Customer Care at Absolute – Going the extra mile
One thing we pride ourselves in here at Absolute Dental is our exceptional customer care. It’s our aim to ensure that every patient is treated as an individual and has the best experience possible.
We are very conscious of the well being of every person that walks through the door and we will do whatever we can to help, even if it doesn’t involve dentistry!
An example of such an occasion was just the other day when an elderly gentleman arrived for his appointment, but his wife was not where he had arranged to meet her and he was very worried about her. After getting a description of what she was wearing two of our team went out into Kingsbridge to try and locate her. Fortunately she was located fit and well in one of the local shops and had just lost track of time! The gentleman was very grateful and was much more relaxed once his mind was at rest.
We provide multiple facilities in order to achieve this, including freshly brewed coffee and films to entertain the children.If you have yet to experience our outstanding customer care please feel free to call in and see if we can help improve things for you.


Written by Kelly

Smiles top attractiveness poll

A ‘smile’ has topped a poll of the most important physical features when it comes to attraction between men and women. A smile was rated highly by 56 per cent of respondents, closely followed by faces (53 per cent) and eyes (51 per cent). Dress sense, body shape, hair and height were also measured, with the latter bringing up the rear on 25 per cent. Interestingly, it was a non-physical attribute – personality – which was the clear winner of the survey. Ninety per cent of respondents rated this human attribute most important when it comes to attraction.The results have been published as part of the British Dental Health Foundation’s annual campaign – National Smile Month – now in its 35th year.

This year the theme is ‘The Smile Factor’, which aims to remind people that their mouth, teeth and smile is fundamental to all aspects of their life – whether career, personality, relationships, attraction or all-round good health. Despite the importance of smiles and teeth to everyday life, many people appear to have a poor image of the nation’s ‘Smile Factor’. The survey reveals that only 23 per cent believed that the nation had ‘good teeth’, and approaching half the population were not happy with their smile or teeth - stained or yellow teeth being the most common concern (37 per cent).

Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, said: “As a nation we probably spend more time and money looking after our hair and the clothes we wear, rather than caring for our teeth. The survey is a great reminder that we should be giving greater attention to our teeth – not just because it improves oral health – but because it gives us the confidence to smile, which makes a major difference to our relationships, careers and overall image.“During National Smile Month, we hope everyone will consider what they can do to improve their Smile Factor. Hundreds of dental practices across the UK will be supporting the campaign and it’s an excellent time to seek their help and advice.“It’s really important to get the basics right at home as well. We recommend brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, cutting down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks, and visiting your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend. Adopting this good oral health regime can make a huge difference to a confident smile and many aspects of everyday life”, advised Dr Carter.

Forget the X Factor get the Smile Factor

National Smile Month May 15th and June 15th is a key factor in the British Dental Health Foundation’s success in taking simple, practical oral health advice to millions of people nationwide.
Clinical research has found that, on average, people only brush for about 45 seconds and this is barely enough to skim across all of the teeth.
A good education, thorough brushing routine and a healthy eating lifestyle will not only help fight problems like tooth decay, bad breath and stained teeth it will also reduce the chances of developing gum disease – which has been linked to heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and low birth weight babies.
This is the message we at Absolute Dental promote on a daily basis, educating children from a very early age and carrying this through also to our adult patients.
We all take the simple things in life for granted, we are all expected to know how to brush our teeth, but to get the best from our brushing needs a little directional guidance. Ineffective brushing to remove the plaque and debris on a daily basis can not only lead to gum disease but also decay. We encourage our patients to bring their toothbrushes to hygienist and oral health education appointments to ensure that the best techniques are being applied.

Hello, my name is Rachael Bristow I am from Paignton where I live with my dog Gypsy and Husband to be Simon. My horse Princess lives at a farm in Torquay and is a very important part of my free time!
I am a qualified Dental Hygienist but also a Dental Therapist, this is a role that people are sometimes unaware exists!

I will be looking after Nicky's patients whilst she is taking time out on maternity leave with her new baby, Emma.
It involves me carrying out dental treatments under the instruction of a dentist, I can carry out a range of fillings large and small using dental anaesthetic on adults and children, also giving advice and handy tips on healthy gums and preventing decay, I can take x-rays and dental impression and carry out children’s extractions among other treatments. I have a good sense of humour coupled with a caring and compassionate nature, and look forward to seeing you soon!

Written by Rachael Bristow

Complaints…should we welcome them?
Emma John, business manager and director of Absolute Dental, multi award winning practice, and Absolute Dental Training, a very successful dental training consultancy. Emma's passion is providing outstanding levels of customer care and has trained numerous dental teams through out the UK. We pride ourselves at Absolute Dental on our outstanding customer care and we do encourage our patients to give us feedback to help maintain these standards.

Emma regularly writes articles for the publication Dentinal Tubules and has had the following very interesting article published:
With the compliance required by CQC the ever important complaints system is going to have to be more robust and transparent than ever
This in itself could present a problem as we live in a society where people (including our patients) are more stressed than ever. They want more for their money and if they don’t get it, well the complaints are just waiting to happen.
The complaint of course is a two way thing. As a consumer I feel I should be able to present my grumble, it may not be important to them but to me it has a huge amount of relevance.
Am I as receptive when I am on the receiving end?
It takes a huge amount of training to be truly empathetic and understanding to a complaint or feedback and it is only too easy to be encouraged to lose your temper and be reactive.
Is your team really prepared to deal with a complaint? They are probably aware of the complaints procedure beautifully written and safely stored away in the practice manual. But would they really know how to handle and diffuse the situation?
The skill of listening to the complaint and then acting on it could be valuable to your business. It just might be something you can act on and improve. A real opportunity to impress and excel in areas where other retail and hospitality businesses fail time and time again.
Patients (our customers) do discuss their experiences with friends and colleagues and they can and will always try and focus on the bad. We need to give them a different story to tell.
It is our job to listen and allow them to tell us exactly what is wrong.
Make sure that we stay calm, with positive open body language, thus encouraging the conversation
Continue to listen
Ask what you can do to help?
Continue to listen
Take notes, as the patients concern is important to you
Continue to listen, assure them you will look fully into the situation, and keep them informed. Thank them for taking the time to speak to you; they may just have notified you of an important hole in your management system.
Article written by Emma John

Acupuncture in dentistry

Acupuncture is a technique, originating in China more than 3,000 years ago, in which disease is treated by inserting needles at various points on the body - acupuncture points. A common use of acupuncture is in pain management. There have also been suggestions that acupuncture may reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Anxiety related to dental treatment is rife and acupuncture can offer an alternative to commonly used sedative drugs Temperomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction is commonly seen in dental practice. There is no standard treatment, but tranquillisers, physiotherapy, occlusal splint and counselling are treatments commonly tried. Here too acupuncture can be of clinical benefit. Dentists have also found that the gagging response can be effectively controlled by using ear acupuncture. Some patients are so sensitive to dental equipment that they will gag uncontrollably as soon as an instrument touches their mouth which may make it impossible for dentists to carry out any kind of treatment at all. Following ear acupuncture patients have been able to receive a range of treatments including fillings and tooth extractions and are able to leave the practice and travel home unaccompanied. At Absolute Dental we can work with colleagues trained in Acupuncture to provide the best solution to help our patients.

Written by Ruth Page

At the beginning of 2011, the main focus on research has been on very diverse areas including , managing patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia and trying to find helpful, practical solutions for patients who need help due to reduced manual dexterity.
Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia
Immunodificiency is a state whereby the immune system becomes less efficient, making an individual more susceptible to infection. As a result, some medical conditions or the treatment for them can have quite a deterimental effect on the health of the mouth. One of the conditions which can present symptoms in the mouth is myeloid leukaemia. This condition is cancer of the blood cells in the bone marrow which produces stem cells. These are known to be important for the production of white blood cells which help the body fight infection.
How would we recognise the signs and what symptoms may patients complain of?
The signs in the mouth which could indicate this condition are enlargement of the gingivae, bleeding from the gingivae and also lips and pallor to the lips and gums. Angular cheilitis at the corners of the mouth and glossitis which is inflammation of the tongue may also occur. There may also be an increased risk and rapid deterioration of periodontal disease.
Symptoms patients may have experienced include leukaemia, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, abnornal bruising and bleeding. They may also complain of a sore and burning mouth.
The hygienist has a crucial role in the oral management of CML, as this condition can go unnoticed for a period of time and could have been contributing to the progression of periodontal disease, but not the cause. The main aim is to stabilise the patients periodontal condition, as the patient will be immunocompromised and their ability to fight infection is reduced. Plaque control is essential for patients who are susceptible to periodontal disease. Some medications used to fight CML can cause xerostomia, where the mouth becomes very dry and sore. Fortunately, there are some very effective mouthwashes available to help make the mouth more comfortable.
Where treatment is concerned, it can be more comfortble to try and achieve the treatment in as few visits as possible, using good instrument techniques to prevent excessive bleeding.
How can we help patients with reduced dexterity?
We know how difficult it can be to clean really well if we have had an injury to our hand or wrist or to suffer from medical conditions such as arthritis or if the patient has had a stroke. For the patient, this can be very debilitating and can lead to a great deal of stress and worry, feeling run down and in turn can impact on the oral cavity sometimes manifesting as oral ulceration.
Some of the solutions we find to helping patients adapt their toothbrushing techniques include:
* Using an electric toothbrush. This can help as these type of brushes remove more plaque than manual brushes and tend to have bulkier handles which are easiser to grip. They also have different types of head to allow for better cleaning in between teeth.
* Wrapping elastic bands round the handle of the brush. This helps provide better grip on the handle. Post office elastic bands work really well for this!
* Blu tac. This is extremely versative and can mould round the handles of brushes.
* Tennis ball. This works really well by puncturing the tennis ball with two holes and sliding the brush through.
* Using floss holders on a long handle to allow for better access
* Impression putty. We have a great putty which is normally used when taking impressions and works particularly well as we can shape it round the brush for you!

Some of the dental companies also produce toothbrush holders and I find the some of the best holders can be found on the Molar web site.
If you find that you are struggling with cleaning, let us know and we will help find the solutions for you!

Written by Maureen Milne