Debora’s blog – some recent staff changes at Ethicare

November 28th, 2011 by admin

Smiling girl

A warm welcome to Joanna and Kosta and sad goodbyes to Alastair and Bineeta

Dear patients,

We would like to inform you of some recent changes at the practice.

One of our hygienists, Alastair, has been offered a dental research position at Glaxo Smith Kline. This is an excellent opportunity for him and we wish him all the best. His replacement from the New Year will be Joanna Nic.

Our late-evening hygiene sessions will move to Tuesday with Saghar seeing patients from 1pm to 9:15pm. Early morning appointments will no longer be available with Saghar but Joanna will be available to see patients from 8:15am on Tuesdays and Fridays.

We have a new Specialist Orthodontist, Dr. Kosta Spathoulas, starting at the practice in January 2012. He has lots of experience in all forms of orthodontics including lingual orthodontic (incognito braces), Invisalign and other types of braces treatment.

The last and saddest news for us is that Bineeta who has been at the practice since we opened in 2008, will be leaving in January 2012. She will be getting married in December and has decided to give up working for now.

I`m sure Bineeta will appreciate any messages of congratulations which we will of course pass along – she will be very hard to replace. We all wish her the very best of good luck for her future and look forward to attending her wedding soon.

Kind Regards,

Debora

Practice Manager, Ethicare

5 healthy early Christmas presents for your teeth

November 25th, 2011 by admin
Gifts

Photo by Wysz

Discounted cosmetic dentistry, electric toothbrushes and the world’s best toothpaste: some great early Christmas presents that will get your teeth ready for the festive season

Christmas is a challenging time for people who like to look after their teeth. The rich food and mulled wine on offer at office parties and Yuletide family gatherings can leave your teeth with stains which can prove a little hard to shift once the New Year starts.

So why not give your teeth a treat before the season gets into its full swing and make sure that your smile looks great as 2012 arrives?

Here are some suggestions of some fantastic dental products and offers you can pick up as you do your Christmas shopping.

1. Cosmetic dentistry at reduced prices

If you want your teeth to look as sparkling as the fairy lights on the Christmas tree, then bear in mind that the Christmas sales have started early at Putney dentist Ethicare.

The practice is offering expert cosmetic treatment at reduced prices before Christmas, including:

• £200 off Invisalign Treatment
• £100 off Inman Aligner Treatment
• £50 off home whitening treatment
• A free full check-up
• Botox treatment for £250 in three areas, £220 for 2 areas and £180 in one area

Invisalign treatment will be particularly appealing to those who wish to re-align their teeth without wearing braces which are noticeable as Invisalign Braces are clear and discreet. It is hard to spot someone who has braces made by Invisalign. London really is the place to go for reduced offers such as these.

2. An electric toothbrush

If you haven’t got an electric toothbrush already then now really is the time to brush up on what’s available and invest in one. Plump for a model with a removable rather than a fixed head. Doing this allows the head to be replaced when the bristles start to turn outwards and means the brush doesn’t have to be binned when this happens.

For those looking to really splash out when they go electric then the Philips Sonicare Toothbrush might appeal. This often retails at £200 but with features like a ‘massage setting’ it has proved popular.

At the other end of the price scale are electric products such as the Wisdom Deep Clean Micro Power Toothbrush. This has less whistles and bells than the Sonicare but does retail at under £10.

3. The world’s ‘best’ toothpaste

If you are going to upgrade your toothbrush then you might as well upgrade your toothpaste too. Oral-B made a lot of waves in July when they released their Pro Expert Toothpaste and, with great fanfare, trumpeted it as being “the best in the world”.

But there is a catch – expense. At launch, Pro-Expert cost an eye-watering £3.50 for a 75ml tube compared to rival Colgate Total Advanced’s £2.39 100ml tube. Different people require different toothpastes – if in doubt, ask your dentist about which toothpaste is right for you.

4. Sports mouthguards

Mouthguards have certainly been in the news this year with several England rugby players being fined for wearing sponsored ones in the World Cup.

These devices are used to prevent injury in contact sports such as hockey, rugby and football. Wearing one can increase your enjoyment of these occasionally rough-and-tumble sports. It also looks very professional to wear one!

Argos stocks cheap mouthguards such as the Shock Doctor Gel Max for just £14.99. You can also seek a dentist who is willing to take an impression of your teeth in order to create a custom-made mouthguard.

With flavoured mouthguards now arriving on the market there are protective oral devices which suit all tastes!

5. Delicious food and drink

With a little planning there is no reason why you can’t consume tasty food and drink which is healthy for your teeth over the Christmas period. Treat yourself to a Christmas hamper of foods which are good for your oral health and you can approach the festive season with increased confidence.

Researchers suggest that Green tea is good for preventing plaque and decay. Studies suggest that it can also reduce bad breath – a nice thought to know for people who like to kiss under the mistletoe.

On the food front, cheese is something which is fine for your smile. Whether it’s crumbly or hard, cheese can help balance your mouth’s pH and produce saliva; killing the bacteria which lurk around the mouth.

And, to end on another positive note, turkey contains phosphorous which helps create our bones system and makes teeth stronger and healthier by protecting from teeth decay.

Have a great Christmas!

The Largest Teeth in the World

November 23rd, 2011 by glafcos

Teeth are brilliant aren’t they? They outlast ephemeral skin, flesh and even bones by millions of years thanks to their strong enamel. They even survive intense heat and if an animal is unfortunate enough to lose them through injury or illness then its life hangs in the balance – a battle against starvation. For palaeontologists and evolutionary biologists their robustness has been vital in understanding the fossils of animals long dead. Read the rest of this entry »

Sara’s Blog: My first two months at Ethicare

November 18th, 2011 by admin

Smiling girl

Dental assistant Sara Mohammadi looks back on her first two months at Putney dental practice Ethicare

I have been at Ethicare Dental for two months now and have to say that the time has flown by; maybe it’s because the patients and the rest of the team are so lovely here! It is always so good to meet new people and get to know them.

However, it was sad to learn that our head nurse, Bineeta, is leaving her job. Bineeta is getting married and we are so happy for her but hope she knows how much she will be missed.

We are in the process of looking for a new nurse to replace our lovely Bineeta; not an easy task. Read the rest of this entry »

Professional teeth cleaning ‘reduces heart attack risk by 24 per cent’

November 17th, 2011 by admin

Picture by American Heart Association

Can looking after oral health also protect against strokes, diabetes and cancer?

Anyone who thought that the only connection between their heart and their mouth is the phrase “my heart was in my mouth” should think again; new research claims to have established another clear link between oral health and heart health.

This week’s meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida will hear evidence from Taiwanese researchers that suggests that professional tooth scaling – cleaning and scraping – is associated with fewer heart attacks. Read the rest of this entry »

Do the over-45s need extra dental treatment?

November 16th, 2011 by admin
Westminster

Westminster: the scene of a recent debate about the nation’s dental health. Photo by Shining Darkness

A leading dentist has told MPs that patients aged over 45 need more specialist dental treatment than younger patients.

According to dentistry.co.uk, Professor Jimmy Steele, speaking at a Westminster meeting of the all-Parliamentary group for dentistry at the beginning of November (2011), claimed that the over-45s need better-targeted treatment.

This, he said, would best maintain their oral health at a stage of their life when they become more vulnerable to tooth decay and other associated dental issues. Read the rest of this entry »

Invisalign Braces or Fixed Braces: which is best for you?

November 7th, 2011 by admin
Invisalign Braces

[‘Invisalign first tray’ photo by Haley Hughes

How do these two different types of braces score when it comes to factors such as appearance, flexibility and hygiene?

Once upon a time, fixed braces were the only way of straightening and re-aligning your teeth. But the advent of clear removable aligners such as Invisalign has given dental patients another option and a dilemma; which braces should they plump for?

It is always best to speak to your dentist so that you can make an informed decision about whether to opt for fixed braces or Invisalign. Dentist in Putney, Ethicare is always happy to discuss treatment options with patients who are considering investing in Invisalign. Read the rest of this entry »

Teeth-grinding, rugby mouthguards and cigarette machines: November’s dental news round-up

November 1st, 2011 by admin

Brush up on the latest dental news

Good news for electric toothbrush fans and bad news for English rugby players and Leicester 12-year-olds in this October dental news round-up

Bruxism Awareness week

Are you reading this article in the week 24th to 30th October 2011? If so, did you realise that it is Bruxism Awareness Week and do you know what Bruxism is?

Bruxism is the grinding of teeth – a habit often caused by stress and one which can cause more stress as it often damages teeth. Experts like Putney dentist Ethicare can help repair the cracks in the teeth which are associated with bruxism but to try and stop the habit it is best to investigate mouth-guards, night-guards and even hypnosis. Read the rest of this entry »

4 years in the life of a modern London dental practice

November 1st, 2011 by admin

Smiling girl

How has Putney dental practice Ethicare survived and thrived during four years of economic hard times?

When London dental practice Ethicare first opened its doors on January 14th 2008, it was the start of an exciting new year full of promise. It was also, unfortunately, three months before the start of a recession.

I spoke to Dr Glafcos Tombolis, who runs Ethicare with his wife Klaudia, to find out how this Putney dental practice, which offers Invisalign and Inman Aligner treatment in the London area, has flourished despite the credit crunch. What lessons has Glafcos learned as the 4th anniversary of the practice approaches? Read the rest of this entry »

My first two weeks at London dental practice Ethicare

October 26th, 2011 by glafcos

Ethicare’s new dental nurse Sara Mommadi talks about the first two weeks in the job

I have successfully finished my first two weeks as dental practice manager for London dentist Ethicare Dental. I have learned so much already and feel great here. Coming from dental jobs where there was lots of stress and impoliteness to staff, made me almost believe that all jobs are stressful and difficult.

From day one in Ethicare I felt great, important and happy. The team and even patients are great and friendly; we are like a family here and go the extra mile for each other.

Not only have I felt great about my job and colleagues, I also saw a different insight into dentistry. Here I saw different professionals, who are extremely committed to their work, highly skilled and experts, and who truly care for their patients needs. Read the rest of this entry »