Smile Awards 2010

I am delighted to announce that I was "Highly commended" in the Orthodontic Smile category at this year's Smile Awards on Saturday.

The Smile Awards reward clinical excellence in dentistry and require submission of a case report of a treated patient. I entered two categories, the Orthodontic Smile and the Interdisciplinary Smile and was shortlisted for both. The awards were held at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensingtn, London and were judged by a panel of well known dentists, chaired by Christopher Orr. The high standard of entries was praised and the competition was certainly very tough.

For the Interdisciplinary Smile I entered a complex case, a lady who I treated in combination with general dentist Jack Cooke (my husband). She had orthodontic treatment to straighten her teeth followed by veneers on the upper front teeth to complete her smile.

My highly commended entry was a teenager treated with a functional brace and followed by fixed braces, managing to avoid extractions and giving her a beautiful smile, something the judges obviously recognised. I lost out to a friend and colleague who is an excellent consultant orthodontist, well done John Scholey.

It was amazing to see the standard of entries and amazing smiles created in all categories. It was great to be a part of something which recognises great treatment and also lovely to see my friend James Hamill win a prize. We had a great night, though recovery was not helped by the clocks going forward an hour!

The certificate will be going on display in the porch at the practice.

Modern Orthodontics

What is "modern" orthodontics?

Its a question I've been pondering as it's a term I sometimes use without really knowing what it means. I'm also putting together a talk for our open evening on Thursday and I want to get across what can be achieved with modern treatment.

Is "modern" the last 10 years, the last 30 years, or the last 50 years?

I suppose it can be any of those, and if you look at any 10 year period you can see the changes that have taken place in orthodontics. Orthodontic treatment is much older than you might think, the "father of modern orthodontics" is considered to be Edward Angle who was prominent around about 1900!

For me "modern orthodontics" means the difference between treatment when I was a teenager in the 1980's and now. When I was a teenager few of my peers had braces, and these were generally removable 'plates', fixed braces were relatively uncommon. Braces for adults was an unusual sight. Now fixed braces are more popular, thanks to advances in technology and techniques and the growing awareness of dental health and appearance. There is a wide range of brace types, including tooth-coloured braces, braces hidden behind the teeth, and clear removable aligner braces like Invisalign. Many of these techiniques are not actually new, just easier to use as demand has increased and technology has progressed.

There's a growing trend away from extractions to make space. This is not new either, the extraction debate is as old as Angle himself and will phase in and out depending on current trends and research. Currently the newer methods of creating space are gaining vogue, but in the future these might be shown to have problems of their own and extractions will rise again.

What it all means is that as orthodontists we need to keep abreast of current research and trends. For our patients it means more choice and that there is probably a solution that will suit you.

National Orthodontic Week

Look out for lots of news about orthodontics next week as the first National Orthodontic Week is celebrated. The idea is to raise awareness of orthodontics and what it involves.

At Wetherby Orthodontics we are holding a full day event. During the day on Thursday 25th March there is the opportunity for a free initial assessment for either adults or children (only a few spaces left!). In the evening from 5.30-7.30 we are holding an open evening where you can come and see the practice, meet the team and find out more about orthodontics. I will be giving a 10-minute talk at 6pm and 7pm. We are holding a free draw all week to win an iPod Touch, open to any visitors to Wetherby Orthodontics during the week and it will be drawn at the open evening. (if you're not booked in for an appointment feel free to call in to take part).

If you would like a free assessment or to attend the open evening please call us on 01937 580510.

What do you do when your teeth are worn down and you want to improve your smile?

This gentleman had exactly that problem. The usual solution was fairly complex dental work including rebuilding the height of the teeth with crowns.

I was contacted by the dentist (Kostas Papadopoulis in Harrogate) who tackled this major rebuild as the crooked lower teeth were complicating the solution. The most crooked tooth was removed and I fitted a fixed brace to straighten the rest and also to make a bit of space for the new crowns.

This is one of an increasing number of cases I am treating where either braces or crowns on their own would compromise the result and a combination treatment is needed. It took about 10 months of orthdontics. Kostas has almost finished the treatment, I understand that the current crowns are not the final ones, but the result is amazing and the patient is getting used to having a full smile again. (These photos are reproduced with permission of the patient)

Its the little things that count

My daughter turned 11 yesterday and her request was to go for a chinese meal. Our favourite place is Sweet Basil near York, and we always have a lovely meal there, plus the staff are friendly and the customer service is always good.

As we arrived they greeted my daughter by name and wished her a happy birthday, and tied a birthday balloon to her chair. They brought a special starter, compliments of the chef, for us all. Once our main course was finished they brought her a pudding (scoop of ice cream with chocolate sauce) complete with a sparkler and candle and played happy birthday (to which the rest of the staff and customers joined in!). They even took a photo of her with the cake, printed it, and presented it with a card.

Some lovely touches which made her feel very special. I'm sure not many restaurants go to this extent but it really is a simple thing which can make a big difference (and will envcourage us to go back).

Its made me think about the little ways I can make my patients feel special, I have a few ideas which I hope to bring to the practice soon.