CEREC, which is an acronym for Chairside, Economical, Restorations, Esthetic and Ceramic, is a process or technique with which you can restore the natural beauty, strength and functions of your denture. The process does not involve any metal, and the final color it renders to your teeth is most natural. As the name implies, it involves ceramic that mimics the composition of the tooth structure.The process was invented by a Switzerland-based dentist, Dr. Werner H. Moermann and an electrical engineer Dr. Markus Brandistini in 1985. The process steadily gained its popularity over the last decade. There are many dental clinics in London, which you can visit for correcting the flaws of your denture.

The process is dependant on the CAD/CAM applications and involves state-of-the-art CEREC 3D software. Your dental surgeon will be closely scanning the tooth to be recovered with a scanning probe that is attached with a medical-grade computer. The software would then convert the scanned data to a virtual three-dimensional model of the tooth. The surgeon, who is specialist in correcting the image with the software, would design the restoration needed and would guide a CEREC milling unit to prepare ceramic block that complements the contours and shapes of your damaged tooth minutely. The colour of the ceramic block is chosen very carefully so that it matches the shades of your other teeth.

Once the milling unit delivers the final ceramic block, the surgeon polishes and finishes the piece and firmly places it on the tooth. Depending on the size and number of teeth the entire process may take 1 to 3 hours.

You can get any of your damaged teeth or part of it like inlays, crowns, onlays, veneers, etc., restored with the process. The process is adored by the patients and the dentists all over the world because of its simplicity. The process in painless as well. So, go ahead and find the loveliest smile you always cherished.

Dental treatment of any sort is expensive and if you don’t have dental insurance then watch out for the dent in your wallet! But if your patients are thinking of going abroad then here are a few things you have to make them aware of.
• Not all dentists abroad comply with the same standards which are enforced in the UK. Sterility, cleanliness, experience may all be variable and there may be no one you can complain to after a botched dental procedure.
• There may be language barriers and consent for different procedures is not relay necessary in other countries,
• Please do not be swayed by cheap quotes you get online as any dentist will tell you that its really impossible to decide a case unless the dentist has visually examined the case. X-rays are not enough.
• Dental labs in developing countries may use cheaper materials as from China and as of know there is a huge furor about dental materials sourced form China being contaminated with common poisons.
• You cannot go back to fix simple problems which have happened or gross mistakes which may occur. You have to realize that there is no legal recourse for you in the country of treatment as you will be considered a tourist with no legal rights to sue the dentist for malpractice.

It’s been a longtime since I’ve done a few of these and I decided to get you an update of the latest free offers available for London dental patients. Just click on the links for more information on the dental offers.

• Pearl Drops you’ll get the branded teeth whitening samples from the site
• Oral Medic is offering one of its free Ulcer treatment samples for people who write in.
• Aloclair, this ones really good for oral ulcer pain relief and you have to write in to get it for free
• Alura White is offering a sample of its White teeth whitening sample
• Tooth Wipes has a great pack of the dental  tooth wipes
• Colgate is always chock-a-block with free offers and it s good idea to be a member of this site as you get updated regularly with discounts and free offers;  the latest being a free Colgate Oxygen toothpaste money off coupon.
• Fixodent is really great for denture care and as a denture adhesive log on here for great denture care samples
• Clinomyn is offering a 20ml pack of the Clinomyn Clean and Polish toothpaste
• HT Clean has a offer going on its Handy Tooth Clean site.
• Preventech Next Prophy Paste offers a tooth polishing paste which contains a large amount of fluoride toothpaste in the sample
• Flix Dental Floss Stick Sample   log on to the site for a really great dental floss sample for personal use.

That’s all for today folks but do keep in touch for more. 

1. Almost all painful dental techniques can be controlled with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A few examples’s like aspirin and ibuprofen can work really well to calm you down and soothe any dental pain. You can also use these NSAIDs before you start any painful dental treatment as it dampens the body’s pain response to dental procedures. Continue the tablets after the procedure too.
2. Cosmetic dentistry is useful to correct gummy smiles as well. All you have to do is get an evaluation with a periodontist who is a gum specialist and combine his expertise with a cosmetic dentist and you can have a good smile with expert help.
3. Flossing is really important and you should do it atleast once a week if not everyday. There are a large variety of flossing threads on London supermarket stores shelves but choose something like fine, waxed thread if you are comfortable with flossing. If you are a beginner and don’t really want to hurt yourself then you can use the newer dental tapes which are fluoride impregnated and much easier to handle. Flavoring of the thread doesn’t really matter as long as is sugarless and the best variety I usually recommend is Teflon-coated Glide which is available as both tape and thread forms.

There are a so many newer dental products always coming in to the dental market that its hard to keep up. But it’s necessary to keep a close eye on the latest and best medications and products to offer your patients for a great dental practice. I will now be starting a short series of the best products I’ve found to be interesting for dentists. And these will definitely add to your clinical practice.

As you very well excessive bleeding can be really difficult to maintain after extractions. I’ve had patients who’ve come back after extractions with blood seeping out of their mouths as they had excessive bleeding. But now you can nip this problem in the bud by offering patients Hemodettes which are a really great new lubricating haemostatic gel recently introduced by DUX dental in London. It is packed in easily disposable plastic cups with two cotton pellets to avoid contamination. Price ranges from £21.00

Another great material recently out is the Denpress® Impression Material Dispensing System. It is will fit all types of 50mL cartridges for dental impression materials. It contains a gun, three plunger racks and two breaches. The racks and breaches are interchangeable. Its light weight material is strong enough to withstand repeated steam sterilizations. You can use these for all your impression materials and its best handled by your assistant who can fill in the cartridges and then hand it to you. Easy to use and really helpful!

Keep in touch for a even listing of a few more newer products every few days or so. Don’t want to bore you!

The past 20 years have witnessed many interesting innovations in dentistry. And dental implants were really interesting as they completely eliminated the need for painful and expensive dental bridges and the cutting of perfectly healthy teeth as support. Dental implants were also very effective in replacing one single teeth as well as conserving the loss of bone after a tooth extraction. But the main drawback of this technique was the frequent visits spanning months and the painful surgeries required every time for placing the implants.

But now Dr. Jan Linhart and his educated colleagues have developed a revolutionary technique in which implants can be placed immediately and in a single visit. If the periodontal condition is good then Dr Jon and his colleagues Dr. Bobby Gahlili have managed to get implants done immediately and send the patient home with the crown already in place. If a hole is not available for the dental implantation, they will drill a hole to place a titanium implant and build up surrounding bone with bone implants to get Osseo-integration.

But the process has not yet been scientifically accepted as most London dentists agree that sufficient bone growth to stabilize the implant takes atleast two weeks and one visit implants may need additional research.

Now, this got me really reeling! It’s been a long established fact by the dental profession that fluoride and fluoridated products are really good for teeth. According to the old school of research, fluoride was readily absorbed by the outer surface of teeth called as enamel to make a really hard coating .This made the tooth stronger and more resistant to cavities. But a few theories floating around the internet are giving me second thoughts! Fluoride’s anti cavity properties have made it popular enough to be added to mouthwashes, toothpastes, as well as the water supply of nearly 47 states of the US since the 1940’s.But the story behind the discovery of fluoride is really surprising. A few years ago, fluoride was one of the most dangerous by products of the explosive, fertilizers and aluminum industry. It was produced in excess and extremely difficult to store and dispose. A single scientist, working for the American Aluminum Company, was credited with discovering these so called beneficial effects of the fluoride. The American Aluminum Company was at the time one of the biggest manufactures of fluoride as the waste by product.

Kinda seems fishy!

As dentistry gets more and more high tech, it’s not sufficient to just be updated with the newer and better appliances which are in the market. London consumers have become much more aware of what quality dental care entails and you have to make sure your practice is better and modernized regularly. A few of the newer and better inventions to hit the market include,
1. MagnaVu promoted by Magnified Video Dentistry. A really great innovation which houses a microscope, an intra oral camera, a digital camera, as well as a monitor in the same mounted appliance. Really great for the posture but a little on the expensive side.
2. The latest in intra oral cameras for those who like to record their work as well as for clinical presentations is Imagin Hot Rod which is really detailed with the best image value and the most versions which can fit into any operatory. You can choose from the desk mount, as well as a whole variety of hand pieces for best quality intra oral, and full face pictures. You even get optional memory cartridges with the camera.
3. DentForms are really great optional software for completely paper less practices. Most Practice management software’s require paper work to be scanned into the system but this manages to bridge the problem with a really great inexpensive signature pad by which you can digitally record signatures and store the documents into your software on your computer.

It’s a really good idea to get a “paperless” practice. You don’t have to have paper charts, radiographs or consent forms etc. Everything will be available at the touch of a button in your computer. But before you completely paperless please do a little research into what you will require financially as well as legally. A few basic items you will require are-1. Practice Management Software (PMS) is the most essential program which you will require to deal with all you’re patient paper work like progress notes, indemnity coverage, billing, consent forms, radiographs, charting, medication, etc.
2. Image Management Software is necessary to integrate the radiographs you will be taking of patient treatment into the PMS software. You can use the software supplied by the PMS Company but it probably will be more expensive
3. Operatory Design is important for locating the computer monitors, digital radiograph machine, keyboard and mouse, to allow easy access for patient as well as the doctor.
4. You might also need a server to integrate the receptions server into the operatory computer
5. Data Protection and Backup is very essential to make sure you have duplicate copies of patient information, as well as protection for your computer in the form of anti-virus, firewalls, anti-spy ware, and completion of the HIPAA regulations.

It’s not legal for dental hygienist to do the complete job of a dentist. The scope of job they are entitled to do is limited to a small percent of dental tasks decided by a set curriculum and under the supervision of a dentist. But London is facing a sharp scarcity of dentists! It’s really difficult for patients to find a good dentist who has the time and inclination to take up new NHS patients. But what if you could get the same care for a fraction of the price without a wait for several days? Sounds attractive, right! If you don’t mind being treated by dental hygienists then you can have all the benefits I’ve just mentioned! So what are the benefits of having a dental hygienist treat you and what can go wrong?
With health costs rising and, 40 to 50 per cent of people can’t afford dental care. Out of the population of the elderly, only about 1% has dental insurance and even a simple dental screening can cost about £60 which is just not affordable for the elderly as well patients who are on a fixed budget. For such patients, a dental hygienist who offers home dental care for a fraction of the cost is really a dream come true. In America, a bill has already been passed in Maryland, which will allow dental hygienists to do dental cleanings, use sealants as well as apply fluoride treatments without being supervised by a dentist. And London is not far behind! The degree course has been set up in UK at the University of Kent’s Medway called as the BSc in Primary Dental to provide new skills to dental hygienists to work on their own.