Covid-19 has changed our world irrevocably. I don’t believe there is a single part of our former lifestyle that hasn’t been touched in some way by the pandemic. It has caused significant changes in the delivery of healthcare and dental care alike. I am fortunate enough to have a very committed and enthusiastic team around me that allowed us to re-open over a year ago now to provide a full compliment of dental care and treatments to all.
It has however caused me to re-think the way in which the practice delivers dental care in order that we continue to maintain safety and provide a full remit of dental treatments within the current guidelines. Some of you may have seen our emails and communications about the introduction of our Dental Therapists and our Therapy Led Maintenance programme that runs alongside our practice membership. This I believe will ensure continued access for all those that choose us for their regular dental maintenance and all aspects of dental care, complex or not, in a timely manner and a pleasant environment.
Hence to the title of this blog post, the ‘Crossbank Dental Safari’. Many people are slightly confused as to the purpose of a Dental Therapist within modern 5 star dental practices and I thought this may help. For many people a safari is a holiday of a lifetime and the hope of seeing any of ‘The Big 5’ of Africa’s greatest wild animals is a dream come true; namely lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. Crossbank’s Dental Safari also describes ‘The Big 5’, namely:
Taking teeth out (extractions)
Putting them back in (dental implants)
Moving teeth around (braces or Invisalign)
Lifting the top of a tooth (root canal fillings)
Putting the top of the tooth back on (crowns or veneers)
The above ‘Big 5’ of the Crossbank Dental Safari is what the privilege of holding a dental surgery degree means to me. Nearly all other aspects of dental care can be provided by Dental Therapists or Hygienists and the inclusion of Dental Therapists into my team here at Crossbank means the achievement of a lifetime goal; designing an environment inclusive of all clinicians. Dental Therapists can provide regular dental health reviews and hygiene care, routine fillings and general maintenance which means that our teams are fulfilled and enthusiastic in their daily work and our dentists have the capacity to deliver ‘The Big 5' for people in need in a timely fashion - no more long waiting times!
I still dream each team member at Crossbank Dental Care, irrespective of their position, is both fulfilled and challenged within their role here. This means that our patients will be surrounded by a caring and dedicated team who can deliver the best possible patient experience.
“Choose a job you love and never work a day in your life” Confucius
Who wouldn’t want to be treated by people like that?
Neil Cooper
BDS MFGDP(UK) DipImpDent RCS(Eng) Adv. Cert. FFGDP(UK)