Christmas Opening times

Closed Dec 24 - Dec 27
Dec 28 - Open: 9.15am - 4.45pm
Dec 29 - Open: 9am - 5pm
Dec 30 - Open: 9.30am - 12noon
Closed - Dec 31 - Jan 2
Jan 3 open as usual

Alison
Practice Manager

Longborough Dental Practice

Dental Implants at Longborough

It is a well known fact that people are keeping their teeth for longer. ‘Old age’ used to mean losing your teeth, now nearly half of the UK population aged 85 and over are expected to retain some, if not the majority of their teeth. The team at Longborough Dental Practice are committed to helping their patients retain their own teeth and can offer a wide range of preventative and restorative treatments to help keep everyone smiling.

There are also many ways of filling a ‘gap’ now without resorting to a denture. Dental implants are one means of ensuring a confident smile. If replacing a molar tooth an implant will help to maintain a good biting surface which in itself is crucial to long term good health and well being.

However, if you are already living with a loose denture which causes you to miss out on life’s simple pleasures such as eating your favourite foods, laughing, smiling or talking in public - all is not lost.

At Longborough the dental team can offer you (or your elderly relative) mini-implants, which have revolutionised dentistry with the introduction of a minimally invasive treatment plan for denture stabilisation. Many people struggle for years when dining out with friends and the embarrassment of their loose dentures. After a simple procedure to fit mini-implants they find they can relax and enjoy their evenings. Steak is back on the menu!

Alison
Practice Manager

Longborough Dental Practice

Thank You Longborough!

At Longborough we are focused on ensuring that our patients have the very best care and we are always pleased to get positive feedback.  

Here's an email we recently received from a very happy patient and it is such a wonderful testimonial that we had to share it with you.

Dear Team at Longborough Dental practice

I would just like to repeat my personal thanks to you all for the exemplary care and treatment that I have recently received at Longborough.

From the welcoming team in reception to the professional and expert treatment provided by Vipul the whole experience was first class.

As a nervous patient this was all the more welcome !!

Many thanks again,

Regards Mr P S

It's nice to be appreciated!

Alison
Practice Manager

Longborough Dental Practice

Root canal treatment

Why does my Tooth need Root Canal Treatment?

A tooth generally needs a root canal procedure because the pulpal tissue (the ‘nerve’) inside the tooth has become irreversibly damaged. The pulp may become inflamed or may die if either there is significant decay in a tooth, if there is a large restoration (filling or crown) or if the tooth has been subjected to trauma.

The inflamed pulp may cause toothache or remain pain-free. When the pulp dies, the space it inhabits (the root canal) can rapidly become infected with bacteria. This may cause pain and swelling in the supporting tissues (abscess) or the tooth may remain symptom-free.

Root canal treatment is directed towards removing inflamed or abscessed tissue. The root canal system, especially in molars, is often complex and difficult to clean well. This is why many general dentists prefer to refer these cases to an Endodontist who has the training, specialised equipment and experience to deal with them well.

What is Root Canal Treatment?

During a root canal the Endodontist will make a small hole in the crown of the tooth and remove the pulp tissue or existing root canal filling which is infected by bacteria.
The pulp chamber and the tooth root canals are then cleaned (sometimes referred to as ‘removing the nerve’) and disinfected to reduce the number of bacteria and allow healing. Root canal therapy requires one or two visits to complete, depending on the extent of the infection.

Once the root canal system has been sealed with a root canal filling, a protective crown may be required to prevent the tooth from fracture, so that it can be retained
as a healthy and functional member of the dental arch.
Root canal treatment has not always been as successful as it is today. Fortunately the guiding principles of modern Endodontics can now be utilised to deliver very predictable
results over years of a patients lifetime.

Endodontists are specifically trained dentists who have a great deal of experience and use specialised equipment in order to treat difficult
root canal systems and retreat teeth where previous root canal treatments have failed.

Endodontists are able to use techniques to reduce patient discomfort and anxiety during the treatment. Most patients will experience no discomfort during or after the procedure, a minority of patients may experience a little soreness after the procedure which will resolve within 48 hours, this can be reduced by taking painkillers during this period.

Currently, we can expect success rates of over 90% for first time root canal treatments performed by an Endodontist. The success rate is reduced to about 75 - 80% when an existing root treatment needs redoing if it has failed.

Some cases may need further treatment in order to eradicate the infection successfully. If root canal treatment fails, a surgical procedure (root end surgery) might be necessary in order to treat the infection successfully.

Alison
Practice Manager

Longborough Dental Practice

Team Building and Training Day

Longborough Dental Practice is committed to professional development for all the team and recently had a Team Building and Training Day at Wotton House Conference Centre.

 

Nineteen of the staff attended and the whole day was built around Belbin Team role personality profiling. There were group discussions on the balance of roles within the practice, presentations and competitive team games. All of which was designed to build productive working relationships, develop a high performing team, raise self-awareness and build mutual trust and understanding within the team.

 

Discussions were held afterwards to analyse how people reacted and worked together as a team. It was a valuable exercise and the lessons we all learnt will be put into practice in the Practice. Our aim is to ensure that the Longborough Patient experience is second to none and this Training Day will help us to do exactly that and provide an even better service.

Alison
Practice Manager

Longborough Dental Practice

The Reverend Dr Richard Malcolm Neil Hooker

Sadly Richard Hooker passed away on Tuesday 24 May, 2011.
 
As many of you may know, Richard was a long serving dentist at Longborough Dental Practice and he was also the father of Alison our practice manager. 



After he had qualified from Guys Hospital he joined Longborough as a partner with Brian Calvert in 1963. He made Longborough his home and continued to work here until he retired in August 2003, having made many friends amongst the families of Dorking and surrounding Surrey Hills during his long and successful career.



In 1990 he became a lay-reader at St Giles and St George’s church in Ashtead. Richard was ordained in 1999 at Guildford Cathedral and became Reverend Dr Richard Hooker. He continued his ministry at St Giles and St George’s, Ashtead where he led services, preached regularly, presided over weddings and funerals and held services in nursing homes.




He was very popular and highly regarded by his congregation.



Apart from all of his hard work with the church, in recent years he still managed to find time to journey around the world. He loved to travel and particularly enjoyed visiting Africa.



Throughout his life he always owned and loved dogs and enjoyed many, many long walks with them on Fetcham Downs.



He always kept himself fit and was a very keen sportsman. In his younger days he was a runner, an enthusiastic squash player and loved cricket and rugby. He attended St John’s School, Leatherhead and remained a rugby Old Johnian. He also served as lifelong Vice President of Leatherhead Cricket Club.



He leaves behind his much loved wife, three children and his beloved grandchildren.
 
Richard will be greatly missed.

A brighter smile

A beautiful smile can have a very positive effect on an individual’s self-confidence, self-esteem and personal relationships.

Do you ever wish you had a brighter smile?

Although all our dentists are skilled cosmetic dentists we are delighted to welcome Dr Bela Treon as a regular member of our team. Bela has a special interest in Cosmetic Dentistry and Facial Aesthetics. She spends some of her working week at a practice in Knightsbridge and she has also appeared on the Channel 4 TV show ‘Ten Years Younger’.

It is great news that Bela has joined us at Longborough as it means that we can now offer the excellence of a Knightsbridge cosmetic dental spa right here in Dorking. Anyone who is dissatisfied with their smile can book a consultation with Bela and they will receive the Longborough Smile Check.

This is an opportunity to talk to Bela about everything from the colour of their teeth and fillings to the confidence they feel in their smile. Once Bela understands her patient’s wishes she will explore the possibilities available and provide a bespoke treatment plan tailor made to their specific needs. This could be a simple treatment for the enhancement of just one tooth, or possibly a more comprehensive treatment plan involving a complete Smile Makeover.

We can give you a beautiful, healthy smile that you can be proud of. Ask about Cosmetic Dentistry and Facial Aesthetics at Longborough.

Alison
Practice Manager

Longborough Dental Practice

Get to know Ritu - our new dentist

Our latest team member, Ritu Srivastava, qualified at Kings College London in 2000 then went on to attain a certificate in restorative dentistry from the Eastman Dental Hospital, followed by a DPDS (postgraduate diploma in dental studies) from Bristol University. She enjoys working in all aspects in dentistry and has great people skills so she is sure to fit in really well at Longborough.

Ritu has bags of energy and also manages to find time for her interests outside of work. She has taken part in a swimathon for the NSPCC and in a charity run for Cancer Research, she likes cooking Asian food (and eating Chinese, Thai, Indian and Italian food) and enjoys all types of music from classical to popular. 

In addition to all this she has travelled all over the world; from the Far East (Thailand, Japan and Singapore) to the glaciers just on the southern tip of Argentina and from the Iguazu falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil to the Goa and Kerala backwaters in Southern India. She has snorkeled in the Pacific Ocean off the Cairns and and even been to Ayers Rock in Australia. How cool is that!

Say hello and ask her for some travel tips...

A testimonial we just had to share

It's been a great start to the New Year at Longborough.

We have just received this wonderful testimonial which has put a smile on all of our faces:

"I was referred to the Longborough practice by my dentist. I needed to have re-root canal treatment because my original root canal failed after 10 years.

As you can imagine I was quite nervous going to see a new dentist, especially for this kind of treatment (as I am a nervous patient). However as soon as I got to the Longborough Practice and met the reception and dental staff I knew I was in good hands.

My treatment was explained to me in a clear, concise, professional but friendly manner. I had to attend 4 times in order to complete my course of treatment. I have never been so relaxed at the dentist in my life; I even fell asleep, which is absolutely unheard of for me!

I can and do recommend Longborough to everyone needing dental treatment. A first rate level of treatment and service."

Mr C.P. of Streatham 

Alison
Practice Manager

Longborough Dental Practice