We're rising to the challenge for Sport Relief

We’re challenging ourselves to run 6 miles on Sunday 21 March in The Guildford Mile!
 
We need your help and sponsorship.

Team Longborough (pictured above) comprises, Alison, Katherine, Fiona, Lisa and Janet. Six weeks ago we were asked if we would put forward a team to participate in the Sport Relief Mile. Our initial response was a tentative ‘maybe?’ However it didn’t take long for that to turn in to a positive ‘Yes!’  And one mile just didn’t seem enough! So we threw caution to the wind and decided if we were going to do it we might as well go for it and entered for the 6 mile run.

For the past few weeks Team Longborough has been in training. Fiona, Janet, Lisa, Katherine and Alison have been pounding pavements and treadmills and are preparing themselves for this great challenge. We would love to raise our target of £500 but wouldn’t it be fantastic if we managed more. Please help us exceed our goal and raise as much as we possibly can. The money you give will help people living incredibly tough lives both at home in the UK and across the world's poorest countries.

You can sponsor Team Longborough using the link below. Thank you for your support.

www.mysportrelief.com/LongboroughDental

Ten top tips for truly kissable lips

With Valentine's day in mind here are the Longborough ten top tips for truly kissable lips.

Luscious lips
Cold winter weather can lead to dry cracked lips (not very attractive) so use a good lip salve regularly. Lips can burn easily in the summer too (or even when skiing) so it's a good idea to use a lip salve with an SPF.

Check your breath
A quick tip for checking your breath is to simply lick the inside of your wrist. Wait for this to dry and then check the smell. A sour or sickly sweet odour means your mouth needs attention. If your oral hygiene is good this could indicate other problems so you should visit your dentist.

Tasty teeth
We recommend that you brush thoroughly with fluoride toothpaste for at least two minutes twice a day. Don’t forget to clean in between your teeth with floss or special ‘mini’ brushes. Bacteria can accumulate in these hard to reach areas and may result in gum disease which is a frequent cause of bad breath.

Clean that tongue
Bad breath can also be caused by bacteria that hide in the rough surface of your tongue, where they breed and release volatile sulphur compounds (unpleasant odours to you and me). So clean your tongue thoroughly with a brush or tongue scraper when you brush your teeth.

Mouth washes & gum
Good antibacterial fluoride mouthwashes can help to keep breath fresh and they also fight cavities and strengthen teeth. Chewing sugar-free gum helps with oral care and can give you fresh breath confidence when you need it most.

Drink plenty of water
It is recommended that you drink two litres of water a day. Drinking water regularly will ensure your mouth stays well hydrated and help keep your breath fresh.

Give up smoking
No mouth is truly kissable with 'ashtray breath,' but this problem will disappear when you give up cigarettes! Most importantly if you stop smoking you also reduce the chances of getting gum disease and mouth cancer.

Visit your Hygienist
You should visit a hygienist regularly to maintain your oral hygiene so for that special date book an appointment and give your confidence a fresh breath boost!

Take a look in the mirror
A last minute check will ensure nothing can spoil your smile. Remember you can't always feel if something is lodged between your teeth! A quick glance in the mirror could prevent that spinach becoming a Valentine's Day disaster…

If you are not happy with your smile or any aspect of your mouth and teeth contact Longborough Dental Practice and ask about our smile clinic. We can give you the smile you always wanted.

New Year Message - Dec 2009

As I haven’t written a Blog for a while I thought I would take the opportunity to look back at the past year and forward to the next and let you know what we’ve been up to at Longborough Dental Practice and what we have planned.

2009 has been a busy year for us. Our commitment to our patients means we re-invest in the practice and its team to ensure we can offer the best levels of service and this requires planning. At Longborough the management team take ‘time out’ every quarter to plan ahead (up to three years in many instances) and ensure that the decisions we make are put into action.

In 2009 the Longborough dental and administration teams undertook a wide and varying programme of continuing professional development. We attended courses, talks, meetings, conferences and showcases.

The whole team attended courses in Customer Services, Communication skills, Cross Infection Control (ensuring the patient is guaranteed the ‘best practice’ in this area), Radiation Protection (X-ray’s), Basic Life Support and Anaphylaxis training.

Longborough Partner, Dr Shernaz Wadia took her Implant team (nurses, hygiene therapist and practice manager) to the Association of Dental Implantology’s Biennial Conference in Birmingham where we attended a wide range of presentations to increase our knowledge and understanding of the techniques and applications of implant dentistry.

Our dentists have attended a range of courses in restorative dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, four-handed dentistry & dental implants in addition to ‘Communication Skills’; ensuring they effectively ‘listen’ to their patients and communicate fully throughout every course of treatment. They are also active members of the local BDA (British Dental Association) society and regularly attend meetings in connection with this.

Dr Vipul Kataria, who carries out our Endodontics (root treatments) at Longborough has been very enthusiastically accepted into the Longborough family both by our patients and our team. Whilst his area of expertise might not sound like the most comfortable and enjoyable aspect of dentistry, patients tell us that Vipul delivers just that. Close to completing his Msc in Endodontics at The Eastman Dental Institute, Vipul is probably pouring over books and notes, revising for his Viva, as I write this!

Looking ahead

Our plans for 2010 include a refurbishment programme for our treatment rooms. With this in mind the whole team went to the British Dental Trade Association Showcase in Birmingham last month. We wanted to compare and contrast all the available equipment for the contemporary dental surgery in 2010 and beyond.

One area that we are paying particular attention to is dental chairs, not only from the aspect of a clinical delivery system but also from the point of view of patient comfort. This is something that is paramount to us at Longborough. We certainly came across a huge range of chairs and our favourites were the ‘memory foam chair’ which ‘moulds' to your body’s natural curves, reducing awkward pressure points, and (the one we all had to try out for ourselves) the ‘massage’ chair. This actually gives you a back massage whilst you have your dental treatment! You will have to wait and see which chairs we choose.

So as this year draws to a close I can assure you that the Longborough team will continue to plan ahead, continue their professional development, re-invest in the practice and ensure that you, our loyal and valued patients, will receive the benefits of all our hard work.

Our very best wishes for the New Year!

With warmest regards,

Alison
Practice Manager

We welcome feedback at Longborough and like to hear from you not only when we get it right but also when we get it wrong. We take any information you give us as an opportunity to learn and improve. If you have something to say why not email us? You can contact me via the administration team on admin@longboroughdental.co.uk