Many are so frightened of the dentist that they avoid dental treatment altogether. We offer a number of approaches to help you overcome your fear of the dentist so that we can give you a healthy smile. One of the most important parts of our job is to ensure that we listen to you carefully and understand your needs and concerns we are very experienced in treating nervous patients and feel that this is one of the most important elements in solving your dental phobia. We also offer sedation dentistry for patients who are particularly nervous.

An effective way to treat the most nervous of patients is via intravenous sedation (injection). The medications that we use have a relaxing and calming effect but don’t prevent communication between dentist and patient so treatment can still be carried out easily. Weight, age and medical condition must be assessed before suitability for this kind of sedation is determined but this would all be discussed during your consultation.

Whilst IV sedation will make you drowsy and unaware of the treatment you are undergoing, you will remain lucid enough to communicate and cooperate with our team. The feelings of relaxation will be intense enough for you not to remember much about what happened under treatment. This is because the kind of drugs that are used can bring about amnesia, either in part or in full, from the time you begin to feel the effects of the sedation, to the time the effect wears off.The effects of the sedative will take time to wear off and you won’t be able to drink alcohol, drive or work machinery during this time so it is important that someone can help you home after treatment and keep a careful eye on you for sometime afterwards.

If you are nervous about consulting dentist, we can help you overcome your fears of the dentistry and make treatment an enjoyable experience.

I blogged on this a while back now, but we are officially up and running with the iTero technology here at WH. In fact, some of the dentist are getting quite competitive. Sen is actually top of the list for dentists that have cases using iTero! Well done Sen. The heat is on now guys.

The iTero technology is an absolute magnificent “piece of kit”. iTero is a revolutionary new technique, which is used to create dental impressions. iTero technology uses digital 3D images of the patient’s mouth, rather than dental trays and putty and can be used to create a range of different dental devices. We all know how much patients dislike those putty impressions! By using the 3D images, iTero creates a much accurate impression of the patients tooth, or teeth, making the fit of the new crown perfect.

iTero technology is set to revolutionise the way dentists create dental impressions. The new technique will reduce time in the dentist’s chair, improve accuracy, reduce mess and eliminate the need for further appointments. Anything to make our patients journey at WH easier and less traumatic for them, is a bonus for us. We are very lucky to have the iTero scanner here at WH.

If you would like to know more about iTero then check out our website, or speak with our dental team. They will be more than willing to help.

I must say, it was a first when one of our patients told me that Rubber Dam was “the best thing to happen to dentistry”. There is a lot of fantastic gizmo’s and gadgets in the dental field, but Rubber Dam does not usually come up top trumps. The patient in particular, was having some composite fillings placed in a couple of lower molar teeth. In order to get the best filling possible, the bonding agentswe use need to have a completely dry field. Any moisture can inhibit the white composite filling from sticking to tooth enamel as best it can. This is why, sometimes, rubber dam is used to protect the tooth and filling from moisture.

Rubber Dam is a latex sheet (also made non latex for allergy sufferers) that is held in position over a tooth in particular. This isolates the tooth, ensuring that no moisture can make contact when treating the tooth. Rubber Dam has many uses and is not just used for moisture control:

It is used when Root Canal Treatment is performed to ensure that no bacteria enters the canals of the tooth. The whole procedure, during Root canal, is to ensure the tooth is completely clean, and no infection or bacteria is left in the tooth. Everybody’s saliva contains bacteria, so using Rubber Dam ensures that no saliva can make contact with the tooth.

During some procedures in dentistry we use small instruments, such as files and burs. We do not want our patients to inhale or swallow these, so Rubber Dam ensures this does not happen.

As you may know, we use lots of solutions and strange tasting agents during treatments. Rubber Dam ensures you do not swallow anything.

The tongue can be very hard to control, during dental treatment, and when using fast drills we do not want you tongue “investigating”. Isolating the tooth that the dentist is working on makes this much safer.

We do use a lot of water during dental procedures, in order to keep the tooth cool while using the drill. Some patients finds swallowing very difficult and stressful while being treating. The use of Rubber Dam stops water from collecting in the back of the throat, making it easier for the patient to swallow.

There are so many uses, and I don’t want to bore my bloggers, but as you can see the use of Rubber dam can be very beneficial to our patients. At first it can be a bit daunting, when the dentist comes at you with a whooping great Rubber sheet that covers your mouth, but trust me, you will be surprised how easy it is to adjust to. Its not always possible to use, but the dentist will try to use whenever possible. Of course, if you don’t like it, we won’t use it. Just let the dentist know

We are all very excited at Woodborough House, as we have a new bit of kit coming to the practice! We have many patients in the dental chair having treatment that requires us to take impressions using putty materials and alginate. We all know this is not much fun. Its especially difficult for patients that have a bad gag reflex or find it stressful having dental impressions taken.It is also an invasive procedure. Well don’t fear……………… Itero is here!!

The Itero is a scanning device that enables us to take accurate dental records and impressions. Itero features parallel confocal imaging which uses laser and optical scanning to digitally capture the surface and contours of the tooth and gingival structures. An accurate impression is the foundation of an accurate study model required for effective treatment planning. After scanning, the machine gives us 3D images to help with treatment planning, crown preperations,  and orthodontic treatment.  Its also a great way for patients to see their dental work on a screen.

Woodborough House is very excited to be able to use this pioneering equipment, and to be one of the first in the UK to have one. No more goop, gagging or discomfort! That is something to be proud of

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

Nae was busy today, with a patient who has decided to have her teeth whitened and also to replace some old fillings. As the patient wanted white composite fillings we decided that it was best that the patient did a couple of weeks of home whitening before changing the old fillings. This enables Nae to pick the correct shade for the new fillings, as her patient will then have lovely bright white teeth. Nae explained how the whitening treatment works, and explained what the patient needs to do at home. We advised the patient to try and avoid food and drinks that are likely to stain(ie: black coffee, red wine, curry and beetroot). Teeth are more porous during the period that you bleach, so the teeth are more likely to pick up stains. Nothing a good polish with our Hygienist won’t fix though! We even had time to catch up on the latest  Eastenders gossip. Nae was really behind with the times! We are looking forward to seeing the results in a couple of weeks (and the continuing chaos of Albert Square)

If you are interested in whitening your teeth, then ask our reception team or your dentist. We have all done it at WH, so have a look at our pearly whites when you are next in.

Me and Sen saw one of our favourite patients from Tilehurst today, aswell as her cute daughter (who is still very very shy when I try and talk to her). When she comes in for her 6 monthly exam, she always complains about her lower teeth cracking, falling apart or looking “flat”. Sen advised her to invest in a Soft Nightguard. This is an appliance, worn at night, to help stop patients grinding in their sleep. Sometimes we are not even aware that we are doing this! We took impressions, sent them off to the laboratory, and today we fitted the Nightguard. Admittedly, it isn’t the most romantic thing to be wearing when you jump into bed at night, but it will help save those teeth from becoming brittle and cracking in the future. If you are intersted in a Soft Nightguard, then please talk to our dentist. We want to keep those teeth intact, and keep you smiling.

Me and Sen saw one of our favourite patients today. He is also one of our most nervous patients! He has told us many stories of visiting the dentist when he was younger, and also seeing dentists abroad which has made him feel very “jumpy” in the dental chair. It doesnt help that he has very very sensitive teeth! To make his appointment less traumatic for him, he decided to have oral sedation, as we had several fillings to do. We also needed to give him a good scale and polish. He asked me if we could “put a wooly hat on his teeth” as the water and suction was setting of his sensitivity. We have many lotions and potions here to help with this kind of problem, so Sen applied a fluoride varnish to help calm it down. After this, he was fine. He even seemed to be enjoying it at one point.

If you have similar problems or feel anxious about having treatment, then speak to us! We won’t know if you do not tell us. We can then do all we can to help make your visit here at WH a more pleasent one. You could even just pop in for a coffee and a “mooch” around if you want to, before having anything done. Just ask one us. We want to do all we can to keep you smiling

Today at the practice, we have been bombarded with tooth aches! It always seems to be around this time of year that people start to suffer. This shows just how important regular dental examinations are. Our patients have been coming in complaining of pain on biting, being woken at night, or dull aches. Nae was able to take radiographs and diagnose the problem tooth or teeth. Many people become extremely nervous when the word “root canal” is mentioned, but this may be because they may not know exactly what it involves. Root Canal is basically dis-infecting and cleaning the tooth. Small instruments are used to help clean out the tooth and a rubber material is used to fill the root canal. We have the great advantage of having Raquel, our in house Endodontist. She has a special interest in endodontics, and has treated our most complex cases with great success. She is lovely, and all the WH Team are so pleased she has joined us. We want to keep you all smiling, so providing our patients with the highest professional care is one of the ways we can achieve this.  If you have any questions regarding root canal treatment then please ask our team.

Today we have been flat out with dental checkups. Everybody is coming in for their regular ” dental mot’s”. Sarah has even had some of her most loyal patients travel all the way from London to see her! At these check up’s we are looking at soft tissues, radiographs, old fillings and restorations, and general dental health. It is important to see us regularly as we can help prevent you needing major restorative treatment, and prevent problems from arising. We also like to touch base with our patients on a social level. We all know Sarah likes a chat!! So come and see us! Because at Woodborough House we keep you smiling!