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.

It’s finally been established! With the New Year still about six months away, three key London dental supply companies’ have recently declared the financial results which show that the demand for supplies has fallen in the dental market! Surprising, right? But it’s true!
Stock prices have fallen across the board due to a sharp fall in demand as well as an increase in the amount of surplus stocks in store with companies! Most companies still had a healthy sale rate, but quite a few areas of the sales market were sluggish as compared to the same time last year. In April Robert W. Baird market analyst Jeff Johnson had to forcibly lower stock prices of Patterson Dental, Dentsply, and Henry Schein based on market research which stated that very soon dental care would nose dive over the subsequent few months.
And of course the same thing happened! Although the poor economy is being blamed for the fall in prices of the stocks as well as the market demand, Johnson has decreased the Dentsply’s likely stock cost to £42 as of £48 last month. The stock has further decreased to about £40.59. Specialty areas like orthodontics and lab implants are the worst hit with endodontic and lab supplies following close behind. But Dentsply still has projected a growth curve of about 4% in U.S., along with a greater growth of 8.5% in Europe as well as about 6.3% everywhere else.

Speaking from personal experience extractions are extremely uncomfortable. Firstly you have to deal with the thought of getting an injection inside your mouth where even a simple cheek bite hurts like hell! Then you have to deal with dentists try to yank out really stubborn teeth out of your mouth! And am I imagining it or have teeth become really reluctant o leave their natural habitats?
Any way, I digress. Extractions are uncomfortable and more so for patients who are apprehensive of dentists and needles. So it was pleasant surprise when a U.K trained dentist for almost ten years based in north London was able to successfully remove patient’s two teeth as well as roots without the use of numbing agents! So much so that, the patient was able to respond to queries as well as co-operate with the dentist while the procedure while it was being done! This bodes well for the thousands of dental anxiety patient s who absolutely refuse treatment because of the fears of dental treatment related pain

A recent study shows that patients having periodontal diseases along with type II diabetes are prone to develop bad glucose control that may lead them to kidney related problems and death. It is very important to have a good glucose control for patients having type II diabetes to avoid this kind of complications.It has already been proved that the elevated levels of insulin resistance are connected with severe periodontal disease generally. And it goes both ways with researchers stating that periodontal disease may also make it more difficult for diabetics to control their blood sugar. But its easy to treat periodontal disease and if the condition is caught early on then it helps the patient to have better control on his diabetes.

It’s a good idea to consult with your London dentist as periodontal disease is basically painless in the initial stages. You can discuss periodontal treatment or maintenance treatment with oral or sub-antimicrobial antibiotics .But please be aware that with a fluctuation blood sugar level as seen in diabetes, it becomes difficult to control infection and inflammation of the gums too.

If you are a person with good dental hygiene habits you don’t need to read this. Do you know taking care of your teeth and gums is very important to prevent infection of heart valves? Yes. You heard it right.A recent study by London researchers shows that the bacteria that cause dental infections can enter into bloodstream and can cause endocarditis or an infection of heart valves. This infection will attack the lining of the heart or heart valve causing a gradual decrease in the functioning of the heart and eventually stopping it. This infection occurs more in people who extract their teeth because of dental decay. There is a chance that bacteria will enter your blood stream when your brush and floss and then infect your heart valves.

That’s not the only infection poor oral hygiene can cause! German scientists have found a link between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis! Most patients who have rheumatoid arthritis have very poor oral hygiene. Some researchers have also suspected a link between poor oral hygiene and diabetes as well as premature labor!

I think this is reason enough to brush well!

Medical and dental treatment is the right of every patient. But in London the situation for dental care seems to be getting laughable! There are about 900,000 people lesser than those last year now visiting an NHS dentist. As compared to December 2007, 53.7% of the British populace now visits the NHS dentists as compared to 55.8% previously. The 2006 reforms have in fact not improved the situation or improved access to quality dentists.The NHS Information Centre report has also stated that the number of patients who regularly visited a dentist dropped sharply from 38.9% in December 2007, in the South Central Strategic Health Authority area to about 58.3% in the North East health authority area.
Peter Ward, chief executive of the British Dental Association, has stated that the reforms did not help the patients and failed to improve access to dentists for even basic care which is very important. Opposition minister Mike Penning has also stated that it’s a sad fact that about 300,000 people have lost the services of their dentist in three months alone even though £200 million have been invested into existing services to improve health care.
A truly confusing situation!