Why Going To The Dentist Is Not Just About Your Teeth

Over 1 million people in the UK have never been to the dentist with over ¼ of adults admitting they have not been to the dentist in the last 2 years. This is a huge concern of mine because problems in your mouth can affect the whole of your body.

HOW?

Your mouth is populated with bacteria which if not kept under control can reach levels causing gum infections and tooth decay. Gum disease/infection is linked to serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s. There are estimated to be over 4 million people with diabetes in the UK, with so many people not visiting a dentist regularly they are at risk of not managing their diabetes well due to poor mouth health. It really is vitally important for people with diabetes and heart conditions to visit the dentist and dental hygienist regularly.                                                                                                                                                                                                

There are more and more people out there taking multiple medications and most people don’t know that the side effects of their drugs can have a huge impact on their mouth health and in turn their general health. The biggest side effect of a lot of medications is a dry mouth. This means that you have less saliva to protect your mouth.  Unless you go to the dentist and have your saliva tested you don’t know whether your saliva has become destructive rather than preventative, until it is too late. A good dental team will be able use the results of saliva testing to provide you with preventative measures to stop mouth disease before it has even started, thus preventing treatment in the long run.

Dont’ Let fear Put Your Health in Jeopardy 

I know that almost half of all adults have fear of going to the dentist, which is why I have a passionate team who go above and beyond to make our members feel at home, here is what one of our members said ..(For more success stories visit http://www.greyholmedental.com/success-stories/ )

“I have not been to a Dentist for almost 10 years, I have HAD a massive phobia, until I visited Greyholme Dentist in Bishops Cleeve, they made me feel at more ease and explained everything very clear. I am so happy I have found a Dentist that I trust and a place that makes me feel more comfortable on going back for work. Many Thanks R Teakle”


So please  I urge you to register with a denstist who really cares about your overall health and can help you to look after yourself.

Warren

What is it like Working in a place that scores Higher On Client Happiness Index Than First Direct!

Well I consider myself rather fortune to work for this place, we have worked hard at creating this environment for everyone to enjoy.  But what is it all about, well the happiness index comes from the Net Promoter Score which was developed in 2003 by Fred Reichheld. It measures the loyalty that exists between the provider and the consumer. It is routinely used by some of the biggest companies. Quite simply we survey all off our clients every time they come in so that we can measure how we are doing.

The Happiness score is only part of what we do to help create an environment where people want to be. You can probably tell why clients want to come and see us, I mean who wouldn’t want to see a Pain Free Dentist? But why do people want to work here? And no it’s not because we want free tooth whitening!!

Here is my personal account of why I love it here... (I must love it I have been here 18yrs!!)

Over the years at Greyholme we have battled with many setbacks and challenges.  For example, when we took the decision to end our affiliation with Denplan; then later on deciding to leave the NHS and go it alone; like when Warren broke the news he was going to be going to Manchester to study for his specialism which meant that he was only going to able to work at Greyholme for 3 days a week for a fair few years. I am not going to lie these times were tough and tested me in many ways. I was frustrated and drained for a while and we became stagnant. Warren and I have always worked very closely together and one day we realised we had to change the way we do things otherwise we were going to hit a downward spiral.

So what did we do?

We decided to inject some fun and let our personalities shine through, just because we are professionals doesn’t mean we can’t have fun along the way right! This was another tough decision because this is not for everyone and this type of change can cause some upset and unrest but we weathered it and ran with it.

What does all this actually mean?

It means we have created a culture based around our core values we make all our decisions based on these values. Because we have these values in place (they were created by the team as a whole by the way) everyone in the practice is able to make good decisions every day.

We have created an autocratic environment whereby there is an open forum for all team members to put forward and implement new ideas.

We have such a tight team that we support each other when times are tough and celebrate our wins together; there is no room for ego’s at Greyholme.

We play games every day, we find something to laugh about every day, we all completely share the vision for the practice and truly want to help and inspire our clients.

Warren is an advocate for continuous self improvement which means we are all privileged to be part of some fantastic resources to help us personally; we have seen some incredible speakers and met some fantastic people who really want to help and support us without agenda.

We are currently looking for new team members and I have been interviewing people that have said that we have a good reputation and they really want to be part of what we believe in, this is when it really hits home to me that we have managed to create something special.

So here we are today at Greyholme and it’s a happy place to be even on the tougher days. I am sat here working writing this and it doesn’t feel like work it is just part of me now...

Here’s too finding Happiness in whatever you do

Leanne

Mission of Mercy For Pain Free Laura

Our Dental Nurse Laura, known for her unusual giving to those worse off, has just been granted a special license to travel to the remote Rif Mountains region.

Her mission of mercy departs September 26, 2015 for five hard, gruelling, yet fulfilling days.

The destination: a remote village, Khizana, with 500 children and a high intake of honey, sweet mint tea, and no dental health service that contributes to extreme dental decay. The goal is to take as many children out of daily dental pain as is possible during the 2-days of clinic.

Then on to a second project in collaboration with Rifcom.org  http://www.rifcom.org/ to take a further 250 children out of daily dental pain.

Laura Watson is usually found helping treat patients in the comfortable practice called Greyholme Dental Suite, Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham. Surrounded by modern day dental equipment, running water, and a fabulous support team. Everything she could ever need.

Laura said, “This is the second year I have been over to morocco to help these poor children out of pain and I can tell you, nothing prepares you for the devastation that we saw when we were there. All of the children are amazing and I am proud to have met everyone of them ”

And Laura finances her own trip.

Cally Gedge, co-founder of the award winning Dental Mavericks charity, who organise the annual expedition said, “This is our fifth year and this Moroccan community now relies on UK dentists to rid them from the daily pain of decayed teeth. There is no free or easy access to dental care.”

Finally, Laura has a long-term goal too, and a simple one. To help fund a nurse who will visit the school weekly, educate children on tooth decay prevention, and bring in a dentist every month from the nearest town Chefchaouen, two and a half hours away, treating kids in pain.

 

Laura told us about her future plans, “I  have been part of the Dental Maverick’s Teeth for life program since its birth and I want to be part of it as it evolves” 

If you’d like to view pictures of the beautiful Moroccan children, and videos, make any donations, or sponsor the ‘Moroccan Kids Teeth for Life’ programme, please visit www.dentalmavericks.org or www.greyholmedental.co.uk/charity

Number 1 cause of Hospitalisation in Children is tooth Decay and it’s consequences!

How do we help our children’s teeth and health?

This is something I am hugely passionate about.
Sugar is everywhere; we have made an attempt to get schools healthy thanks to Jamie Oliver. The government has tried to educate parents. Yet Children everywhere are still overweight still have tooth decay and as a population there is more obesity more heart disease and more diabetes.

In my view we need to start at the beginning. Children’s nurseries should be made to cook fresh homemade food. And they should not be advocates of sweets at the drop of a hat.
Parents do not reward your children with sweets use stickers or other rewards.
Children are not born knowing that they will love sweets. We give them that knowledge. We make them addicted to sugar. We cause their energy levels to peak and trough. By giving them processed sugar and sweets we are part of the reason their moods go up and down.
Has anyone ever thought of educating the children from as young as 2, 3 and 4 years of age? They are cleverer than we give them credit for.

My son knows that sugar is bad and he know the reasons why. He is only just 4 years old. I want to give him the best start in life to make his own decisions. Don’t get me wrong he does have chocolate occasionally but I never give him any other kind of sweets. And when he is offered sweets he looks to me for permission and if I say no he is not bothered, he has even been known to say “no thank you they are not good for you” much to the disgust of the person offering them to him.

Probably at this point some of you reading this will be thinking that poor little boy! ...This is because society has made us associate children with sweets. And this is not a class thing either. My son has been offered sweets by intelligent well educated people, I myself am a single parent and there have been times when I have almost given in to society’s pressures to give children sweets but I found the strength to say “NO thank you he is not allowed sweets”. Even when I have received some awful looks and I know that I am being judged negatively for my decision to keep my child healthy.

I have at times been shocked by the abundance and frequency that sweets are given out at children’s parties and at nursery schools.

We know ourselves that eating and drinking healthily makes us feel better so why do we not want the same for our children.

Phew... That is my Rant over!......

The fact of the matter is that half of 8 year olds and a third of 5 year olds have signs of tooth decay.

So what can we at Greyholme Do about it?

1. Provide free dental heath reviews for children under 6.

2. Provide the very best oral health instruction and diet advice

3. Offer preventative treatments such as fluoride and fissure sealants

4. Offer membership to our children’s Club

5. Work with schools and nurseries to provide education in the community.

So what can you do about it?

1. Bring your children to a dentist regularly

2. Learn about how to clean your teeth and listen to your dental hygienists advice.

3. Swap sugary sweets for chocolate and eat it straight after meals as a pudding.

4. Limit fizzy drinks

5. Limit fruit juices

Perhaps we need to practice what we preach to our children and make ourselves healthier at the same time!

Thanks for listening!!

Leanne x

For more info on preventative dentistry please visit our website

www.greyholmedental.com

Welcome Back Joanne!

This blog is chance for me and the rest of the team to say welcome back to Jo. She has just returned from Maternity leave. Warren and Jo had Ethan at the end of July last year. They now have two gorgeous boys.

Joanne is the most passionate hygienist I have ever met throughout my 16 years in the dental industry.

Jo has great results with all her patients. Her passion shines through every time she treats someone. She knows just how important the health of your mouth is in your overall health.

An amazing Dental Hygienist sets an awesome dental practice apart from other dental practices.

Looking after your teeth alone is not good enough; if your gums are unhealthy your teeth can become loose, so even the prettiest teeth can fall out.

Having unhealthy gums is linked to cardiac disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and many other serious conditions.

So the next time you see your dental hygienist remember you are not just going for a quick clean up.

Jo spends a minimum of 20 minutes and an average of 30 minutes with each patient, taking measurements, doing risk assessments and picking up any problem areas before she even starts to clean your teeth.

Jo is a great mentor to our hygiene team and now she is back we can feel her passion running throughout the practice like a breath of fresh air.


It’s good to have you back Jo!

Leanne and the team x

For more info on gum health please visit:

greyholmedental.com

Are People With Straight Teeth Really Happier?

Well Thanks to Warren I have straight teeth and I feel very happy!

From hair and skin to clothes and shoes, our appearance is the the basis for snap judgements and first impressions.

Does that mean that we all need to go through years of train track braces? To make us get that job promotion or get the boy or girl of our dreams or just to help us feel happy.

Well NO because we are quite capable of making ourselves happy without all that, aren’t we, with a bit of personal development?

Personal development is great for the soul we can learn things about ourselves push ourselves further and further and jump on every opportunity taking ourselves to the highest heights.

We all know that if we really really want something we can go out and get it. But there are those of us that just lack that little bit of confidence because all we can see is our bad hair and OMG look at my yellow wonky teeth! And no matter how many times we look in the mirror and recite our affirmations “I Love myself” “I can be anything I want” we cannot get get rid of the gremlins, that say yeah but it would be much better if I could smile without covering my mouth.

I say why not invest in yourself and boost your confidence with a little bit of smile enhancement. When we smile with straight teeth apparently, according to an American study, we are 57% more likely to get a date based on our picture alone on a dating site. And 45% more likely to get a job when competing with someone with crooked teeth of the same skill set. I guess when we have confidence in our smile we smile more… Smiling more makes us look happy and more approachable. Being more approachable opens up doors for us and who know where they will lead to.

Plus when we smile it actually releases endorphins which is our happy hormone and who doesn’t want to be happier!

So how do we get a super smile?

Whilst we can relate to the beloved Ugly Betty in some way, if you are anything like me there is just no way you want to embark on years of train tracks. Although we can keep our spirits up with the fact the end result is going to make us happier a quicker easier pain free way is much more appealing isn’t it.

We can now work wonders with fastbraces and you can have a straight smile in about 6 months or less we can make these braces tooth coloured so nobody can see them and I know from personal experience that THEY ARE PAIN FREE.

When that is done you can whiten up your smile with our whitening for life program.

If you want to be more confident have more opportunities and be happier call us now and come in and see us for free to see what your options are.

For more information call 01242 802 966

Or visit our website - Greyholmedental.com

Easter Is Coming…

And Easter just isn’t Easter without Chocolate!

Most of us enjoy a sweet treat and if you do it right it's ok!... Did you know that jelly, gummy sticky sweets are the worst kinds of sweets for your teeth. They have a much higher concentration of sugar than chocolate. 

The teeth that are designed for chewing are full of things we call pits and fissures, these are like Hills and Valleys in the surfaces of your teeth. These teeth are the hardest to clean because your tooth brush cannot get into all the nooks and crannies. 

So when we eat these chewy, sugary sweets we are essentially launching an assault on our teeth. They have no protection against the sugar that is going to fill up the Valleys.

Think about the first chew of a fruit pastille or a toffee we can feel our teeth sticking together and we have to get our fingers in there and pick it out as soon as possible. The sugar will stay there until you clean your teeth, your toothbrush cannot get right down into the depths of the Valleys to remove the sugar that is stuck within the sticky sweets.

If you sit at your desk with a packet of Tangfastics to keep you going throughout the day you are launching a constant attack, your teeth are like sitting ducks defenceless against the acid that is produced in your mouth every time sugar is introduced.

Chocolate has less sugar than the sweets I have been talking about.

Those who love chocolate know that it melts in your mouth giving your tongue a sense of smooth luxury.

Because chocolate dissolves quickly it has less time to increase the acidity levels In your mouth. The smooth melty nature of chocolate means it is easier to clean out of the Hills and Valleys.

Pretty much every time we eat the sugar in the food increases the acid in our mouths and plunges our teeth into the danger zone. Our defence mechanism is our own saliva it works by neutralising the acid. BUT it takes 30-40 minutes for this to work. So if you are continually munching on a bag of Haribo throughout the day your teeth really are in trouble. 

SO… In conclusion the best way of indulging in your sweet treats is to eat chocolate straight after eating your meal. This will give your teeth the best chance to recover.

You could upgrade you mouths armoury by having your teeth Fissure sealed by our hygiene team. Or you could have your teeth coated regularly with fluoride when you come in for your Dental Health Reviews. 

Both of these will help protect your teeth against the acid attacks.

To find out more please visit our website or give us a call today!

www.greyholmedental.co.uk

Tel: 01242 802 966