A ship is carrying 12 goats, 6 sheep and 4 cows. How old is the captain?

A friend recently posted this to Facebook and received some guesses based on who knows what. The correct response was that there was no way of knowing as there was inadequate information. We can only reach good decisions if we have adequate information. We can only obtain adequate information if we have a systematic way of collecting and analysing it.

Why did your dental surgeon refer you to LCIAD?

When your dental surgeon refers you to LCIAD, it is normally because you have a problem that is not easily resolved with conventional dentistry. Perhaps there is a lot going on. Multiple infections, broken teeth, lost bone, poor gum condition, collapsed bite, jaw joint problems, pain, inability to chew, poor appearance, failing previous work, broken implants, complicating medical condition. Or any combination of these things. And more.

The have given us a great responsibility to ensure that everything is done correctly. We are tasked with repairing nature. Therefore, we need to undertake a great deal of planning to ensure that every step of treatment is planned and predictable, and every problem is resolved. To plan well we need information.

Why is our consultation process so special?

When we say New Patient Consultation, we don’t mean just a 30 minute chat and cursory examination. We mean really getting to know you.  Our New Patient Consultation is a 90 minute information collection process. It is preceeded and followed by3 or more hours of our undivided attention. This includes pre-consultation homework before you even attend. It also includes post-appointment analysis, diagnosis, report writing, accurate and realistic costing and communication in our own private time.

We truly believe at LCIAD we carry out the most comprehensive dental consultation there is.This commences even before a first appointment. It starts with your referral from your referring dental surgeon and your completed Medical and Dental Questionnaire. Our homework starts before you even attend.

At your 90 minute New Patient Consultation, we would like to get to know you. To understand what is most important to you and your approach to dental care. We then systematically examine you and take necessary x-rays and photographs and video. We take our time because this is the survey before the architect’s plans before the building. Everything we will report on and every item of advice we give you and every step of your treatment plan will depend on our discussions and information collected at this first New Patient Consultation.

Over the years we have honed this process to ensure that we detect every possible problem that may affect you and give you options for management that fit in with your wishes. Our patients don’t like surprises. It is our duty to inform them and educate them about their dental and oral health and we really do take this very seriously.

Peace of mind

It is in our nature to care about you and respect you as an individual and we proud of the long-term results we achieve with our approach. Our aim is therefore to inform and advise you to the highest possible standard in our profession. Our objective is to educate you to maintain the best dental health and give you true peace of mind for the future.

To experience the LCIAD approach, please contact us.

Introducing SCULPT – the new home learning composite resin masterclass for all levels

Dr. Shiraz Khan, along with his dental student colleague Curran Patel, has formulated a revolutionary training system and pathway for dentists, dental students and therapists to practice their manual composite skills at home.

What has been created?

SCULPT – Practice Makes Permanent

Using 3-D scanning and printing technology, accurate replicate models of teeth have been created with pre-made cavities in the replica teeth. This is sent to registered delegates along with a training pack for a live hands-on training session once monthly. For less than a coffee a day, delegates can tune in for a live session with Shiraz, our resident aesthetic dental surgeon at LCIAD, for mastering posterior composites wherever they may be.

‘This pack has been created to be affordable and accessible to the entire dental profession, including students’, says Shiraz.

Feedback from colleagues has been very encouraging, with comments from the dental profession such as: “exciting innovation”, “a dedication to education in dentistry” and “an intelligent idea”.

The inception of this idea was bought about by the change in circumstances resulting from the COVID pandemic preventing face to face teaching. As many will know, Shiraz is an internationally recognized and respected lecturer and has a keen interest in aesthetic restorative dentistry. A common lecturing topic/subject is the use of composite resin to restore teeth to their ideal form and anatomy. Using the SCULPT platform, Shiraz will now be able to extend training to all parts of the dental profession worldwide, with current delegates being based in the UK, several European countries and Canada.

The kit includes a model of each quadrant, a light curing handpiece, 3 hand instruments and a composite syringe. This really allows for everything to be contained within a single box, with updates in materials, instruments and composite resin shades being sent to delegates bi-monthly to quarterly. The delegates will then tune in live for a session using videoconferencing, where Shiraz will have an optimised, dedicated AV setup for hands-on teaching. This has been beta-tested on several courses already and has been received incredibly well.

We are most proud of the fact that this is really a revolution that has not been piloted or undertaken before. Shiraz and Curran have really broken the mould with this thrilling new approach and are market leaders in providing hands-on dental education in the comfort of your own home.

We are excited to be part of such a project and look forward to the progress of this fantastic initiative.

Halitosis  

Halitosis (bad breath) is a common complaint amongst patients. There are many possible causes of bad breath, ranging from dehydration, dietary choices, mouth-drying medication, chest infections or acid reflux.  However, around 90% of cases are due to poor oral hygiene, periodontal (gum) disease, coating on the tongue, food stuck between teeth, unclean dentures, faulty dental work or throat infections. During lockdown, many patients have neglected going to the hygienist. Those close to them have started commenting on their less-than-ideal oral odour that has developed that no amount of mouthwash can mask or eliminate.  

Seeing your dentist and hygienist regularly is the most important factor in correctly diagnosing the cause of the problem. 

Dental bacterial plaque 

The leading cause of bad breath is poor oral hygiene. If we do not brush and floss our teeth thoroughly, including in between the teeth, then this leaves behind a sticky layer we call dental plaque. This plaque is the accumulation of bacteria held together with saliva, fluid, food deposits sticky chemicals produced by the bacteria themselves.  The levels of bacteria grow throughout the day, and over a prolonged period of time there can be as many as 600 different types of bacteria present in the oral cavity. Bacteria also produce pungent chemicals called volatile sulphur compounds (VSC’s) that are detectable as halitosis. Plaque grows at the gumline of the teeth but can extend over the whole tooth and extend under the gumline causing gum disease and deep pockets that harbour even more bacteria.  

Your mouth is at a continuous temperature of 35-37 degrees which allows plaque to grow rapidly. In fact, bacterial plaque starts to become visible after 12 hours, which is why we brush our teeth twice daily. By brushing every 12 hours, you are breaking that cycle of bacteria growing and building itself into a developed layer of plaque. 

Plaque that is left then mineralises into calculus (tartar) that has a rough and porous surface that harbours and encourages the growth of even more bacterial plaque volume. 

Thorough professional cleaning to remove these deposits from above and below the gum very regularly (we advise 4 times a year) is the single simplest way to avoid gum disease and to prevent plaque maturing into sufficient volume that can cause detectable bad breath. 

We will also help you develop and hone your personal home care to ensure that your teeth and gums remain healthy between visits. 

Hydration and tongue coatings

Hydration and drinking enough plain water throughout the day is important. Having a dry mouth means having less saliva which is important to dilute chemicals that cause bad breath and to neutralise the pH levels in our mouth. Having a dry mouth can also lead to a white coating on the tongue, which can also contribute to halitosis. If you notice that you have a white coating on your tongue, ensure you are drinking enough water, not just tea and coffee! Ideally adults should be consuming around 6-8 glasses of fluids a day.  

If you have a good fluid intake but you still have a white coating on your tongue, then you may want to invest in a tongue scraper to remove it. Tongue scrapers can be found in large chemists and online.  

If you are worried about halitosis, the most important thing you can do is to book an appointment with your dentist or hygienist, who will provide a personalised and tailored oral hygiene routine, to eliminate the cause, and get rid of halitosis.  

Deteriorating dental work 

Leaking dental work or older dentures also provide surfaces and nooks and crannies for bacteria to collect. If you have tried all of the above it may be that your dental work may need investigating or your dentures require professional cleaning and disinfection. We can also arrange this for you. 

Whilst there are other causes of halitosis including chest infections or gastric problems, it is best to eliminate all possible dental causes first with your hygienist.  

Come and let us treat and prevent bad breath before your partner, friends or colleagues have to tell you!