Please give us a 5* review

We'd like to improve how easy our website is to find. Apart from being referred by their dentist the internet is the top method potential patients use to find us. You will know how confusing it can be sometimes when you do a search and get confronted with a myriad of results, not all of them relevant.

How can you help? By adding your review to our Google Places Page. Here's how

• Search on Google for "orthodontist wetherby"
• You should see a map with Wetherby Orthodontics highlighted and our details written to the side
  
• Click on "Write a review" and you will be taken to our Places Page
• Click on 5 stars and write your glowing review

You can also click on the title of this blog to be taken straight to our Places Page.

Thank you for helping us spread the word x

How do you make braces disappear?

Easy, you put them on the back of the teeth!

You may not have heard of lingual braces (lingual = tongue, so they are on the tongue side of the teeth), by their very nature they are invisible so you can't see them, which makes it difficult as orthodontists to promote them!

On Saturday I attended the British Lingual Orthodontic Society (BLOS) annual meeting. As you might expect for something so specialist it is a pretty small group, but the doubling of membership over the last 12 months shows how this type of treatment is growing in popularity. Did you know that 18% of adults believe they'd benefit from straightening their teeth, but 72% are unaware of lingual braces (BLOS Ipsos Mori Survey)?

I was particularly pleased to hear of how many people are now using Incognito lingual braces, as I have recently started using this system, having used two other lingual systems before. It is completely customised for each patient making it easier for us orthodontists to use, more comfortable for you to wear, and giving really great results, as good as I would expect with conventional braces. Having fitted Incognito on a few patients now I am delighted with it and so are my patients who are already getting the benefit of having straighter teeth.

I was also honoured to give a "Clinical Pearl", sharing a tip with my colleagues that can make treatment easier. Lingual braces are certainly challenging to use and the learning curve is steep, for that reason I'd recommend you only see a specialist orthodontist if you are considering lingual treatment.

I came away from the meeting inspired and I'm keen to bring this type of treatment to more people.

If you'd like to find out more visit the websites in the links above, visit our website or call us to book an appointment for an assessment.

Hide your braces, not your smile!

Dear Coalition Government...

I'd like to make a suggestion about saving money and a Quango you can abolish; The Care Quality Commission (CQC).

I looked through the 274 page document last night. You'd like to make sure that our patients are well looked after, well informed and have a say in their care; that our staff ar suitably qualified; that we act professionally, monitor our standards and have a complaints service. Doesn't the General Dental Council already do this?

You'd like to make sure our premises are safe, clean and our eqipments is up to date. Its all part of running a business and a dental practice and we already adhere to the HSE and myriad other regulations.

Why does it take 274 pages to tell us this? Why do we need another body to be accountable to? Is simply filling in a form really going to make a difference to patient care? How will a bit of paperwork help those practices who don't or can't comply?

You still can't tell us how much it will cost us to be regulated by the CQC, a body which also oversees hospitals and social care. (Perhaps I should refer them to their own Outcome 3, about informing patients of fees in advance!)

Please can you stop heaping more and more regulation on us dentists (and presumably many other professions) and leave us to concentrate on what we do best, treating patients?

Visit Our New Website

I'm delighted to announce that the new Wetherby Orthodontics website is now live! We've had a re-vamp to make it a bit more modern and the main thing you will notice is the colour scheme (though if you've been following this blog you may have noticed the new colour scheme started here). It should be easier to navigate with the menu and sub-menus along the top and there is more space for before/after pictures and a dedicated page for testimonials.

Visit the site at www.wetherbyortho.co.uk and view our introductory video. You can now follow us on Twitter or Facebook to hear up to date information and opinion and find out about special offers. Either follow the link from the home page or search for @wetherbyortho.

If you want to get in touch you can simply send us your phone number using the callback box on any page or fill in the form on the contacts page. We will get back to you the same day if possible, or the next working day.

We hope you like it! Many thanks to Richard and Remi at Appware who designed and built the site.

Beautiful Braces

These are Incognito lingual braces, made of beautiful gold alloy. They are highly customised to make them fit near the teeth for comfort and certainly the patients I have fitted them on so far have found them fairly comfortable. The customisation also means the results should be excellent.

Patients love them because you can't see them as they are hidden on the back of the teeth, unless you do a Myleen Klass pose (see previous blog post)!

I think they are beautiful (but then I'm an orthodontist and we're all a bit odd like that!), its such a shame they are hidden on the back of the teeth.

Be like a celebrity!

This Morning presenter Myleen Klass recently revealed she wears lingual braces, fitted to the back of her teeth rather than the front. They look like Incognito braces which are highly customised for comfort and an excellent result.

The problem with invisible braces is that you probably aren't aware they exist. Great for the wearer but promoting something invisible is quite tricky!

At Wetherby Orthodontics I have been using invisible braces for several years. They're not just for celebrities, I have fitted them on teachers, lawyers, and anyone else who doesn't want to show the world their braces. Of course, you might want to show them off like Myleen!

Incognito is our newest system and will be fitted on our first two patients next week. If you are interested please give us a call to find out more.

Making us Smile

Thank you very much to Lucy, whose treatment was completed this week. She wrote some lovely comments about how easy her treatment was and how happy she is with the result. Her final sentence just made us smile; "It was brilliant, fabulous, fantastic, great, pleasing, easy, whoop de doop!"

A date for your diary

You are invited to attend the Must-Have Makeover Event in Wetherby on Tuesday 20th July.

Between 12pm and 2pm there will be a variety of local beauty and healthcare providers in the Town Hall for you to meet and chat with. Many have special offers and all will be able to help you with your queries, whether it is about orthodontics, dentistry, hairdressing, fashion, beauty or cosmetic surgery.

Megan and Carly will be there to discuss all aspects of orthodontic treatment and will be especially featuring the invisible options of Invisalign and Incognito, plus an exclusive discount on Invisalign treatment.

Best of all, the whole event is free! See you there!

You can visit the website for more information

You can follow the event on Twitter

Find it on Facebook

And on YouTube

Six Month Smiles?

I've noticed a recent trend in new treatments that promise straight teeth in less time than traditional braces, in six months or even as little as six weeks. These treatments are being promoted to general dentists as a simple way of helping their patients. They are also being promoted as a brand, direct to patients. They are not marketing to specialist orthodontists, who you might think would be the ideal market.

I have a few concerns over whether branded short treatments (such as Inman or Six Month Smile) are the right thing for patients in the long term.

The appearance of the braces is often not very aesthetic, can be quite bulky and difficult to wear, and one make used a type of clear bracket material that is considered outdated and inferior (composite rather than ceramic). In a short space of time a tooth position can be dramatically improved, but for most cases it would still not be ideally positioned in such a short space of time.

There is natural limit on how fast a tooth can move, and I would like to see reasearch as to whether faster movement is detrimental to the tooth, and whether the teeth are more likely to relapse.

My main concern is that dentists who are inexperienced in orthodontics are being told this is an ideal solution for their patients, that it is easy to do and their patients don't need traditional orthodontics. There's a reason that I did three years dedicated orthodontic training and making orthodontics seem easy devalues the many orthodontic specialists. Yes, fitting braces, changing wires, instructing patients is fairly easy to learn, but seeing the whole picture, understanding possible side effects and being able to correct errors is something that takes training and experience. I know from using Invisalign that there is a learning curve with every new appliance and now I understand its limitations I can recommend it with confidence to the right patients.

So if you are considering orthodontic treatment to improve your smile be sure your dentist or orthodontist explains the pros and cons of the treatment, and find out what the alternatives are. I offer a wide range of brace types, varying in speed, cost and aesthetics so for most patients there is an option to suit them.

Can I provide straight teeth in six months? In a few cases, probably.
Can I promise straight teeth in six weeks? No, not to the standard that I would be happy with.
Can I offer the best treatment type for you? Yes!

Apple iPad

We've got a new gadget to use in the surgery (I have to confess to being a gadget-lover).

The Apple iPad.

Its very lovely and is drawing lots of admiring glances from patients (as well as from my friends and colleagues)

You might wonder how we use it. I am putting my demo photographs and treated cases on it so I can show new patients a wider variety of pictures than the ones I currently have in my photo folder. The photos look fab on the big screen and using an app called 'Photo-Sort' I can organise them into folders and sub-folders with custom labels and in the order I want them (the Apple photo app won't do this). Of course we always ask our patients permission to use their photos inside or outside the surgery.

I also like 'Pocket Pond' and 'Colorful Aquarium' to put on the screen to display the iPad when I'm not using it. Plus I'm using 'Numbers' to easily calculate payment plans.

I can think of several improvements Apple need to make, but generally a lot of them can be achieved using the appropriate app, I'm sure we will find more in-surgery uses for the iPad as time goes on. If you'd like to see it when you visit please ask!

Come on England!

How do you show your support for your World Cup football team? How about wearing the colours on your braces like this young patient?

Beautiful!

Meet Hannah and Katie.

These sisters have both had orthodontic treatment here at Wetherby Orthodontics. Aren't they beautiful?

FREE CONSULTATIONS

FREE CONSULTATIONS *LIMITED SLOTS AVAILABLE*
To celebrate our latest advertisement in Excelle magazine (the full page ad at the front) we are offering a FREE initial consultation to anyone (adults of children) who brings the advert with them over the next two weeks.
Perhaps you've always fancied improving your teeth but have no idea what it would involve? Perhaps you'd like to find out more about Invisalign invisible braces? Perhaps you'd like us to assess your child's suitability for braces?
We have a limited number of slots available to fill from Monday 24th May to Wednesday 2nd June, so that includes half term. Once we're full that's it! Call us today on 01937 580510 to book an appointment.

Families

Its amazing how often orthodontics can become a family affair.

This week I have completed treatment for the second brother in a family of three, and hope to see the youngest brother soon. I've treated quite a lot of siblings, sometimes at the same time, sometimes separate. I have also treated three sets of identical twins so far, perhaps unsurprisingly with almost identical treatment!

Sometimes the family dynamics are a bit different. Hannah was one of the first patients I treated at Wetherby Orthodontics. Last year I completed treatment for her mum. This week I started treatment for her brother Tom. We're just wondering if dad needs any treatment then we can have a full set!

I am always very pleased when parents bring younger siblings for treatment as it is a great compliment to be trusted with the whole family. To make it a bit easier for parents we do offer a "sibling discount" of 10% for concurrent treatments or 5% for subsequent treatments.

Loyalty

Introducing our new loyalty card for oral hygiene products. Every item you buy will get you a stamp. Fill your card with 6 stamps and your next toothbrush is FREE! Don't forget to ask for a card next time you visit.

We stock Fresh'n'Go travel brushes, Interbrace brushes, Swirl mouthwash, Retainer Brite, retainer storage boxes, wax and other comfort products.

Choices

So the General Election is here and we need to make a choice as to how to vote. Personally I am struggling to decide where to put my cross when I get into the little booth.

Labour have been in power for a while and I feel that change is needed. However I can remember the Thatcher years and how glad we all were to get rid of the last Conservative government. But could the Liberal Democrats run a government with no experience behind them? We have only one other candidate in my constituency (UKIP).

I've had a little look around to see what the main parties are promising on dentistry. It doesn't feature very highly in the manifestos and I had to do a bit of searching to find anything!

Labour are full of what they have already done and how they're going to continue to provide more funding for more NHS dentists. Tony Blair's original promise of an NHS dentist for everyone never happened, in fact the reforms they introduced pushed more and more dentists towards private practice, and meant that although I would have taken an NHS orthodontic contract there was not one available for my young practice.

The Conservatives are, predictably, lamenting Labour's "terrible dental legacy". They want to make all new dentists work for the NHS for five years. They want to increase preventative dentistry and cut the rise in dental extractions, and introduce another new dental contract (the current one is only four years old). Dentists have not forgotten that the Conservative change in dental contracts was the trigger for the first wave of dentists leaving the NHS in 1989 (I hope that date is right).

All I can find for the Liberal Democrats is a short line promising reform of NHS dental contracts and incentives for dentists to carry out preventative work.

There are already pilots for new contracts as it has been patently clear that the system introduced in 2006 is flawed, in fact most dentists said that at the time but we didn't get a choice! Depending on the outcome of the election these could be stopped immediately!

What is clear is that NHS dentistry is in trouble. Less dentists, less funding, more bureaucracy, more paperwork. Which is why many dentists have chosen, or been forced, to expand their private practice and leave or reduce their NHS commitment. Whichever government we get will have an uphill struggle to correct the problems. They need to recognise that the dental landscape has changed and a system of free for everyone, easily accessible dentistry will never exist again.

Volcanic Ash

Even dentistry is being affected by the volcanic ash from the eruption underneath the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland.

My first thought was that apart from a few patients stuck abroad we would be relatively unaffected, as none of our staff have been overseas. Yesterday we had two things that made me think differently. A supplier has told us that an item we ordered is not available as it has to come from overseas, thankfully it's not urgent and we can use something alternative. Then Invisalign emailed us, they ship their aligners from the USA by air, so anyone waiting for new aligners will have to wait a little longer.

I guess the longer the air disruption goes on (and though there is a re-opening of air-space today the disruption could last a long time, especially if the volcano continues to erupt) the more things will be affected. A lot of dental and orthodontic supplies are manufactured in America. Its too easy to take things for granted without really thinking about how things get here.

Mind the Gap?

You might have noticed the Rimmel lipstick ads featuring Georgia Jagger. So have a lot of other people, but perhaps for the wrong reason. I came across a Facebook page with over 200,000 fans titled "Get the london look...na your alright sort your teeth out" (sic). What struck me, apart from the bad grammar and spelling of the title, was that so many people would bother to join such a group!

She really hasn't got bad teeth apart from a gap and that they look rather prominent. I think its pronounced because she's modelling very stark red lipstick with pale makeup and has quite large lips. Some of the comments are rather vitriolic, perhaps she likes her gap?

What it does show is that your teeth can have quite a big impact on your appearance, even one small gap. I've treated several patients with a similar problem, its pretty simple to close the gap, can be done with braces that hardly show, and can make a big difference to your appearance.

In the meantime, why don't you become one of OUR fans, visit our Facebook page by clicking here.

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.

Looks can be deceiving

I've just come back from a week skiing. This year we were somewhere a bit different, not one of the mega-resorts in the Alps but a small French resort in the Massif Central (west of Lyon). There were very few options for lunch and drinks, the first few days we opted for a small, new-looking chalet near the main lift stations. Good value compared to the Alps, and the food was good. But, disappointingly one day we waited ages to order, the drinks did not arrive, the food was slow, and the Plat du Jour that finally did arrive was very different to what we had ordered!

On the last day we lunched at a self-service cafe that looked a bit grubby, and had previously been rejected as an place for lunch. What a shame, as the service was good, the food very tasty, and the proprieter even joked with us (in French).

I do wish the French would insist on higher toilet standards though, a wooden hut at the top of the mountain with a door that doesn't shut (looking out onto the piste!) is not really my idea of great facilities!

Moo

These arrived in the post this morning in a cute little box. Mini-cards from Moo.com. Very easy to make and order, especially when I remember how long it took to make my original business cards (ages and ages!).

I decided to update my business cards and make use of the new staff photos. I'm rather pleased with them and I'm going to order some more with different images on.

First Impressions Count

The recently published Oral-B Smile Report shows just how much a person's smile can affect your first impressions.

Two groups of people were shown the same picture of a woman apart from one had clean teeth and one had stained teeth. They were asked the same questions and the results are certainly eye-opening.

The report reveals that bad teeth can age you by 13 years and 82% will think you earn more if you have healthy teeth. Men also rated a "gorgeous smile" over a "great figure", but 40% of men thought the woman with bad teeth must be single!

Although you may not realise it, people make judgements about you based on your appearance, and this report shows how much the teeth and smile can affect those judgements. Don't let your smile let you down, go and visit your dentist or orthodontist and change it!

I couldn't resist

I couldn't resist the opportunity for a shameless plug to the practice! There's some brilliant versions of this poster, make your own at http://bit.ly/7b4vAk or have a look at some that have already been done http://mydavidcameron.com/

The End of the Recession

I'm sure we'll all be pleased to hear the news that the recession is officially ended.

My knowledge of economics is pretty limited and once past the basic news I get a bit perplexed and tend to switch off! I do know that with all the doom and gloom in the media at this time last year my diary was noticeably quieter than usual for January. Chatting to colleagues and patients in other lines of work a lot of people noticed the same, less work around for the first part of 2009.

Generally this seems to have improved a lot in the later parts of 2009, Wetherby Orthodontics included.

I do wonder just how much of the recession was "created", the media saying how awful it was going to be and people holding back on spending "just in case". That's not to take away from people who have lost jobs, homes or businesses, as I'm sure for some people it's been awful, and I do have friends who have lost their jobs.

Hopefully the same will be true, now the media say everything is fine then spending will return and businesses will start to prosper again. I visited the White Rose shopping centre in Leeds on Saturday, very little sign of recession there, lots of people and lots of spending going on!

Have a happy and prosperous 2010 everyone.

New photos coming soon...

Last night the photographer came to the practice to update our staff photos. Those of you who've been to see me recently know that my hairstyle is rather different than the one on the website and that the nursing staff have changed. So new photos of me with Carly and Faz, and of me on my own. Hope they'll be available soon and we can update the website.

I can't guarantee I won't change my hairstyle though...

Smile Awards 2010

We're on the shortlist!

I entered two catergories and have been shortlisted in both which is brilliant. The Orthodontic Smile with a case treated using twinblocks and fixed braces (if you don't know what these are there are explanations on our main website) which meant that extractions were avoided. The Interdisciplinary Smile was jointly entered with Jack Cooke, with a case we have treated together, using braces to improve tooth position and then veneers to really finish off and complete the case. Its a case we're both really proud of and I'm so glad its been shortlisted.

Once I've informed the patients I'll post some photos.

So, a trip to the Big Smoke beckons for the awards ceremony at the end of March. This will be the fourth I've attended, I'm hoping its my time for a win soon.

Snow

This is the view of our car park from the practice this morning (about 10.30am). Its been snowing since the early hours and still hasn't stopped. Although it's not the first snow we've had this fall has affected the roads the worst, as most of the rest of the snow has been over the Christmas holidays when it's generally quieter anyway.

Four staff haven't made it in, and I've only seen two patients so far this morning, most have cancelled, and I don't blame them, its not worth risking getting stck anywhere, braces can wait a day or so!

The most exciting thing was two cars getting stuck on the small slope up from the road, after which I put back on my winter gear and shovelled the drive. Not that you can tell now, its all covered up again.

I'm going to be finishing early and walking home.