W
L
THE ART OF THE SMILE
Wirral Life talk to Sandstone Dental about business, the most
popular treatments and perfecting your smile.
How did the two of you first meet?
We met in 2003 when I was still studying as an undergraduate. Fadi
taught me in the restorative clinic when I was learning how to undertake
fillings, crowns, dentures and of course endodontics (root canal
treatment). He was one of the people who encouraged and inspired me
as a young dentist to take the path that I have.
What inspired you to go into practice together?
We have worked together in the dental hospital since 2007 and because
of our shared passion for endodontics, we ended up running a lot of
courses together, teaching the dentists of the future how to carry out
root canal treatment in their own practice. We knew because of this that
we would be able to work together collaboratively in another guise. We
both share the same goals and vision in terms of caring for patients at the
highest level and treating them as we would our family or friends.
What is the difference between a general practice and a specialist
practice?
Sandstone started life as a general dental practice, providing basic oral
care for a group of patients and our ethos will always include providing
care for these patients. Most general dentists will from time to time
need to refer patients to an alternative practitioner with a higher level of
training and expertise to perform more complex dentistry. For example,
having a wisdom tooth removed. At Sandstone, patients rarely need to
be referred elsewhere as we can offer specialist level treatment in house
from our team of GDC-registered specialists.
We had both been working in other practices, receiving referrals from
other practitioners based all over Merseyside and providing treatment at
the specialist level, so it was a natural progression for us to bring things
together in one place. It also allows us to have a lot more freedom of
choice in the materials and equipment that we use and this then allows
us to ensure that our patients’ experience is really amazing.
Alongside our specialised treatment, a good state of health is absolutely
key to everything that we do and we always endeavour to ensure that we
are working in partnership with our patients to achieve the best results,
not just for the short term. Our hygienist Emma and therapist Abi are
very important members of our team for this reason.
Which treatments do you offer at the practice?
We are very blessed to have a team of amazing practitioners who can
use their expertise across the various different specialities to provide
our patients with an exceptional standard of care not only in general
dentistry, but endodontics (root canal treatment), periodontics (treating
gums), prosthodontics (restoring and replacing teeth), paediatric
dentistry (children’s dentistry), oral surgery and trauma management. It
means that our patients not just looked after by one person, but by the
best person in our team for that particular aspect of their care.
We have more recently had more interest in composite bonding, aligning
and whitening, which allows us to improve patients’ smiles with only
very minimal intervention, reducing the need to drill teeth.
What do you love most about your job?
We love being able to calm people, to look after them from the moment
that they walk through the door. We receive a great deal of positive
feedback from patients, especially those who are anxious. Being able to
help someone to have complex and time-consuming treatment that saves
their teeth and improves their appearance and quality of life is a real
pleasure for me.
Which treatments are most people asking for at the moment?
We receive a great deal of referrals for endodontic treatment, as this is
something that we are very well known for among our peers. Saving
teeth is very important, but there are occasions where this is not
possible. In these instances, dental implants are often a great option to
replace teeth. We are increasingly placing implants as patients learn and
understand the importance of having them placed safely by experienced
practitioners. Our newly installed 3D CBCT scanner allows us to plan
implants so much more carefully and predictably.
What should people be looking for when looking for a good quality
dentist?
A clinician who listens to their concerns and cares for them holistically
by looking at the bigger picture and ensuring that any treatment planned
is built on a sound and predictable foundation. Someone who takes the
time to discuss and explain treatment, to provide options and to work
with you to create a treatment plan that suits your individual wants and
needs.
Give us one piece of advice you would give to our readers about
looking after their teeth?
Brush using fluoride toothpaste twice a day and do not rinse after
brushing. It is amazing how many people are really surprised by this
when we tell them – if you rinse you are quite simply washing away all of
the fluoride that will help to strengthen teeth and prevent the formation
of cavities.
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