Latest news
19th August 2011
Parking a Problem?
Many of you will have seen the piece about parking in the centre of town in this week’s Leamington version of The Courier and I have been quite staggered by the reaction it has generated. I believe Augusta Place is an excellent location for our dental centre as we close to the centre of town to allow our patients are able to combine a visit to the dentist with a visit to the shops. One is probably more enjoyable than the other, and I don’t like shopping.
We are reliant on people being able to get into town and we are fortunate because we have on-street parking just outside the door, a street-level car park between Augusta Place and Bedford Street, and a the St Peter’s multi-story car park at the end of the road. However, there have been discussions about the redevelopment of the street level car park, but the recent decision to dramatically increase the parking charges has really caused people to pass comment. In isolation the charges are probably not a barrier to people coming into town, but as a part of “it all adds up”, they just add to the burden.
It will be interesting to see how our little campaign develops but if we can just ease an ever-increasing load on our patients, just a little, then it has been a success.
10th May 2011
Augusta launches safe tooth whitening campaign
Residents of Leamington could become followers of the nation’s most popular cosmetic dental fashion after a town clinic announced its intention to slash tooth whitening prices every Wednesday by almost a third.
‘Whitening Wednesdays’ was launched this week by the Augusta Dental Centre in Augusta Place. Fuelled by public interest in makeover programmes that focus on tooth whitening as a quick and inexpensive way to dramatically improve someone’s appearance and give them a bright white smile, the Augusta promotion aims to prevent people attempting home whitening that could cause them serious damage.
In a recent survey carried out on behalf of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry tooth whitening was the most popular cosmetic dental treatment. With research also showing that colour is the most important factor in determining the attractiveness of a smile, it is hardly surprising that some people are attempting to carry out DIY tooth whitening at home.
Roy Dixon, founder of Augusta Dental Centre, has himself taken part in two cosmetic dental treatment make-over’s on ITV’s Make me perfect. He says: “There are safe home tooth whitening products available in the High Street, but because they are restricted by law to a very low strength chemical whitening agent the whitening process is fairly ineffectual. As a result some people are buying rogue products on the internet which often contain high levels of chemicals that can seriously damage teeth, lips and gums.
“It is an unfortunate fact of life that teeth can become yellowed with age or stained from smoking or drinking tea, coffee or red wine. But the safest and most effective method of tooth whitening is one that is carried out by your Dentist. This non invasive treatment, which takes about an hour, can make teeth up to five or six shades lighter – but it can only be carried out by a qualified dental professional. We hope that by reducing the cost of this treatment less people in Leamington will be tempted to try and whiten their own teeth at home.”
1st December 2010
Progress and Changes
We are fast approaching out first anniversary at Augusta Dental Centre and what a fantastic year it has been. However, the pursuit of excellence continues and we are going to introduce a couple of changes.
I am particularly pleased to welcome Dr Sheila Glaze to the practice, who is a trained, general and cosmetic dental surgeon, with over 20 year’s experience, Sheila is expert in the physiology of the head. As a consequence facial aesthetics has been a very natural professional progression. Over a number of years and following extensive training in Harley Street, she has been accredited and has undertaken many procedures including Botox, Restylane Perlane, Sculptra, Isolagen and Chemical Peels.
The second change will see the introduction of the Denplan Scheme to our practice. Denplan is an award winning payment plan specialist; it is a preventive programme, with a special emphasis on prevention through advice, therapy, counselling and regular attendance. Membership covers a range of options and plans, which are listed on our website (www.augustadental.co.uk). Denplan offers numerous advantages but one of the key features is the Supplemental Insurance that includes out of hours cover, 24 hour emergency helpline when away from home and worldwide emergency cover. I should stress that there has not been an increase in the fees and we now have a Membership option that includes the Supplemental Insurance from only £3.69.
As we approach our first anniversary, it would be easy to sit back and reflect on what we have achieved so far. I would rather continue to strive for excellence and look forward to what we can to improve our services. Roll on 2011.
16th November 2010
A Whiter X-Factor
I must confess that I am not a regular follower of the ups and downs of the X-Factor television programme, but I was fascinated to read that as the show enters the final stages, some of the contestants are rushing out to get their teeth whitened. Clearly a white, confident smile is an essential part of the all-important image package, but why is this the case? Image and how you see yourself in front of others is crucial to your self-confidence, which has to be paramount for any performer. You can’t go up on stage and try and hide your smile, as your smile is an essential way of expressing yourself, and how you feel, and you can’t perform without that emotion. At one extreme you have the at least one of the X Factor judges who has had extensive dental work done; the net result is a brilliantly white smile, which looks a bit false. At the other end there are aged rockers who are infamous for their lack of teeth. In between are the rest of us, who want a natural-looking and lovely smile for those all-important first impressions.
Research has shown that colour is the most important factor in determining the attractiveness of a smile. Tooth whitening is a quick, safe, painless procedure that restores the natural colour of the teeth with no structural change to the teeth.
Smile and give yourself your very own X Factor boost.
Useful Websites
http://www.augustadental.co.uk/dental-treatments-warwickshire-dentist/tooth-whitening-leamington-spa-dentistry.html
http://wy10.com/
6th September 2010
Crooked Teeth and Newspapers
It is always interesting when dentistry hits the news, well as a dentist it is sometimes interesting how stories are portrayed. This weekend I had a 'features' article pushed under my nose about using clear braces to straighten crooked teeth and the newspaper made mention of the television series 'Ugly Betty'. I am told that the title partly refers to her ugly metal braces. Orthodontics, which is the movement of teeth to the correct position, has made some tremendous advances over the past few years. As a student, admitedly a little while ago, I only saw one adult patient, but now I am seeing people in their 60s for treatment with clear braces. The more conventional metal braces are still important, but in certain cases we are able to move the teeth using clear braces such as Invisalign, which has even been mentioned in 'Ugly Betty'.
- Invisalign can be used to treat upper and lower arches to close spaces between teeth and to help overcome crowding of the teeth. The key features of Invisalign are:
- Invisible, no-one will know that you are in treatment
- Removable, eating drinking and cleaning don’t present any problems
- Comfortable, no brackets or wires.
- Convenient, shorter and less frequent appointments.
- Teeth remain intact and natural
We do offer a free consultation to assess suitability for treatment with clear braces and answer any questions you may have about the treatment.
The next bit of news was BBC Radio's Chris Evans' newspaper review that included a piece on the importance of good toothbrushing for a healthy body. As we enter 'National Smile Month' we tend to focus on importance of a confident smile, but the start point always has to be a healthy smile.
Keep smiling
19th May 2010
Denture Problems
This week's hot topic seems to be dentures and problems with dentures. The loss of teeth can create all sorts of difficult functional, aesthetic and emotional problems, so it is probably no coincidence the one of the common recurring nightmares is teeth falling out. One of the great driving forces to seek dental treatment is the desire to avoid dentures - teeth in a jar by the bed is the stuff of nightmares for most people. But I gather that there has been an increase in the number of acrylic dentures under the NHS contract.
I am amazed by the resilience of people and how they will struggle on with dentures that don't fit and and don't stay in place. There seems to be a perception that dentures are a thing of the past but it is estimated that by 2038, 6% of the UK population will have no teeth at all, that will be millions of people. People are living longer and whilst at my age this incredibly good news, it does mean that denture wearers will also have complex medical issues.
What does all this mean? Dentures are going to be around for a long time and we going to need to our utmost to help these patients. Fortunately we now have modern techniques such as mini implants which are design to help stabilise and retain dentures at a fraction of of the cost of more conventional implants. More importantly it is a huge leap in the quality of life for the denture-wearer. This week someone told me they had not be able to bite into an apple for over 20 years since they lost their teeth. I can't wait to get started and I will have a Cox's Orange Pippin all lined up.
12th March 2010
Night Shift
It has been an excellent month of progress at Augusta Dental Centre; however, I am not suggesting we need to work all night! Night Shift is a new orthodontic system that means you can straighten your teeth by simply wearing something at night. We are just starting our first cases so it is all jolly exciting and I will let you know how we get on.
It is one of the many treatment options now available to us and there are so many things we can do to improve someone's smile and make them feel better about themslves. It is a great time to be a dentist; we have a nice set-up in Leamington, a great team and I really enjoy going into work each day.
17th February 2010
Now the frost and snow has gone
We have now been open for a couple of months, although the holidays and the weather have had an impact. I am keen to say “now the frost and snow has gone”, but every time I get close it starts to sleet once again. Anyway it has been quite a brisk start; Vickie and Clare have been getting to grips with our clinical protocols, whilst Elaine and Kathy are sorting out all the administration. It is really refreshing to work with such a keen and enthusiastic team.
Even though we have only been open for a short while, we are already expanding and next month Dr Sven Steinborn will be joining us. Sven and I have been chatting away for a few months and he really is a lovely chap who truly believes and supports the practice ethos and vision. He is registered with the General Dental Council as a ‘Specialist in Oral Surgery’, he has also completed his MSc in Periodontology (gum disease), and I am delighted that he will be bringing his considerable skill and experience to Augusta Dental Centre.
In line with our ‘New Year, New Smile’ plans we have reduced the fees for the Wy10 surgery whitening from £450 to £250; similarly home whitening is reduced from £199 to £99, although this is free for everyone on the Privilege Plan scheme. The response to our competition in the Courier has been fantastic and the lucky winner will be featured in the paper early next month. Those who have been working hard in the gym at LA Fitness in Warwick will have seen our new advert, which will soon be added to the website.
It has been a brilliant start and on those rare occasions when the sun has been shining, the building and everyone in it really lights up. There is still plenty of work to be done, but it is wonderful to be able to get up and smile because “I am going the dentist’s today!”
16th December 2009
We Are Open
It has finally happened and we are actually open, yes the doors are open and we are now treating patients. Strangely enough, after such a long lead time, the first day was a relatively quiet affair; I think we were all just glad to finally start caring for real people. Of course, this is just phase one and the upper floors still have the feel of an unfinished building site, but it is a significant start.
As expected the first day did present a few minor technical issues; this is hardly surprising as a modern dental surgery is a pretty high tech environment and that is without all the supporting digital IT equipment, both telephones and computers. This also means that there is quite a lot of information and technology for the new team to grasp, but Kathy and Elaine have made a great start.
It was a long and difficult journey, not helped by the ongoing financial situation, but with tremendous help from my friends and family the dream has become a reality.We have a great team in place and it all feels just right and I can now focus on delivering the highest standards of dental care. Excellent.