This Tuesday 7th September 7 p.m I will be joining Chris Barrow for a FREE teleseminar about young dentists career pathways and hurdles. It should be a bunch of fun.

The debate is part of the Apex ask campaign

Website to submit a question and get registered is here

http://www.askcoachbarrow.com/

Ignore the date on this page we had to change the date unfortunately as it clashed with holidays. It is definitely 7th September!

For those who don’t know Chris Barrow is a very successful dental business coach. He also writes a cracking blog which is one of my most read dental blogs.

Chris has been the source of some of the best advice I’ve received about dentistry. I would probably say that writing this blog is in a large part down to him, as is my current job. Chris can be controversial but he always gets you thinking about the job from a new angle and I find that is always a good thing.

I’m not exactly sure what my role on the debate is? I probably have as many questions as anyone. I hope to share a few of my thoughts about the dental industry and some possibilities of how I see my career developing.

I hope you can join us but if not please spend some time thinking about where you want your career to go. Think about the type of days you want to spend doing dentistry, not the money or the position and then work backwards.

Hope to see you then

Chris

Hi everyone I have been in touch with Andy McLean and Phil Broughton from Dare Dental, for about a year. Firstly they gave us 3 courses in our GPT scheme on clinical photography, composite and crown preps.

I then enrolled on their 10 day restorative course for this year. It’s hard to exactly endorse a course over another as I haven’t completed any other restorative courses yet but I have to say that what I have learned from the Dare team has been really useful in every aspect of my dentistry so far. I use their crown preparation, dentin sealing, photography and other tips every day. I’ve found the content really modern, common sense and focused on adhesive and aesthetic dentistry. If you look through the blog you will see examples of their influence.

Anyway I put it to Andy that it would be great to have a day about posterior composites, specifically the use of sectional matrix, layering and rubber dam that we talk a lot about on the blog. I recently bought a V300 sectional matrix kit from optident and these are the kits we managed to get to demo with on the day of the course. I’ve found the system really good so far and as I bought it, in my opinion I think it’s probably the best on the market, although I also like the Garrison dental ones Neil shows.

I’m pretty excited to have got the day organized and have even managed to get the whole day course at a discount for blog readers. If you email Dare and mention you found out about the course through the site the price is £150 instead of £195. To be honest though a normal day course with anyone is normally £300-400 so I think it’s a great price anyway and obviously a chance for them to showcase their excellent presentation style.

The day is on Saturday 11/09/2010, 9:30 till 3:30 In Manchester. To book a place call LJ on 01618307300 or email suzanne@daretobedental.com. You also get 5 hours vCPD too should that be your driving force.

I’ll be there of course and I’m hoping some other readers will too so it’ll be a social as well as educational trip.

This is the first even close to commercial outing for the Inci-Dental Blog so I hope that people are not disappointed by it. To give full disclosure I get the sectional matrix day course free and have a discount for the restorative course as a result of helping Dare organise the content for this day; unfortunately, I make no money from it. I suppose it’s up to you if you think that is selling out but all I can say is you should make you own mind up about a year restorative course with Dare, that’s up to you, but this is a good opportunity to find out more about them.

As for the one day course I can happily back it 100% because at £150 I think it is an absolute steal, I’ve worked really hard to get the price that low and I know that the content will be fantastic. I hope and believe that the event will be win, win for everyone involved.

Anyway let me know if you can make it, I’m really excited to meet everyone!

Chris

P.S. The places are obviously limited so to avoid disappointment get in touch asap

p.p.s click the pictures to read better or download the PDF here Dare sectional matrix day brochure

Hello fellow dentists.

I thought I would just show you a small case that I did a few days after case 1. It is a massive compromise, I know, to the technique that I use in most situations and described before. At risk of losing all credibility I still think it’s worth seeing because until recently I used to find it easiker with large composites to do the mesial and distal walls at different times. Sometimes you have to break your own rules and usually it’s because the patient pushes you into it.

In this case the patient was reluctant to have the rubber dam placed because she was worried she would feel she couldn’t breathe and so I ended up using cotton wool and suction in order to achieve moisture control. The second compromise was that the case is a replacement for an indirect precious metal onlay and so an indirect restoration was indicated with cuspal coverage. The patient demanded an aesthetic alternative to metal and financial constraints meant my planned ideal bonded indirect composite onlay was not on the cards. I gave in and with significant warnings given to the patient tried to build up a direct composite onlay. I don’t think this case was a great example but it shows the 3D-ring and compositight sectional matrix in a large MOD situation; demonstrating its use in getting tight contact points. In my hands this I used to find this pretty much impossible with a normal Siqveland band.

Case: 59 year old lady. (Sorry no pre-op photos – photographing was an afterthought).

Failing onlay on 25 that I had been warning her for the past year needed replacing. I could get a spoon excavator in at one of the margins probably due to poor original fit and cement washout. There was no radiographic or clinical evidence of caries though. The onlay was ‘flicked’ off with a probe after some gentle persuasion at the edges, clearly showing how much this restoration needed replacing.

The preparation had thin buccal and palatal walls which would require cuspal protection. I reduced these slightly in order to provide an occlusal thickness of composite of at least a millimetre. I was confident that an occlusal thickness of composite would never offer anywhere near as much resistance to loading as metal so I decided the composite would need to be thicker to serve as an onlay material. Otherwise I did not alter the cavity form other than to freshen the dentine slightly. The following photos show me placing (admittedly in the absence of rubber dam) wedgewands and mesial and distal 3D-Ring and normal Composi-tight ring. I etched, rehydrated dentine, bonded as in case 1 and used a flowable composite lining. I built up the proximal walls first in an enamel shade after burnishing the matrix bands outwards. Dentine shade composite was then placed in incremental buccal and palatal sloping shapes up to the cusp tips with a superficial 1mm thick layer of a lighter enamel shade placed finally. The restoration was then finished placing some secondary occlusal features and polishing with greens, reds and soflex discs. 

I think the result was reasonable and certainly bettter than the previous restoration. It’s longevity will remain unknown for some time! Most importantly the patient was very happy.

Thanks,

Neal

Hi everyone, I’ve been busy trying to catch up on shcool work so I’ve had no time to do a good blog this week. I got some quick post op photos from the sectional matrix case yesterday though and some of me using the anterior composite matrix on a simple case so hopefully I’ll hook them up soon. I’m also waiting for my first emax crown to come back on Friday with some excitement.

BTW if anyone has a fantastic key skills project they wouldn’t mind sharing then please email… I can’t wait to get the ugly monkey off my back.

I do however have a few links to share:

The first news is that I’ve been writing interview questions all night fo the apex show. This is a live twitter based interview from the magazine I write for Apex. I’m a bit scared I’ll muck it up but the show is taking place on Thursday 25th of March at 7 p.m. You can find more information about it on this link and you might want to watch the show for this week by clinical photographer Mike Samuels March 18th at 7 p.m. My session is on UK dentistry and Young dentists and for those of you who like a bit of controversy I’m sure I will provide it!

Second There is going to be a live teleseminar in which Tony Kilcoyne talks though the implications of the infamous HTM 01-05 guidleines. You can ask any questions you want for the telecast and get a free hour of VcPD e-course to boot. Click here for more information

Third I’ve recieved another Job advert for the blog. This one for Thackerary Dental Care. It’s owner Simon and I met when I was just starting out the blog and I’ve kept in touch with him ever since. I know Simon is a very forward thinking dentist and that he works closely with Azimuth business coach Kevin Rose and I suspect his practice would be a great place to develop your career further. The ad is on the job page above or  Click Here

That brings me nicely round to the forth bit of news and that is Azimuth Dental is running a work shop titled “What is it about ’selling’ to my patients that makes me feel so uncomfortable?”, It’s on the 6-7th May. The information for the course can be downloaded here azimuth-dental-workshop.

Hope some of that might interest you…

Take it easy

Chris

I just thought I’d write with a quick blog update:

This week has been the best in terms of hits we’ve had for a while with over 130 hits a day. I take it this means that people like seeing my clinical work. I will therefore try to keep adding it when I can. However I am very aware of the need to consent patients properly and to discuss cases tactfully. As Matt said in a recent comment we must not criticise the work of others too much and must be honest about our own abilities and limitations; I hope that so far we have done this.

It’s a fine line to walk and I did consider making the clinical pages members only. I guess I just feel that we have nothing to be ashamed of and that I would welcome the public reading this blog. I hope if they understand dentistry more they will appreciate the importance of it and seeing a dentist with your best interests at heart. I hope that I am proved right in this but I would ask all readers to help me sensor the blog and  let me know if ever the conversations become inappropriate.

You may also notice I’ve taken down the courses page from the top of the site. This is becasue most courses being added were links to porn sites or casinos (Yes I blame Zaid too but I just can’t stop him). Instead I’ve updated all the link section (right toolbar) from the blog to include them and will add more as needed. I’ve also updated business sites and blog links.

I hope you don’t mind me saying this again but I don’t accept any money for putting links on the site they are there as a useful reference alone and if Ive included them it’s becasue I think they are worth a look. Oh and by the way you cheeky gits I have actually been offered some sponsor money once or … well once but I don’t go looking for any or I’m sure I would!

Finally I’d like to invite you all to join the rather wonderful incidental facebook fan page… 180 members and counting. Just one of the many (4 ways) you can get updates on when the blog changes (but you have to come here direct to see the comments), see the subscription options on the right tool bar for more details.

Also check out the Inci-dental musings on the right tool bar for hilarious (ly bad) audio blogs I make from time to time.

Please especially listen to the Thanks readers Link, as I really do mean it. I love writing the blog and have been doing so for nearly 10 months now but, i think, even a complete looser like me would find it hard to keep going without any interaction.

All the best

Chris

Hey I hope I’m not overpromoting this event. This will be the last reminder promise. Ticket sales are going well so please email to reserve your space and get your cheque sent in asap. We will then send out your e-ticket.

Email ad is: youngdentistsnc@googlemail.com

Please invite friends etc

All the best

Chris

Exciting news all! I work with the young BDA commitee in Newcastle and we have organised for Paul Tipton to give a talk up in newcastle Sat the 27th march. He will be giving 2 lectures: 1st on onlay and inlay design and preparation, 2nd on smile design. It’s going to be at the newly refurbished Hancock museum and it should be awesome. Here is a taster of him lecturing I found:

Having travelled all the way to Manchester to hear Paul speak last year at a simillar event and thought it was brilliant so really can’t wait to see this talk. We have only 100 spaces available for the event. Tickets will be a barginous £5 for BDA members £10 for non members. If you are keen then please don’t miss out! Just thought I’d give you the heads up as tickets will be going on sale in the next few weeks.I’ll send on the details of course.

Got some great sponsors for the event but have space for a few more if anyone is interested. Need to know soon though as mailout to all BDA members in the area has to be sent to the printers soon. If your interested please get in touch!

chris.john.oconnor (at)gmail.com

I’m getting excited now!

Chris

Hi everyone

Hope you have enjoyed the endodontic review, if you have had a chance to read it! I know some people were stuggling to open the file but others had managed so I’m not sure what was going on but I’ve uploaded the whole document here on the blog, so everyone should be able to easily view it!

What with the new year and all that I know some people will be thinking of changing jobs and I recieved the following email from some friends of mine who own/run practices in the North East and North Yorkshire. I’m sure they would be a great place to work and that you would be well looked after so I just wanted to share the info.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I’m having a cracker so far. Murder mystery night last night, Peter pan on Friday and a lot of laughs with friends. I just wish the football hadn’t been cancelled!

All the best

Chris

ALPHA DENTAL STUDIO – Live Life Smiling

Permanent Full Time and Part Time Dentists Required | £Competitive

Alpha Dental Studio is an independently owned group of dental practices providing high quality dental treatments for both NHS and Private patients across the North Yorkshire region.

We are established with practices in Catterick Northallerton Great Ayton Leyburn and Hawes building on experience gained developing The Dental Centre Group on Teesside

We are about to expand with new practices opening in 2010 in Bedale and Fairfield (Stockton) and an additional practice in Thirsk joining the group in January

With excellent private potential and a Denplan list available , we are looking for ambitious Dentists for sites in Fairfield Bedale Thirsk and Catterick

We are continuously evolving and offer great job satisfaction with a good UDA rate

Associates will be supported to be FD (VT)Trainers with an excellent financial and CPD package ( subject to of course meeting Deanery Trainer requirements )

Alpha has a structure of support which is second to none and which has developed by ensuring partners work clinically in the practices they are responsible for.

With an experienced central support team there is high quality administrative support coupled with peer review and ample clinical support

If you feel stuck in a rut on a UDA treadmill then why not talk to one of the partners about the opportunities available including development of the new practice in Bedale and opportunities to be a Trainer

With 2 of the partners being Vocational Training Advisers and the other 3 having completed VT in the last 5 years this is a partnership with a mix of experience and young enthusiasm

Alpha is associated with Vitality Complete Dental Care in Stokesley (www.vitalitydental.co.uk) giving an additional training opportunity to the right person who wants to develop their career in areas such as implant placement and restoration.

For further information or to apply call one of the partners

Ian Gordon 07785 938574 iangordon@talk21.com

David Birkin 07736318947 david.birkin1@hotmail.co.uk

Ben Wild 07709362812 benlwild@btinternet.com

Guy Wells 07747845457 guywells@me.com

Neeraj Diddee 07714757380 ndiddee@me.com

Visit us at www.alphadental.co.uk

Alpha Dental Studio

Existing Alpha practices at

16B Hidyard Row CATTERICK GARRISON N Yorks ( 2 miles from the A1 and an easy commute from Newcastle York or Leeds)

119 High Street GREAT AYTON N Yorks

Brompton Road NORTHALLERTON N Yorks

Brentwood Lodge LEYBURN N Yorks

The Health Centre HAWES N Yorks

Wellburn Road FAIRFIELD STOCKTON on TEES( opening February 2010)

Finkle Street THIRSK N Yorks ( from January 2010)

BEDALE N Yorks( from April 2010)

HEAD OFFICE – at VITALITY DENTAL CARE 21 High Street STOKESLEY N Yorks