Northern Ireland Dentists Braden Dental Care

Still improving

2011-11-08T11:43:00.004Z

Last month Jim started a year long course in London on advanced restorative and cosmetic dentistry.

The course is run by a world renowned cosmetic dentist and lecturer, Chris Orr, from his practice in central London.

So, one Thursday a month, Jim flies to London, stays over night and joins the thronging commuters to make it to Chris's practice for a day of training on the Friday.

Jim has completed two days so far, one on smile design and the second on whitening and shade-matching of teeth and is really enjoying expanding his knowledge and skills to be able to offer even better quality dentistry and more options for improving our clients' smiles.

Customer service

2011-07-27T12:36:00.002+01:00

Last month we had a really great day with Laura Horton. Laura is a specialist in training for dental practices, having worked as a dental nurse, practice manager and treatment co-ordinator in the past. She is a really enthusiastic person as passionate about providing high quality customer service as we are at Braden Dental Care.

So, we closed the practice and spent the day discussing how to create the best client experience making everyone feel well looked after and cared for.

The training went really well and everyone enjoyed learning new skills as well as consolidating the skills we have already built up.

Next week we have a staff meeting dedicated to revisiting everything we learnt and making sure the systems are in place to continue to improve our customer service.

New computer system at Braden Dental Care

2011-02-24T15:54:00.002Z

This week was a bit scary for everyone at Braden Dental Care as we have just installed a brand new computer system.
Jim and I inherited the old computerised records and appointment book when we bought the practice eight years ago so it was definitely time for an update.
Tuesday and Wednesday were training days so we closed the practice and spent the time in a darkened room looking at projected images of the program trying to take in as much as we could on booking appointments, charting teeth and putting on treatments, amongst other things.
Today was the big "go live" day, a bit daunting for all of us but safe in the knowlege that our trusty trainer Derek would be there for the day watching over procedings and helping out when anyone got stuck.
I have to say I really enjoyed the new system today, I was really excited about it.
It's going to make everything so much easier and help us run the practice even more efficiently. No more hand written notes or old fashioned charts to complete and we can finally e-mail our patients to remind them about check up appointments etc.
Whatever gives us the time and resources to run smoothly and help our patients even more makes us at Braden Dental care happy!

Enlighten Tooth Whitening

2010-12-02T11:18:00.003Z

At Braden dental Care we always keep up with the latest techniques and materials to make sure we can provide the best treatment available.
Since introducing the Inman Aligner as an option for correcting crooked teeth it has proved really popular and the results are amazing.

Another popular treatment is tooth whitening, particularly the Zoom whitening which is done at the practice and ony takes an hour or so.

The Enlighten whitening system is a new and even more effective way to whiten teeth which works as a combination of at home trays and a visit to the practice for the final result.
Jim recently undertook an Enlighten training session to be able to use this new product and be an accredited Enlighten practitioner.

Of course, before offering a new treatment to our patients, it's good to have first hand experience of how it works and how it feels, so I am the first willing volunteer!

The whole system is customised to the patient, using special metal impression trays and
impression material supplied with the Enlighten package and a dental laboratory which specialises in making these very accurately fitting trays.

I've had my impressions taken and in two week's time I'll start the whitening process. In the mean time I'm using Enlighten desensitising toothpaste while I wait.

Once we see the results we'll be able to offer it as another service at Braden Dental Care and I too will take the training course so that I can use the same system.

Oh, and by the way, once I've Enlightened my teeth I'll be ready to start wearing my Inman Aligner which is sitting waiting for me to use, watch this space to see how it all goes!!

Membership benefits

2010-11-02T10:24:00.002Z

Jim and I were on call last weekend. We share the rota with about twelve practices so our turn doesn't come round too often but we know that our patients are always in safe hands if there's an emergency at the weekend.
We usually see a few people and it's always good to be able to help, relieving pain and patching up until Monday when their own Dental Practice reopens for business.
There is a call out fee of course, but for members on our Quality Plan that's reimbursed in full straight to the dentist on call so no need to worry about payment on the day. That's one of the great benefits of being on the plan, peace of mind that if there's an emergency at the weekend, help is at hand and for no extra cost.

Stylish Dentists in Northern Ireland

2010-10-26T15:06:00.003+01:00

Jim and I found out yesterday that we have each reached the final three in the most stylish businesswoman and businessman categories of the Magners Style Awards.

We're obviously flattered and excited about this. As dentists who help our clients to improve their self esteem and feel better about their appearance it's good to be recognised as people who take an interest in our own appearance too!

Braden Dental Care on Facebook

2010-09-28T12:00:00.003+01:00

We are now on Facebook! This is a great way to keep up to date with what we are doing as a business and find out more about our ethos and principles.

Jim is trying to gather suggestions on how to make our practice greener, there's a video of the charity zipwire over the Lagan earlier in the year and more information on various treatments.

You can become a friend or just tick the "like" button to show support and keep in touch.

Healthy Gums mean Healthy Body

2010-08-17T14:31:00.002+01:00

There are lots of good reasons to keep your teeth and mouth nice and clean.
The obvious reasons are a nice bright smile, fewer fillings, healthy gums and fresh breath.
Recently however, more and more links have been discovered between gum health and general health.

I've mentioned before that gum disease has a direct influence on heart disease. Gingivitis and periodontal disease resulting from poor oral cleanliness has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

Recently a study has also found that there is a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease if the health of he gums is poor.

Also, people with other medical conditions need to take extra care to keep their teeth clean and their gums healthy.
One example is Diabetes. Another study has shown that reducing the inflammation of the gums in diabetics can reduce the risk of other conditions associated with Diabetes such as eye and heart problems.

As well as keeping up a good daily routine of brushing and flossing, a trip to the dentist and hygienist is vital as part of prevention and treatment of gum disease and potential related risks.

Braden Dental Care Charity Zipline in Belfast Northern Ireland

2010-06-24T10:55:00.004+01:00

On Saturday 19th June we woke up to a beautiful day, blue skies and warm sunshine. Perfect weather for zipping across the River Lagan in Belfast suspended 140 feet above the water!

Jim and three of our staff, Michelle, Laura and Michelle took part in the challenge to raise money for the Marie Curie Cancer charity, raising more than six hundred pounds between them.

Needless to say, when the morning arrived a couple of the girls wondered why they had volunteered for the experience. They nervously stepped into the lift up to the take-off platform wishing they were at home in bed...

However, once they got to the other end of the zip-line, they were exhilarated and ready to do it again. Watch this space!

We plan to keep our feet more firmly on the ground next time with a mountain climbing challenge in September. I'll be joining in too next time, the more the merrier!

Belated Happy Birthday

2010-04-29T09:32:00.003+01:00

Yesterday was our seventh birthday. Jim and I bought the practice on 28th April 2003.

Far from having a seven year itch, we are still striving to provide the best for our patients, both our loyal longstanding ones and the new people that come to us every day.

I can't believe it's a year since I wrote about our sixth birthday....

In the last year we have put new dental chairs in my surgery and Jim's, updated our website and made improvements to our recall system.

We have also taken on a new member of staff, Kara, who is Peter's new dental nurse.
Kara is studying for her nursing exam which she will take on Saturday 15th May, so we wish her luck for that!

New dental cairs

2010-03-14T15:04:00.002Z

Last week Jim and I had new dental chairs installed in our surgeries.
It's really important to us that patients are as comfortable as possible when sitting in the dental chair and that the equipment we use is of a high standard.
The new chairs are fully equipped with intra oral cameras with a screen for patients to be able to see what we can see, should they wish. These will help us and the hygienists educate our patients and improve communication with them.
The first patient to sit in the chair last week was really impressed at how comfortable it was. She even wished she could have one at home!

Prize Draw

2010-01-13T14:45:00.004Z

Today we had our first membership prize draw.
Michelle closed her eyes and picked at random the lucky winner. Of course I couldn't break patient confidentiality and give out the name of the winner but she will now be able to choose between M&S or Amazon vouchers or a Sonicare toothbrush.
We like to make our members feel valued and reward them for their loyalty, it's nice to get an unexpected treat now and then!

A new way to straighten teeth

2009-10-21T11:22:00.006+01:00

On Saturday Jim and I attended a course at the British Dental Association in London on "Inman Aligners".

An Inman aligner is a removable brace which can be used to straighten adult teeth without the need for extractions or "traintracks".

The before and after slides were amazing, with some really impressive results.

The benefit of this kind of treatment is that a straightened smile can be acheived without having to remove tooth enamel for veneers or extract teeth to make room, so it's a really conservative process.

It's also a lot quicker than conventional orthodontic treatment, taking six to sixteen weeks instead of a year or two.

We're really excited about being able to offer this as a new treatment option at Braden Dental Care.
I'm also really excited about getting my own Inman Aligner to straighten out my teeth!

Laura's wedding

2009-09-15T21:12:00.004+01:00

On Friday 9th September, my nurse Laura got married.
It was a great day, especially as the weather was so beautiful and warm.

Laura spent the day with a beaming smile on her face, looking radiant and relaxed!

Here is Laura and the other nurses, Michelle, Michelle and Chipo, enjoying refreshments in the church hall before going on to the reception.

So, congratulations to Laura and her new husband Junior who are now enjoying a well-deserved honeymoon in the sun!

Time flies!

2009-07-24T18:10:00.004+01:00

Nearly a whole month since my last publication!

Part of the reason for the delay is that we have been away on holiday to the South of France.
Beautiful scenery, beautiful weather, beautiful clear blue sea....I just love it.

But this week was back to business.

While we were away the Belfast Telegraph ran an article on the day in the life of my dental chair in which they interviewed each patient that sat in my chair over the course of a normal working day.
The reporter and photographer had been out before our holiday and we really enjoyed having them there.
My patients were all very obliging and happily had their photos taken and said a bit about themselves and why they come to Braden Dental Care.
It made for a good article and we were really pleased with what we saw when we got back.
It's always good to have a pat on the back!

June Smile of the month

2009-06-30T16:32:00.004+01:00

This month I am awarding the accolade to Chipo, one of our dental nurses.

Part of the reason for her award is that she does have a great smile, which she uses often!

It was also her birthday in June.

On June 19th, Chipo turned 30.

So Happy Birthday Chipo and keep smiling!!

Belonging

2009-06-15T20:38:00.006+01:00

Jim gave our son Jude some pocket money for helping him in the garden yesterday.
It was eighty pence, enough to buy two packets of 'match attacks' football cards.
Jude is a Manchester United fan.
The reason for this being that his best friend at school supports Man United and has created quite a 'Man U' fan club amongst the boys who all play football together in the playground.
Jude and I walked up to the shop this evening so that he could buy his cards and he excitedly arranged them in his folder with the other cards, flicking through them to admire his grownig collection.
It made me realise how much we love to belong to something.
Jude belongs to a group of Manchester United fans at school who in turn belong to a worldwide fan club. It gives them something to identify with and follow.

At Braden Dental Care we have our membership scheme for a similar reason. Our members can feel part of a valued group, looked after by our team of dentists, hygienists and staff.

Our members know that they always have someone to turn to and will always be looked after as part of our club.

There have been a lot of changes in the way dentistry is provided, with more changes afoot and in times of uncertainty, it's good to know that joining Braden Dental Care gives peace of mind and reassurance that you have a dentist that won't change!

It's good to belong!

New sterilising room

2009-06-05T16:22:00.008+01:00

The new sterilising room is finished!

This now gives us two fully-equipped rooms. Sterilisation of instruments in Dentistry is fundamental and the main role of the dental nurse.

This room has a section for the incoming dirty instruments which are cleaned and autoclaved and then taken over to the clean side to be re-packaged ready for use again. It's not a very exciting subject but it's so important that we wanted everyone to know that we're investing in their safety at our practice.

This was Jim's project and a job well done!

Smile of the Month!

2009-05-29T08:00:00.004+01:00

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

2009-05-26T19:57:00.004+01:00

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

2009-05-26T19:28:00.006+01:00

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

2009-05-20T21:14:00.004+01:00

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

2009-05-19T20:45:00.006+01:00

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

2009-05-11T09:58:00.009+01:00

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

2009-05-07T15:22:00.007+01:00

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

2009-05-05T16:04:00.008+01:00

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....

Happy work place

2009-04-29T14:42:00.008+01:00

Yesterday the staff and I had our first "investors in people" team meeting.

I asked the staff to come up with the five attributes they would hope for in a work colleague.

It proved a good talking point and everyone was very keen that a good colleague of should be a good team player.

After a long list made up of all the suggestions we managed to come up with the ideal five:

1. Good team player
2. friendly
3. compassionate/respectful
4. reliable and honest
5. punctual

This list will be displayed in the staff room as a reminder of what everyone agreed on.

We do have a good team here and it was good to take a step back and quantify what makes for a happy team and work place.

One of the suggestions that didn't make the top five was that colleagues should be well presented in appearance which was defined by Chipo as "no Page Three girls"!!
Now that would make for a completely a completely different kind of dental practice!

Happy Birthday

2009-04-27T18:08:00.007+01:00

Today Braden Dental Care is six years old!

Things have changed over the time we've been at the practice.

We've redecorated and put our mark on the place.

We've introduced Zoom whitening and increased the range of cosmetic treatment available as well as improving customer service by decreasing the waiting times for appointments and providing a membership plan.

Some things haven't changed. Doreen and Jillian are still familiar friendly faces at reception and Michelle has been with us since we started.

Our dental nurses, Laura, Chipo, Heather and our newest recruit, another Michelle, are also part of the team now.

Jim and I are always looking for more ways to push the business forward.

We have just started working towards the Investors in People Award to involve our staff in decision making in the business and give them goals to work towards as well.

There is also a new sterilising room being installed upstairs to keep up with our high cross infection control standards.

Braden dental care also shares a birthday with the actresses Penelope Cruz and Jessica Alba, so we're in good looking company!

What I love about my job

2009-04-23T10:28:00.007+01:00

What I love about my job is my patients.

I really enjoy getting to know them and when they come in for their six monthly examinations it's good to catch up and see how life is treating them!

That makes my job quite unusual.

There aren't many jobs where you have the opportunity to have regular contact with a group of people and spend time with them, one to one.

The obvious comparison is with a hairdresser!

I doubt whether my patients look forward to our meeting as much I do, but it is important to have a rapport and a certain relationship built up with patients that hopefully sets up a long-lasting service.

At Braden Dental Care we feel that this is important and try to make everyone feel welcome and that we have the time for them.

We also have a membership plan with added benefits for people who belong.

Our patients are why we exist so we appreciate their loyalty!

Smile

2009-04-15T17:36:00.006+01:00

These are our two dogs, Molly and Maya at Culdaff beach, Donegal on Easter Saturday.

I was trying to decide what to write in my first blog entry and decided that as our strap line at Braden Dental Care is "Dedicated to your smile", I would post something that made the Bradens smile....a beautiful sunny day at the beach with our children and dogs!

Good News

2009-04-08T15:20:00.004+01:00

At Braden Dental Care we are "dedicated to your smile" so I hope my blogging will make you smile as well.

There's enough bad news around and plenty to stop you smiling so this is going to be lighthearted and definfitely not all tooth related!

There's an awful lot of depressing stuff on the news at the moment, but some good news too.

Did anyone hear about the dog who'd been swept to sea off a boat on the coast of Australia?

It had been assumed lost forever but had managed to swim five miles to a desert island where it had survived for four months and was found alive.

It was reunited with it's delighted owners on Tuesday...aah!!

The G20 summit was surrounded by protesters against capitalism and climate change but the fact that all those leaders