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 Hawarden Dental Practice has joined the Dental Academy fold. Dr Barbara Milsom founded the Hawarden Practice in 1981 and has continually offered all its patients the very best in dental care. By joining the Academy, the practice will be able to keep its popular place in the community - situated in North Wales, just 15 miles from Chester - and will also be able to offer additional specialist services such as cosmetic dentistry, implants, periodontics and orthodontics without the need for patients to travel to a number of different locations.
Dr Milsom said ‘We are extremely pleased to be joining the Dental Academy Group. We have always offered a very high quality patient care. We make our patients feel comfortable and happy and they have rewarded us with their continued loyalty. Joining the group means we’ll be able to offer an extension to this care.’ An additional benefit for Barbara and her team is that all dentists and staff within the group meet regularly to share their knowledge, and support staff will be given the opportunity to develop their skills in advanced areas of dentistry.
Jan Dobbs of the Dental Academy commented ‘When we were looking for dental practices to join the Academy, we wanted practices with the right attitude to patient care and a well-established team who are extremely well liked. Having worked with Barbara for nine years when she first established the practice, I had no doubts that Hawarden practice would fit the bill.’
Future plans for the Academy include the acquisition of more dental practices but the same high standard of patient care will be a pre-requisite as will a commitment to furthering the skills of the whole team in advanced and specialised areas of dentistry.
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By the age of 40, 70% of us will have gum disease to some extent. Gum disease – or periodontal disease – is an inflammatory disease of the gums.
It is the most common cause of tooth loss in adults and, as the condition is usually painless, it often goes unnoticed until it is too late.
Periodontal disease shows itself in various ways including:
- Gums that bleed on brushing
- Red or swollen gums
- Gums appearing to shrink, causing teeth to look longer
- Bad breath
- In bad cases teeth are loosened
It is caused by bacteria at, and below, the gum line that lives in a sticky substance called plaque and the severity of the disease depends on how an individual’s immune system deals with this bacteria, but the results can be devastating. Over time the gum and bone around teeth will breakdown resulting in gaps between the teeth and gums and even bone loss. Eventually, if left untreated, teeth will become loose and may need to be removed.
Almost anyone is at risk of gum disease but there are certain risk factors that will increase your chances of developing it:
- A family history of gum disease
- Smoking (and smokers are at particular risk because smoking can suppress the early warning signs of gum disease so it can be at an advanced stage before it is discovered)
- Stress
- Medical conditions such as diabetes
- Poor oral hygiene
Obviously, gum disease is not pleasant and is best avoided. All Dental Academy patients are screened at every check-up appointment. In most cases the destructive process can be controlled. Treatment usually involves professional, meticulous cleaning by our dedicated hygienists, Yvonne Derbyshire and Joanne Dickinson, together with a thorough cleaning regime by the patient at home. In advanced cases more treatment may be needed and the options are always discussed with the patient.
Information for this article was supplied by Ian Dunn, who works at the Dental Academy and also holds a Clinical Lecturer position at Liverpool Dental Hospital. |
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The Dental Academy, always at the forefront of dental care, wants to encourage the wearing of gum shields by everyone playing contact sports. So, who better to act as ambassadors than the local Rugby League team?
As sponsors of the Warrington Wolves Coach, Paul Cullen, the Academy provides on-going dental care to the team in the event of injury and has recently been fitting the first team with gum shields.
The shields carry the Warrington Wolves colours and logo and are produced by SmileGuard - the worlds largest supplier of mouth guards. Mouth guards are the best way of protecting teeth while playing sport. They act by absorbing energy from any blow and reduce the chance of costly and painful dental injury. |
