Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all our patients, suppliers and customers

Mouthguards

Why use a Mouth Guard when playing sports?

Studies show that more than 200,000 injuries to the mouth and jaw and over 5
million teeth are lost yearly from sport-related injuries. A mouth guard is the
number one solution to this situation.

When to use a mouth guard

        Anyone who plays contact sports including rugby, football, lacrosse, hockey, boxing,  basketball and other contact sports should consider using a mouth guard to reduce chances of impact  damage.

 Other sports as well such as skateboarding, rollerblading, and
biking might want to consider wearing one as well.

REMEMBER that a bit of preventative planning can save time, money, and injury to teeth and mouth.

Many people think that buying the "boil in the bag" mouth guards are good enough, in fact they rarely fit well at all and may come out on impact. 

A custom made mouthguard costs from just £70 and can be made in many colours and patterns

Don't take any chances, call us now on 01282 415104

Job satisfaction

The past few days have seen us look after a young lady who was extremely nervous. She was booked to have a tooth out at the Hospital in the New Year under General Anaesthetic but it was becoming increasingly painful. Mike took the tooth out on Friday for her and although she was nervous she coped really well. She came back today for an examination and had a filling - how good is that !! Mike was able to use the wand for her, our superb painless injection system. She should be very proud of herself, she has come such a long way since Friday and can now enjoy Christmas and New Year. This sort of thing reminds us all just how much we love what we do.

To all our patients and anyone else who reads this:

Staff Training and lunch

We had a staff training day recently, it is great when we all sit down together to discuss what we are doing really well and where we all think we can improve what we do. Mike and Helen then took us to The Fence Gate Inn for lunch, here are some photos of us:

 Julie and Mike

 Helen, Bridget and Danny

 Dawn and Jenny

Bridget and Danny

Invisalign

Mike is on another Invisalign course today in London, there are so many new exciting advances in clear aligners, will post when I know more.......

Helen

Patients testimonials

Patients often tell us what a good job we have done, I thought I'd share our latest review from What Clinic:

Reviews & Feedback

SimonUK, 18 Oct 12Simon is a WhatClinic user

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100%Reshaping, Whitening & Veneers

Clinic's favorite review

Were you pleased with the treatment?Words cannot express how grateful I am for the treatment I received, from the beginning consultation right through to the final appointment I felt I was in the best of hands with Dr Powell and was very confident in his experience and professionalism and having explored a few different routes we settled on one I was happiest with. Helen was great in exploring each treatment possibility beforehand with an amazing visualisation tool that showed what the end result could look like. All the staff were extremely friendly, professional and very supportive. The dental practice is very modern and exactly the type of setting needed to put your mind at ease. My teeth now look perfect and white and my smile is no longer hidden thanks to Briercliffe Dental Practice, thank you so much.

Clinic's replyHi Simon, we all enjoyed being part of the team that helped you achieve your new smile and hopefully greater confidence now that you no longer have to hide your smile, you were a model patient. You have a very successful business yourself and know how important reviews are, thank you so much for taking the time to write this review and for choosing Briercliffe Road Dental Practice.

Helen had a Mum ring today, she is not a patient of ours but her 4 year old daughter is booked next  week for a General Anaesthetic in hospital  to have 10 teeth removed. The little girl's Mum is beside herself, she was buying apple and fresh orange juice thinking it was good for her daughter, no one told her not to give it in a bottle. Helen is a qualified midwife as well as being Mike's wife and Practice Manager these days but feels midwives and health visitors should be giving this advice as well as dentists:

• Only milk and water in bottles, never add sugar
• If you have to introduce your baby/child to juice then keep it to mealtimes only, the fruit acids do much less damage when taken with food.
• NEVER brush teeth straight after having juice with or without a meal, the fruit acids soften the enamel. This means anyone child or adult who has juice at breakfast time should not brush the teeth for at least an hour. if you know you are going to have juice at breakfast then brush before.
• Brush baby as soon as they appear with a small pea sized amount of regular fluoride toothpaste on a small headed soft toothbrush eg Colgate, there is absolutely no need for special child toothpastes
• Get baby/small child on to a regular cup as soon as possible, bottles and feeder cups squirt the liquid
• Keep snacks between meals to a minimum whenever possible
• Take your baby for regular dental examinations, we offer advice in pregnancy and see children under the age of 5 free of charge

We see children under age 5 free of charge if a parent sees us regularly. We have a very special children's plan which helps us work together to give the very best preventative advice, apply protective coatings if needed. This should mean, if you follow our advice,  that your child can grow up without the need for any fillings.

Congratulations to Andy Murray on his US Open victory overnight from all at Briercliffe Road Dental Practice:

The dentist had his Wisdom Tooth out!

OK, some of you will find this funny but I don't :)

Now like many of you, I don't like going to the dentist and I had to have a wisdom tooth out at my own dentist on Thursday last week, yes, that's right the dentist had to go to the dentist!!!

Anyway it's Sunday now and I still feel sore where the injections where as my own dentist doesn't have The Wand sTA. It would have numbed just the one tooth and there would have been so sensation of numbness across the whole side of my mouth, pity I can't do my own dentistry DIY style!

I am so glad I have invested in this great piece of kit so my own patients don't have to suffer like me!

Mike (Dentist and patient!)

The following is taken from the Dentalfearcentral.org website, you can read more here,

What are the advantages of The Wand?

• Looks non-threatening and almost cute. Researchers have found that the Wand induces less anxiety than any other injection method (Kudo et al, 2001).
• The precise control of flow rate and pressure reliably produces a comfortable injection even in potentially more “difficult” areas like the palate, where the tissue is less elastic.
• Many dentists enjoy the light weight and easy handling. The penlike grasp allows the operator to rotate the handpiece, which can make it easier to glide the needle into the tissue.
• Two “fancy” injection techniques (the AMSA and P-ASA, for the nerds among you) are much more comfortable and effective when the Wand is used.

What are the disadvantages?

So why do so few dentists use the Wand if it’s that cool?

• Cost! It’s more expensive than using traditional syringes, both for the machine and the disposables. And if you wanted to rely on the Wand alone, you’d have to have a backup Wand in case one breaks down sometime, which means more cost. Because the cartridge holder, tube and handpiece are disposables, there’s a larger volume of hazardous waste (and higher costs for getting rid of the extra waste).

• Some dentists complain they lose time because it takes longer than their “standard” injection.

• Takes time (and guinea pigs – usually staff or other dentists) to learn.

• Takes up extra space. This can be a problem in some rooms, depending on space and layout.

How lovely to receive an email with this from What Clinic:

Check out why we got it here

The Risks of Dental Tourism

Just read this article - It just shows how dangerous and COSTLY it can be to go abroad for what you think is CHEAP dentistry. We always say, whilst good dentistry may not be cheap; cheap dentistry definitely isn't good. What seems cheap to begin with can cost much more than having a good job done in the first place as this person found:
http://www.realself.com/question/crown-lengthening-after-front-veneers-stop-swelling-gums-help

On Call Weekend

To ensure our patients have access to Same Day Emergency Dental Care at weekends we participate in an on call rota with other local dentists. This weekend is our weekend on call. It's not been too busy and yesterday we had the opportunity to help a lady who had a front crown sheared off at gum level. She had been looking forward  to a family meal last night and would not have been able to go without our help. We always try to ring patients the next day if they have had more complex work but she is not answering this morning, we will try her again later. Hopefully the meal went well and she was able to enjoy herself.

Healthcare Learning – Smile-on - GDC success in fresh prosecution over tooth whitening

Healthcare Learning – Smile-on - GDC success in fresh prosecution over tooth whitening

Busy Week

What a busy week we have had, 2 new people booked Invisalign. Maybe it's the bit of sunshine but there has also been an increased take up of teeth whitening, let's hope the weekend is sunny.

Friday was a lovely day spent with Mike, Nicola and Julie at their Masters degree in Dental Implantology graduation. We had a lovely lunch at the Olive Press in Preston afterwards. All credit to them for such a lot of hard work, a dentist can place implants after just a 2 week course, these guys chose to show their committment over 3 years - well done!!

How exciting!! We are at the end of a week's trial of "The Wand", a revolutionary painless injection system, their website is here. 100% of patients who trialled it said they would definitely want to have it again and that they could not feel any pain. It enables just a single tooth to be numbed rather than a whole side of your mouth. The numbness lasts far less time too with no sore area where the injection has been - it's amazing !!!!! We are putting in our order for our own Wand tomorrow, if you hate dental injections this is definitely for you.

It's official, Mike has now received confirmation that he has achieved his Masters Degree in Dental Implantology his qualifications now read:

BDS (Lond 1983), LDSRCS(Eng),
Dip(ImpDent), MSc.(Implants)

We are all very proud of his commitment, a 2 week Implant course was never going to be enough for him, instead he worked for 3 years to make sure his implant work will be the very best it can be. 


One of his tutors, Richard Oliver a Specialist in Oral Surgery on the course said of him, 

" I would also make commendation to his thoroughness, professionalism and meticulous handling in the clinical situation - attributes I often find lacking in some of the less experienced practitioners"

"Additionally, I observed that he communicates well with patients and commanded the respect of the other members of the dental team" 

"I recommend him highly to you and would be willing to employ him to work alongside me should the situation arise." 

Well done to Mike - he won his first golf competion- we are all very proud of him

Invisalign the "Invisible Brace"

2 more clients have signed up to start Invisalign this week. This "Invisible Brace" system is truly amazing and can straighten crooked teeth and close gaps see their website : www.Invisalign.co.uk

		Invisalign		Fixed Braces
How does it work?		Invisalign uses a series of clear removable aligners to straighten your teeth without wires or brackets.		Fixed braces use wires and brackets to move your teeth into straighter alignment.
Nearly invisible.				No. Most fixed braces are noticeable.
Removable during treatment.				No. You cannot remove fixed braces until treatment is completed.
Treatment doesn't involve metal that can irritate teeth and gums.				No. The metal wires and brackets used can cause mouth irritation.
Allows you to brush and floss normally during treatment.				No. Fixed metal braces hinder the ability to reach the entire tooth/gum area when flossing.
Provides a clear defined and virtual treatment plan from the start to the completion of treatment.				Although your dental practitioner has a clear defined treatment plan, you will not be able to see what your teeth may look like during and after treatment.

Call us now for a free assessment on 01282 415104

Busy week for Invisalign

Lots of interest from patients now that we are providing Invisalign invisible braces. Patient's that have been coming to us for years have said:

"I have always hated my crooked teeth and never wanted train tracks, I am so excited about having this done."

"I would never have gone anywhere else for treatment but now that you are doing it, I know I can trust you"

Call Julie now on 01282 415104 for a free consultation

Welcome To Briercliffe Road Dental Practice Blog

Hello and a warm welcome to our brand new blog here at Briercliffe Road Dental Practice. I am delighted that you have joined us and hope that this will be your first visit of many.

The reason we have created this blog is to communicate with all our clients, and also potential clients, so that you know more about our dental practice, what we have to offer in terms of service to you and you can also learn a bit more about all of our wonderful staff as we go along!

We are aiming to update our blog at least once a week, so please bookmark us and visit us regularly so that you can be in the loop. If there is anything new going on at the dental surgery, if there are any special offers or there is any new form of treatment available, by visiting this blog we promise you that you will be the first to know.

A little bit of background information on our wonderful dental practice. We have now been at the heart of the community in Burnley for over 15 years now, and count on our clients as friends. People come to our practice from all over the North West because they are confident in the quality of our work and know that they will get the very best treatment available.

We offer a wide range of services to our clients, and these include teeth whitening, dental implants and crowns, veneers, cosmetic dentistry and a hygienist service to name but a few. We keep at the cutting edge of the industry so that any new procedures that could benefit you we will be able to supply.

If you have not taken a look at our lovely website yet then I suggest you take a sneak now, it is at http://www.brdpdentist.co.uk/.

We will be happy for you to comment on our blog, and if you have had good service from us in the past and want to post a comment that we can use as a review then we would be delighted!!

That is all for now, we promise to keep you posted and hopefully provide you with valuable information about Briercliffe Road Dental Practice as well as keep you entertained along the way.