Benefits of Electric Toothbrushes

During the last few weeks, I have been asking our patients to bring their toothbrushes to the practice for their appointments with me. It never ceases to amaze me the choice available in both manual and electric toothbrushes and fortunately the days of Badger hair bristles are well and truly behind us! One of the main considerations are the choice between electric and manual toothbrushes and patients are always interested in why I would choose one type of brush over another for them. Scientific research and also government department of health guidelines, lie behind the brushes I recommend and we should consider at least three different aspects of dental health when comparing both manual and electric brushes. 1. Removal of plaque.2. Reduction of gingival bleeding.3. Prevention of gingivitis.4. Less gingival recession. All of the above are improved with the use of electric toothbrushes, in particular, those which oscillate and rotate. The aspect of using these brushes that I find particularly useful is that the brush can be used to shape around the contours of the teeth so that the maximum number of bristles are in contact with the tooth surface, ensuring a very thorough clean Some may think that electric brushes are expensive but with the right guidance on the best technique for you, even the most basic of models can make a significant improvement to your dental health. A little statistic I wanted to share with you was from an American study last year that revealed that when patients used an electric toothbrush, they could remove 75% of plaque from their teeth in the first minute and when they used a manual toothbrush it took 6 minutes to remove the same amount!!! We should, however bear in mind that electric toothbrushes are not for everyone so watch out for my future tips on manual brushes too!

Written by Maureen Milne Hygienist

Sunday was a wonderful day! Rachel and I travelled down to the Eden Project near St Austell to take part in one of this years Cancer Research's Race For Life. This was my 5th Race for Life, but it was Rachel's first one, and I think we'd both agree that it is an amazing experience. There were over 1300 women taking part at this particular "race", all determined to run walk or jog to raise money & awareness for this very worthy cause. Rachel & I decided to run the 5k course, and we did it!! Not only did we tackle all the hills that they threw at us (and there were several!!), but we even coped with running through the Sub-Tropical Biome (which is like running through a rain forest, complete with branches at head height!!). It always feels amazing when you achieve a goal you set yourself. I don't find running easy, but with determination, and the right people around you (thanks Rach!), it's amazing what you can achieve.

Di

The second Absolute Dental Study Group, Tuesday 1st June saw the group captivated by guest speaker Chris Barrow. In an informal, relaxed way the group benefited from Chris's wealth of experience and knowledge on many topics including the importance of 'Branding', how first impressions count, and what the future of dentistry holds. At present there are over 10,000 independent dental practices and it is predicted that in 10 years time only 1000 of the strongest independents will survive the rest will have been absorbed by the corporates. This was discussed at length and Chris offered his advice on what practices should be doing to be in this elite group of survivors.
The group were also encouraged to raise their own topics for discussion. A great night was had by all, Absolute Dental would like to thank Chris Barrow for giving up his time in his very busy schedule and making the evening very entertaining and interesting. From the excellent feedback, I am sure that this is also extended from all those who attended.
Places still available for our next Study Group 14th September with Diane Cox - 'The needs of a dental nurse in a forward thinking practice' call 01548 852165 or email info@absolute-dental.co.uk for more details

Race for Life 2010
Race for life, says it all in the title, racing to help someone’s life. It’s an amazing event for Cancer Research UK to help beat cancer.
For those people who have never been part of a charity fund raising event like the Race for Life, with all those hundreds of people all walking, running for a cause that is going to help or make someone’s life happier, will know it’s the most incredibly amazing feeling to have.
After doing the Great South run in October 2009 I knew during the 10 mile stretch that I wanted to be part of this amazing team again!!
Some people may think I am mad, but to have that feeling when looking around at the hundreds of people gathered running for loved one’s memories, I can truly say that I will never forget that day!
I jumped at the chance of running the Race for Life at the Eden project on 13th June 2010 along with one of my colleagues Di.
So many people have been touched by cancer, in some way; it’s a fact that 1 in 3 people will develop cancer at some point in our lifetime.
Cancer Research UK’s ambitious new plan is to spend £1.5 billion on research into beating cancer over the next 5 years.
With only 3 weeks to go, I have a mixture of emotions, excitement, nervousness and admiration…will keep you posted on how we got on!!

Written by Rachel Wotton RDN