Mr Sebastian Evans

Finals. The word is enough to strike fear into the bones of any student. However, as much as you don’t want to have to think about them, soon you will have no choice. Indeed, it isn’t just finals that dental students have to worry about. Students of all years will have to knuckle down in…

Dull as dishwater. List after list of gingival and periodontal diseases. If you are like me then it becomes difficult to remember them all, probably because in reality we see only a small cross section of these diseases. Most of us working in practice, even in specialist practice, will mostly be dealing with the chronic…

I am sure we all have patients who are an irregular shape and don’t fit into the dental chair very well; perhaps they have a hunched back or curvature of the spine. The old black and chrome Rathbone units may have been ugly but you could fit the headrest right into the neck of the…

Most of you will have recently submitted your annual self-assessment tax return and paid a hefty sum to the taxman. But did you ever think that better financial management could reduce your tax bill? Most of you being higher-rate tax payers, have you ever thought how much tax you would have overpaid due to omission…

In the past few issues we have been concentrating on how to keep your head above water whilst you progress through your dental course. However, good financial planning when you graduate is just as important. Keeping your money in check takes on a whole new meaning when you say goodbye to dental school. Yes, you…

The transition from the pre-clinical to clinical stage of dental school is an exciting yet nerve-wracking time approaching many second and third year dental students across the UK at this time of year. The many hours of practice slaving over a phantom head give way to the prospect of treating your first real live humans!…

A single non-vital central incisor is a challenge to mask using adhesive porcelain. This case illustrates a successful result in alleviating crowding and masking a non-vital tooth with four anterior bonded porcelain restorations. A 34-year-old female company director presented complaining of dissatisfaction with her smile, which she felt was crooked and discoloured. She wanted her…

Dr Smith had a problem. He wanted to increase profitability but wasn’t sure how he could. His schedule was booked two weeks out and he had a good flow of new patients. His overhead numbers were good and he had a long-term, loyal staff in place. His practice was healthy although very busy and stressed.…

In February the Financial Times revealed that an estimated 8.4m* – one in five adults in the UK – has unsecured debts of at least £10,000, and that many of these people are considering bankruptcy or an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA). An IVA is a legally binding agreement with creditors to settle debt within a…

Tony Blair has acknowledged that the government has failed in its promise to provide access for all to an NHS dentist. In September 1999 the Prime Minister pledged that within two years everyone would have an NHS dentist no matter where they lived. Eight years later, less than half of the adult population is registered.…

It has been said that humans are capable of feeling pleasure and enjoyment and it is through the smile that others may appreciate this emotion. Conversely, a person’s pleasure and enjoyment may not be readily detectable through their smile due to their reluctance to initiate it. Often, the reason for this lack of desire to…

Q. I’ve always taken before-and-after photographs of patients while they are wearing retainers – it gives the best view of the teeth. But a colleague recently told me that photos without retainers, and showing the patient’s full face, are more effective. Is she right? A. Retainers which hold the lips back away from the teeth…

For many the Easter period is a time to contemplate new beginnings and new life, and that is certainly true of this year’s cohort of final-year dental students. All across the country March and April signify the release of job lists for Vocational Training (VT) placements and the rush to secure VDP (Vocational Dental Practitioner)…

Whenever I discuss the business aspects of dental care, I always stress the importance of the primary purpose of what we are doing. Patient care must come first. My belief is that by setting the prices of our services at the correct level we can offer the most appropriate care without compromise. Profits accrued can…

Dental practices can experience continued growth regardless of their current performance level. In most cases, growth requires the development and implementation of effective business systems. These step-by-step operating procedures ensure that the practice consistently meets its goals while providing exceptional patient care and customer service. In many instances, dentists are not aware that there are…

No matter how hard you budget as a dental student, and how much you take advantage of all the available awards on offer, it’s fairly safe to say that at some point in your course you will consider taking out a loan. To qualify as a dentist you have to spend a minimum of five…

Strip perforations can be easily anticipated and avoided when they are expected if simple steps are taken. They usually occur because of overzealous use of Gates Glidden drills and Peezo reamers used in the middle third of roots, especially lower molar mesial roots and the mesial buccal roots of upper molars. Any preparation that moves…

Most dental practices would like new patients to walk through the doors with little financial outlay on marketing, advertising and PR. This is possible providing the care and treatments are of a standard that patients are delighted to recommend the practice to their friends, family and colleagues. Referral cards are a cost-effective and very successful…

The British Dental Association and pressure group Challenge have both stepped up their demands for an overhaul of the government’s NHS dentistry reforms. As previously reported, calls for Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) to be scrapped were made at a major conference organised by the BDA last week to mark the first anniversary of the…