“Mum, is that a Water Pistol?” Is this the answer for reluctant flossers?

A few weeks ago we had a client in who told us that the reason that her implants were so wonderfully clean is that she is using a device called a ‘Waterpik’.  Now, I understand that flossing is something that many people struggle with, even though we all know it is so important, especially where there are bridges, crowns and implants.  So, as someone who does floss (but with a ‘I wish I didn’t have to do this’ reluctance), and in the interests of Science, I dutifully ordered my own Waterpik immediately.  The results of this not very scientific experiment are as follows.

A ‘Waterpik’ is a strange looking thing.  When I took mine (the cordless version) out of the box I thought ‘this couldn’t possibly be a serious dental hygiene tool’.  When the water first shot across the room and the children decided to use it as a water pistol before I’d even had a chance to give it a go, I felt even more certain.  But…………

It works like this.  You fill the water tank with water; you can add a small amount of mouthwash etc. if you wish.  The device then has 3 different types of head which you choose depending on your situation e.g. crowns, or orthodontic appliance.  You move the tip around your mouth, momentarily resting it between each tooth to allow it to do its thing.  This then cleans between the teeth before you go ahead and brush as usual.

It claims that it can be twice as effective as conventional flossing, and three times as effective where there is an orthodontic appliance in place.

The first time I used it I wasn’t sure what to say.  I had to learn what to do with the water, hold it and then spit it out, or let it dribble unattractively out of the side of my mouth into the sink as I went (as per the demonstration video).

My thoughts?  It’s quick, simple, and easy to manoeuvre.  If you struggle with the dexterity, skill or motivation to floss, I think this could make a real difference to you.  I think it is especially useful where you do have tricky to navigate dental restorations in place, and I think the new host of people wearing our ‘Straight Smile Fast’, cosmetic braces could find this a very handy device.

I do feel that I won’t however be throwing my floss in the bin, as shown in their website’s introductory video.  But I do think that I have uses for both, and that there are places where the ‘Waterpik’ will outshine the floss for me.

Cost wise, it’s good.  Mine cost me around £40, although I now lust after the slightly more expensive, non-cordless version which has a greater variety of power settings and other dizzying desirables which could only make a dental nut like me swoon.

So, essentially I like it.  The patients who are using it are showing some good results.  But, keep your floss handy.  And of course, I have yet to have the results assessed by our lovely Hygienist, Tanya; I’ll let you know if I pass the test!

Sonya

Practice Manager

No ordinary shoes!!

I just had to share a strange but pleasant experience that occurred in Blueapple last week.

A client arrived with a shopping bag from a well known retailer, inside was a pair of shoes, no big deal you may say BUT these were not any ordinary shoes. A brief chat revealed that these special shoes once belonged to possibly the most famous feet Ireland has ever produced. Michael Flatley…….and had been given as a gift to the lucky recipient.

Hand made as you would expect they were smaller that I had expected and had engraved his initials on the heel. I was surprised just how much excitement it brought to our day… a moment of disproportionate delight!!

Working hard at getting better

A nice entry in Chris Barrow’s blog about his day with us.

James

blueapple-a-premiership-team

Diploma in Implant Dentistry, Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh

At the start of this year I set myself 3 tasks in terms of professional development.

1) to win a ‘Smile award’      http://smileawards.co.uk/pages/winners2010.php

2) to achieve my ITI Fellowship for services to Implant Treatment and Education    http://www.iti.org/

3) To pass the Diploma in Implant Dentistry at the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh   http://www.rcsed.ac.uk/site/297/default.aspx

Last friday I got the long awaited news that I could put a tick against the last of the things on my list. Delighted, would be an understatement of how I felt, given my feelings that the exam was particularly challenging on all fronts. I am delighted to be one of only 11 people in the UK and Ireland to pass this particular exam and 1 of only 2 ITI Fellows in Ireland.

Being able to complete the list above gives me great satisfaction and I hope among other things it shows to existing and potential new clients the level of effort that is put in on a daily basis to ensure clinical excellence in the practice.

James

The importance of a smile

THE IMPORTANCE OF A SMILE

The importance of a smile is boundless.  Victor Borge said ‘a smile is the shortest distance between 2 people’, and I agree.  In any culture it can transgress boundaries and bring strangers to a point of commonality and acceptance.  Smiling also releases feel good endorphins, and so it literally makes the giver feel as good as the recipient.

In terms of our teeth, a recent poll stated that 43% of people interviewed said an attractive smile was the single most important feature of a person’s looks.  Another study found that as many as 4 out of 5 people were unhappy with the appearance of their teeth, many of these hiding them in photographs or when speaking to others.

Dental embarrassment has in the past put many people off addressing their dental concerns.  And yet modern dental techniques, materials and equipment can make the steps to dental confidence much simpler, rewarding and painless than ever before.

The dental armoury is now vast, from the simple improvement of digital x-rays, to invisible braces, to all white crowns made out of ceramic steel, and one visit crowns which are digitally scanned and created in the practice while you wait.

In our practice I can see that dental implants are becoming the norm in the treatment of an array of dental problems, from the replacement of single teeth to securing uncomfortable, unstable dentures. People are thinking more carefully about their dental care and future.

The canny client is strategising their approach, viewing their regular dental care as part of a life long plan.  When they have to restore and replace teeth they are making their choice in terms of a pragmatic long term strategy to have comfortable, functional teeth and a pleasing smile for their lifetime.

The options available mean that people do not have to give in to discomforts which were once common and accepted, such as wobbly dentures and unsightly silver fillings.

Improving your teeth can have another often unconsidered advantage, providing a type of surgery free facelift, by increasing your natural facial support and helping diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

So, in the wake of television programmes like ‘10 Years Younger’, and as people start to live longer and become more and more aware of the value of their teeth, for both their appearance and their general health, it can be said that the importance of a smile is greater than ever before.

Sonya Hamill, Practice Manager of Blueapple Dental & Implant Team, Belcoo.

Award Winning Dentistry

I have a dental implant, ask me about it……

‘I have a dental implant’. Ask me about it.

Let’s be honest, the beauty of the latest and most sophisticated dental treatments is that it is almost impossible to tell when someone has had them done.  At Blueapple nearly every member of our team has had the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the latest, greatest methods we use to repair and rejuvenate ours and your teeth.

We also know that there is no one better to take advice from than someone who has been in the same position as you.  So, from this week, at Blueapple the team members will be proudly wearing lapel badges telling you about some of the treatments we have had done and inviting you to ask us about them.

The statement above refers to me; and I will happily tell you exactly what it is like to have a dental implant and what it has meant for me in terms of how I feel about my teeth and their future.

At Blueapple we like to think of each of our clients dental problems from the perspective of, ‘what would I want someone else to do for me in this situation?’. And so, the treatments we offer are exactly the ones we have done ourselves!

So the next time you are in, please feel free to ask us about the treatments we have had done, it will be our pleasure to share our experiences with you.

Sonya

Blueapple Practice Manager

Smile awards 2010

Blueapple Dental & Implant Team

Smile Awards 2010.

On Saturday evening 27^th March James Hamill and the staff of Blueapple Dental & Implant Team in Belcoo had good reason to celebrate when they attended the 2010 Smile Dental Awards in London, the dental industry awards which recognise clinical excellence in creating beautiful smiles. The entire team went along to the glittering awards ceremony in Kensington to see James be declared a winner.

James was shortlisted for no less than 3 categories, and against very stiff competition won his award in the dental implant category.  Chief judge Chris Orr, a very well known and respected figure in the UK and Ireland dental communities, commended James for his attention to detail and ability to create an extremely natural and beautiful smile in a complex and challenging dental situation.

The case James was victorious with addressed the replacement of a missing front tooth with a dental implant and implant retained crown.  For this client James meticulously sculpted the gum line contours and faithfully matched the handcrafted porcelain crown to the lady’s natural teeth, to produce an exceptionally natural and beautiful result.

Over recent weeks Blueapple clients have been overwhelming the Blueapple Team with their good wishes for the awards, and it is great to be bringing this award back for them as well as our team, especially as this is an award which is specifically judged on the quality of the work that we do.  Thank you very much to all those who have given us their congratulations and good wishes, it means everything to get this support from our clients.

We are delighted to have once again received recognition for Northern Ireland dentistry across the UK and Ireland.

At Blueapple we are blessed with an amazing team who are dedicated to providing an exceptional dental experience to our clients, helping people overcome their dental problems and achieve dental confidence. We are extremely proud to be getting the message out that in Fermanagh we too can offer world class dentistry.

Blueapple Dental & Implant Team will be open 5 years this June.  In that time James and the practice have received a number of regional and national awards, and become highly regarded as being a leading dental practice on a UK and Ireland level.

Communication

Heading off this evening to London to present to 70 dental technicians. I will be covering the importance of communication between the dentist and the technician in the pursuit of clinical excellence for the benefit of our patients. Co-presenting with Mr Larry Browne a monthly visitor to Blueapple will be a pleasure and I hope we have a bit of fun in the process.

blueapple Haiti appeal

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Smile Awards

We have been delighted to recently hear of our shortlisting for the 2010 Smile Awards smileawards.co.uk.

We entered in 3 categories and I was delighted to be shortlisted in them all. The 3 cases are a) a smile makeover using porcelain crowns and tooth whitening, b) a single implant to replace an upper central incisor and c) a combination case using orthodontics (carried out by my colleague Mr Mark McCreesh), implant surgery and porcelain crowns.

The last case took over 2 years to complete so I am particularly delighted to have this one included.

The whole ‘blueapple’ team are making the trip to London and the www.royalgardenhotel.co.uk for the award ceremony. Although delighted to be shortlisted, especially considering the high level of the work that will be on show, we will all have our fingers and toes crossed that we may be lucky on the night.

We are also delighted that a good colleague called Alex Jones www.penistonedentalcare.co.uk has also been shortlisted and we wish Alex and his team all the best of luck.

James