Smile of the Month!

This is my first "smile of the month" post...technically "smiles" this time, May 2009.

For my first month I'm cheating slightly by awarding it to my own children and some of their friends.

We had a day out at Castle Ward, Co Down on Sunday.

The sun was shining, it was lovely and warm and the kids were full of beans, happily enjoying their day together.

I think these are lovely smiles...genuinely happy ones....from left to right : Charlie Berkeley (8), my son Jude (6), Tara Berkeley (5) and my daughter Lucy (also aged 8).

 

Periodontal disease and heart disease

We have known for some time that there is a link between periodontal disease and heart disease.
It has now been found that there is a genetic link between the two conditions.
The team at the University of Keil in Germany who discovered the link have advised that periodontitis should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
As there is a definite genetic link between the two conditions, people with periodontal disease should also reduce other risk factors such as smoking and obesity, just as those with heart disease.

At your dental examination at Braden Dental care we do a gum health check as well as looking at your teeth. This way we can catch early signs of periodontal disease and make sure it is treated correctly, usually by referring to one of our hygeinists at the practice.

So your six monthly check up isn't just keeping an eye on your teeth but looking after your body too!

At home whitening

My sister gets married on Friday. Hopefully the forecast will be right and the weather will be good!

So, last night I thought I'd brighten up my teeth for the photos and got out my whitening trays.
I'd forgotten how easy at home whitening is!
As I loaded the trays with the whitening gel and put them in I could imagine myself giving my patients their instructions and advice.

I went to bed, forgot about the trays while I slept and took them out this morning...easy peasy!!

My teeth look whiter already and I still have a couple of nights of whitening before the big day.

Whitening at home is a quick and easy way to make a big difference to your smile for a wedding, special event or even just a confidence boost....don't know why I don't do it more often!

 

Celebrity smile

It's amazing how well groomed and glossy celebrities look once they become sucessfull.

The biggest boost to someone's appearance is a nice smile.

Glossy hair and good skin help too but good teeth framed by a big smile go a long way.

Here's Cheryl Cole. She had her teeth whitened and veneered to improve their colour and shape. She has an amazing smile which is a big part of her appeal. People warm to her approachability and big smile.

If you don't feel that veneers are for you, whitening alone brightens up a smile and gives you teeth you want to show off.

 

Patients from the Republic of Ireland

We get a steady stream of patients venturing North of the Border for treatment at Braden Dental Care.
This is driven by the high cost of dental treatment in the South and the strong Euro at the moment.
I enjoy meeting them, it adds to the mix of people we come accross and everyone has a different background and story to tell.

We make the experience as smooth as possible, giving advice on where to catch the bus back to the station or how to spend the rest of the day before heading home.

Of course, a lot of people take the opportunity to stock up in the supermarket on basics. There's also the lure of Ikea, still the only one on the island of Ireland.

Today I had a new patient who came to see me for some dental treatment, then his next port of call was to buy a car....quite a productive day for him!

We welcome people for all types of treatment, whether it's a cosmetic makeover or routine fillings that can be sorted out on the initial visit.

 

DIY at the practice

Saturday morning was Day one of the installment of the new sterilising room at the practice.

The first task was to pull out the old cabinets, strip off the old wallpaper and pull up the carpet.

Once the building would have been someone's house so as we peeled off the layers the wall revealed the years of various bedroom decor.

There was some lovely seventies flowery wallpaper a few layers down, then at the back of it all a layer of blue paint complete with crayon scribbled by a child once upon a time!

It's not very often that I indulge in any kind of DIY (my absolute unfavourite shop being B&Q), but it was good to be starting on another project to improve the business and keep the sterilisation process right up to date.

Today stage two begins, the electricians and plumbers start work.

 

Small things

An order arrived at the practice today which was greeted by much excitement and merriment by the staff.......a pack of folders in assorted bright colours!!

Michelle was the first to spot what I was opening and immediately asked for the yellow one, to match the piping on her uniform.

That started something....everyone wanted to chose their favourite colour and all the folders were handed out accordingly. Everyone receiving their gift with a thankyou and a smile on their face.

Chipo chose the green one without even knowing what the folders were for. I caught her turning to Laura all pleased stating " I love green".

The reason for handing out folders is so that each of the staff have somewhere to keep their paperwork for their Investors in People projects.

One of the reasons for working towards the Investors in People award is to give our staff more input into the running of the business and see a difference that has been made by them.

So far it's going well and if handing out coloured folders creates that much laughter, I think we're on to a good thing!




 

Whitening by beauticians

Whitening your teeth is a really good way of brightening your smile and improving your general appearance.

Both at home and in surgery whitening are effective and popular.

We do a lot of whitening at Braden Dental Care and also get a lot of enquiries about it at reception.

One thing we have noticed is how many people compare prices between dental surgery whitening and beauty salons carrying out the treatment.

In surgery whitening (we use the Zoom system) involves the application of highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide to the tooth surface.

Before applying the gel to the teeth the gums and lips need to be protected to prevent burning.

This procedure should be carried out by a qualified dental practitioner who has had the appropriate training.

Any other practice is illegal. So don't take risks with the health of your mouth for the sake of saving some money, leave the treatment to the experts.

As our receptionist Jillian has said to patients, you wouldn't come to us to get your spray tan....