collectively support the practice’s business goals. If you can do that, you’re already on the path to success.

DenGro was designed to help you increase practice revenue by joining the dots between treatment enquiries and new treatment starts. Our software helps practices manage leads more effectively, creating: • Simple to follow daily to-do lists for team members • Lead profiles anyone can access • A neat patient conversion journey Successful practices will already use some form of lead tracking technology. Mostly, this will take the form of adding a Facebook tracking pixel, a Google Analytics code snippet or UTM codes to specific campaign ads or landing pages. These snippets of code help Google Analytics track the online journey that leads take from first seeing an ad to submitting their details to the practice.

Most practices focus on clicks, but what happens when a lead spots your campaign and then picks up the phone? The phone is often the biggest source of business for practices, but it’s also one of the hardest to track. User journey data usually breaks at this point… but it doesn’t have to.

How can you track a call?

Call tracking technology offers some smart techniques

that allow you to track leads from on- and offline sources using Dynamic Number Insertion (DNI).

DNI creates a unique tracking phone number for each visitor to your website. It can then track the visitor’s journey back to the original Google Ads, Facebook, organic search or any other source. The call tracking company will provide you with a simple line of code to add to your webpage, so that when a lead visits your page, this code kicks in, identifying where the call is coming from.

These dynamic phone numbers redirect to your main practice phone number. When a lead calls, DenGro automatically pulls in information about precisely where they came from, even down to the keyword search they used with their search engine. You can also set up bespoke numbers for offline advertising to complete the picture of your marketing ROI.

Call tracking integration with DenGro We’ve just released a new call tracking integration, which is powered by one of the leaders in the call tracking industry, Mediahawk. This means any practice using call tracking can easily pull data straight into DenGro. Integrating data provides you with two helpful features: • Reporting. Lead attribution data for all tracked calls will appear in your DenGro reports • Auto-populating profiles. Any available lead data will be harvested and used to auto-populate a lead profile, with prompts to add the new profile to DenGro

These two features can significantly improve your lead management efforts. On one hand, by plugging call tracking into DenGro, you can make spending decisions based on the actual revenue that is generated through specific marketing efforts rather than just the number of leads it generated. Meanwhile, auto-population keeps your administrative staff organised. It also helps staff focus on capturing lead data, regardless of enquiry medium.

Understanding call tracking in context We can’t suggest whether tracking calls is more or less important than tracking clicks in your practice: each practice is different. But whether you receive 20 calls a day or 2,000, call tracking fills in vital gaps in your lead tracking data and makes adding lead profiles unbelievably easy for your Front-of-House team.

So, if you’re already using DenGro, why not request the new call tracking integration and start reaping the rewards of a lead tracking that’s a little more joinedup. And if not, get in touch today to find out how our lead management software ensures your practice never misses a treatment opportunity.

Want to speak with someone?

Call 01225 375 025. Or get in touch via the website:

www.dengro.com

Great marketing is all about joined-up thinking. You need to understand how each activity relates to the next and how those activities collectively support the practice’s business goals

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Case Study

Slow Dentistry changing the pace of your dental care Dental Professionals are being encouraged to adopt a slower pace in their dental practices in order to better ensure patient safety and reduce their own work related stress.

The Slow Dentistry concept is the brainchild of a group of international clinicians with a vision to build a network of worldwide dental practices signed up to delivering four universal key principles that any patient can use as a checklist. They believe this will empower patients to be confident of their safety, wellbeing, comfort and understanding of treatment when in the dentist’s chair.

Slow Dentistry reflects a cultural shift in the pace of life generally.

The ‘slow movement’ itself is a reaction to the 21st-century desires for instant gratification, a modern-day mind-set that poses a risk to good dentistry and causes stress for those trying to deliver it.

One of the founders, Dr Miguel Stanley who has over 20 years of clinical experience, understands the negative effects of this need for speed and, for him, sound ethics play a huge part in building a foundation for excellence.

The ‘four cornerstones’ set up by Slow Dentistry encourage patients to take some control over their appointments with these questions: 1. Is the practice thoroughly disinfected?

2. Have the risks been explained and has my patient signed a consent form?

3. Is my anaesthetic working?

4. Is a rubber dam being used?

There are already several well-known UK practitioners among the global ambassadors for Slow Dentistry, including Dentists Dr Rhona Eskander, Dr Zaki Kanaan, Dr Koray Foran, Dr Jameel Gardee and Dr Simon Chard.

If you want to join the clinicians already signed up to saying no to 30-minute dentistry, you can sign up here https://www.Slow Dentistry.com/how-to-become-a-member/ allowing you to be featured among the listed practices around the globe where patients can find you via a dedicated online geo-locator.

The first ever UK Slow Dentistry event supported by Voco is held in London on Saturday 23rd November at the Atmosphere 29 https://atmospherevenues.com between 5.30pm until 8.00pm and delegates are invited to join in the discussion about how going slow can impact your day-to-day practice and improve overall success.

200 places are available to the first dental professionals to book. To reserve your place email enquiries@Slow Dentistry.com.

• You can read more about Slow Dentistry at https://www.Slow Dentistry.com • Follow on Instagram @SlowDentistryglobalnetwork

All-In-One Diagnostics Dürr Dental have developed an extended version of their VistaVox S panoramic machine which contains six additional programmes for time-saving cephalometric exposure with minimum radiation doses, called VistaVox S Ceph.

As you’d expect from Dürr, exceptional diagnostics and ease of use are guaranteed. Alongside the 17 panoramic programmes, the VistaVox S Ceph has several orthodontic applications, including ‘Lateral Head’, ‘Full Lateral Head’, ‘PA Head’ and ‘Waters View’. The unit is as fast as it is smart – with a scan time of just 1.9 seconds, images are exceptionally sharp using the lowest possible radiation dose. This functionality is afforded by the high-sensitivity CSL sensors. The unit can effortless switch between the 3D X-Ray and the Ceph boom, a process that on some machines can be both cumbersome and risky.

Just like the VistaVox S it has a perfect 3D imaging volume of 130mm (compared to 80x80mm for most other systems). This means it completely covers the whole diagnostically relevant area, including the rear molars, an essential requirement for diagnosing an impacted wisdom tooth. Enhanced visibility does not require a higher radiation dose; in fact, the opposite is true. A special curved path, which rotates 540°, in combination with a tightly collimated fan beam and a highly sensitive Csl sensor, means that a particularly low radiation dose is used.

Similarly to the VistaVox S, this enhanced model offers Ø 50 x 50 mm volumes, for indications that only require a certain part of the jaw region to be shown, e.g. for endodontic or implant treatments.

The unit offers true all-in-one capabilities for a full range of diagnostics making it ideal for dentists, orthodontists or those who work within larger practices offering a full range of specialist treatments.

62|Modern Dentist Magazine

Case Study

Clear aligners Technological innovation has modified the field of dentistry, making it more predictable for the clinicians and speeding up the treatment for the patients. In particular, the use of dental scanners was a real revolution, considering that it made it possible to take a patient-friendly impression and send it in real time to the most technological labs, such as GEO, producer of the ITALIAN brand NUVOLA aligners system. The Nuvola digitalisation of the treatment planning gives clinicians the possibility to understand precisely the amount of space that the teeth need in order to be aligned, while studying the most effective movements, in other words, the biomechanics, through a dedicated software named NuvolaView visualisation.

The field is still in constant evolution; in the beginning only very simple cases of crowding could be treated, while nowadays, in class I malocclusion with a medium level of crowding, it is the treatment of choice. The quality and efficiency of the material are outstanding, the movements can be achieved very effectively, decreasing the treatment time and completely removing the dead times that might occur during the treatment with fixed braces. The performance of Nuvola aligners paired with its transparency makes it truly invisible.

Before

After The patients are very satisfied with the alignment that they can achieve with the Nuvola invisible aligner system because it has a very small impact on their lifestyle. Oral hygiene is very simple to carry out, there is no need to avoid any type of food, less visits are needed and most of all, it is invisible and very effective. The aesthetic challenge, which is a common request by patients, finds an answer in the use of Nuvola aligners not only from the orthodontic point of view but also for restorative dentistry. Many patients were put off in the past by a traditional orthodontic treatment before the aesthetic restorative rehabilitation and resigned the treatment, instead thanks to this discrete treatment it is possible to perform the alignment and minimally invasive restorations. It’s an incredible tool for the clinicians to be able to plan the orthodontic treatment together with the restorative treatment in virtual reality and have the direct support of the lab through the unique platform, NuvolaWeb. Thanks to Nuvola, my patients are very satisfied because they can achieve the smile that they always wanted, and paired with a short treatment time it won’t impact on their lifestyle.

Dr Marco Roy DDS PhD, Poznań Candeo Clinic and Poznań University of Medical Sciences Department of Prosthodontics.

Retaining your staff Recruitment of Dental Staff has seen itself hit a bit of a crisis in the past few years, a recent survey suggests over two thirds (68%) of NHS Practices in England who attempted to recruit in the last year struggled to fill their vacancies. With this in mind, let’s look at some of the key factors when it comes down to recruiting and retaining new staff members.

Firstly, whilst staff recruitment used to be all about salary, the last few decades have seen a shift in the make up of our workforce. Although salary will always be a defining factor, other things like flexible working hours and attractive employee benefits will also turn heads. This is even more relevant when taking into consideration the average pay rate for a Qualified Dental Nurse is currently £8.67 p/h across the UK. Comparing that to Aldi who currently pay £9.10 for store assistants which makes quite a stark contrast.

More importantly, however, is staff retention. Countless times I have spoken to practice owners and managers who tell me stories of the most recent employee they have taken on only for them to leave within six months of employment. It’s not just about finding a fantastic employee; it’s about making sure that person wants to continue working for you for a sustained period of time.

The importance of retaining good dental staff has never been more relevant than it is today and it is something that should be considered in greater detail by employers.

With the loom of Brexit and the shortage of qualified staff across the UK now more than ever is the time to act.

Jamie Beale is a Senior Recruitment Consultant at Dental Seekers.

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Spotlight

Helping those in need over the festive period The Charity helps dental students, dentists and their families when they face hardship, supporting those who do not have the funds to pay for some of the normal things in life. This may range from contributions towards food and daily living costs, and funds to improve the quality of life for those retired due to ill health, to more specific needs like paying someone’s annual retention fee or indemnity, to help them get back on their feet and into the profession.

Between this month and the end of the year, the BDA Benevolent Fund will be doing all they can – as they always do – to keep a roof over people’s heads, as well as fed, safe and warm.

They will also give people additional support so that they can feel a sense of normalcy, for example ensuring the children of beneficiaries do not miss out on a present, or that no-one spends Christmas Day alone because they cannot afford to travel to their family.

Sharing experiences All the work that the BDA Benevolent Fund does is provided in the strictest confidence, but two grant recipients have kindly given permission to share their stories, to help increase understanding of the support given to those experiencing difficulties.

One such person is Naomi, a graduate dental student whose father was killed by a terrorist in 2004 and whose mother is mentally and physically disabled.

In her final year, she received less student finance than previously, and was no longer able to work part-time to help make up the deficit. Unfortunately, her mother also had a stroke and needed 24-hour assistance. Throughout the academic year, she travelled back to look after her mother whenever she could, including just before sitting exams, adding to the pressure she was under.

However, she bravely reached out for help: ‘The financial strain proved to be a huge burden on my studies and the BDA Benevolent Fund was there for me every step of the way, lifting a huge weight off my shoulders. Considering all the obstacles I faced, I do not think I would have graduated this year without this help.’

She continued, ‘I can’t thank the Fund enough and hope to help students who are in similar situations in the future, by donating when I will finally be working as a dentist after the long struggle.’

On another occasion, a well-established dentist, Chris, was diagnosed with encephalitis and associated epilepsy. The family faced mounting debt, had no income and no savings. Adding to their troubles, encephalitis wasn’t listed as a critical illness in their insurance policy.

A friend suggested that the BDA Benevolent Fund might be able to help. Even though he was no longer a member of the BDA, they were able to assess his situation and offer support.

Help is here No-one knows what is around the corner, so the BDA Benevolent Fund offers help and asks for aid, in turn.

If you, or someone you know are in need, please contact the BDA Benevolent Fund straight away.

If you’re worried about your reputation (although there is obviously no shame in needing help), everything is confidential – simply call 020 7486 4994.

If you are able to make a donation, please visit https://bit.ly/2NgJ74z or send cheques payable to ‘BDA Benevolent Fund’ to BDA Benevolent Fund, 64 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8YS. For more information, visit

www.bdabenevolentfund.org.uk.

Speaking about his experiences, he commented: ‘The help that the BDA Benevolent Fund provided allowed me the time to sort out our finances and to recover sufficiently to go back to work. I would wholeheartedly recommend the BDA Benevolent Fund to my fellow professionals and would hope that they will continue to support this wonderful organisation. Without their support I really don’t think we would have survived. Thank you.’

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Modern Dentist Magazine

10 mins with...

Paul Graham Q A

Has the dental profession changed since you started work in it?

Another interesting facet of the market is that all corporates are genuinely looking for larger practices. If you had a big practice five years ago with a value of £3 million or more, you only had a choice of one of two corporates. If you didn’t sell to one of those, you were in a difficult position working out who to sell it to. One of the features of the market is the demand for bigger practices has noticeably increased. The market for practices with a turnover of £1.5 million or more has never been hotter.

Brexit! Not only this, the workforce is changing. We believe around 70% of newly qualified dentists are female,

Yes, since Christie & Co first became involved practice sales in 2013 we’ve seen plenty of evolution in the sector.

We are fully immersed in the industry and are now at the forefront of the UK’s unique and dynamic dental sector and our expanding specialist team has been involved in some of the highest profile projects, from a sales, valuation and consultancy perspective.

There is a noticeable pattern when change emerges, first it’s being aware of the nuances in the profession, followed

long distance runner. He won the London Marathon a record four times, often described as “the greatest marathoner of the modern era”. Kipchoge has won 12 of the 13 marathons he has entered, and he is now the first runner in history to successfully break a sub two hour marathon. I followed his training and campaign, learning a lot from his approach. Firstly, it was his positive outlook and catch phrase “No human is limited” - he never doubted that he would run under two hours. Secondly, despite his confidence, he remained incredibly humble throughout, often

One of the features of the market is the demand for bigger practices has noticeably increased

by the market habituating. A recent example is the discernible shift in demand towards the private sector, as operators look to balance the risk of forthcoming phased contract reforms, mitigating the net reduction in NHS funding and to drive revenue yield at practice level. In an increasingly sophisticated and rapidly evolving sector, the need for accurate advice backed up by market leading data, has never been more important.

Q A

What have been the key positive or negative changes in your area of the profession?

In a less certain political landscape, investors and lender funding tends to follow regulated, need-driven sectors where levels of business impairment have historically been low. This support is prevalent in the dental sector and is often described as ‘green light’ by many banks and investors, this helps underpin acquisition activity and now is a great time for practice owners who are considering selling as demand outweighs supply.

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compared with sub 50% ten years ago.

Over the next decade, dentistry will look remarkably different. It’s likely that there’ll be a greater number of workers going on maternity leave.

Better companies are those looking very carefully at their current skill mix and how they best utilise the staff they’ve got. It’s not all just about Brexit, but has it had an impact on the number of dentists coming to the UK? Yes, it absolutely has. The other key feature we’re seeing is the recruitment crisis is very acute in the NHS when compared to the private sector. It’s also not just about pay - there is a real urban versus rural, private versus NHS set up; essentially there are different forces outplaying each other.

Q A

Who inspires you and why?

I am inspired by different people at different times, sometimes by family – my two daughters inspire me no end at their happy go lucky approach (the way it should be). Most recently I am inspired by Eliud Kipchoge, a Kenyan

acknowledging those around him as the reason why he would succeed. I watched an interview with him in once where he described himself as “just 10% of the task”.

Q A

Have you got a mentor? If so, what was the most valuable piece of advice they gave you?

I have a couple of mentors at Christie & Co, I work closely with one, and the other I observe from the side-lines. I’ll not embarrass them by mentioning their names, but the advice that I’ve received always resonates with me and that is “just be yourself”.

Q A

If you were not in your current position, what would you be doing?

This is a difficult question as I enjoy what I currently do so much. However, I also enjoy drawing, design, and learning about new concepts, so my profession of choice would be to be an architect.

Paul Graham

is the Head of Dental at Christie & Co.

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