Virgin London Marathon 2011

I'm not entirely sure where to start on this blog. Its been a long journey including recovering from a running injury a year ago which put me out of running for several months. I've trained through snow and ice and wind, and finally sun and warmth. I've avoided lurgy and falling ill or injured. So on Sunday April 17th 2011 I found myself on the start line at the Virgin London Marathon for my first marathon.

Running with me was Chris Barrow, a dental business coach I have known for some years. He's a veteran of 14 previous marathons and we'd talked each other into running this year over a bottle of wine! Also with us was his son Josh running his first marathon. I have to admit to being nervous about running with other people in a race, most of my training has been done solo, but we made a pact to stick together.

I've got so much I could say about this race. Overall it was just amazing, I had a fantastic day. To me it didn't feel as far as I thought it would nor as difficult as I expected, perhaps because I have trained well. Running with others was great to keep pointing out the landmarks and the mile markers. We all suffered tough sections, Chris more than me and Josh, and focusing on bringing him through that meant I stopped worrying about my own running. Seeing my family at several points around the course was a real boost and the last few miles with spectators cheering and shouting was fantastic. I ran almost all the way, and every step of the last 6 miles to finish in 5 hours 34 minutes with the biggest grin on my face, and I almost kissed the lady who gave me my medal!

I can honestly say that I really enjoyed it, and far more than I thought I would. It was wonderful to share the experience and to relive it with Chris and Josh afterwards, my thanks to them for keeping me company. I am so proud of my medal and it has been hanging next to my dental chair this week. Apart from one blister and slightly achy legs I feel pretty good and am still buzzing with the excitement several days later!

This is not the end of my running career and at some point I will be back in London to run the race again. If you have any thoughts of running in London Marathon I'd really recommend it, although tiring and time consuming the training is really worth it. I know I shall be entering the ballot for next year when it opens next Tuesday.

I have already raised about £1500 for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and have just £500 more to reach my target of £2000. If you'd like to donate please visit my fundraising page. 

The photo above was taken by Rich Kennington at about mile 22, many thanks to him for capturing the flavour of the day so well in his pictures.

Orthodontic Tourism

You've probably heard of dental tourism, going overseas to have complex dental treatment done because it's cheaper and it can be combined with a holiday. Whilst it seems like a good idea you have to consider who will maintain your dental treatment and what would happen if you had any problems. It is difficult enough to assess the competence of a dentist but even more so if you are unable to visit the clinic in advance or talk to other clients.

Today I had a call from a patient with a request I am hearing more and more frequently, and I know my colleagues are too; "If I have my braces fitted abroad will you monitor and adjust them for me?" In this case the patient wanted to go to Poland to have the braces fitted then have me adjust them.

Orthodontics is a complex treatment and ideally should be carried out by a specialist or someone who has had additional training and experience. Each orthodontist may approach the same case in very different ways, for example some may extract teeth and some may not. There are many different treatment systems out there (brackets, wires, ways of moving teeth) which may require a different skill-set. The most important part of the treatment is the planning stage, so wherever possible treatment should be planned and carried out by the same person (or at least supervised by the same person or in the same clinic).  Therefore, if someone is hoping to save money by having braces fitted elsewhere then I am not willing to treat them, the treatment should be carried through from start to finish at the same place.

Of course, occasionally people do move or emigrate part-way through their treatment, I've had patients who have moved to Australia and Northern Ireland. In these cases the treatment should be formally transferred to a new orthodontist. I always send a letter detailing the treatment plan and the progress in treatment so far together with copies of x-rays, study models and photographs. I'd expect the same if patients transfer to me, in fact I have taken on patients from Brazil and London and successfully completed treatment. I'd also see someone who might be temporarily in the area if they have a problem during treatment, but usually only to make the brace safe so as not to interfere with a colleague's treatment.

So please don't consider "orthodontic tourism". By all means get more than one opinion if you have several orthodontists in your area, realising you may well get different treatment plans and different costs, and be prepared to consider ALL the factors, not just the financial cost of treatment. Remember your treatment will take many months and require regular visits and you will need to have a good rapport with your orthodontist and their team.