Raising money for Children in Need – Sunday 22 Nov.

Last Friday the Children in Need charity event was on TV. At Longborough Dental Practice, we all dressed in Pudsey scarfs (and some of the less inhibited wore furry ears) for the day, to raise awareness/sponsorship for a walk we intended on the following Sunday.

With all the bad weather around the country last week we had picked a bad time for a walk on the hills. But it was for Children in Need so there was no way any of the fundraisers were going to pull out. The weather forecast for Sunday was not good but when we all met up at Wyevale Garden Centre it didn't seem too bad.

There were nine of us in all, Longborough team members and various relatives, friends and dogs. I had put posters and sponsorship forms in the patient lounges and reception at the Practice so we had pledges for donations which we were all determined to collect. We intended to walk 10 miles despite the conditions. We expected the walk up Box Hill to be fairly tough because several of the party (including me) had done this before. What we didn't expect was that the minute we started off the wind would pick up and it would start to pour. By the time we got to the top of the hill (slipping and sliding all the way up) it was blowing a gale and the rain was lashing down!

Intrepid and determined as we were it was very hard work (as you can see from the pictures). It also took a lot longer than we had intended because it was so difficult to walk in all the mud. (I am still trying to wash the mud out of my clothes.) But we all got to the top and all got back down safely, though we did take a slightly shorter route than planned. Anyway, at least the three dogs enjoyed the walk!

A big thank you to all the walkers and to all the sponsors. We have raised a total of nearly £350 which will be sent to Pudsey.

ps. If you pledged money don't forget to send in your donation

Katherine

Senior Dental Nurse, Longborough

Lisa's Dental Implant - 2

As a nurse at Longborough Dental Practice I have had experience of Dental Implants but now I have a new perspective; experience as a patient!

On the day of my treatment everyone wore a gown, as they do in an operating theatre, and even I had to have a sterile drape over me and wear a funny hat and glasses. I had seen implants placed before and knew the procedure well, but it’s a bit different when it's you in the hot seat. I have to admit it did make me feel a little nervous!

I was made very numb so it didn’t hurt as much as I feared it might even though the surgery required took some time. Because my tooth had been so badly damaged it broke into pieces as the root was being removed and came out in fragments. This was the hardest and longest part of the procedure, for the implantologist. I, on the other hand, was quite happy lying under my 'comfort blanket' chatting away to him while he was struggling with my tooth. I chatted the whole way through, (when I had a chance to) as I wanted to know everything about the operation!

It was a pleasant surprise that what followed was the most gentle and quietest drilling I’ve ever seen or heard in the dental chair. I could have fallen asleep, if I had not been so intrigued by what was going on. Quite soon after this, the implant was screwed into place. After the tooth had been removed it had been discovered that I had some bone deficiency, so at this point I had a bone graft (using some of my own bone fragments taken from the drill). Very interesting!

The implant itself is a titanium rod that, once drilled into the bone, effectively acts as a new root and has a prosthetic tooth attached to it (see the diagram above). I'd had impressions taken a few weeks earlier and these had been sent off to a lab. A temporary crown had been made and this was ready to go straight on to the implant. I was almost done!

More about my treatment to follow.

Lisa

Qualified Dental Nurse, Longborough

Implants are not suitable for everyone. You will need to have healthy gums and be in good general health. You also need enough jawbone to take the posts and support the replacement teeth (complications arise where there is bone deficiency). Treatment involves undergoing surgery twice or more over a period of several months. Patients must also be prepared to maintain very good oral hygiene and visit their dentist regularly. Ask for a consultation with Dr Wadia.