Modern Dentist Magazine Issue 6

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT Issue

06

ISSN 2515-6128

Getting Your extreme plan organised business Chris Barrow, Sarah Buxton, FTA Law

Coach Barrow

What are your recruitment plans?

Kelly Saxby, Green Apple Dental Recruitment Key contributors to this issue

10 Minutes With...

Fiona Ellwood, Society of British Dental Nurses

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Welcome 2019 is going to bring change and there are certainly going to be a lot of challenges that come with those changes, but also opportunities. I hope that Modern Dentist will be able to offer you some advice and new insights as we journey through 2019!

A new year is a time for new opportunities. Whether you decided to make New Year resolutions or not, every January feels like a new beginning, ripe with possibility. So, how do we seize the momentum of the coming year and take positive steps towards creating an even better industry? In this issue of Modern Dentist, we are setting out your business plan for 2019 and our leading experts are dishing out the best advice for you and your practice. This year needs to be about setting better and more achievable goals, making smart decisions, learning more, and investing in the necessary tools to help you develop your practice to make it as successful as it can be!

In this edition, we hear from Chris Barrow, Coach Barrow, who gives his top ten tips for making your business prosper in 2019. Sarah Buxton, FTA Law, tells us what dental practice owners and managers need to be on the lookout for in terms of HR and employment strategies this year, and Kelly Saxby, Managing Director of Green Apple Dental Recruitment Limited, addresses any concerns about the possible recruitment crisis and how the dental profession can prepare and bring stability to their team. We also hear from two students who are studying the MSc/PgDip in Dental Implantology at ICE Postgraduate Dental Institute & Hospital. Learn more about their experience on p.57. And as always, we have our panel of experts on our editorial board featuring their columns.

I hope you enjoy this issue, and if you have any comments of feedback, then please do get in touch via the details below.

Poppy

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

Editorial Contributors Amanda Maskery

Heidi Marshall

Dr Richard Brown

Chris Dexter

Kirsty Wainwright-Noble

Rob Griffin

Chris Webb AMCIPR

Lorraine Nadel

Shaz Memon

Clare Chapman

Mark Barry

Sophie Kwiatkowski

Darren Scott-Guinness

Mike Hughes

Stephen Green CRadP MSRP MIPEM

Duncan Blades

Nathalie Smets

Healthcare Partner Sintons LLP Partner BLM Law

Director Precision PR Partner BLM Law

Independent Financial Adviser Dental & Medical Financial Services Blades Creative On behalf of Acteon

Frank Whyte

Managing Director Young Innovations Europe

Parrys Lane Dental Practice and Bupa Dental Care Geo Orthodontics

Partner Dodd & Co

Head of Sales and Marketing Towergate Insurance Brokers

Managing Director Tempdent Recruitment and Training

Business Owner Aspired Finance Creative Director Digimax

Accountant PFM Townends LLP

Director ESM Digital Solutions Principal Dental Practice Consultancy Service Marketing and Sales Country Manager Ancar

Ray Cox

Radiation Protection Adviser, Medical Physics Expert and Radioactive Waste Adviser Stephen Green and Associates

Stephen Judge Dip CDT RCS, D.D Hons Sales Manager Bracon Dental & Medical Supplies

Chairman Medifinance Ltd

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 Š2018

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.

Cover Shot

Courtesy of Shutterstock

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Modern Dentist Magazine

ModernDentistMagazine

Contents

Your extreme business plan

07 14

Getting organised

31

Cover your practice

News

07

Your extreme business plan

Your ten top tips to making 2019 a year in which your dental business prospers with Chris Barrow, Coach Barrow.

Interviews

10

14 19

“Change People’s Lives and Make Them Smile”

Modern Dentist spoke to Dr Ashish B. Parmar (Ash), Owner of Smile Design by Ash and The Academy by Ash, about his career so far in dentistry, plans for the future and what advice he would give to dentists looking to set up their own private practice in 2019.

Getting organised

Modern Dentist spoke to Sarah Buxton, Director and HR and Employment Solicitor at FTA Law, about what dental practice owners and managers need to be on the lookout for in terms of HR and employment strategies in 2019.

Changing Times – An interview with Tempdent’s Managing Director, Lorraine Nadel

Tempdent have been at the forefront of Dental Training and Recruitment for the past 23 years. We caught up with Tempdent’s Managing Director, Lorraine Nadel, to explore her and Tempdent’s journey and where she sees things moving in the future.

4|Modern Dentist Magazine

Editorial Board

21

What should your business strategy be for 2019?

23

Complaints happen

25

Questions to consider before buying any dental equipment

27

How can complaints be dealt with effectively?

29

Is there money to be saved from outsourcing?

29

Business strategy for 2019

31

Cover your practice

31

What is the best process for introducing new products into your practice?

Sophie Kwiatkowski, PFM Dental Accountancy

Dr Richard Brown, Nuvola Speaker for Nuvola courses

Nathalie Smets, Ancar

Clare Chapman and Chris Dexter, BLM

Heidi Marshall, Dodd & Co

Mike Hughes, Dental Practice Consultancy Service

Kirsty Wainwright-Noble, Towergate Insurance Brokers

Mark Barry, ESM Digital Solutions

33 33

Good afternoon - I’d like to buy a computer Chris Webb AMCIPR, Precision PR

Setting SMART financial goals for 2019

Darren Scott-Guinness, Dental & Medical Financial Services

health – embracing the digital world 35 Oral Shaz Memon, Digimax Dental

35

The cost of taking your dental practice into the digital world

37 37

Importance of innovative products

39

The “digital” age

39

What will become of British Dentistry’s relationship with the European Union?

Rob Griffin, Aspired Finance

Frank Whyte, Young Innovations Europe

How can the profession improve patient education of oral health?

Duncan Blades, Blades Creative

Stephen Judge Dip CDT RCS, D.D Hons, Bracon Dental & Medical Supplies

Amanda Maskery, Sintons LLP

41

Extending your role

41

The march of technology

Stephen Green CRadP MSRP MIPEM MBIR, Stephen Green and Associates

Ray Cox, Medifinance Ltd

Issue 6 | ISSN 2515-6128

46

Centre for Dentistry

Subscribe for

52

FREE

What are your recruitment plans?

www.moderndentist.co.uk

62

Features

43 45

Improve on 8 out of 10! Top tips to attract new patients in 2019

We are living through a digital age during which our ‘personal services’ are more reliant on mixing the digital with the personal than ever before. With this in mind, Dr Barry Oulton offers his top tips on attracting new patients for a successful 2019.

Invest in knowledge

In this issue of Modern Dentist, we hear from the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD), who pride themselves on being one of the top choices for educational resources. Below, we hear more about what the association can do for you.

52

With an increasingly global spotlight on UK dentistry, access to high quality dentistry has become a hugely important issue. Over six years ago, Centre for Dentistry’s founders launched the first dental practice inside Sainsbury’s supermarket with a simple mission: to provide accessible, professional and affordable dentistry to all.

50

Laying the foundation of tomorrow’s dentistry today

Modern Dentist spoke to Paul Brunton, Clinical Project Lead, about e-Den, an engaging and interactive learning resource supporting dental care professionals and dentists. Find out why e-Den was created and how it can help you continue to develop throughout your dental career.

Supported By

What are your recruitment plans?

With the possibility of a recruitment crisis, the dental profession needs to be prepared. Kelly Saxby, Managing Director of Green Apple Dental Recruitment Limited, addresses the concerns and advises practices how to bring stability to their team.

Product Review

57

for Dentistry: delivering smiles by revolutionising access 46 Centre 59 to high quality, affordable private dentistry

10 Minutes with...

Fiona Ellwood, SBDN

59

Further Education

The ICE Postgraduate Dental Institute & Hospital is an evidence-based provider of Dental Education and Training in Manchester. We interviewed two second year students, Raj Mamidela and Neil Wood, from the MSc/PgDip in Dental Implantology course at ICE about their experience.

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61 Case Study: Prestige Dental Top of the class for Emma!

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62

Fiona Ellwood

Society of British Dental Nurses

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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NEWS

Your extreme business plan

Your ten top tips to making 2019 a year in which your dental business prospers, with Chris Barrow, Coach Barrow.

By the time you read this, the excesses of Christmas will be long forgotten and the Resolutions you made for the New Year are perhaps being tested. You may well be back in the groove, doing the things that you have always done and hopeful that they might produce a different/ better result than last year?

In 22 years of business coaching with dentists, I’ve learned that making a difference involves doing different things, in spite of the common resistance to change that we all experience.

I’m well aware that my work often challenges Principals and teams to take a look at themselves and how they do things, with a view to facilitating new habits that have been tried and tested by others.

Let me share with you my top ten tips for how to grow your profitability in 2019, in less time

than you are working right now and with happier people around you – patients and team members. It can be done!

1. Improve your patient recall system. I have lost count of the number of times that a request to review the existing recall letter/email/text/system has generated the “standard” wording that ships with most Practice Management Software systems.

The “we note from our records…” language is outdated and impersonal. Very often the first step in a review of a client’s marketing is to revisit the recall system to take a look at the language used, the patient experience and the time allocated to engage the patient in conversation about their own aspirations; 2. Fully engage with your patients via social media. Like it or not, social media has become an embedded aspect of our lives, whether you are a millennial using Instagram, a baby-boomer using Facebook or a white-collar worker on LinkedIn. This

gives us an unprecedented opportunity to go beyond pumpkins wearing braces and a Christmas elf dotted around the practice, beyond team photos – to make the patient the star in our social media posting (with the appropriate consents in place). Your social media “reach” is now essential, especially given the opportunity that patients now have to review your practice. Additionally, I advise my clients to stay away from Google and Facebook advertising (unless they are opening a squat practice) as this activity is costly and normally attracts price-shoppers and not long-term customers; 3. Make sure that your website is earning its living. There is little point in paying to attract people to your site (note above comments on advertising) if they don’t stay long when they get there (your bounce rate) and don’t take action as a result. The modern web site has to be fully functional and aesthetically pleasing when viewed from a smartphone (as up to 75%

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Modern Dentist Magazine

News

I’ve learned that making a difference involves doing different things, in spite of the common resistance to change that we all experience of your visitors will use that device). It also has to engage the curiosity of a visitor within four seconds and the tested way to do that is with patient testimonial videos and free downloads. It’s the quality of the user experience and not the quantity of content that will make the difference; 4. Start a practice blog. I’m only asking for one post a week of 250 words but please stay clear of boring dental education – the evidence is that this is not seen as engaging by visitors. Even I have been surprised in 2018 by the most successful practice blogs, which usually are personal diaries written by Principals, practice managers or others who are willing to take the initiative. I’m often asked “how” to learn to write a regular blog – the answer is to just write; 5. Make sure your GDPR-suitable patient email newsletter goes out every month – that’s 12 issues a year – and that the content follows my rules for dental marketing, 80% stories about the patients whose lives you have changed, 15% stories about what the team are up to and 5% BDS (boring dental stuff). Many of my clients now use Mailchimp to create well designed and content rich newsletters, with which they can nurture relationships with existing patients, encourage recommendations and remind potential new patients of their services;

Your social media “reach” is now essential, especially given the opportunity that patients now have to review your practice

8|Modern Dentist Magazine

6. Keep to that all-important Daily Huddle.

It’s a simple fact that my most successful clients hold a huddle every morning before the first patient is seen. Usually 20 minutes long, the huddle quickly reviews the ups and downs of the previous day, attends to any operational matters in the coming day but, most importantly, identifies the most important patients who will be visiting the practice that day, perhaps those with first appointments, those with special demands/ needs and those at the end of treatment (see next point); 7. Create an End of Treatment (EOT) Review meeting with patients who are concluding any course of treatment intended to increase their self-confidence. The EOT Review is a one-chance only opportunity to engage the happy patient as an ambassador for the practice, whether it’s by inviting them to join your dental plan, asking them to hand out business cards, write a review or agree to a photograph and/or video that can be used in your marketing; 8. Get published. There are nowadays a wealth of trade and professional journals, consumer magazines and other blogs and email newsletters that are all crying out for quality content and will be happy to accept case studies and opinion from you that can be of relevance to their readers.

Best of all, the currency is time, not cash, so provided you are prepared to invest that time the returns can be exponential (here’s a bonus tip – stick at it, you are building your personal brand over years);

9. Become a public speaker. The stats are well known that more people are afraid of speaking than of death, but speaking is like learning any new skill, wobbly and stressful to begin with then, over time, second nature. If you can overcome the fear, you are in a minority and have a positive advantage over your competition.

You can speak at trade and professional conferences, Local Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) meetings, academic and post-graduate groups and study clubs. As with getting published, this is a slow burn and builds brand awareness in your post code and the profession; 10. Learn to network with the same B2B and B2C groups in your area and become the well-known local expert on smile design. The people who attend networking meetings are socially mobile, self-conscious and well connected – a perfect mix.

These are not all of the ideas that successful practices are using today – I would need a book to fully describe them – but this selection of my top ten favourites may well be a catalyst to kick-start your year.

Chris Barrow

is the Principal at Coach Barrow.

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Interview

“Change People’s Lives and Make Them Smile” Modern Dentist spoke to Dr Ashish B. Parmar (Ash), Owner of Smile Design by Ash and The Academy

by Ash, about his career so far in dentistry, plans for the future and what advice he would give to dentists looking to set up their own private practice in 2019.

Q

How and why did you start Smile Design by Ash and what challenges and opportunities did you face along the way?

A

I qualified in 1991 and then I went into partnership; we had three practices at one point, gradually selling them one by one and then we amicably ended the partnership ten years ago. At that point there was a recession; I sold my share of the existing business and I had to find an associate position in a chain of practices in London. Being a principal myself and then suddenly having to go and work for someone else was not ideal for me, so I decided to start again. In 2010 we found a property in Chigwell, Essex, and in January 2011 we launched Smile Design by Ash. The challenges I faced were logistically planning the whole project, which was a £1.3 million investment with a risk in opening a practice of that calibre without any patients! But I had a lot of experience and we had a great

10|Modern Dentist Magazine

marketing plan to help us promote the practice predictably in the local community – I am pleased that we have been busy since day one!

In terms of the actual practice, we wanted to ‘wow’ the patients. So when they first walk into the practice, it feels like a spa and not a dental practice! The beautiful spa-like ambiance and the professional team that offer outstanding customer service has made the whole new patient experience unique in the world of dentistry.

Q A

What would you suggest practice owners consider when making the switch to private dentistry?

The most important thing to understand is that you need to develop yourself in a whole range of ways, not just in dental treatment provision. You need to become better at communicating and selling dentistry in a professional

and ethical manner. No one likes to use the word “selling” but we are all in the process of selling something. You need to develop yourself as a leader and you need to motivate your team and nurture their skills and talents.

Marketing is another important area, because that is how you target your new patients. Apart from going on dental courses and developing your clinical skills, there are a lot more jigsaw pieces that have to come together before you can make the switch to private dentistry.

Q A

What advice would you give to dental professionals looking to open their own practice in 2019?

Be aware that you are going to have to work “in the business” as well as “on the business”. Rather than work flat out five days a week on clinical dentistry, you should space out your

Interview

Q A

Why did you want to set up The Academy by Ash?

Over the last twenty years I have invested about £250,000 personally in my own professional training, learning from some of the best dentists and business coaches in the world of dentistry. I have therefore acquired a lot of knowledge on clinical dentistry, as well as communication and the business side of how to run a successful and profitable practice. The reason I started the Academy was because I wanted to share my knowledge with dentists who want to learn and progress in their careers. My courses offer dentists the opportunity to be very hands-on and practical, and they have proved to be inspirational and life-changing for those that attend them…

Q A

How important is it to continue your education and training throughout your dental career?

It is really important – my personal philosophy is “the more you learn, the more you find out what you don’t know” – we keep learning throughout all of our

lives. The second thing that dentists need to understand is that “the more you learn the more you learn what you don’t know”.

Those individuals that invest in their own training and development, and then apply it to their work and practice, are the ones that I find are the most successful.

Q

How is dental education content and its delivery changing to meet the demands of a modern workforce and the rise of technology?

A

Dentistry is definitely changing – digital dentistry seems to be the vogue thing at the moment: digital scanners are coming in; you can communicate much better with technicians by sending information directly to them.

For patients, it is also better to avoid gagging when taking analogue impressions. The net result is superior and accurately fitting laboratory made restorations.

For dentists, there is now such a large variety of learning tools and methods; for example, you can now use YouTube and webinars and learn from home. There will also be other

Be aware that you are going to have to work “in the business” as well as “on the business” time and dedicate some time to working on the business. Invest some time and energy into training your team. People underestimate the fact that staff need time and training. I like to cross-train my team members – if you don’t have multiskilled cross-trained staff members then as a practice you will suffer if someone left their job.

It is also really important to have a clear vision of your practice and who you want your patients to be. Dentists should also write down their goals for different areas in their life – professional, personal, holidays, spiritual, etc.

It is all about trying to differentiate yourself and have a unique selling point that makes you stand out.

Those individuals that invest in their own training and development, and then apply it to their work and practice, are the ones that I find are the most successful

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Interview

When you are really passionate about something and you enjoy it, then it doesn’t feel like work

Ash is a private dentist and has a unique state-of-the-art dental practice in Chigwell, Essex called Smile Design by Ash (www.smiledesignbyash.co.uk).

More about Ash: • National and international lecturer • Has a training academy teaching dentists from all over UK and Europe (www.theacademybyash.co.uk) • “Dentist to dentists” – Due to his clinical skills and knowledge, Ash has a number of dentists and their family members as his clients • Extensively featured on TV (Extreme Makeover UK, This Morning, The Only Way Is Essex, Body Shockers, Channel 5 News) and national newspapers and magazines Contacting Ash: M: 07971 291180 E: ash@smiledesignbyash.co.uk W: www.theacademybyash.co.uk dental educational tools going forward.

One example is a three-day Live Smile Makeover Course I do once a year. I do a masterclass demonstration of a Smile Makeover, i.e. 8-10 porcelain restorations prepared and fitted in three days. Using high definition video and a big screen, dentists can see live what I am doing in the mouth in great detail, and learn from supporting lectures and hands on exercises – this is much better than working and learning on models, in my opinion.

Q

How are patient expectations changing towards dentistry, what steps are you taking to ensure your practice is able to meet these?

A

Patient expectations are much higher nowadays. People want to look and feel

12|Modern Dentist Magazine

good; however with social media, there are pressures on people to look a certain way.

Using the latest dental equipment, the best dental materials, advanced clinical skills and superior laboratories, I feel confident that at Smile Design by Ash we can fulfil our goal to create the best looking and healthy smiles for our patients. It is also important to learn to recognise who not to take on as a patient, especially if they have unrealistic expectations.

Q

How has your career history influenced your outlook on the dental profession, has your perception changed since owning your own practice?

Q A

Smile Design by Ash is a well-established dental practice, which has grown steadily. For next year, my main objective is to streamline our in-house systems and make everything polished and efficiently run – the practice should run very smoothly even if I am not actually at work on a particular day.

A

I qualified in 1991 and to this day I still love dentistry – my philosophy in dentistry is that I like to “change people’s lives and make them smile”. By running a private practice and having high aspirations for the way patients are treated helps me stay focused on the business. I also think you need passion for anything you do in life. When you are really passionate about something and you enjoy it, then it doesn’t feel like work. Seeing patients feel more confident when they have a smile makeover is the real reward for us.

Q A

What do you expect to be the big trends in cosmetic dentistry in 2019?

There is going to be a continuation of “short term orthodontics” using clear aligners because it suits people’s lifestyles. There is a growing trend in doing composite dentistry, which is great. I feel that it will be the minimally invasive options that will continue to be the trend. Personally, I am also passionate about fibre-reinforced composite dentistry and the use of lasers in clinical dentistry.

What does 2019 hold for Smile Design

by Ash and The Academy by Ash?

With answer to the Academy, something very exciting is going to happen! I will be working closely with Swift Dental, one of the biggest dental laboratories in the UK. We are planning to work in collaboration for dental education. We are going to be doing a series of roadshow evening lectures around the country in June 2019 – make sure you look out for more details early in the New Year. I will also be doing two big one-day lectures later in 2019 called “Achieving Success in Private Dentistry”. I am pleased that my popular 8-day signature Handson Course on Aesthetic, Restorative and Occlusion Dentistry is booked out for 2019, and we already have some bookings for the 2020 Course.

I am also honoured to have many dentists referring patients to Smile Design by Ash because of the trust they have in me as a clinician, the quality of dental care we provide, and the unique set-up we have at our Chigwell practice.

In amongst all this, I want to ensure I keep my Wednesdays free so that I can get some “catch up” time to play golf.

Dr Ashish B. Parmar

is the Principal Dentist at Smile Design by Ash.

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Interview

Getting organised

Modern Dentist spoke to Sarah Buxton, Director and HR and Employment Solicitor at FTA Law, about what dental practice owners and managers need to be on the lookout for in terms of HR and employment strategies in 2019.

Q

Q

A

A

What are some of the most common questions dental practice owners and practice managers ask when running their dental business?

It really does vary on a day to day basis as no two practices are the same, however the five most common scenarios I advise on are: • How do we manage sickness absence?

• How do we dismiss an employee due to lateness/punctuality/absence?

• What is the process for disciplinary proceedings?

• How do we deal with an underperforming employee?

• Can we change the terms of employment?

14|Modern Dentist Magazine

What HR pitfalls do practice owners and managers need to be aware of and how can they manage them effectively?

Not following the correct procedure, i.e. before commencing disciplinary proceedings against an employee there must be a full investigation into what has happened. This is something that practice owners and managers often forget to do. To ensure that this does not happen, always seek legal advice, so they can advise you how to proceed on a step by step basis.

Also, not knowing an employee’s rights, i.e. employees with two years’ service have the right not to be unfairly

dismissed. Therefore, it is important to ensure that when employees’ have two years’ service, a fair procedure has been followed otherwise you may end up with a claim in the Employment Tribunal. Another example would be discriminating against employees; if you dismiss an employee due to sickness absence and it turns out they have a disability then they may be able to bring a disability discrimination claim against you. When this is the case you must ensure you have taken all reasonable steps to establish whether the employee concerned has a disability.

Interview

against another employee and it has not been dealt with correctly or efficiently, it may cause them to become less productive and will disrupt the running of the practice.

In addition to this, if there are conflicts between members of staff, this will become apparent to patients who will not only feel uncomfortable, but the dentist/dental nurse/hygienist has a duty of care to the patient and if they are not focused it may cause harm to the patient.

I often say to my clients that a happy team is a profitable team!

Q

How can the right tools help to prevent disputes and encourage a happy and profitable team?

A The consequences of failing to abide by both employment legislation and the CQC regulations have dire consequences for the practice

Q

within the practice. It is also very stressful for all involved to be involved in an Employment Tribunal claim and it can take up an awful lot of time. I have represented clients in the Employment Tribunal where the case doesn’t get to trial for over a year.

Why is it important for dental professionals to have a better understanding and awareness of effective HR and employment systems in order to have a profitable and well-run practice?

A

Any breaches of employment legislation put the practice at risk of a claim in the Employment Tribunal, which will burden the practice financially but also may affect other working relationships

If employees are not happy with how something has been handled, for example they have raised a grievance

I often say to my clients that a happy team is a profitable team!

Having policies/tools in place to deal with any issue’s employees may have will mean that everything is dealt with effectively and consistently. If you do not follow the correct procedure or change the procedure each time the issue arises then employees are likely to become unhappy with this and it may affect the working relationships within the team.

This allows for certainty and for staff to be treated uniformly across the practice, thereby reducing the risk of claims of unequal/less favourable treatment.

Q

Why is it important for practice owners and managers to abide with employment law and CQC regulations?

A

The consequences of failing to abide by both employment legislation and the CQC regulations have dire consequences for the practice, which causes further stress and costs. For example, failure to abide by employment law may lead to a claim in the Employment Tribunal and if practice owners and managers have not followed the correct legislation, they will struggle to defend the claim. Whilst the failure to abide by CQC regulations may result in a warning notice, which will set out a timescale for improvement and will carry out an inspection at the end of the notice. The CQC may decide to cancel the CQC registration, impose sanctions or prosecute for certain CQC breaches.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Interview Having policies/tools in place to deal with any issue’s employees may have will mean that everything is dealt with effectively and consistently

Q

What are the differences between selfemployed workers and employees, and why is it important to have the correct contracts in place?

A

Employees have different employment rights. Employees are entitled to holiday and sick pay, they are on the payroll and their employer is responsible for deducting taxes, national insurance contributions and pension payments.

Employees also have the right to request flexible working and time off for emergencies.

Self-employed staff generally take full responsibility for their service, for example, hours, availability, cover, and they pay their own taxes.

It is important to have the correct contract in place because if for example a dental associate is found to be employed then their employer will be liable for tax and national insurance contributions. In addition to this, they have more protection under employment law and if they were dismissed, they would have a better chance of bringing a claim in the Employment Tribunal as employees have the right not to be unfairly dismissed, whereas self-employed workers do not have this.

This is especially important for practice owners as many hygienists and associates are self-employed and they should seek assistance from an Employment and HR solicitor with Dental knowledge when drafting an Associate or Hygienist agreement to ensure self-employed status.

Q

What changes are we likely to see in 2019 regarding HR and employment in the profession?

A

Both the national minimum wage and national living wage rates will increase in April 2019. Practice owners and managers should ensure that all of their employees are on the correct wage.

• NLW minimum hourly rate for workers 25 and over increases from £7.83 to £8.21; • NMW for workers aged between 21-24 will increase from £7.38 to £7.70; • NMW for workers aged between 18-20 will increase from £5.90 to £6.15;

16|Modern Dentist Magazine

• NMW for those under 18 will increase from £4.20 to £4.35; • Apprentices wage will increase from £3.70 to £3.90.

From April 2019, the minimum contributions for auto-enrolment pension schemes will increase for both employers and employees. Currently, automatic enrolment requirements mean employers must contribute a minimum of 2% with he employee contributing 3%. These figures will rise to a minimum of 3% and 5%. Practice owners and managers should allow time to consult with staff before making any changes to their pension contribution scheme.

Changes to the way employers issue payslips comes into force on 6th April 2019. Practice owners will be obliged to include the total number of hours worked on payslips for employees whose wages vary depending on how much time they have worked. Practice owners should work with their payroll department to ensure the correct procedure is in place ahead of the change.

Following the governments Good Work plan published at the end of last year, the government may announce further changes to employment law and working practices. One proposed change was further clarification on the tests for employment status following recent case law.

Further we still do not know what impact Brexit is going to have on our employment legislation. I suspect there will be no change, however we should watch this space.

Q A

How would you advise a practice when creating a new strategy?

• Consult with employees on the proposed new strategy/changes; • Take any feedback into consideration whilst putting the new strategy together; • If this is a change in the terms and conditions of their employment, practice owners/managers should ensure they are following the correct procedure; • Propose a trial run of the strategy to see how it works within the practice, practice owners do not want to unilaterally impose something if it is going to disrupt the working relationship and environment;

Q A

What is your top piece of advice for practice owners and managers in 2019?

• Ensure that you have policies and procedures in place to deal with anything from disciplinary to maternity so that every employee receives the same treatment; • If you are unsure on how to deal with any query consult an Employment and HR solicitor to prevent breaching employment legislation and putting your practice at risk of a claim in the Employment Tribunal.

Sarah Buxton

is a Director and HR and Employment Solicitor at FTA Law

Sarah Buxton is a Director and HR and Employment Solicitor at FTA Law. FTA Law specialises in acting for dentists, dental practice owners and managers in all aspects of selling, buying and running a business. Sarah is happy to help and dental practice owner/manager with those tricky HR and Employment queries, so please do not hesitate to get in touch at sarah.buxton@fta-law.com or 0330 088 2275.

NHSmail now available for dentistry

NHSmail is the national secure email and collaboration service for health and care.

The service is available FREE for all NHS and private dentistry practices across England.

Improve your practice’s cyber security and reduce your reliance on paper and fax processes by registering today.

“We welcome the rollout of NHSmail to dental practices. The service enables us to share information securely with other care providers; delivering benefits for our patients and our practice.”

Mark Woodger, Dental Surgeon, Birchwood Practice

More information

https://portal.nhs.net/Help/joiningnhsmail

Interview

Changing Times

An interview with Tempdent’s Managing Director, Lorraine Nadel Tempdent have been at the forefront of Dental Training and Recruitment for the past 23 years. We caught up with Tempdent’s Managing Director, Lorraine Nadel, to explore her and Tempdent’s journey and where she sees things moving in the future.

Q A

Tell us a little about your background and how Tempdent was started?

I qualified as a dental nurse in 1992 and whilst working full time as a practice manager, I noticed the temps we were having sent to the practice weren’t very good or reliable. I wanted to start Tempdent primarily as a recruitment agency and to be able to provide better quality nurses to the profession.

Q A

What do you think was the biggest turning point in the evolution of Tempdent?

Definitely statutory registration. The year after Tempdent started in 1996 there was talk of statutory registration for dental nurses and at that time probably well under 50% of nurses were not qualified. I started worrying about my agency workforce and how I would be able to continue if more than half my workforce were unable to work. So primarily I started delivering training in order to keep my workforce going but at the same time started picking up other nurses in the area. Without statutory registration, I don’t know, maybe we would have just stayed with recruitment.

Our training business is now just as large as the agency and our Dental Nursing apprenticeship provision, which we started in 2001, is I believe the largest in the country.

So from the little acorn of a small parttime national certificate course we then went on to offer post registration courses.

Then we started delivering CPD to the

whole dental profession registration and now offer this online as well. We offered a management qualification for practice managers from very early on but it just didn’t tick all the boxes, it wasn’t tailored specifically to dental practice managers.

But with the trailblazer introducing the DPM level 4 qualification, we started delivering that in January 2018 and that has been very popular.

Q A

How has your role changed over the years?

What has been your biggest learning?

I have learnt so much over the years. I didn’t go to university or do a business degree, so I had to find my feet on the job. I think the biggest challenge over the years has been ‘letting go’ and delegating. We obviously started off with just me and now we have got 72 members of staff and you can’t do it all yourself! I now can’t do anything without my fabulous team.

Q

What are the biggest changes that you see in dentistry moving forward and what challenges does this offer?

A

I think the biggest challenge in dentistry at the moment is keeping people within the profession. It’s always been a problem keeping dental nurses in the profession but we are now even finding it hard to keep dentists in the profession. We are very proud that we have been working with the Trailblazer Dental group for the one and a half years and are very excited to see the proposed developments in dentistry

being discussed for the next 25 years.

The different courses being introduced and the effect they will have on the structure of dentistry is quite profound and the fact a DCP will have a longer and more rewarding career is something that we are very excited about. It’s starting to happen already with the dental technician apprenticeships and later this year the enhanced OHP apprenticeship.

Q A

What’s new at Tempdent? What have you been up to lately?

One thing I love about Tempdent is that we never stand still! We are constantly evolving and progressing, whilst at the same time keeping our core values at the heart of Tempdent. Over the last year we have introduced quite a lot. In January 2018, we launched our online CPD and the uptake has been amazing. We’re also very excited to be starting our 3rd Practice Management apprenticeship intake in January and are also welcoming a very large corporate who will be putting all their practice managers through our course from March. Through our involvement with the Trailblazer group we have been instrumental in working with awarding bodies and Ofqual to develop the new apprenticeship end point assessments, ensuring they meet the needs of the profession. We are also moving to a new premises in April, which we are all very excited about so a lot to look forward to in 2019.

Lorraine Nadel

is the Managing Director of Tempdent Recruitment and Training.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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Editorial Board

What should your business strategy be for 2019?

New Year is often a time when people set goals for the upcoming year and re-evaluate their professional life.

Having a business strategy in place is important to ensure that you are streamlining your tax affairs and getting yourself into the best possible financial position.

For some of you, 2019 will be the year when you start your associate roles, and enter the world of self-employment, which will be a big change. The key to staying ahead is to keep informed and try to grasp the HMRC tax system. The 1st key date for 2019 will be the 31st January. This is when Tax Returns need to be submitted by and any tax due must also be paid.

If you have been employed all year, you might think that filing a Tax Return won’t apply to you, but that isn’t necessarily the case. You are still entitled to claim tax relief on your professional expenses such as subscriptions and indemnity insurance. If you have had to purchase loupes or other dental materials required for your job, then these can be claimed for as well. It is worth speaking to your accountant to see what is the best course of action for you to take to maximise your tax position.

Tax Returns, however, are not the only consideration you have to make as you join the world of self-employment and become responsible for all aspects of your finances.

There are a few key areas that you need to be aware of to be able to plan. Once you are out of

employment, you are no longer entitled to sick pay. We would advise that you adopt a longterm plan, and safeguard yourself against any future illness. There are many forms of income protection available to you, and it is certainly a worthwhile expense. The nature of the work you will perform as a dentist lends itself to muscular and joint conditions, and so you need to make sure you are protected from the start of your career.

Pensions are another worthwhile consideration.

If you are listed as an NHS Dental Performer, you may have opted into the NHS pension scheme and be making monthly superannuation contributions. Although this is a good scheme, it may also be worth considering making additional contributions to a private pension. Not only do pension contributions provide tax relief, but they are another means of saving for the future.

Finally, long-term plans also need to be taken into consideration. Many of you will be at the stage in your life where you are looking to buy a house, or even a practice in the upcoming years. Being self-employed makes securing a mortgage or bank loan more difficult, due to the potentially fluctuating levels of income monthly. If you are looking to raise finance as a first-year associate, you will encounter the problem that most lenders require two full years’ worth of accounts and tax calculations.

As a newly-qualified associate, you won’t have this information. It is important that you work with your accountant to try and forecast earnings so that you can still obtain any financing required.

Being self-employed may initially seem like a lot of responsibility and an overload of information.

The HMRC tax system itself is complex, and then paying the tax is another routine that you have to get to grips with. Help is at hand, so speak to us to make sure you spend and save your money in the most efficient way possible!

Sophie Kwiatkowski

is an Accountant at PFM Dental Accountancy.

2019 will be the year when you start your associate roles, and enter the world of self-employment, which will be a big change. The key to staying ahead is to keep informed and try to grasp the HMRC tax system

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Editorial Board

Complaints happen

Patients can raise complaints about actual failures with your treatment, issues with their journey through the practice or about perceived shortcomings in what you deem to be good treatment. They are a low point of our professional careers, however, dealing with them efficiently can make them as pain free as possible and provide an opportunity for a learning experience.

One of the most efficient ways to manage complaints is to avoid them happening in the first place. Through thorough and clear, informed consent, a dentist can communicate the expected outcomes of a potential treatment, outline its benefits and risks and educate the patient as to any potential difficulties. If something happens later, which means the aims of treatment are not fully met, we can refer back to the consent process, this is still a difficult conversation, but it looks a lot better than an unmentioned problem.

Even the most careful and competent dental professional is likely to receive a complaint about the quality of the service, care or treatment they have provided, at some point in their career. As the cost of dental services rises, unfortunately, the cost of settling complaints is also rising. The GDC expects dental professionals to have a clear complaints procedure so that patients who complain receive a prompt and constructive response.

Linked to this, if something does go wrong, keep patients informed at all times about mishaps or complications that arise during treatment, about appointments running late and any other aspects of treatment or service that may cause discontent. A prompt and open explanation is always advisable, don’t waffle but don’t ignore it. Offer a genuine apology to any patient who has had the misfortune to suffer through an error, however small. You have to own your failures as well as your successes.

Dealing with them efficiently can make them as pain free as possible and provide an opportunity for a learning experience

Complaints can be verbal or written. In the case of a verbal complaint, attempts should be made to rectify it within 24 hours at a local level.

Behaviour such as a simple apology, empathetic listening or a small refund, may prevent escalation into something bigger, which requires many hours of your time to address, substantial cost or both.

Advice pooled from the major indemnifiers includes: A) Do not react defensively to complaints.

B) If a patient makes a verbal complaint, spend a few minutes discussing it there and then. If other patients are waiting, arrange a further appointment.

C) Patients are entitled to make their complaint orally; when a written record of it should be made by the member of staff receiving the complaint. You should not ask them to put their complaint in writing as this only risks escalating the complaint.

One popular myth that needs to be dispelled is “Saying sorry is an admission of liability.” This is simply not the case and may be all the patient wants. Apologise where appropriate. A genuine and sincere apology is not an admission of liability and can often defuse a complaint.

It is vital that you never alter original records. It can lead to more serious trouble than the original complaint. Try to keep contemporaneous notes and try to update them directly following the appointment, or at the very worst, on that day. No defence hearing expects you to remember 100% of the events leading to a complaint, but be clear as to what is memory, what is fact and what is your ‘normal practice’ when responding to any complaint. Ensure you do so in a factual and truthful manner.

Finally, it is important to learn from complaints in order to prevent or reduce the risk of similar problems happening in the future.

Dr Richard Brown,

Parrys Lane Dental Practice and Bupa Dental Care, is a Nuvola Speaker for Nuvola courses.

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Moden Dentist Mag1_Layout 1 24/11/2017 09:56 Page 1

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Editorial Board

Questions to consider before buying any dental equipment For dental professionals, it’s important to make quick purchase decisions when replacing broken equipment or to take advantage of “limited-time pricing”. While equipment and technology are necessary for doing your best work, they can also be expensive and set you on a constant chase for the latest and greatest tools.

In the complex world of dentistry, the process of purchasing new devises and technology can be overwhelming. First, you need to determine what equipment can best help your practice; then you need to choose a vendor; and finally - and perhaps most importantly - you need a way to finance your investment. Consider these questions to help you make the best purchase decision for your practice:

How will it differentiate my practice and boost my capabilities?

Differentiating your dental practice is key to staying competitive in your market. Having modern technology can set you apart and help you better diagnose and treat your patients.

Upgrading older equipment can help create a more efficient, smarter practice.

Making the right investment decisions for your practice can pay off tremendous dividends in the long run

If you’re looking to increase income or attract new patients, you could consider adding new services to your office. Perhaps adding just one new piece of equipment can enable you to perform new capabilities that you’ve typically referred to outside specialists.

How will it appeal to patients?

Today’s consumers live in a high-tech, mobilefirst, and on-demand world; does your practice reflect their lifestyle? They are used to having devices in their hands, getting information instantaneously and using technology for research. Consider this, 71% of millennial patients are interested in managing their appointments; records and preventative care via a mobile app. You don’t want to be a twentieth-century dentist practicing in a twenty-first century world.

I already have the best equipment; what else could I need?

Don’t forget about your practice’s digital presence and the software behind it. Customer relationship management (CRM) software is changing the healthcare industry, simplifying data for both employees and patients. Having an up-to-date, easy-to-use online portal where patients can easily manage their cleanings, pay their bills, and access their records can make their lives easier.

What’s my return on investment?

We understand some of the price tags can be staggering and it may be uncomfortable to bite it all off at once. However, think long term. For example, an updated piece of equipment could cost you thousands up-front, but it can enable you to do twice as many procedures/screenings as an older piece of equipment.

Is the investment really worth it?

As equipment gets older, it requires more maintenance to keep running at standard

performance. By investing in newer, more reliable dental equipment you can keep it running at optimal performance. Again, this is where looking at the long term can guide a decision.

Will it help my office attract top talent?

Part of staying competitive is having great staff.

While trying to recruit and hire the best talent, having the most up-to-date and advanced technology options can be a deciding factor in a potential employee’s decision.

How can I utilise the equipment to its fullest potential?

Having the most up-to-date equipment can benefit your office in so many ways, but only with proper usage and training. Investing in training can ensure any given piece of equipment is being used to its fullest potential, further maximising your return on investment.

What’s the best way to finance?

Examine whether leasing or buying makes the most sense for you.

Choose a good dental dealer

Sometimes price is not the most important thing when choosing the right dental equipment distributor. Rather than a good offer, you should consider other things like proximity (in case of an technical urgency it is important that the technician can come instantly), professionalism and quality service.

At the end of the day, the most important thing you can offer your patients is access to the exceptional care, diagnosis and treatment. Making the right investment decisions for your practice can pay off tremendous dividends in the long run.

Nathalie Smets

is the Marketing and Sales Country Manager at Ancar.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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Editorial Board

How can complaints be dealt with effectively?

A complaint or concern is an expression of dissatisfaction about an act, omission or decision, which is either spoken or written and (whether justified or not) requires a response.

The best way to try to resolve a complaint is generally through a practice complaints procedure. When managed well, practice level resolution can avoid an escalation of concerns. Dealing with feedback and complaints effectively can also provide a practitioner with insight into performance and can enhance service delivery.

Dealing with feedback and complaints effectively can also provide a practitioner with insight into performance and can enhance service delivery

On 14th November 2018, the General Dental Council, with 28 organisations from across the dental sector, developed principles for good complaint handling aimed at providing a template for best practice to help patients and professionals get the most from feedback and complaints. These include a reminder to practices to follow a complaints procedure and to keep the complainant informed. Practices should try to answer all questions and deal with any concerns raised.

as an admission of guilt; rather an expression of regret, which can provide reassurance to a complainant and which may be an effective conclusion. An apology, explanation or commitment to remedial action can demonstrate a willingness to ensure resolution.

The key to best practice is ensuring a visible, in-house complaints handling procedure so that patients are aware of the process that will be followed.

Advice from an indemnifier or insurer before responding can often assist.

Taking a step back and ensuring that the full facts are gathered before putting pen to paper in response means effective complaints handling incorporates:

The Dental Complaints Service suggests that any complaint is acknowledged in writing, preferably within two days and with a time frame provided for a full response. We recommend individuals dealing with complaints advise the complainant of the date when they can expect a full reply if the initial deadline cannot be complied with. Patients should be kept updated and informed of any progress made in response to their concerns.

• openness • honesty • recognition of mistakes • an empathic approach to the issues • taking action to put things right

It is important to ensure that patients do not feel they are being ‘fobbed off’ with excuses. Take your time to undertake an investigation and gather the facts before responding. Remember that any response to a complaint could be referred to a regulator or to lawyers, so providing a thorough response after full investigation and fact-finding is highly recommended.

Practices should endeavour not to be unduly defensive in responding to a complaint. Often the desired outcome is to ensure local resolution to the complainant’s satisfaction. It may be necessary to make concessions and to apologise where something has gone wrong. To do so is not to be seen

Once a complaint has been responded to, sometimes matters do not rest there. To avoid similar situations arising in future, practices may wish to consider taking learning points from the complaint, which can be shared with the team, for example, how the complaint came about, whether the matter was handled effectively, the desired outcome was achieved, or any changes that need to be made to in-house procedures, policies or protocols, or could steps have been taken to avoid the complaint?

Clare Chapman and Chris Dexter

are both Partners at BLM.

Modern Dentist Magazine

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Is there money to be saved from outsourcing?

Business strategy for 2019

Mike Hughes,

Principal, Dental Practice Consultancy Service.

Dentists make their money by selling time and expertise. Anything that can be done to save administrative time (none chargeable) and increase the time spent in the surgery (chargeable time), will in turn increase turnover and subsequently profit.

Generally, by the hour, outsourcing is more expensive than employing a member of staff to do the work but less expensive than the principal dentist doing the work. If I use finance as an example - a decent bookkeeper will cost you between £15 and £25 per hour, depending on where you live. A practice manager will cost you between £10 and £20 per hour, again depending on your location and their expertise.

A principal dentists’ hourly rate should be in excess of £200 per hour.

Therefore, assuming the practice manager has capacity and the skills, getting them to help with the bookkeeping is sensible. However, as the principal dentist, don’t spend time out of your surgery to do the bookkeeping yourself when you would be in excess of £175 per hour better off by outsourcing it. The same goes for a whole host of other areas such as payroll, HR services, CQC compliance assistance etc.

In this world of ever increasing compliance it is very difficult to keep on top of every piece of legislation. For multiple practice owners this is much easier as you can have one person in charge of each part of the business so keeping the expertise in house can make good commercial sense.

However, for smaller and single handed practices, expecting the practice manager (or the principal dentist where there is no practice manager) to know everything is almost impossible. Outsourcing certain elements of the job can not only save you money but also give you peace of mind that you have the help of experts to keep you right.

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong answer here. Every practice is different and it will depend upon the ability and resources within your work force but if there are not enough hours in the day or certain parts of the job are stressing you out then outsourcing these specific areas can significantly improve your job satisfaction at work.

Heidi Marshall,

Partner, Dodd & Co.

Generally speaking, the demand for and delivery of dental services is an internal market specific to the UK. In some regards, however, it is impossible to ignore what is happening in the wider world and particularly within Europe as Brexit looms regardless of what form that takes. Perceived uncertainty over what is happening in the UK is causing a degree of unease, which in turn is causing some dentists from overseas backgrounds to question whether remaining in the UK is the best option for them, thus disrupting the supply of suitable and available dentists. This is perhaps one of the factors that is going to play most heavily on practices as the limitation on the number of clinicians may impact either on the ability to deliver or on the cost of delivery given that the laws of supply and demand apply meaning that associate remuneration is on the rise.

Looking forward, I think it is incumbent on practices to consider what their strategy will be should the situation continue to deteriorate. In particular, the fixed income nature of the NHS contract leaves practices particularly vulnerable either to a failure of the ability to deliver or potentially to a significant increase in cost in order to be able to achieve delivery with the potential for the viability for the practice to be threatened or at the very least for the potential of a considerable drop in profit for the practice owners. Perhaps, therefore, it is time to at least plan alternative contingency strategies that might include: • Engaging complimentary professionals such as hygienists or therapists • Considering delivery strategies that do not rely on the NHS and which are therefore more flexible in their pricing As a generalisation, private practices tend to handle lower overall patient numbers in any event, with some potential advantages in terms of the number of practitioners needed and of course the ability to generate a revenue stream capable of maintaining the profit level.

As we move into 2019, taking time to construct a contingency plan may end up being time extremely well spent and the exercise itself will cause you to evaluate the current effectiveness of your business.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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Editorial Board

What is the best process for introducing new products into your practice?

Cover your practice Is the cyber risk as prevalent in dentistry as it is in other professions, and what can be done to counter any risk that exists?

Digital technologies are an essential part of business today, including in the dentistry sector, where there is a reliance on IT infrastructure to some degree, in order to increase efficiency and improve productivity. This is precisely why cyber and data security breaches can be so damaging.

A 2016 UK Government survey* estimated that 65% of large firms detected a cyber security breach over a 12-month period, with 25% of these firms experiencing a breach at least once a month. The average cost of a cyber and data security breach to large businesses was reported to be £36,500, and the costliest breach identified was £3 million. While dental businesses may not be considered to be popular targets for cyber-attacks, any business that is dependent on technology and holds data electronically can be targeted.

The most common attacks reported by the survey – nearly seven out of ten of all firms questioned – involved viruses, spyware or malware.

Then, of course, there are the ramifications that exposure to these risks can cause, such as business interruption, income loss, damage management and repair, and the possibility of reputational damage if IT equipment or systems fail or are interrupted.

Why it’s worth considering more specific, specialist insurance Existing dental practice insurance may provide limited cover against cyber and data risks. However, those who work in the dentistry sector should considering purchasing a standalone cyber insurance policy, particularly if they: • Hold sensitive customer details, such as names and addresses or bank information • Rely heavily on IT systems and websites to conduct their business • Process payment card information as a matter of course In almost all cases, it is likely your dental practice does at least two of the above, if not all. Therefore, you should consider cyber insurance seriously.

Today, more than ever, it is obvious that businesses need to do everything in their power to limit their exposure to these risks and mitigate the cost of damages likely to be caused by cybercrime in the future. *UK Government Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 2016

Mark Barry,

Director, ESM Digital Solutions.

Introducing a new product can simply be a case of replacing an existing product with a similar one where the difference may be down to cost, brand preference or perhaps a better quality version.

This could be as simple as gloves, disinfection products or impression trays. Perhaps the new product is something more elaborate such as a new software package or an intraoral scanner. Whatever the reason, you have chosen to introduce a new product and the first thing you need to consider is how this will impact how you and your staff work.

Never take the attitude that a straight forward swap out will be simple and smooth. Perhaps it will, but more often than not it won’t.

Here are some things to consider and questions to ask when introducing new products: Evaluate the benefits and potential pitfalls: You might like a new type of glove but will your staff? Do you have the IT infrastructure to support the new software correctly? Is the new alginate material as easy to mix and get right as the old one?

Commitment and Buy-In: You have made an investment in a new product, you need to have your team on side. Having them involved in the evaluation and the decision making process will give them a sense of ownership and commitment to the new product. Making a change to internal processes may not be smooth, make the commitment to work through the bedding-in period.

Training: To get the very best from the new product, make sure that everybody who will be involved in its use gets the right level of training.

Commit to it. Make you and your team available for the training time recommended by the supplier. This might be as simple as a lunch and learn or as involved as a two day hands-on training on software or an intra-oral scanner.

At ESM we have trained hundreds of dental professionals on software and scanners and we always find that the most successful trainings and implementation occurs when there is commitment and buy-in from the whole team and time is made available to provide a suitable level of training. Fail to do this and the implementation may not be as smooth as you hoped for!

Kirsty Wainwright-Noble, Head of Sales and Marketing, Towergate Insurance Brokers.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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Editorial Board

Good afternoon I’d like to buy a computer

Setting SMART financial goals for 2019

Chris Webb,

Director, Precision PR. How should dental practices weigh up cost and performance when investing in new technology? Always a tricky question, but here’s how I would do it.

Why do you need to invest in technology?

Because something takes too much time or resources, costs money or doesn’t make enough money. Alternatively, a 3rd-party (the NHS) mandates a technology.

Work out the problem you need to solve, then you can work out the return needed on your investment.

What are you going to buy?

Examine constraints, such as; • Will the new technology work with your existing equipment, systems and processes?

• Will it cause compatibility problems that will require further investment?

• What external systems does it need to work, and what standards should it meet?

• What is actually available and where can you find information about possible solutions?

Where are you going to put it?

• Do you have space and services (power, water, cooling) the technology needs?

• If it is a portable device, can it be stored safely and securely?

• Where are the suppliers and installers based, and can they provide a good standard of support from that location?

It might seem repetitive, daunting, or unnecessary to craft financial goals each year, but it’s important to do so. Making your end goals top of mind at the start of 2019 will help you stay on track.

The first step is to think of the big picture - not just what your goals might be, but why you want to achieve them. Next, consider where you are now - your income, your tax situation, budget, and overall financial health and pinpoint exactly what you’re hoping to achieve, From there, you can design your short, mid, and long-term goals.

Think Ahead

Short-term goals are generally achievable in one to three years.

They’re smaller scale objectives that you can tick off as you reach them to help you feel accomplished. Creating a budget, starting an emergency fund, and paying off your debts are examples of short-term goals.

Mid-term goals could take three to five years before they’re attained. You might want to take out supplemental insurance or income protection. Maybe you’ve dreamed of buying a home or sending your child to university.

Long-term goals might take you anywhere from five to ten years (or longer!) before you can tick them off your list. Perhaps the most important long-term goal is saving for retirement. Figure out exactly how much you’ll need to earn to maintain the lifestyle you want after you finish working and figure out your savings plan from there.

Get SMART

When will you install this new technology?

• Does that date allow for any special training you or your team need?

• Will your facilities be ready by then?

• Can the supplier guarantee delivery and completion dates (so you can manage your appointment book) • When will you need to pay for this new technology?

• Length of warranty and support contract?

The tried and true method for setting goals is the ‘SMART’ method. Ensure goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

How are you going to choose?

• Draw up a list of questions and organise them into one’s for you to answer, ones for the supplier, and ones that require collaboration.

• Ask colleagues and friends if they can make recommendations of suppliers who can solve the business problem you identified.

• Research the names recommended to you, but also find alternatives.

• Remember - the biggest supplier doesn’t always have the best product, service or deal for you.

• Select about six suppliers - call them and discuss all your questions with them.

• Invite three of them to submit a quote.

• Go back to the top of the page and check that the solution solves your initial problem.

Once you’ve decided on your goals, it’s time to write them down. Having something tangible to refer back to helps keep your plans.

Congratulations. You are now able to choose.

For example, “saving for retirement” is not a SMART goal.

Instead, structure your goal to hit on all five aspects such as, “I will save 2% of monthly earnings for five years”.

Take Action

You don’t have to undertake this mission alone, though. Book some time with your financial advisor to review your goals and get advice from a professional.

Darren Scott-Guinness,

Independent Financial Advisor, Dental & Medical Financial Services.

This article does not constitute advice. Professional advice should be taken prior to acting on any part of it.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

The

Campbell Academy When you join the Campbell Academy, you embark on a challenging and inspiring journey to further your career and improve your skills. We offer a range of dental implant courses and workshops, tailored to dentists at various experience levels. We are passionate about raising standards in implant dentistry by creating a space for dentists to grow their knowledge and clinical competence.

Our Year Two Implant Course The Year Two Implant Course has been designed to give dentists who have a foundation in straight forward implant dentistry, a launch pad into more advanced and complex treatments.

As a delegate, you will have attended our Year One course or an equivalent dental implant course and will have some experience placing implants in your own practice.

You will work towards our philosophy of a 3-5 year pathway to implant excellence, aiming to place a minimum of 50 implants per year. For the more experienced delegate there will be the opportunity to take on advanced and complex cases under the supervision of our experienced faculty of implant dentists.

The course is designed with an extremely flexible format and consists of 15 days which can be completed across either one or two years. Delegates have a selection of 3 day Live Skills courses and Master Classes to choose from allowing delegates to map their preferred implant pathway.

If you’re interested in The Campbell Academy and our Year Two Implant Course, contact us for more information. www.campbellacademy.co.uk | 0115 982 3919 | info@campbellacademy.co.uk

Editorial Board

Oral health – embracing the digital world

Shaz Memon,

Creative Director, Digimax Dental.

Prevention – or oral health promotion – is the cornerstone of all dentistry. Today’s dental practice is focused on the health and wellbeing of its patients, particularly with the wealth of evidencebased studies highlighting the systemic links to other inflammatory disease that stretch beyond the oral cavity.

Public Health England’s Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention (third edition 22 March 2017) placed oral health education firmly at the heart of general practice with guidance for GDPs and their teams highlighting risks, advice and actions needed to prevent disease.

Oral health education is no longer confined to the surgery. 21st century care requires practices to break traditional communication channels and embrace the digital world – these days online is very often where your potential patients will first experience your business.

In the UK, 85% of the population are using smartphones, with 78% using laptops, which requires practices to have a robust social media strategy as well as an engaging and easy-to-navigate practice website if they are to reach patients with key messages.

With a profession facing a growing epidemic of child tooth decay and associated diseases, practices need to up their game to preserve the health of the nation.

1. Don’t allow your practice website to lie dormant. A successful website (i.e. one that gets seen and has value) relies on lots of activity, so update blogs regularly with engaging and relevant copy that offers simple, actionable advice. Give patients a reason to trust you by adding value to their dental experience, which may even be before they set foot inside your door.

2. Amplify your website with social media posts. Direct potential patients to your URL with posts and tweets highlighting the key oral health advice within your website – whether this is introducing your hygienist and explaining their role in the maintenance of a healthy smile or a blog about teeth and gum care. Incentivise new patients to book an appointment with your team or existing ones to return.

3. Have a trusted profile online. Stay ahead of the game by being a thought leader. Keep abreast of current thinking and share the news.

Engage with social media accounts that campaign about health issues.

Remain authentic, get involved and nurture your patients’ oral health – online as well as off.

The cost of taking your dental practice into the digital world How should practices weigh up cost and performance when investing in new technology?

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

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?

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

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.

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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Modern Dentist Magazine

Get your customers smiling again, with pay monthly options...

Research shows that 28% of retail finance customers spent more than they would have done without a finance option and 52% wouldn’t have made their purchase without a finance option*.

The ‘subscription economy’ is growing. We are getting more and more used to paying monthly for everything from gym memberships to mobile phones and online video streaming. This means that today’s consumers are comfortable budgeting and paying monthly for a range of products and services to make them more affordable. The rise of technology has also driven a “want it now” mind-set amongst many groups of consumers, who no longer want to wait to own the things they really want.

Offering point of sale credit can really help you grow your business. Marketing the fact that you offer finance can help you attract new groups of customers who maybe wouldn’t have otherwise made a purchase as they don’t have a cash lump sum readily available for the treatment they would like.

Even when selling to the more traditional customer, having finance options at your disposal at the point of sale is a powerful tool for your salespeople. Using a finance calculator with your customers can help you increase their spend, making a more expensive treatment affordable by breaking the cost down into monthly payments.

Based on V12 Retail Finance customer survey 2015

*

Working in partnership Partner with V12 for your finance offering and our friendly team of experts will work with you to make sure you maximise the benefit to your business. We will show you how you can use finance to reach those new customers and sell more to your existing ones.

We know that time is precious when you’re running a business, though, so we keep things simple and make sure our training and set up fits around you.

There are lots more great reasons to offer finance through V12: • Our application process works seamlessly in store, online and over the phone.

• We provide fast credit decisions, 24 hours a day.

• Our range of finance products is flexible, giving your customers different monthly payment options to suit their pocket.

• Our customer ID and verification process is secure, simple and paperless.

• Our finance calculator helps your customers to budget, in store and online.

• We’ll show you how to use our system and you’ll be supported throughout.

• We’ll be on hand to help with technical support, customer insight and marketing.

• Our V12 portal gives you real time access to a range of information so you can see how finance is working for your business.

• We are owned by a listed UK bank, funded by UK deposits, so we do not have to rely on other businesses for funds to support your credit sales.

Find out more It’s quick and easy to get set up with V12. Get in touch now to find out more start enjoying the benefits!

www.v12retailfinance.com 029 20 468 900

Editorial Board

Photo: private

How can the profession improve patient education of oral health?

Importance of innovative products How can staff wellbeing be addressed more readily, and what can we do to improve it?

Motivated staff are a benefit to every practice, the doctor and the patients. A harmonious atmosphere and respectful interaction show the appreciation of the employees but just as important is a modern workplace and high-quality products, because they make work much easier.

For example, staff spend a significant part of their time on maintaining the instruments, scalers and curettes for instance need to be constantly sharpened. But instrument sharpening is not only timeconsuming, it can also be boring, frustrating, harmful and moreover must be constantly repeated. The patented XP® technology of our brand American Eagle is an enormous improvement because it makes instrument tips much more durable and resistant than standard products and sharpening is no longer necessary. Moreover, the slim design means easier access to interdental spaces and periodontal pockets, therefore better results can be achieved while the patient’s comfort level is increased. Thanks to the razor-sharp blades, force can be reduced and thus the tactile sensitivity is retained while the ergonomic handles significantly reduce hand fatigue.

Another example is Young Dental’s range for professional tooth cleaning. The disposable Prophy Angles have a small, round head and a particularly narrow design, giving the therapist greater visibility and accessibility. The single-use products reduce the risk of infection, as well as save time and money as no sterilization or preparation is required and the handpiece is less susceptible to wear and tear.

Thus the staff benefits from innovative products while the patient benefits from a better treatment and the practice enhances its reputation which increases the satisfaction of all involved. Good, well thought-out products therefore support the staff, improve the treatment, spare the nerves, save time and reduce costs.

Frank Whyte,

Managing Director, Young Innovations Europe.

Duncan Blades,

Managing Director, Blades Creative.

Written on behalf of Acteon.

Before we go any further, I think we should clarify what we mean by education, particularly when it comes to the professional relationship we have with our patients. We are carers, we are advisors, we are skilled healthcare professionals, and we are prescribers. We are not taught to be educators. Our patients might leave the practice with a leaflet but they may or may not read it.

I think a good way to look at this debate is to say that you can take someone along a path that leads to a gate. You can show them the gate and point out what’s on the other side but you can’t make them open it, nor can you make them go through it. This is something they have to do for themselves, they need motivating. We can motivate them to change bad habits for good ones, or to comply with a proposed treatment plan and oral hygiene instructions.

Periodontal disease is thought to affect more than 45% of all adults and 60% of over 65 year olds in the UK. It also requires cooperation between a patient and professional in order to ensure a successful outcome. Helping patients to take responsibility for their oral health and grasp their role in disease prevention is a difficult and sensitive subject. This where the Soprocare intraoral camera is such a help as it actually shows a patient what would normally be invisible to their eye - new dental plaque, newly mineralised dental plaque, old dental plaque, stains, soft tissue inflammation and gingival recession.

At this point you have the opportunity to point out that apart from causing gums to bleed, gum recession and root exposure, bone loss and eventual avulsion, there is also evidence that the toxins and inflammation resulting from periodontal disease can influence other conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, alzheimers, pneumonia and complications during pregnancy (they might be more interested in that leaflet now).

You and your team can offer advice on how to improve the levels of oral hygiene and coach better brushing technique knowing that the patient is now better motivated and more likely to keep up with any new regime that might be suggested.

Of course, this all assumes that everyone wants to live longer and doesn’t want to lose their teeth prematurely!

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Editorial Board

The “digital” age

Stephen Judge Dip CDT RCS, D.D Hons,

Sales Manager, Bracon Dental & Medical Supplies.

What will become of British Dentistry’s relationship with the European Union?

As a digital transformation takes place across the NHS, how and why should dentistry get more involved in the integration into digital?

Despite Brexit looming ever closer, predicting its impact on the dental profession remains as difficult as it did in June 2016.

The term “digital” can mean many things to many people, particularly in the dental profession. Dentistry and medicine are no strangers to digital; not missing out but taking advantage of the advanced digital technologies available today and increasingly their applications can be integrated into dentistry and patient treatment plans. Many readers will remember when digital radiography was first introduced into dentistry and how quickly the benefits of “digital” were realised.

This led to digital dental radiography becoming the norm within a very short period of time, benefitting both dental professionals and their patients. Digital dentistry now encompasses a whole range of equipment, including scanning and 3D printing. The rapidly expanding ranges of highly accurate 3D printer resins for dental use, are currently revolutionising treatment planning and workflows. This is applicable across many treatments including implants, removable and fixed prosthesis, splints, temporaries etc. Dental professionals have woken up to the 3D Printing Digital Revolution and are now embracing the new opportunities and benefits this presents, from simply printing a model to fabricating a temporary crown or bridge, or even a surgical drill guide in a biomedical resin.

Nobody yet knows what the final deal will look like. However, in the likely event of more stringent border controls, foreign dentists will almost certainly be discouraged from working in the UK. Many practices are already feeling the pinch with a lack of associates to fill their seats. In particular, large dental corporations are often dependent on recruiting their workforce from EU member states; this will pose a particular problem because dentists who qualify from outside the European Economic Area have to sit on an Overseas Registration Exam.

Early analysis suggests this will discourage many from making the move to the UK to begin their career.

The Asiga range of 3D Printers are all open source, meaning they can be used with a very wide range of resins from different manufacturers.

Currently there are more than 60 different resins, available for different applications. Asiga 3D printers are capable of very high resolutions and perfect for dentistry where accuracy is essential. Should you be interested in attending an introductory course or even a more in-depth hands-on course, Bracon Ltd run these on a regular basis for the entire Dental Team. These courses are presented by Mark Welch, Bracon’s award winning digital expert and are designed to enable you to see just how incredible this Digital 3D Printing Technology is and to understand its applications and digital workflows. With that information, you can easily decide if this is something that would benefit you, your clients or your patients.

Bracon Ltd are running Digital Courses for the entire Dental Team, contact them for more details on 01580 817000 or email courses@bracon.co.uk

And, what of EU citizens currently working in the UK dental profession? They are unlikely to be able to do so without a change in their status. Whilst many will apply for a work permit, or possibly citizenship, at present we don’t know what the visa requirements will be or who will be eligible. Some may feel that in order to ensure their job security, they will need to return to mainland Europe, others may simply no longer feel welcome in post Brexit Britain. In any event, there could be a significant drop in the number of EU citizens working in the dental profession in the UK post May 2019.

At the present time, it is becoming increasingly frustrating that as Brexit gets ever closer, we are still in a position where we have no more certainty in terms of what awaits the dental profession than we did in June 2016. In any event, whatever happens next spring, British Dentistry’s relationship with the European Union will have to be ironed out long after the fundamentals are finally decided.

Amanda Maskery, Healthcare Partner, Sintons LLP.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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Editorial Board

Extending your role

In the face of technology advancements, how can the talent of the future be developed and trained to suit the skills this will demand?

I am often asked if it is ok for a dental nurse with a dental radiography qualification to be able to take Cone Beam CT (CBCT) images - well the HPA (now PHE) back in 2010 thought so (in their report CRCE-010), as long as they were adequately trained - and so do I, for any dental x-ray imaging procedure.

As a diagnostic radiographer, I was fortunate enough to be working in the profession when ‘role extension’ was proposed as one of the solutions to a lack of radiologists in the 1990s as they coped with the expansion of specialist imaging techniques (e.g. CT, MRI and Interventional Radiology). This resulted in radiographers being encouraged to gain qualifications in Radiological Reporting and a number of us ended up reporting on the images produced in Accident and Emergency, Orthopaedics and Rheumatology as part of their roles.

Since becoming more involved with the dental professions as a teacher on Dental Radiography courses and as an RPA/MPE, I have also seen an increase in the depth, breadth and complexity of dental care options with a number of dentists moving into new specialist areas such as Implantology. There has also been an expansion of the types of x-ray unit used in a practice (e.g. hand-held units) and the institution of new imaging modalities such as Cone Beam CT. So I believe (in a similar way to how I was able to pick up part of the radiologists role) that the dental nurse with a radiography qualification is an invaluable asset to a dental practice - CBCT unit or not.

The syllabus they are taught must of course develop to include any new modalities, and the practical element of the training course they undertake (developed in their practices) is also an important aspect in giving them a basic grounding in the imaging techniques they will encounter. Extending their training will require further specially designed courses and the input of other experts such as applications specialists for CBCT units. Quite simply, the availability and quality of training is of paramount importance.

I look forward to visiting more places where (specialist) dental nurses are doing their own ‘x-ray clinics’ and taking the majority of all the images in their practices.

Stephen Green CRadP MSRP MIPEM MBIR,

Radiation Protection Adviser, Medical Physics Expert and Radioactive Waste Adviser, Stephen Green and Associates.

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

The inexorable advance of technology and its use in all areas of life and business is an accepted feature of modern society. Nowhere is immune from its reach - not least dentistry. In fact, the dental world has seen some far-reaching effects of the use of technology in both materials and engineering. From pedal driven drills and pump up chairs, to high speed turbines and digital imaging, the march of technology has been rapid over the last half century and all the indications are that this pace will continue.

Dentists face many challenges both clinical and commercial, with the need to embrace new techniques and the means to deliver them to patients to be balanced with running a successful practice and making a profit.

The ability to offer ever more complex, and in some cases, life enhancing treatments often requires the use of high-tech equipment to deliver successful outcomes, and today’s dentist needs to embrace the use of such equipment, but high-tech comes with a price, usually a high one! With cost an ever-present factor in deciding whether to invest in new sophisticated equipment, dentists need to carefully consider the benefits that it will accrue versus the size of the investment required.

Does it offer value for money, bring more patients to the practice, allow more complex and lucrative work to be undertaken. Those are some of the pertinent questions to be asked before committing to any significant capital expenditure.

Some equipment is easy to justify on a cost benefit analysis. For example, a new digital scanner that presents both enhanced diagnostic capabilities and identifies a wider range of treatment for your patient could be justified on a simple cost per week of the equipment, set against the fee charged per patient for the scan. If the equipment is being financed this makes this equation simpler. However, other forms of technology like a new IT system is a little harder to justify on this basis and must be seen in the wider context of increased practice efficiency, possible reduced administrative costs etc.

One thing is certain, advances in technology will continue and dentistry needs to be alive to its potential for making good dentistry even better.

Ray Cox,

Chairman, Medifinance Ltd.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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Features

IMPROVE ON 8 OUT OF 10!

Top tips to attract new patients in 2019 We are living through a digital age during which our ‘personal services’ are more reliant on mixing the digital with the personal than ever before. With this in mind, Dr Barry Oulton offers his top tips on attracting new patients for a successful 2019.

Attracting new patients is an integral part of being and remaining a successful dental practice. There is an extensive list of strategies to consider when wanting to attract new patients. Below are just seven of the most effective ways to consider building your books.

Get social Market force research found that Facebook counts for 50% of total social referrals to a business and 67% of purchasing decisions are influenced by online reviews. Ask your patients to check in, like your page and assign a team member to be in charge of posting relevant content through your social media. Remember the human factor – whilst patients will want to see your successes, they also need to know that they are being cared for by ‘real people’. If your hygiene therapist gets engaged, for example, tell the tribe.

Get great at communicating Patients considering switching dentists, state that poor chairside manner, loss of trust and unfriendly staff are in the top six reasons for leaving. Learning great communication skills for you and your team is therefore essential for retaining existing patients and attracting new ones. Consider attending a communications course such as ‘Influencing Smiles’ provided by www.theconfidentdentist.com.

Get reviews and recommendations 84% of patients surveyed by Futuredontics solicit personal recommendations from

family, friends and co-workers when they search for a new dentist. 86% of consumers surveyed will pay more for services with higher ratings and reviews.1 57% of customers visit a company’s website after reading positive reviews.3 Have a system of asking your preferred patients to recommend their family and friends and practise it so it becomes effortless and seamless. A study showed that a face-to-face method of asking resulted in 7 times more reviews than asking by email.3

Get help As clinicians we are not always the best at promoting ourselves in a way that attracts the sort of new patients we may desire. Consider spending some of your marketing budget with a trusted, proven third party such as Smilewise (www.smilewise.co.uk).

Get flexible 36% of patients want dentists to have weekend hours and 33% want dentists who can offer immediate appointments. It doesn’t have to be you that provides the service; it could be an associate or a dental therapist.

Get online Google processes over 40,000 searches every second, so make sure your website sits high up in the search for dentists in your area. 38% of patients want to see an informative, up-todate practice website.1

Attracting new patients is an integral part of being and remaining a successful dental practice

Get convenient 43% of patients want to be able to request appointments online, whilst 41% want convenient and extended hours during the week.1

Get teched up 19% of respondents said the “use of advanced technology to provide better and faster service” was one of the three most important factors they consider when selecting a new dentist.1 If you found this article interesting and would like to know more about how The Confident Dentist can help your practice, team and patients, please visit www.theconfidentdentist.com.

Dr Barry J Oulton BChD DPDS MNLP

is the Founder of The Confident Dentist.

References: 1. What dental patients want. Futuredontics. Available at: http://www.dds1800.com/whitepapers/What_Dental_ Patients_Want/. Accessed 14 December 2018.

2. 37 facts how online reviews impact what we buy. BarnRaisers.

Available at: https://barnraisersllc.com/2017/02/facts-onlinereviews-impact-buy-infographic/. Accessed 14 December 2018.

3. How to get more positive online reviews (and deal with the negative). Valpak. Available at: https://www.valpak. com/advertise/blog/positive-online-reviews. Accessed 14 December 2018.

Dr Barry J Oulton BChD DPDS MNLP has owned Haslemere Dental Centre in Surrey for nearly twenty years, turning it into an award-winning practice with a reputation for outstanding customer service. In 2017, he founded The Confident Dentist, created to help dental professionals learn advanced communication skills and selling with integrity so they can have more impact and make a bigger difference, both personally and professionally. In 2018 he sold his practice and joined The Portman group.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Learn the secrets of world class service from Disney and how they can revolutionise the patient journey in your modern dental practice.

with Travis

Frederickson

02 March 2019 The Amba Hotel Marble Arch Bryanston Street Marylebone London W1H 7EH

Tickets & Info visit www.bacd.com

Features

Invest in knowledge In this issue of Modern Dentist, we hear from the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD), who pride themselves on being one of the top choices for educational resources. Below, we hear more about what the association can do for you.

As the famous saying goes, “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest”, which is as true of the dental profession as any other.

Continued education is vitally important to ensuring you are able to provide the best possible care for your patients. Dentistry is an ever-evolving industry, continuously undergoing changes due to advances in technology, materials and techniques. Within the cosmetic and restorative dental field, in particular, practitioners are under increasing pressure to deliver a wider range of cutting-edge treatments that ensure optimal dental function and aesthetics. As such, the importance of keeping up-to-date with the latest industry developments through continued education cannot be underestimated.

and throughout the year, these exciting events invite some of the industry’s most distinguished professionals – from both the UK and abroad – to share their insight on a wide range of fascinating topics. No matter whether you are a dental student, a newly qualified practitioner, an experienced associate, or a practice owner, the educational events offered by the BACD cater to clinicians of all abilities and interests.

In this regard, it can be of huge benefit for clinicians to join a professional organisation that strives to support the delivery of ethical, safe, and high quality dentistry. Renowned as a world-leading authority in the cosmetic dental field, the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) prides itself on being one of the industry’s go-to sources for top-class education. Since the Academy’s inception in 2003, it has grown from strength to strength, developing into a dynamic organisation that encourages dentists to further their careers through a community of shared learning. The BACD’s highly inclusive membership scheme welcomes dental professionals from all backgrounds and experiences to share their passion for cosmetic dentistry.

The Educational Meetings provide the ideal opportunity for practitioners to take a break from the clinic, make the most of their weekend and learn something new. These highly popular sessions cover everything from digital smile design concepts and CAD/CAM technology, to dental implants, orthodontic treatment, composites, dental photography, and full-arch rehabilitations.

In addition, the BACD Young Dentists Day enables some of the youngest clinicians to explore how they can advance within their career through professional mentorship. On the other hand, the Ladies Who Do Dentistry event sets the stage for a highly informative discussion among dentists looking to manage the challenges of busy dental practice living.

At the end of the year, practitioners can join hundreds of other delegates at the BACD’s celebrated Annual Conference for three days of engaging lectures, seminars, hands-on workshops, and the chance to explore an eclectic tradeshow.

The BACD is committed to delivering a bespoke programme of educational events – all designed to help practitioners enhance their cosmetic dental knowledge and skills.

Held in various locations across the country

The BACD sets itself apart from other organisations by offering invaluable access to a wealth of expertise, and providing a fantastic platform from which to network with some of the world’s leading clinicians. As a diverse and

The speakers and presentations at these events have always been superb, with the techniques discussed being highly relevant and usable in everyday practice.

Dr Stuart Ray welcoming community of dental professionals, the BACD enables you to foster long-lasting professional relationships and friendships. If taken full advantage of, the many educational opportunities available through BACD membership can effectively support clinicians seeking to progress within cosmetic dentistry.

Ultimately, this will ensure practitioners further their careers and maintain high clinical standards in day-to-day practice. Be sure to visit the BACD website to find out how you could become a member today.

For further enquiries about the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry visit www.bacd.com

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Features

CENTRE FOR DENTISTRY: Revolutionising access to high quality, affordable private dentistry With an increasingly global spotlight on UK dentistry, access to high quality dentistry has become a hugely important issue. Over six years ago, Centre for Dentistry’s founders launched the first dental practice inside Sainsbury’s supermarket with a simple mission: to provide accessible, high quality and affordable dentistry to all.

Despite the importance of oral health, too many people neglect their teeth and gums.

The sense that it is ‘only teeth’ and somehow less important than other aspects of physical health, remains deeply rooted. Combine this with the fact you may have to wait months to see your dentist, is it any wonder people are giving up and avoiding the dentist altogether?

Accessible dentistry for everyone Positioning dentists at such a familiar family landmark is a force for behavioural change encouraging people who have stayed away or simply not had time to pop in for relaxed consultations.

Centre for Dentistry (CFD) is a revolutionary concept that is helping to bring dental treatments to patients in an accessible and easy to understand way. Firmly focused on preventative dentistry, the service supports the wider governmental aim of helping to keep people in

46|Modern Dentist Magazine

good health for as long as possible. Operating exclusively out of Sainsbury’s supermarkets, Centre for Dentistry offer private dental services with transparent pricing to ensure that patients are well informed and comfortable with all treatment options and the associated costs.

What started out as a seed of an idea to transform the dental industry has now become a reality. Centre for Dentistry are leading the way, bringing a service directly to the customer and ensuring they are the most important part of that service. Centre for Dentistry have built a network of over 120,000 registered patients, completed more than 450,000 dental treatments and are helping over 22,000 patients to keep up with their regular dental care via their annual dental plan.

A welcoming atmosphere Unlike the clinical atmosphere that some high street practices provide, one of the core aims

of Centre for Dentistry is to create a familiar space, which is why supermarkets were chosen as the ideal location for CFD dental practices. By introducing dental services into these bustling environments this provides patients with familiar sounds and smells – helping them feel at ease so that the prospect of dental work isn’t nearly as daunting.

Furthermore, the supermarket locations allow CFD practices to feel fresh and modern without being intimidating, meaning that many people who pop in to do their weekly shop can look in and see what could be done for them. Practices are all fully equipped with modern technology, and they also have free parking for patients. As part of offering accessible dentistry for a wide segment of the population, all CFD practices are open until 8pm during the week. This gives patients the chance to visit a dentist after work or at a time that suits them, meaning they don’t need to book time off and can more easily fit dental treatments into their schedules.

Features Communication between practices is integral to effective working, and regular clinical meetings are held whenever discussions are needed around changing materials, equipment or other aspects of treatment and patient service

One of the core aims of Centre for Dentistry is to create a familiar space, which is why supermarkets were chosen as the ideal location for CFD dental practices

Centre for Dentistry provides a full range of dental services and is committed to helping patients improve their long-term oral health.

CFD’s position in selected Sainsbury’s stores UK-wide makes the practice accessible to all and, alongside experienced clinicians, creates the ideal environment to welcome anxious and phobic patients. Centre for Dentistry, which launched its first dental practice inside a Sainsbury’s supermarket in 2012, has expanded across 24 branches with 120,000 registered patients. Centre for Dentistry has completed over 450,000 dental treatments and are helping over 22,000 patients to keep up with their regular dental care via their annual dental plan. The company is managed by a team balancing extensive experience with proven records of innovation. The team represents appropriate excellence in clinical practice, patient care, corporate and financial governance, partner relations and store retailing.

centrefordentistry.com

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Features People who suffer with dental anxiety or phobia are encouraged to come and sit in the dental chair without receiving treatment – this can help them dispel any fears they have as they start to associate the space with safety and comfort instead of dread #NoMoreDentalFear campaign

Service with a smile - Integrated technology #NoMoreDentalFear and online booking One of the key parts of the Centre for Dentistry ethos is providing a truly friendly service. All staff members are chatty and approachable, and this helps to put people at ease. It’s not uncommon for children to come in and be colouring at one of CFD’s drawing tables in practice or to pick up a smiley balloon. Patients with treatment scheduled are encouraged to drop by for a cup of tea whenever they do their supermarket shop, helping them feel comfortable and dispel any worries they may have leading up to their procedure.

People who suffer with dental anxiety or phobia are encouraged to come and sit in the dental chair without receiving treatment – this can help them dispel any fears they have as they start to associate the space with safety and comfort instead of dread. Complementing this, CFD dentists are keen to bypass any industry jargon.

Nobody likes to feel like they don’t understand things, especially involving their health, so it is important to explain proposed treatments and prices clearly.

Sayed Alroyayamina, a Specialist Endodontist at Centre for Dentistry Brookwood in Surrey, says: “Being at a place that is part of a routine, where you shop regularly, can take away that mental build-up of seeing a dentist. There is a potential for a paradigm shift in behaviour by taking the stress out of thinking about and planning to visit the dentist. Every day we get patients coming in with their bags of shopping and popping in for a check-up or a bit of treatment as it is an easy and relaxed thing to do.”

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Patients have always been the main focus of Centre for Dentistry’s service and the bespoke software used in their practices has been designed and developed specifically with the patient journey in mind.

Centre for Dentistry launched online booking and a new patient app in 2018 – the first dental app of its kind. The CFD app “CFDent” has been designed to make it as easy as possible for patients to be in control of their own dental care, meaning that patients can book an appointment online or via the app directly with their dentist 24/7, at a time that suits them. This technology accesses real-time data, allowing CFD to be more transparent and provide the patient with useful information about their own dental care, revolutionising the patient journey and providing a seamless, more accessible service.

Professional opportunities As Centre for Dentistry is dentally led (there are three Clinical Directors on the board) a key aim is to help all clinicians develop in their careers.

Every year CFD provides a bursary for three or four individuals, which they often use towards specialist training. This is complemented by a number of short courses designed to help professionals advance their skills in areas of interest.

Communication between practices is integral to effective working, and regular clinical meetings are held whenever discussions are

Dental anxiety is a real issue for many people, and it may prevent some from attending their recommended routine dental appointments. According to statistics, 25% of UK adults admit they have not visited a dentist in the past two years, and over 25% of adults only visit their dentist when they have a problem. The Oral Health Foundation say that almost half of UK adults have a fear of the dentist, with 12% of these suffering from an extreme dental anxiety or phobia. In addition, visiting the dentist is ranked number one for making people nervous – even more popular than a fear of heights. Throughout 2018, in partnership with Anxiety UK, CFD have been raising awareness and campaigning for No More Dental Fear!

“I am a nervous patient however the kindness and professionalism I have had from this centre have put my fears aside.”

Jennifer Williams, Trustpilot “I’m scared of dentists in general and I have a needle phobia but they were kind and patient with me, making sure I wasn’t too stressed and everything, which was lovely. I always felt respected as a patient and they took wonderful care of me during my four fillings and extraction.”

Miranda Bone, Trustpilot

needed around changing materials, equipment or other aspects of of treatment and patient service. Most recently, CFD has implemented a reduced cost indemnity scheme, and continues to support staff by ensuring they receive all the industry information and advice they need.

The future is bright Centre for Dentistry’s main intention is to continue to grow across the country to bring their unique style of service to a wider audience.

CFD want to make a visit to the dentist an integral part of routine life, like healthy eating or going to the gym, cutting out the fear in order to help people maintain their family’s dental health.

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Features

Laying the foundation of tomorrow’s dentistry today Modern Dentist spoke to Paul Brunton, Clinical Project Lead, about e-Den, an engaging and interactive learning resource supporting dental care professionals and dentists. Find out why e-Den was created and how it can help you continue to develop throughout your dental career.

Q A

Why was e-Den created?

e-Den was created because the three colleges of surgery and the Faculty of General Dental Practice but in a bid with the Department of Health to create an e-learning resource for foundation trainees (dentists who are post-graduation but in their first year of mentored training), which would provide an educational resource to support the learning outcomes and objectives that foundation training was designed to realise.

Q A

The advantages are that it is available 24/7. You can fit your learning around your work. It is flexible, which is really important. It also allows people to maintain their competency by doing their CPD online, as part of the GDC’s requirements we have many hours of CPD to do, and this will count towards it.

It is particularly useful for people who live and work in the more rural parts of the UK, where going to a course may be quite difficult. The fact that you can dip in and out as and when you wish is also appreciated. It is perfect for the modernday, working dentist.

What are the advantages of using e-Den?

e-Den is comprehensive in its coverage because the modules and sessions cover the entire foundation training curriculum.

What we realised early on was that the curriculum was actually relevant for anyone that worked within dentistry within the NHS in the UK, so not just dentists, but therapists, hygienists and of course, dental students who are training to qualify. It provides a comprehensive, theoretical base that underpins the development of knowledge and understanding that they can then use to underpin their clinical practice.

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Q A

Q

How can technology be used to bridge the gap between learning the theory and applying it in the real world?

A

Using me as an example, when treating patients, we had to remember everything because the information wasn’t available to us. The way that technology is moving now, when you are making clinical decisions, you can have ready-access to information; if you’re not sure, in two clicks you can find what you need.

The big emphasis on the way e-Den was designed, was that it was very much led by senior experts in the field, so it was important to make sure that anything that was developed is reliable, contemporary and accurate so that if you are going to be using and relying on it, that you are relying on an accurate source.

How is the use of multi-media supporting new ways of learning?

We all learn in different ways and at different speeds and rates. When we designed e-Den, I was keen for it not to include a lot of text and facts but instead, a lot of illustrations. When I was younger, we went to the library and to lectures because that was what was provided, now it is very different.

The dental students of today, if it is not online it doesn’t exist. While there are still lectures, e-Den allows and supports this idea that we now have a blended approach to learning, which can offer different ways to people to acquire the same information.

Q

Why is it important for dental professionals to continue with their dentistry training throughout their career?

A

If I think about how much has changed in the thirty-four years that I have been practising, and how much is changing, it is really important that people keep up to date – and CPD is an effort to make people engage and keep up to date. The days are gone where you could qualify and practice and never go on a course.

Features

GENERAL STATS ABOUT E-DEN: • 321 e-learning sessions • On 13 major topics (full list here: https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/dentistry/) • Covering competencies outlined in the Dental Foundation Programme Curriculum • Since going live in March 2009, sessions have been launched more than 132,000 times

Everyone is now aware of the fact that everything changes, and it is not just materials and drugs, it is ethics and the way that we do things and the way that patients are involved with choice. It is now not only about the facts and the figures and the science, it is about the ethics and communication.

Q A

What does 2019 hold for e-Den?

We are planning to do a significant review and update of e-Den. It has been live since 2009, so part of our job this year is to make sure everything is still contemporary and accurate. We will also be reviewing whether anything new needs to be added to the program. If people have suggestions or they feel that there is something missing from e-Den, we are very happy to hear their feedback and we will factor that into our plans!

Paul Brunton

is the Clinical Project Lead for e-Den.

HOW CAN DENTAL PROFESSIONALS ACCESS E-DEN? e-Den is available through the Health Education England e-Learning for Healthcare platform, which is on www.e-lfh.org.uk. From there, you can register for an account, whether as a dental professional, dentist, or on the GDC register; you will be able to get access to our content for free. e-Den is also available to purchase if you don’t work for the NHS in the UK. Undergraduates and those working in academia should also be able to access e-Den via NHS England Open Athens.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Features

What are your recruitment plans?

With every New Year comes new hope. Some hope for material things: more money, a bigger house, or a new car. For others it’s more about the things money can’t buy, such as more quality time with your friends and loved ones.

With the whispers about the UK dentistry market facing a recruitment crisis, we believe that UK practice owners are hoping that 2019 will bring more stability with dental staff.

Having a strong team in place is fundamental to success, but businesses in most industries face an ongoing challenge of attracting and retaining staff, especially when trying to grow.

In dentistry, the UK is seeing a smaller number of dentists looking for new permanent roles.

This is down to a number of factors ranging from the uncertainty surrounding Brexit to the minimal increase in UDA values being offered by the NHS. Practices need to attract suitable candidates into their team by not only looking at the best way to budget for recruitment, but also considering factors such as investment in the practice and the services on offer.

Practice owners often excel in the treatment and care they provide, but don’t always have information or experience of how best to recruit staff. This is where research and planning becomes crucial as most practices are reliant on their UDA

52|Modern Dentist Magazine

contract to keep the business going and falling behind can have detrimental consequences.

Many Principals will assume the best way to recruit is by placing an advertisement in a trade magazine or on a job board, but they don’t always consider the amount of time it takes to actually manage the applicants. Often advertisements will attract a larger number of unsuitable candidates rather than relevant ones. This can mean sifting through a great quantity of dentists’ CVs that are not qualified to work in UK, having to reply to numerous emails from dentists that are not experienced enough for the role, having reception tied up with calls from candidates asking questions they can’t answer, as well as dealing with calls from sales people wanting you to advertise on their job board. It is much harder to keep information such as contract values confidential when directly advertising, and with an advert, there is always an upfront cost but no guarantee that you will successfully recruit.

This is where using a specialist dentist recruitment agency can have many benefits. Most agencies will not charge any sort of upfront fees, so there is no outlay of money before securing the right candidate. Agencies with experienced consultants will know the questions to ask you to create the most attractive and competitive offering and

will be able to deliver a manageable number of candidates that match the specific criteria you have. Agencies will absorb all of the marketing costs involved, so your role will be featured on the job boards and in the specialist trade publications without a cost to the practice. Agencies don’t share the name of your practice until a candidate that is suitable inquires, so this saves you receiving unsolicited calls and is helpful when the role or contract details are confidential. And many agencies will offer some sort of rebate structure in the eventuality a candidate does not work out.

When looking for a recruitment agency, it is good to have a look at their website and get an idea of what sort of roles they are currently advertising so you can see if they recruit the type of dentist for whom you are looking. Generally, companies offering many roles similar to yours will be attracting the largest number of candidates so can offer you more exposure to the job market and more suitable potential candidates.

Having a strong team in place is fundamental to success

Features

With the possibility of a recruitment crisis, the dental profession needs to be prepared. Kelly Saxby, Managing Director of Green Apple Dental Recruitment Limited, addresses the concerns and advises practices how to bring stability to their team.

When it comes to the vacancy specifics, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to speak to a consultant directly to confirm they understand exactly what you are looking for as well as what you are offering. Knowing information such as when you want someone to start, which days and hours are available, what sort of contract value you can offer etc. can be helpful when contacting agencies so they can give you a good idea of how competitive you are in the marketplace and what the market for the type of candidate you are looking for is like in your area.

In addition to looking at how you recruit, you do need to consider what you are offering and the costs involved with making your vacancy as attractive as possible. Is the contract competitive in UDA value and private percentage? Are you able to offer flexible working hours or days? Does the practice have the latest equipment and technology such as a computers, an SMS patient recall system, digital x-rays or rotary endo machines?

Are the surgeries well-appointed, spacious or airconditioned? Are you offering more than general dentistry? All of these details factor into a dentistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision making process and must be thought about as investment into the business.

Another consideration practices should make is the option of taking on an interim locum dentist while trying to recruit a permanent dentist. Although

In addition to looking at how you recruit, you do need to consider what you are offering and the costs involved with making your vacancy as attractive as possible locums are on shorter notice periods and typically get paid more than an associate, the benefits of having your practice running continuously, not having to turn patients away and nurses not having to have time off can often outweigh the costs involved. Having one can keep your practice ticking over so you are less pressurised when interviewing for an associate dentist.

Locums can also be helpful towards the end of the contract year when UDA targets need to be hit. Forward planning is the best way to avoid falling behind, often practices wait until the last minute and find it harder to secure a Locum between January and March. If you have a large UDA contract, preparing in advance is essential.

Additionally, look at new potential treatment offerings or bringing in a specialist as a way to increase revenue and expand your team. More

dentists are now doing treatments such as implants, facial aesthetics and clear aligners; offering an opportunity to develop additional private treatments while providing patients more options is a great way to secure a general dentist who has special interests or to utilise extra surgery space.

Whatever recruitment plans you have for the next contract year, preparation and budgeting is essential to minimising the stress in dealing with it. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to ask for advice and assistance. Sometimes spending money can help you save time, which is one of the most valuable commodities.

Kelly Saxby

is the Managing Director at Green Apple Dental Recruitment Limited.

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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Further education The ICE Postgraduate Dental Institute & Hospital is an evidence-based provider of Dental Education and Training in Manchester. We interviewed two second year students, Raj Mamidela and Neil Wood, from the MSc/PgDip in Dental Implantology course at ICE about their experience.

Q

How does the introduction of a mentor help students to thrive during their training and education?

Raj Mamidela: It’s very important for students to have a mentor to guide them and help them develop as a good practitioner. Mentoring helps with your confidence and overall personality development. The mentors are like role models who you develop a relationship with.

Neil Wood: It’s having someone else’s wealth of experience at hand. As much as a good academic foundation is undoubtedly helpful, you lack the context to apply it. That’s what a mentor gives you, the experience of how they have applied academic knowledge to their working practice and how you can do the same.

Q

Why is it important to study for an MSc and how do you find that it helps you keep up to date throughout a dental career?

NW: Implant dentistry draws on several disciplines, it is both surgical and restorative and has elements of maintenance, such as periodontal care. In order to be competent and to understand how things work, you need

to have a good foundation of the literature. As part of the course you learn how to critically review the literature. After developing this skill and completing the course, it is about keeping up to date with the literature.

Q

What skills does this course provide dental professionals in terms of progressing their careers and delivering treatment?

NW: [By doing the MSc] You develop a breadth of knowledge in implant dentistry.

This is important, as it helps you understand how to approach situations that may not have gone as planned and how to assess the options available.

RM: When I complete this degree, I will be confident enough to do simple and slightly more complex cases and explain my approach. Three years gives you enough time where you can learn with confidence.

Q

What advantages does a combined practical and theory approach have to this course?

RM: A balance between academic, clinical and surgical skills is necessary. Your learning

curve should be about growing academically and clinically. Academic skills (e.g. writing literature reviews) help you stay up to date with new advances.

NW: A combined course where you develop academic and clinical skills means that you learn to practice with an evidence-based approach. Without the academic training, you would not be able to appraise the evidence and subsequently would not improve your practice. I think this is the part that I have enjoyed the most – learning new skills and how to apply them. This way I have been expanding my surgical experience and doing things I haven’t done before.

Q

How does having literature appraisal skills and learning to develop an evidencebased approach impact on your practice?

NW: It has a massive effect, it makes it much easier to be explorative. You know what other people are doing, what you could be doing and what the supporting evidence for what you are doing is. Talking with colleagues outside of the MSc, you brainstorm solutions to problems and approach issues with an evidence-based approach.

Comment from ICE The ICE Postgraduate Dental Institute & Hospital is an Evidence-based provider of Dental Education and Training in Manchester, Salford Quays. Our highly trained and qualified team have been setting the highest standards in postgraduate training in Implant Dentistry for more than two decades. We also offer a range of courses in the fields of digital dentistry, non-surgical facial aesthetics, and restorative dentistry.

The MSc/PGDip in Dental Implantology course equips dental clinicians with core clinical skills and competency in both the

restorative and surgical aspects of implant dentistry in accordance with the GDP/FGDP Training Standards in Implant Dentistry. This course is a 3-year part-time course with the University of Salford, with the opportunity to step off with a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) after 2 years.

ICE will be hosting an Open Evening for the MSc on the 19th of February. This will include a taster lecture on Medico-legal Case studies by Prof. Simon Wright followed by a Q&A. Attendees will gain 2.5 hours CPD credit.

For more information on the course and the Open Evening visit: icedental.institute/msc-imp

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Modern Dentist Magazine

Case Studies

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– for long-lasting fresh breath on the go Johnson & Johnson are delighted to unveil the details of its revolutionary new LISTERINE® Go! Tabs to dental health care professionals, ahead of the launch to consumers in the UK. Chewable LISTERINE® Go! Tabs offer an innovative way to get the whole mouth feeling clean and fresh anytime, anywhere, as a handy addition to – not a replacement for – twice-daily mechanical cleaning at home.

Ninety per cent of halitosis is a result of the production of volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) by oral bacteria.1 Tackling this problem, when chewed, for example after a meal, at social gatherings, before a meeting or after a coffee, LISTERINE® Go! Tabs transform from solid to liquid in seconds, neutralising odours for long-lasting fresh breath.

Johnson & Johnson’s oral care portfolio includes the familiar brand of mouthwash, LISTERINE®, with variants suitable for daily use as an integral adjunct to mechanical cleaning to deliver an optimised daily regimen. In addition, the LISTERINE® Advanced Defence range is available to help dental professionals deliver advanced treatment outcomes for patients.

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Reference 1. Allaker RP et al. Arch Oral Biol. 2008;53(suppl 1): S8-S12

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Modern Dentist Magazine

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Case Studies

Guided Biofilm Therapy specialist EMS gets set to open UK office EMS is delighted to announce the opening of its new UK-based premises, to be headed up by General Manager Derek Hampton.

This move will offer EMS customers – both current and prospective – unrivalled levels of support in their efforts to provide patients with the best possible dental prophylaxis and preventive care, including their world-renowned Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT).

GBT has transformed practice and patient experience in many dental surgeries, and Faye Donald, a certified dental hygienist and trainer for EMS, had this to say about it: ‘As a clinician passionate about minimally-invasive dentistry and platinum standards of care working in busy general practice with increasing demands from patients and increasing expectations from industry bodies, working with EMS has afforded me the tools to meet the demands and standards I now pride myself on. With a base of operations opening in the UK, I am excited to share that message with even more dental professionals.’

Agding to Faye’s words about the UK operation, Derek, who has worked in dentistry for over 30 years and has operated at all levels, acquiring incredible insight into what dental professionals need from their industry partners, said: ‘EMS is not just about providing products – we also want to offer a great level of repair, maintenance and customer service, as well as more continuing education opportunities, and having a base in the UK will enable us to add to the great work our distributors over here have already done.’

For further details about what EMS has to offer dental professionals in the UK, please visit www.ems-dental.com. Alternatively you can complete the form at https://www.ems-dental. com/en/gbt-demo and a member of the UK team will be in touch to answer any questions you may have.

Top of the class for Emma!

Prestige Dental award for top student at Eastman Institute It was celebrations all round on Wednesday, 5th December when all 26 students successfully graduated in their Postgrad MSc in Restorative Dental Practice at UCL Eastman Dental Institute, London (Certificate element). The certificate programme is run by Deputy Programme Director Dr Neil Nathwani who is also a specialist prosthodontist.

Ranking highest across a year of lectures, simulation exercises and exams was Emma Haselden from BUPA Dental Care Merrow in Guildford. Emma’s achievement was recognized by Prestige Dental who have supported the course for many years. With an established reputation built on first class, technical knowledge and premium, specialist dental products, Prestige are proud to support excellence in UK dentistry through education.

Peter Nutkins, Product Specialist at Prestige, presented Emma with a certificate and her very own Denar Mark II articulator, which drew more applause from her enthusiastic colleagues.

Thanking Prestige for their support, Programme Director, Albert Leung initially announced the award to Emma, who said she was in “complete shock” but went on to speak highly of the course: “The teaching has been brilliant - first class. I did have lots of support from home, as balancing working life with studying is challenging. However the opportunity to learn, and then use that new learning practically is invaluable and I strongly believe raises the standard of dentistry.”

The emphasis on hands-on dentistry is an absolute necessity according to Dr. Neil Nathwani, as dentistry by its very nature is a practical subject. The 2019 MSc course, undertaken on a part time basis, has already attracted a potential of 34 candidates.

Prestige Dental Ltd. 7 Oxford Place, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD3 0EF Email: info@prestige-dental.co.uk Tel: 01274 721567 www.prestige-dental.co.uk

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Modern Dentist Magazine

10 Minutes with...

Fiona Ellwood

times has been an uphill struggle.

• The review of education and a move to look at the quality of learning and a drive to position quality driven continual professional development for the whole team.

• The coming together of professionals to support and give back to dental charities has grown and has given many an opportunity help in a different way.

• The opportunities to progress, to be involved in more clinical activity and to work independently although under a prescription and in turn pushing the boundaries of the scope of practice.

• Developing of and defining of a voice for the dental team.

• Greater opportunity to work alongside other professional and allied professional groups.

• Registration is seen as both a positive and a negative by some of the dental team - to some it has given a professional identity, to others it is seen as entering into an ongoing costly commitment in a demanding role.

• Introduction of high level qualifications

Fiona Ellwood

is the Co-Founder and Patron of the Society of British Dental Nurses.

Q A

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

There has been an enormous amount of change since I entered the world of dentistry, the change was for many years was evolutionary but since the build up to registration and the requirement to be a registrant to practice the changes have been immense. This I might add is also aligned to wider changes in the dental arena including advancement in dental procedures, techniques and materials, digitalisation, patient awareness, patients expectations, guidelines and regulatory changes as well as the incoming of different Chief Dental Officers across the Nations and the changes within England, particularly at Health Education England.

Q

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

A

Positives have been: • A recognition of the dental team and the valued members, albeit in some aspects this has been very slow and at

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Negatives: • True negatives, lets’ see perhaps in some of the processes of how we have go to where we are today and in some of the drivers that have taken us there.

• The struggle we still see to have dental nurses recognised and valued as key members of the dental team and the lack of opportunity for the majority of dental nurses.

• Remuneration for dental nurses is always a challenge against the outlay to work.

• I tend to turn negatives into positives and so this is a difficult part to answer well.

Q A

Who inspires you and why?

Every dental nurse who turns up for work wanting to help someone, be part of a team and is driven to be the best they can be no matter what their career choice is. I am inspired by those that go

unnoticed, those that give their time to others because they want to, not because it has a monetary reward and those that open doors that appear tightly closed. I have been inspired by many over the years and I remember a very sound piece of advice given not that long ago (and believe me I have had a lot along the way) ‘be true to yourself and be known for what you do, not for who you know’.

I could perhaps name a select few who have inspired me along the way and some have become true friends and colleagues whom I know I could turn to - I have been very fortunate and privileged to know such splendid individuals.

Q

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

A

Mentoring is so important to me and actually makes up part of who I am. I have several mentors for the different things that I do, but I have one key mentor and he is a huge believer in doing the right thing at the right time, for the right reasons, all of the time, and make sure you look after you.

Q A

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

Hard one to answer really because I am not sure I would change what I have done so far and I am so excited at the new opportunities I am embarking upon. I am very proud to have been part of the set-up of the Society of British Dental Nurses, a very modern professional group that has moved away from the Trade Union type group with a very different outlook and approach. I hope to be able to watch them grow in to something amazing. I crave academia; in another life time who knows, and if dental nursing was more independent with a different focus, a broader scope and a bigger voice, my vision would be a reality not an aspiration.

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