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Our blog
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Dr Damon - 21/6/09 Any follower of this site can't fail to have noticed that I am a huge fan of new technology in Orthodontics and particularly of the Damon Brace. The Damon Brace is quite simply the best thing to hit Orthodontics in many years. Like all great inventions, it is the product of one man's genius - Dr Dwight Damon from Spokane, Washington. Over the last couple of days it's been my pleasure and privilege to hear Dr Damon speak here in London - a great opportunity to pick up tips and hints and a chance to learn how to give better treatment to my patients. So here's a rather overawed looking me with the great man himself - probably the world's greatest living Orthodontist - Dr Dwight Damon. Gosh I feel .............humbled. |
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Case of the Month - 17/6/09 Today it was my pleasure to take a brace off for a lovely 26 year old lady who is to be married in 10 days time. Yes, I got it off just in the nick of time. As so often, this was a case of "Can you straighten my teeth before the wedding?" We were all really pleased with the result. I asked the patient if I could use her photos on this blog. She replied that she was so thrilled that I could put them up in neon lights! Lovely.
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Record Referrals - 2/6/09 Those languid, lazy days of summer are upon us.............except at Chapel Road, where we've been receiving record numbers of referrals. |
It seems that word has spread that we've succeeded in demolishing our NHS waiting list and the flood gates have opened. Last month we received 188 referrals from local Dentists - that's 47 a week! I guess it's nice to be in demand. |
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Second Opinions - 29/4/09 One of the most marked changes in recent years has been a rise in the willingness of patients to seek second opinions, when they have concerns or doubts about their treatment. Frankly, this is a good thing, since experience leads me to believe that they are usually correct and there is a problem brewing (or downright obvious). |
And so it was today. In the last 24 hours, I've seen two new patients who presented, to my surprise, with braces already on from other practices. They came with both parents - always a sign of either very conscientious parents or a problem. Both sets of parents had real concerns about the treatment and, it must be said, they were right. This is a really difficult situation and has to be handled with great care if it isn't to be made worse. In both of these cases I've sent them both back to their existing Orthodontists, with discrete suggestions about how to handle things. Hopefully all will work out well. Very tricky.
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Another Morph Movie - 8/4/09 This small clip shows a severely displaced, palatally positioned Canine aligning over a 14 month period. The brace is a Damon Brace (of course - what else) and this alignment was exceptionally smooth, accurate and relatively quick. Before the low friction Damon Brace, such alignments of severely displaced teeth would be extremely difficult and take at least a couple of years. |
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20 Years On - 8/4/09 I've been treading the boards here at Chapel Road for 21 years now and, from time to time, you get a reminder of how long that is. Recently, I've started to see children of former patients. It happened for the first time a couple of months ago and now it's almost a regular occurrence. Today, a very attractive lady came in with her 13 year old daughter. "You did my teeth 20 years ago when I was 18" she said. "How are they now?" I asked. "Great" she replied. So I took these photos of one of my results 20 years on and show them, with her permission. |
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Damon Brace Progress - 27/3/09 Even after more than two decades in orthodontics, I still regularly feel amazed by how we can move teeth with modern appliances. Here is an example of 8 months with the Damon Brace in one of my patients.
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and here's the same case from the side. What this shows is the incredible ease and speed of alignment, with the Damon brace, without extractions. I just couldn't have done this even a few years ago. Such fun. |
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Invisalign Inaccuracy - 21/3/09 It's get real time on the vexed subject of "Invisible Braces" - those 'magic wand' appliances that can straighten your teeth without being seen. Too good to be true? Yes indeed. Invisalign is the market leader and is heavily marketed, particularly by General Dentists who don't have the training and skill to use fixed braces. But I've long been a sceptic. How can a 'gum shield' move your teeth effectively? It just can't. and now we have scientific proof. |
. A recent article in the American Journal of Orthodontics blows the lid off the use of Invisalign:- How well does Invisalign work? A prospective clinical study evaluating the efficacy of tooth movement with Invisalign N. D. Kravitz - American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics January 2009 (Vol. 135, Issue 1, Pages 27-35) This is a very detailed paper but the bottom line is:- The mean accuracy of tooth movement with Invisalign was 41%. The range of accuracy varied from 29 to 47% Yes, that's right, an average of just 41% accuracy. Is that good enough for you? It's not good enough for me. This is why, at Chapel Road Orthodontics, we use the latest and most accurate of fixed braces, which do the job properly! |
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Improving - 20/3/09 I had my stitches out this morning and already my foot feels much better. The last 10 days have ben a real mixed blessing. On the one hand, the occasional agony of the operation aftermath and on the other, a very restful time, being looked after by my wonderful family. |
It's at times like this that you realize how much you depend on those around you and how much we all need to be looked after sometimes. The practice is like that - over 20 people, all inter dependant and working hard to look after our patients. For my part, it's a couple more days of R&R and then back to it, full steam ahead, on Monday. I truly am looking forward to it - to seeing patients again - though not perhaps to the two foot high pile of paperwork that will have accumulated by now. |
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Foot - 15/3/09 Just a 'minor op' for a small ganglion (cyst) on my right foot. So I allowed a whole week off to recover - should be plenty I thought. Mmmm What I hadn't appreciated (and no one told me) was the awful pain and swelling that would result. After three days confined to bed, the arrival of a wheelchair caused unspeakable delight. Oh joy I can get about the ground floor at home and am no longer confined to the bedroom, due to the sheer pain of trying to walk. I've already cancelled Monday's patients and am waiting to see if Tuesday is going to be possible. With hindsight, this needed two weeks. Doh |
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My First Damon Q Case - 3/3/09 A big day here at Chapel Road. This afternoon a lucky young patient was the first to receive the new Damon Q brace (see below). The components arrived yesterday and I wasted no time in getting a set on - possibly the first in the UK. The advantages for the patient:-
The world's best brace! |
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Veneers - The Times - 1/3/09 Here's a great article in today's Times by a cosmetic Dentist who advises against veneers for straightening crooked teeth. 
Doctor! Doctor! My teeth are crookedTempted to attain the perfect smile with veneers? You may regret it says a top dentist |
Cosmetic dentistry has become incredibly popular. It most commonly involves removing healthy enamel and tooth tissue so that veneers can be cemented to the front of the teeth. I see young women in my clinic who have slightly rotated teeth, or have small gaps between them, who seem to think that veneers are the best solution. But people do not realise that veneers are irreversible. People who have them may be condemning themselves to a lifetime of dentistry because veneers have to be carefully looked after and often need to be repaired, and probably replaced, in 10-15 years. I carry out many cosmetic procedures, but mainly on patients who have very broken-down teeth and neglected mouths. It is too easy for cosmetic dentists to say to people with crooked teeth: “I can do a wonderful job for you and veneer ten of your front teeth.” But for the majority of people a consultation with an orthodontist is the best policy. Orthodontists can achieve amazing results within six to nine months, with devices such as invisible braces, without permanently damaging your enamel. Then if there is still one tooth that is not looking right because it is discoloured or the incorrect size you can veneer that. The fact is that enamel is the hardest and best material to protect your teeth over the years. If you drill into it, and cut it away, you can be on the road to extraction. I have seen young women who have had teeth cut so far back to fit veneers that multiple root canals were required after cementing. Sometimes dentists do not explain all the treatment options, so patients should always ask. The hygienist is one of the most important people to see in dentistry. If you get into the routine of seeing one regularly your teeth and gums will be less susceptible to bacterial infection and decay, and you should not need to see the dentist as often. Keith Burns is founder of the Metrodental dental practice in London, www.metrodental.co.uk |
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Smile Width - 27/2/09 I recently came across a great illustration of what we're trying to achieve with the Damon Appliance and non extraction technique. These two photos are taken from an article in the American Journal of Orthodontics and show the effect of narrow dental arches verses a wider smile. Surprise, surprise, the wider smile was judged to be more attractive in a carefully controlled study, than the narrower smile. Gone are the days when we extracted for crowding - these days, when using the Damon appliance, we treat to the face and extract only where there are protruding lips which need to drop back. |
  Narrow Buccal Corridor verses wide smile fullness - Taken from Moore et al. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. February 2005 |
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A Superb Course 21/2/09 I just got back from a two day course in London given by Dr Frank Bogdan from New Jersey. Dr Bogdan is 'number three' in the world wide Damon hierarchy and is famous in Orthodontics for his lectures on the Damon Brace. It is a real privilage to study under a master of the craft - so many tips and hints and so much to take back to the practice on Monday. |
With the Damon system, the results that can be achieved today are far better than just a few years ago. We are now able to create beautiful smiles in a much shorter period of time without the need for rapid palatal expanders and usually without permanent tooth extraction. In addition to creating beautiful smiles, most patients are able to notice a change in their face. The Damon system allows us to create full arch forms and broader smiles that give more support to the midface, creating not just a beautiful smile, but a look that's more youthful and dynamic. The Damon system is suitable for both adults and children and I can see why it's taking the Orthodontic world by storm. |
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The Best just Got Better 15/2/09 I am a long standing fan of the Damon Brace system which is, quite simply, the world's best brace. The Damon appliance is a whole system of treatment which enables results (usually without extractions) to be achieved that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Damon Q - the 4th version of the appliance - is now available and I've ordered some sets. It is a significant leap forward in many respects - smaller, more features built in - and it promises to contribute greatly to the ever more impressive results that our patients are seeing. |
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The Best Month Ever? 1/2/09
In many ways, January 2009 was our best month ever. More private patients started treatment last month than in any previous month. Our NHS waiting list melted away in the face of a determined onslaught by all four of our Orthodontists. Believe it or not, it's not long ago that we were quoting 30 months to be seen on the NHS - a horrific delay which caused much distress to all concerned.
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We saw no fewer than 358 NHS new patients in January alone - and over 1,000 since November - a staggering number. Now the waiting list is down to 'just' 10 months and it's falling all the time! Superb This is due to, a huge team effort, with extra sessions being worked by us all over many months. |
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A New Orthodontist 5/2/09 This month we are joined by Our Fourth Orthodontist, Dr Manjinder Bains , whose story is a really unique one. Dr Bains was brought up locally, attended Erith School and later Dartford Girls Grammar. She obtained straight A's in all her exams and went to study Dentistry at Kings College. She then studied Orthodontics on the three year MSc course at Guys, working locally at Dartford and Medway Hospitals. When she was 12 years of age, I did her orthodontic treatment here at Chapel Road - and the result still looks great! So she has now joined the very practice that first inspired her to do Dentistry. Not only was she a patient here but she did some work experience with Dr Humphrey in the surgery that she now works in! I find this story really touching and if you are a new NHS patient with us now, there's a one-in-three chance that it's her you'll see. |
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A Lovely Case 12/1/09 I would like to share with you one of my nicest recent cases. This patient is a lovely French lady in her late 50's who was severely distressed by the appearance of her teeth. The front teeth had drifted apart over recent years and this was causing her severe embarrassment. She would never smile and would always hide behind her hand when speaking. Over a 12 month period I closed her front teeth together and the effect on her self confidence has been huge. She now smiles readily and all of us at Chapel Road are so pleased for her. She is such a lovely person - being a typical French lady, she keeps us amused with much talk of her home, its cuisine and wine. For example, her Christmas dinner this year was wild boar in a whisky sauce - made our mouths water just listening to the description! Fantastic I just love doing this work It makes all the practice management and administration worthwhile. |
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Reasons to be cheerful 9/1/09 Here at Chapel Road we've had a great start to the year. Record numbers of new patients (NHS and private), record case starts and - this week - more private case starts than during any other week in our practice history. |
. Indeed, our problems are currently those of success. For the first time in my career, I've just had to start working on Saturday afternoons as well as Saturday mornings, due to the weight of demand from private patients - we just couldn't fit them all in otherwise. Our phone system is in danger of being overwhelmed by the number of callers who can't get through. (Could I apologise for this if you're one of them - reception does take e-mails) We really need that bigger building (see below) so that we can cope. |
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