Archive for May, 2010
Friday, May 28th, 2010
As I sat down for breakfast, drinking my mug of tea, I was happy to hear that the breakfast news programme was doing an article on oral hygiene. Yay! Its been proven that people with poor oral hygiene are more prone to heart problems, and disease. People are, and I quote, 70% more likely to develop heart disease if they do not brush there teeth twice a day. This is big news!
We are all aware of how important eating healthy is, and that exercise will keep us healthy, but not everybody knows how important good oral hygiene and care is. I hear people say all the time “I don’t need to see a hygienist. I know how to clean my teeth”. Even me, as a dental nurse, needs to visit the hygienist, and I am in the profession!
So, to sum things, visiting the dentist and the hygienist regularly is essential. Not only do we want to keep those teeth looking fab, but we want you to remain healthy. If you would like any advice on good oral hygiene, or would like to visit one of our dentists or hygienists then please contact our reception team or nurses. They will be more than willing to help.
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Thursday, May 27th, 2010
As a nurse, we have to put up with a lot of things, but this week I experienced something new. Someone bit my finger!! Yes, yes it was very funny at the time but I definitely don’t want to experience that again. There I was, in the surgery,doing my nurse thing, when Sen asked me to take routine xrays of our new patient. This patient was 78, so I explained thoroughly the process of taking an xray. I described how I would place the xray sensor into his mouth and ask him to bite together when it is the correct position. So, slowly I placed the sensor into his mouth…………………………..then it came!! The big canine tooth, sharp and ready to attack the index finger.Now this tooth was used, many years ago to tear through raw meat! Cavemen would use them to eat their catch of the day! I didn’t study radiograph for this.
We all had a giggle, and the patient was very apologetic. We saw the funny side of it. So, when having dental radiographs, think of the dental professional taking them. A finger is for life…… not just for xrays 
Tags: dental examination, general dentist, Pangbourne, Radiographs
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Thursday, May 27th, 2010
It was all about air abrasion today in Sarah’s surgery! Me and Sarah saw a lovely young man, who comes to see us regularly here at WH. Like me, he is quite geeky about all our dental materials and treatments, so he was more than pleased when we told him we were going to use our air abrasion unit on his tooth. This patient had deminiralisation on a molar tooth which needed to be filled. Deminralisation weakens the tooth enamel and it is essential to fill the tooth as it can lead to destruction of the tooth tissue.
This air abrasion gizmo is awesome! Not only does it mean that the dentist does not have to use that high pitched, awful sounding, high speed drill, but it also means that we don’t always have to use anesthetic. No needles!! We all would like a bit of that. It is great to use on kids, as drilling and needles can be quite traumatic for them, but its also fab for our older patients. You can actually go home without slurping your dinner through a straw. No more numb lips.
Well, our patient was extremely pleased with this, and after a few blasts, we were able to put a white composite filling in the tooth. As Gorden Ramsey would say………Job done!
Tags: dental examination, fillings, general dentist
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Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Coming to the dentist is not everyone’s cup of tea, and at WH we understand that for some people it can be scary and distressing.
Me and Sen recently saw a lovely lady who has been coming to the practice for many years now, but has always been unable to get her young son to come with her. Children are often influenced by how their parents behave at the dentist, or by what they say about visiting the practice. This child had picked up on that vibe.
We don’t want to pressure and push children in to doing things they don’twant to do. That doesn’t help anyone. Instead we invited this young 8 year old to just come in, have a hot chocolate, and to meet me and Sen. We didn’t do any treatment. We didn’t even ask him to sit in the dental chair. We just wanted him to feel more comfortable about being in surgery and being with us. A few days later he came back in to see us. This time for a dental check up. He was so brave. We explained everything to him, showed him all the instruments and materials we use and he was fine. He even managed to have a small filling done!
After over coming his fear of the dentist, and realising that we are not here to hurt or scare him, he promised us that he will always come to his check up appointment. On one condition though…………that I would make him a hot chocolate! I’m sure I can manage that. Its the least we can do.
If you child, or yourself, is afraid or nervous about treatment, then please let our team know. We can do all we can to make your experience less daunting, and make it one that is more relaxed and comfortable. We want to keep you smiling 
Tags: Children, dental examination, fillings, general dentist, nervous patient, Pangbourne
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Thursday, May 20th, 2010
There is another birthday approaching at WH, and its one of our very own. Happy Birthday to Sarah, our receptionist. A little birdy has told me that a very large birthday cake was brought in to the practice by our cleaner Pauline, who regularly comes in with goodies for the girls. Of course, as professionals, we know that cakes full of sugar are bad for our teeth. We’re not actually eating it………….just looking
From all of us at WH we want to wish Sarah a very Happy Birthday xxx
Tags: general dentist, Pangbourne
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Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
As of May 16th all the way through to June 16th it’s National Smile Month! National Smile Month is run by the British Dental Health Foundation, and is dedicated to improving the publics oral health. The campaign this year is “Teeth4Life. The campaign is set up, to help highlight the importance of maintaining a good oral health, and also raise awareness of the systemic link between good oral health and good overall body health. In order to stay healthy, and to maintain healthy gums and teeth it is essential that you are attending your dental check ups and hygiene appointments. We do have a system at WH where we can send reminders by letter to your home address, so it will remind you when your next check-up or hygiene appointment is due. There is no escaping us!
With your dentists and hygienists help, teeth can stay healthy for longer. Remember… teeth are for life!
Tags: dental examination, dental hygienist, general dentist, Pangbourne
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Friday, May 14th, 2010
Phew. It has definitely been “one of those days” today! The waiting room was buzzing, the phones kept ringing, and all the team were hard at work all day.
Me and Sen was treating a patient that we have been seeing for some time now. He came to see us at the beginning of the year with his girlfriend, and presented us with a very difficult case. He had several missing teeth, and needed some extensive work doing. Sen sat down with Nick, to get his professional advice on Dental Implants and Dentures, and discussed what treatment plan would be best suited to this patient. Since then, the patient came in to see us and announced that he was getting married. Yay! Now the pressure was on!
The patient was embarressed by his smile, as he had missing teeth, decay and discoulored teeth. As Dental Implants are an investment and the “Rolls Royce” of dental treatment, our patient needed something to get him through to his wedding day. He needed to have his smile back! By working with our laboratory, getting various study models and diagnostic wax models made up of what the teeth should look like, we were able to provide our patient with a new set of teeth.Now ,the teeth we made are only a temporary measure as the patient is getting married, but what a difference a few hours in the dental chair made! He walked out of WH with a brand new smile. It was all a bit alien to him as he had gone so long with no teeth, and smiling just was not something he naturally did, but he was very pleased with the result. He actually said to me “its the missus you got to impress, not me”. Lets hope she was pleased with the results aswell
If you are suffering from broken teeth, missing teeth, or you would like some more information about full mouth reconstructions or Dental Implants then please talk to one of our team. They will be more than willing to help.
Tags: advanced cosmetic dentistry, crowns, dental examination, dental implants, Dentures, general dentist, Pangbourne, smile makeovers
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Friday, May 14th, 2010
We have all missed his presence at WH, and he was back this week after spending 2 weeks in Thailand with his new wife.Sen’s patients will be happy to see him wondering around the practice again. He hasn’t come back to a quiet surgery either. He was back into the swing of things Tuesday, with a full day of tooth aches, fillings and check ups. Theres no rest for the wicked! Maybe he is now wishing he got stuck on the beach in Thailand due to the volcanic ash, rather than listen to me barking orders at him again (hee hee).
When you are next in to see Sen, I am sure he will tell you all about his travels around Thailand and his wedding day. On behalf of Sen I’d like to thank all his patients that wished him well on the big day
Tags: dental examination, fillings, general dentist, Pangbourne
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Monday, May 10th, 2010
Pregnant women and nursing mothers are an important target group when it comes to giving them oral health advice and care. Good advice and care during and following pregnancy are important to avoid any permanent gingival damage. As my sister has just recently had a baby, and our very own nurse Laura from the practice is pregnant, I am hot on advice for pregnant patients at the moment. You could call me the pregnancy gum guru!
Pregnant patients should always make time for oral care at a time of the day when sickness is not present. There is always an increase risk of caries and tooth erosion when the patient is suffering from morning sickness. Another tip I gave to my sister, is to use a small headed toothbrush. It helped her from feeling nauseous when brushing her teeth. Pregnancy gingivitis also makes the gums sore and bleed, so I would also say use a soft toothbrush with a gentle cleaning motion. The use of a fluoride toothpaste is beneficial, as this will help prevent decay. Those sugary sweets and chocolates that pregnant women crave are bad news for teeth, so the use of fluoride will help combat decay. One of the most important points to follow, when pregnant, is…………….. don’t forget about us! It is essential that you keep up regular dental check ups and hygiene visits, even when pregnant. There is no excuse!Not only will your dentist be able to keep an eye on those pearly whites and gums, but that can also give you more advice when it comes to looking after your oral health.
If you have any questions then feel free to talk to our dental care professionals. They will be more than happy to help
Tags: dental examination, dental hygienist, general dentist, gum treatments, Pangbourne, soft tissues
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Friday, May 7th, 2010
Phew. Busy day at WH today! Nick and Steph have been in surgery placing a dental implant for one of our dear patients. The patient has had one before, and swears by it! She had to have a tooth extracted, and to replace the space she decided to invest in another implant. The case was a complex one, as Nick had to do a bone graft. With the use of CT Scans and radiographs Nick is able to place the implant in exactly the correct position. It was a busy few hours, but the time flew for our patient as she had some of our oral sedation (and my IPod). We look forward to seeing the end result.
Well I am off now to enjoy the weekend. I will be back next week for more blogging. Hope you aren’t getting bored of my ranting yet. The stories will continue……
Tags: dental examination, dental implants, dental sedation, nervous patient, Pangbourne, Radiographs, smile makeovers, soft tissues
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