Preventative programme

A preventative dental care programme, Smilecare, has been launched.

Above: The Smilecare team: clockwise: John Everett, Ray Cox, George Manolescue Tony Thurling, Mike Steptoe, Jacquie Barker, Natalie Hutchin & Joanne White.

Smilecare allows the dentist to be fully independent and flexible and move effortlessly out of NHS and into private practice. It is easy to administer, charges a minimal annual fee of just £4 per patient and has no hidden insurance charges. Patients do not have to be orally fit to join and dentists are free to set their own charges for basic care (consultations, examinations, scaling and polishing) and additional treatments.

The Smilecare package offers an ongoing and comprehensive support service, including free training, oral hygiene products on a sale or return basis, financial services, equipment and patient loans to help make more expensive treatments affordable.

Reader response number: 051

D&G ensure you're insured!

The Dentists & General Mutual Benefit Society Ltd ( D&G), a provider of income replacement insurance, has opened a New Business Department as part of its on-going expansion.

D&G, based in Birmingham, saw a subscription increase by 11.9 per cent last year with net membership increasing by 8.6 per cent. Its membership has expanded from its original membership of dental surgeons to include most other professions both medical and non-medical.

The New Business Department will be responsible for all member liaison, the issuing of quotations and new business registration as well as the management of D&G's database and its new website.

Reader response number: 053

Chain reaction

Ora Dental Group is a new chain of dental practices created by dentists Dr Julian Perry and Dr Graham Barnby and backed by Kleinwort Benson Development Capital, who arranged a funding package of £9.3million to support the transaction and expansion of the chain.

Ora Dental Group has been formed following the recent acquisition of the corporate body of Sylvanus Jones and Kenneth Smith and two London practices owned by Dr Julian Perry. The aim is to build a chain of practices and specialist dental centres, focussing on high quality private dental care initially in London and the South East. The group is already in negotiations to purchase several practices in London and the surrounding area.

Reader response number: 054

Dental Health Schools Programme

Colgate's new Colgate Dental Health Schools Programme provides valuable educational information. Each new pack contains colourful puzzle books, class prizes, posters and toothpaste which can be used in the many different experiments.

Colgate launched the first schools programme in September 1993, following pilot studies in Scotland, Manchester and Northampton. The aim was to provide a nationwide contribution to dental health education for Key Stage Two pupils within the framework of the National curriculum.

To order your free schools pack please call Colgate on 01483 401 901.

Reader response number: 055

Say 'cheese' with Polaroid Macro!

Dentists can now enjoy a free 10 day trial and practical Polaroid Macro dental camera organised by the dental company Kent Express.

The Polaroid Macro system offers high grade instant colour prints which make professional, commercial and legal sense yet no photographic skill is needed.

Patients also benefit by being 'kept in the picture', as would hospitals and laboratories, and the Polaroid technology ensures the optimum standard of record keeping and accuracy.

Reader response number: 052

Supersonic Sonicare!

The Sonicare plus with grip model has been incorporated into three new packs available exclusively through the dental profession.

New features include:

  • The easy start feature designed to help new users get accustomed to power brushing and automatically increases brushing power in small gentle steps over the first 12 brushings. After this the user will be using Sonicare at its optimal brushing power.

  • The ergonomic handle has been designed to make sonicare easier and more comfortable to hold.

Other features included on all Pro series models are:

  • Quadpacer 30-second interval timer

  • Smartimer 2-minute timer auto shut-off timer.

Three pro series models are now available. The range consists of the Professional trial pack which allows dentists to trial both the compact (medium), and ultra compact (small) brush head.

Reader response number: 055

Flossing made easy

A new flossing product called Interfloss has been launched achieving an 80% approval rating from participants in an independent consumer trial. It also achieved significant plaque reduction compared with manual flossing and has been trialed and approved by The School of Dental Science, at Trinity College, Dublin.

The Interfloss comprises a re-usable long reach handle and disposable flossing heads. It uses high quality, low friction, waxed fibre in the flossing heads which is tensioned to ensure that plaque removal is effective. The design of the handle allows easy reach everywhere in the mouth and helps a wide variety of user groups who find manual flossing cumbersome.

Interfloss retails at £2.50, whilst the refill pack also costs £2.50 and is available from CTS Dental Supplies and Dental Health Boutique. For a free trial pack please call OH products on 00 353 1 890 2209.

Reader response number: 056

Go and wash your mouth out!

New aniseed flavour Chlorhexidine Gluconate Mouthwash by Adams Healthcare offers a fresh new taste to boost patient compliance.

The other two flavours are original and peppermint and they all contain Chlorhexidine Gluconate 0.2% w/v as its active ingredient. It is indicated for the inhibition of dental plaque; treatment and prevention of gingivitis; maintenance of oral hygiene; promotion of healing following surgery and, is useful in the management of denture stomatitis and thrush.

Reader response number: 058

Take a tip from Aquafresh

Aquafresh have launched a national TV campaign to run in the Autumn featuring animated 'Aquafresh Flex Tip' toothbrushes working out in the gym.

This will be followed by a four week burst for 'Aquafresh Active' which focuses on the toothpaste's ability to fight 99% of harmful types of bacteria; help reduce plaque by up to 50% and make gingivae up to 25% healthier than before.

Reader response number: 057

Is it that time again?

Several studies have been conducted into the levels of contamination on toothbrushes and the advice of dentists and scientists is to frequently replace toothbrushes, preferably at least once every three months.

For several years, Oral-B brushes have contained indicator filaments that fade with wear, thus encouraging people to change their brush. Their new toothbrush merchandiser also reinforces the message and boldly states 'Is it time to change your toothbrush?' An alarm clock showing the months of the year with a quarter shaded is also depicted.

Reader response number: 059

Looking pasty!

Nupro, Dentsply's prophylaxis paste, is now available as a variety pack, containing 100 cups in an assortment of four flavours - mint, cherry, grape and bubblegum.

Nupro is a high power cleaning and polishing paste that comes in three different grit sizes to enable the operator to choose that which provides effective cleaning with minimum abrasion of tooth enamel. Every pack also contains Nupro Prophy Grip, an autoclavable prophy paste holder.

Reader response number: 060

Guard your gums!

Over the last 6 years Dentomycin Periodontal gel (2% minocycline) has established itself as a recognised adjunctive treatment for adults with active periodontal disease. Now, Blackwell has a new campaign aimed at dentists.

Recent findings indicate that periodontal disease may precipitate or aggravate health problems elsewhere in the body.

Since 1989 a number of case studies and epidemiological reports have observed a strong relationship between oral infections (including periodontal disease) and cardiovascular disease. Smoking is a known and well-documented risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A study involving the diabetes-prone Pima Indians, among whom smoking is at a very low level, reported that the risk of myocardial infarction was 2.7 times higher in subjects who has periodontal disease than in those who had little or no periodontal infection.

Use of Dentomycin is based upon a three pronged attack. Good oral hygiene, scaling and root planing and then, after the first course of mechanical treatment, in pockets greater than 5mm, three applications of Dentomycin at two-weekly intervals.

Dentomycin contains an effective antibiotic (minocycline) with an ability to eliminate key pathogens and inhibit harmful bacterial collagenases – without affecting re-generation of gingival tissue.

Reader response number: 061