See our new dental website www.birdwelldentist.co.uk

Welcome to Lesley

Our latest team member is Lesley Blackwell, who is working on reception. Lesley comes to us from working in the library at Bristol Grammar School.  She says “I do miss my books, but I wanted a job where I’d meet more people and I’m delighted to be part of such a friendly team”

Dental News

Although it was a difficult decision to leave the NHS, Cindy has found many advantages to working independent of the Government system.

“Although I’d been committed to working in the NHS for 25 years, I was finding it increasingly stressful working in an underfunded system, with long waiting times for patients and often short appointments.  When the new dental contract was introduced in 2006 the stress of meeting activity targets made things worse, and it was clear we’d need to start to move away from the NHS as there was no longer any possibility of growth as an NHS practice.  I didn’t want to compromise the quality of care I could offer to my patients. 

I’ve been seeing my patients on a private basis for a year now, and it is much more satisfying to me personally.  I feel we can start to provide the care I’ve always wanted to give, concentrating on the quality of care rather than the quantity of patients.  We have introduced the 12 point dental health check to make sure we really focus on every aspect of your dental health. 

It is great to be able to afford the equipment and state of the art materials my patients can benefit from, and the ever-increasing range of disposable items to be sure to keep everyone safe from any risk of infection.

Best of all, because we can allow more time, I am more relaxed, and can enjoy taking the time to get to know my patients better, to explain treatments, give the full range of options, and to give patients more advice on maintaining the health of their mouths. As my patients now see the hygienist regularly I am really seeing improvements in their dental health, which is fantastic!”

Improved treatment room

We are delighted by the “makeover” to our main dental room.  It is really bright, with better positioning of dental and IT equipment, and gives us more space to work in, making it much easier to maintain our high standards of sterilisation.  We hope you will enjoy the bright, clean, comfortable surroundings as much as we do!

Your 12-Point Private Dental Health Check explained
At each 12-Point Dental Health Check, our dentists assess the overall health of your mouth in each of the following areas. We are looking for ways to keep you as healthy as possible in each one so that you reduce your risks of future problems/ treatment and look and feel great forever!
1 We ask you how healthy you feel your mouth is when you visit us.
2 Do you have any concerns that we need to deal with?
3 Is there is anything in your medical condition, or in medicines you take likely to affect your dental health?
4 Are you are happy with the appearance of your smile?
5 We check your teeth to see that they’re healthy and strong.
6 We check that any fi llings or other restorations are still strong and healthy.
7 We check your gum health – as we now know this is absolutely critical if
you are to keep your teeth for life!
8 We check for the presence of plaque (which does all the damage to mouths – yet can be controlled to preserve health!).
9 We check to see if the inside of your mouth (cheeks, lips, tongue, roof and floor of mouth) is healthy.
10 We also check the outside of your mouth.
11 We check inside, under and between the teeth for health.*
12 Finally we check the bone which supports your teeth.*
We will then tell you how healthy we find you in each area and advise you on how to:
• Keep dentally healthy, or
• Become more healthy (and less likely to need future treatment, lose teeth, suffer bad breath or other problems!).
* Our checks of these aspects are updated via ultra low dosage radiographs – taken approximately every 1-2 years.

There is increasing evidence that people with gum disease are more at risk of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and, in the case of pregnant women, giving birth to underweight babies.

This year, National Smile Month is focusing on this issue. Gum disease is caused by poor dental healthcare and is, therefore, totally preventable.  Around 19 out of 20 people suffer with gum disease at some point in their lives, but with a good dental healthcare routine they can easily prevent it from developing into something more serious, and help their bodies stay healthy as well as their teeth.   

Birdwell Clinic, the Long Ashton centre for healthy mouths and lovely smiles, has a strong focus on preventive dentistry, and your dental health and general wellness is our main concern.  Why not book a dental health check for individual advice? 

                             See also www.nationalsmilemonth.org

Dental Workout 

At Birdwell Clinic we want to promote dental health.  Traditional dentistry has focused on repairing damage done by tooth decay with fillings, and removing teeth affected by gum disease.  But as always prevention is better than cure!   Don’t wait for a problem before coming to see us – look after your mouth with regular visits, just as you look after your body by exercising and eating well.  For the best preventive care we recommend regular visits with a hygienist.  She can act as your personal trainer, recommending the best diet and tooth brushing ‘home workout routine’ for you, and motivating and encouraging you to persevere with it. 

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Healthy Teeth for Children!

Your child’s first visit to the dentist must be a pleasant experience, as a bad first impression may last a lifetime. Bringing a child when there is no emergency will make the visit an enjoyable experience. You should first take your child to visit the dentist as early as possible, and then take them for regular check-ups, preferably on our Healthy Teeth for Children days.  These days are especially for children; they will see the hygienist to learn how to care for their teeth, and get a special goody bag. This will help to keep their teeth healthy for life.  Our next children’s days are in October – they are very popular so book now!    

Keep sugary foods to mealtimes. Help your child to brush their teeth until they are able to do it well by themselves, usually around the age of seven. Remember to encourage your child, as praise often gets results.