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5+ steps to Green Your Dental Routine at Home

May 10th, 2012 | Posted by Dental Europe in Uncategorized - (Comments Off)

As promised  we are looking at how can we make our dental routine green at home. Be warned, you can seriously save a lot of money and water  applying these basic recommendations.

  1. Water Off! As we discussed it previously, don’t leave the water running while you’re brushing your teeth. If you turn it only to rinse your mouth and your brush then you can save significantly more water. More ‘advanced techniques’ involve a small glass (see below).
  2. Natural Toothpaste. Yumm. If you are at the store buying your new toothpaste, pick a natural one rather than what you have now. Natural toothpaste is biodegradable and it also helps to stay our water fresh and clear.
  3. Plant Your Toothbrush! If you already bought a natural toothpaste, don’t miss the  composting (or biodegradable) toothbrush. These brushes are typically made of bio materials (like corn starch) – with some types you can even use for your garden!
  4. Gently With Your Teeth. Be gentle with your teeth; don’t brush too hard on your gums. You can not only save your gums, it will also make your toothbrush last a lot longer, saving you quite a few bucks and reducing waste.
  5. Floss. Seriously. If you floss regularly, you can prevent any extensive dental work in the future, saving you a lot of money and reducing the amount of harmful materials and chemicals most traditional dentists use.
  6. Glassy Business. So you turned off the tip. Sweet! Now you may wonder if there is a more effective way to get a reasonable amount of water. It is called: a glass. Having brushed your teeth twice a day the amount can easily reach up to 13 litres of water per day – adding up to 145,000 litres a year… If you use a small glass of water, you do a big favour to our planet Earth! In case you were wondering, here  is the action list for the process:

1)      Fill a small glass with water

2)      Wet your toothbrush by putting it to your glass for a second

3)      Put, the obviously natural, toothpaste to your, obviously biodegradable, toothbrush

4)      Brush your teeth for 2 minutes. Remember. Gently!

5)      Rinse with water from the glass. Swish if you like.

6)      Well done! Be proud that you did something good to our planet!

 

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Green Dentistry At Home – Turn Off the Water, Please!

May 4th, 2012 | Posted by Dental Europe in Uncategorized - (Comments Off)

It is rather interesting that environmental counsciousness is appealing to more people every day. There are so many things that we can do to save energy and reduce pollution -and it doesn’t take too much effort! When it comes down to your mouth, there are many routines that have much lower negative impact on the environment – as opposed to the conventional ways. As water, or more precisely the lack of it, gets more and more urgent matter , we need to consider every possible ways to save even a drop of it. With a very complicated technique that requires years of practicing and very expensive tools we can just do that: turn off the tap water when you brush your teeth and use only a glass of water to rinse.  If you use these drop-dead simple instructions, you can even save, let’s say you wash your teeth 2-3 times, 13 litres of water by yourself – a day! And if you save 13 litres a day, and the fact that there are 30.5 days in a month (to make it up to, 28, 29, 31), one person can save 400 litres per month. But let’s take it to a higher perspective. If there are 365.25 days a year, then a single human being can save up to, wait for it… 145,000 litres of clean water. One man can make such a huge difference.

And the list goes on and on. Other ways like having a natural toothpaste, a compostable toothbrush and the all-time favourite: floss too can make a big difference both for your wallet and your environment. We are going to have a closer look on this matter here later. As I was searching for other green dental opportunities,  I came across this site and found many other interesting ideas how to help saving the environment with tasks like making your own sparkling water, how closing the shades saves energy and adding insulation to your walls can mean a saving for you and for our planet as well.

I am going to get a glass for my toothbrushing excersises now…

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10 Things Your Dentist Won’t Tell You – Empower Yourself

April 27th, 2012 | Posted by Dental Europe in Uncategorized - (Comments Off)

There are many and more ways to manage a dental practice and every dentist is trying to balance the paradox between duty and desire – the desire to live a better life and the duty to be a great dentist. Although a better life sounds good enough, if we are faced with a fairly expensive bill to pay, loads of questions and doubts become to the surface and get us thinking around alternatives. I mean dental treatment abroad for example.

So if you are wondering is there anything that your dentist does not tell you, below is a nice list from TAO dentistry. I admire the set of mind of Dr. Barry and here at ClickFlySmile we are working hard to find dentists like him to partner with and making a lot of extra effort avoid all of the mentioned items. I share this with you in order to empower you with the knowledge that was kept hidden from every patient.

  1. Your  dentist sees you as a profit center rather than a patient.  Everyone gets the business thing.  Football players tell us this all the time…but this is health care and an ethical dentist MUST put the patient first.  That is the real definition of professional.  Dentists who do this usually relate everything to the “time is money” philosophy.  They usually run behind and are over-scheduled.
  2. Your dentist just took a weekend course in an advanced surgical technique – and you are his Monday morning experiment.  Yes, it’s true…we call these dentists gunslingers.  Many procedures dentists do are fairly safe and reversible, but others are way beyond the skill level necessary for performance.  When dentistry is a business and new “profit centers” are available…some dentists go beyond their limitations.
  3. Many dentists are nothing more than tooth jockeys.  That means that they don’t look at the whole patient.  Granted, some patients may be satisfied with this standard, but most people go to the dentist for a long-term result.  If a practice is set up to treat single teeth, it’s unlikely that the patient will accomplish anything worthwhile.  You know if your dentist is committed to your comprehensive care and long-term results if he does a comprehensive examination which includes the teeth, the gums, the bite and an oral cancer examination.
  4. The dentist uses the cheapest materials available and charges you for “the best.”  Dentistry is a blind service.  Look, every business tries to cut down on expenses but at least it should be disclosed.  When the patient goes to a dentist because of price…duh, how do people really think that works.
  5. They use cheap labs.  Just like number 4…this is an area where the dentists can save a lot of money.  These days a dentist can send lab work overseas to China or Thailand.  Google those prices.  Yes…he can pay as low as $50 for a crown and charge the patient or the insurance company up the wazoo.  If you really want to get nervous check out the labor standards in some of those countries.  (Lead in crowns?)
  6. The dentist charges patients one fee and charges the insurance company another, or plan patients get a lower fee.  There seems to be a war between insurance companies and dentists on this issue.  C’mon, is insurance fraud something new?  The problem is that the public accepts a lot of these practices.  But what about the patient who REALLY wants the best and is willing to pay for it.  Sorry…”let the buyer be aware” doesn’t work for me.
  7. Your dentist hasn’t taken a legitimate continuing education course since he graduated dental school.  Many dentists these days spend a lot of time and money trying to be better.  There are many great lecturers and courses available.  But too many dentists only go to courses that are free or are sponsored by manufacturers that are selling the next new thing (profit centers?)
  8. His sterilization techniques are outdated.  Dentistry has changed for the better with the preponderance of disposable supplies, but still plenty of tools need to be sterilized.  This was a hot topic some years ago when OSHA put their foot down hard.  But if you are seeing a trend here about ethics and business, maybe it’s a good time to rethink how patients choose their dentist.
  9. They let the dental assistant perform tasks they are not licensed to perform.  Lots of controversy here.  Certain states allow assistants to do more than others.  Making temporaries, taking impressions and even giving injections.  Some dentists however really push the envelope on this one though…
  10. They just don’t like their patients.  Okay, this is where we started with Lolabees blog post.  The truth is the dentist (and his staff) don’t even like some of their patients.  This is what got dentists all over that post.  It’s true!  Unprofessional, but hey, that’s human nature.  The real truth is that the dentist should not treat people he doesn’t like.  Jerome Groopman, author of How Doctors Think,  tells us that mistakes in diagnosis are more likely to occur when doctors treat people they don’t like.

Source: http://taoofdentistry.com/blog/10-things-your-dentist-doesnt-want-you-to-know/

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Top 5 Factors That Changes Cosmetic Dentistry Prices

April 12th, 2012 | Posted by Dental Europe in Uncategorized - (Comments Off)

Cosmetic Dentistry Prices are rising and show no sign of decrease in the foreseeable future. However, you can save huge by the benefits of the dental tourism. When it comes to cosmetic dentistry there is no such thing as a one fits all as every people have different dental and other needs. Prices are calculated along 5 factors that we are covering in this post.

1) Dental work. Each treatment type needs different level of extensiveness – the amount of dental work and time likewise – resulting in different cosmetic dentistry prices.

2) Dental Practice. Depending on the level of standards, high-end technology and even reputation a dental clinic may ask for a different price. Obviously the Central European price range differs from the western counterpart as you can save significantly more with the former.

3) Dentist. Experience and qualifications of a dental professional may have a great impact on the final price. For example specialists tend to ask more for the work they are delivering as opposed to general dentists.

4) Materials. As you might already know that materials play an important role in changing cosmetic dentistry prices by now, there is little to say more about this issue rather than the obvious. For example if you prefer gold or ceramics for your dental bridge the costs can raise easily. It is the same with dental implants – if you choose a brand that is well-known (e.g. Straumann) or a material as such (e.g. Biocare), you have to pay the price for that – of course the results can be a lot different and can give you a peace of mind knowing that it was tested and proved good for others before.

5) Extra services. You can often find the prices that include the costs for aftercare or guarantee –  follow-up appointments and maintenance. However, airport transfer, free accommodation or airplane tickets even are not unknown for dentists who attend to foreign patients’ needs.

Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures include

  • Teeth Whitening
  • Veneers
  • Dental Implant
  • Dental Bridges
  • Tooth or Gum Contouring and Reshaping
  • Cosmetic Bondings
  • Dentures
  • Dental Crowns

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Mark’s Story of His Dental Treatment Abroad (Part 2)

February 23rd, 2012 | Posted by Dental Europe in Uncategorized - (Comments Off)

[...]

Now, I am not going to pretend that the ultrasound scaling to remove the plaque from beneath my gums was pleasant. In fact this was the most uncomfortable part of the whole process. Only myself to blame of course, if I had been on a normal 6 monthly appointment schedule the plaque would not have had time to bed in.

Suzie was very understanding, and even apologised when I tensed up or said ‘uuurrgggtthh’, plenty of breaks to rinse too. 15 minutes later the far more gentle polish session soon relaxed me again.

Whitening involved a process to protect my gums, then 2 sessions under some high-tech UV light. Throughout the treatment I had a special springy device which held my lips back out of the way. I must have looked like some kind of zombie! Though I had been warned that there might be some discomfort involved, the only incident to report was needing to cough half way through the first session… an annoying tickle which was probably caused entirely by the thought that I had better not cough.

A quick picture after we had finished, some aftercare advice and sensitive toothpaste samples and I was on my way. The bill? 44,000 Hungarian Forints, which at today’s exchange rate is £121.18p – absolutely amazing for treatment in a hi-tech dentist which could have easily been £300+ in the UK!

My teeth  were a little sensitive for the next day. Nothing painful, just enough to make me see the wonders of soft food. I’m still feeling more than a little grumpy about missing that afternoon coffee though!

The staff were great, the equipment as modern as I have seen anywhere and the prices amazing. I’ll be back there in 6 months, for a hopefully pain-free scrape, check-up and polish.

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Mark’s Feedback From His First Foreign Dentist Visit

February 21st, 2012 | Posted by Dental Europe in Uncategorized - (Comments Off)

As a serial-avoider of dentists I might not be the obvious candidate to check out one of Budapest’s dental clinics. After casually mentioning that, ‘well, maybe whiter teeth could be nice’ to my friends at ClickFlySmile.com – I found myself agreeing to check out one of the biggest and best clinics in town. This is my feedback from today’s visit to a dental clinic in Budapest.*

Like many men, tasks such as putting up a shed, deciphering a map or running a business presentation in front of important clients are no challenge at all. While picking up the phone to book an appointment at the dentists… now that is simply terrifying. Fortunately the receptionist spoke excellent English, there was an appointment the next day and even a special offer which would see my treatment significantly cheaper than the list price – which was already a big saving compared to UK dental prices. I would have an ultrasound scale removal, polish and then a tooth-whitening treatment. Tomorrow would see my wine and coffee stained teeth emerge from years of being a cream colour at best… if I was brave enough to actually go.

My Dental Treatment Abroad – The Day Of Arrives

Waking up on time and feeling fine can be a mixed blessing sometimes. With my last possible excuses for missing my dentist appointment gone, it was a matter of cleaning my teeth 3 times and getting on the tube train to the clinic. As an aside, the metro I took was the first one built in Europe. It runs from the centre of Budapest to a huge park with such delights as thermal baths, a castle and (in season) an ice-skating rink. I got off literally 2 minutes from the clinic, a grand looking classical building clearly signed and decorated with big flags.

I was soon inside, sat on a comfortable leather sofa in a waiting room which would put many UK dentists to shame, and filling out a questionnaire on my medical history. This was just a series of ‘yes / no’ answers on whether I was currently on medication or had any conditions which might affect their choices of treatment. Suzie, the dental nurse who would carry out my whitening treatment then came to introduce herself and take me to the treatment room.

The dentist was waiting and soon had me comfortable with a little small talk and enquiry about my lamentable lack of previous dentist experiences. Last time I had any treatment was 2 years ago, and a horrifying 15 year gap before that… We started with a standard check-up procedure.

Well, top marks for this part of the treatment, which was fast and easy. I soon had my teeth (complete with type of filling) displayed on a computer screen. He not only spotted the 8 missing ones – but correctly named the reasons they were gone (4 for orthodontic reasons and 4 wisdom teeth which were growing in completely the wrong direction). The good news was that no additional work was needed, the bad news was that the build-up of plaque under my gums had lead to inflammation… no big deal, I just need an over the counter medicated mouthwash for a while.

Next the process was explained to me. First the scale, then the polish, then 2 sets of 15 minutes whitening treatment. I asked about the all-important wait before I would be able to drink coffee again and was happy to hear that 1 day off would be enough! Red wine I can temporarily live without… coffee, no.

[story continues on part 2]

*name of the practice is omitted due to restrictions

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We met Mark at an stand-up comedy event and he told us about his needs accidentally that led to this writing. Hope you enjoyed. Stay tuned for the next part.

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Ugly Dental Photos on Dental Tourism Websites

February 15th, 2012 | Posted by Dental Europe in Uncategorized - (Comments Off)

There are so many websites posting untolerable pictures of their patients crooked teeth. Even though I usually browse these sites, it is so horrible to look at them. You can say goodbye to your apetite for starters, but there was something else even I was surprising myself. I started to look at them with fear mixed with some kind of joy and relieve…

(These are far from the bests but shows a good representative list of the beginning. And sorry there are no options here, you have to look at it.)

So, ok we get it. You need to prove that you are a good dentist and you can properly do your job. But if only there would be an option to choose to see it, that would be okay.

However, you can’t take off your eyes when you enter a site containing these kind of pictures. I tend to start thinking about my teeth and where did I put my brushes… So, yes, I can understand that there is a (kind of dentist) way that these picures make sense, because you realise that you have to keep your mouth healthy and clean and there are worst cases than yours. So in a wicked sense, they are helping us out to keep out from eating more sweets. Where did I put my candies anyway…?

10 Reasons Why We Don’t Like to Go to the Dentist

February 9th, 2012 | Posted by Dental Europe in Uncategorized - (Comments Off)

It is really easy to say I just hate everything about dentistry and it does not even stands out from the mainstream first reaction for going to a dentist. We continue to dislike when it comes to drilling, filling and billing.
Actually, dentists are not the bad guys they (at least some) trying to have the experience as good as possible, but later on that. Let us see 10 popular things we do when it comes to dentistry – to better understand why we are keep delaying our appointments.

Why We Don’t Go to the Dentist #1    ‘Not necessary’

We have to admit some of us like to say ‘Oh, come on. It’s alright!’ and don’t think any dental work is necessary. As I mentioned it previously, this could easily make a little scrape and polish to a root canal treatment and other serious issues as well. Regular check-ups should keep our mouth healthy so no more delays keep our smile getting more shining and beautiful.

Why We Don’t Go to the Dentist #2    Bad Memory

Do you have a childhood bad memory of a terrible dentist? Well, join the club. There are (too) many of us struggling with prior experiences with dentist and it is pretty hard to let go of that. However, every time you enter a dental practice it could feel like you are one step closer to forget those nightmares and with modern dentistry continuously developing it is much less of a hassle today.

Why We Don’t Go to the Dentist #3   Cost

Dental prices are continuously rising and it is not showing any signs to keep doing it. Some people cannot even afford basic dental care. The feeling that you are not able to pay for a decent dental care can be very upsetting. This is why money is the one of the biggest issue in today’s dental practices. This is the number one reason why dental tourism is flourishing.

Why We Don’t Go to the Dentist #4   Pain

Lot of us keep asking ‘Does it going to hurt?’ and the answer is always the same: ‘No…’ but sometimes it does. Our teeth can cause us a lot of trouble and can be excruciating to feel a cavity forming. Sedation can numb your mouth locally, so you will not feel anything during the whole dental procedure.

Why We Don’t Go to the Dentist #5    Anxiety

Drill, noises, vibration and spray, needle, scraping tools are amongst the centre of our anxiety when it comes to sitting to a dental chair. Sedation could help ease these and you will feel that you are not worried at all.

Why We Don’t Go to the Dentist #6    Invasive

Someone has its hand in our mouth! Dentists come into our personal aura every time and until they are going to have a magic wand it will remain the same. This is why the relationship with your dentist can be important.

Why We Don’t Go to the Dentist #7    Lectures

We hate being scolded and getting lectures about flossing and proper oral hygiene. Not just afraid but rather we go back to a child and feel very uncomfortable with the situation. Speaking up should be the first issue here and you might consider changing your dentist if it keeps continuing.

Why We Don’t Go to the Dentist #8    ‘Haven’t gotten around to it’

It is basically the same as the #1. With having so much people who lost their jobs it is understandable that our top 10 priority list doesn’t contain our healthy mouth but rather finding a proper job or earn more money, etc. However, if we keep pushing that appointment date even further, we are going to face more terrible news than ‘you are overweight’.

Why We Don’t Go to the Dentist #9    Poor Service

Tailored to our budget we’ve got a treatment from our (not) beloved dentist, alright. What happens if something goes wrong? Can anything go wrong with my dental work? Well, it is easier said than done, though every professional face some failure per cent and even the best dentists could make a mistake.

Why We Don’t Go to the Dentist #10    Horror Stories

We hear a LOT about dental horror stories and have to conclude that people love bad news and scary stories. Positive stories are so rare and – for us – even unacceptable or just over our limit that we do not hear about them only their opposite sides. This is an issue with every segment, though dentistry is a very sensitive area and thus one bad story could ruin a dental office.

Why We Don’t Go to the Dentist #+1 Dental Tourism

If it is horror stories we cannot go past the phenomenon called dental tourism. With that additional fears come like distance, (lack of) aftercare options and the simple fact that there is a stranger has her hands in your mouth. However, with dental tourism evolved it cannot really afford to let even one patient go, so security and the level of professionalism are a must-have next to excellent customer service.

It is always better to prevent bad dental conditions, but learning from these 10 things could help us a lot coping with dentists. If you have a good relationship with your practitioner you should have any problems – in theory.

5 Dental Resolutions for 2012

January 4th, 2012 | Posted by Dental Europe in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Many of us make bold resolutions for the new year, but few would add dental related items on the list. Here is a nice, easy-to-follow list to fill that gap.

    1.  Book an Appointment With Your Dentist Now

If it comes to dentists somehow we tend to “forget” making an appointment with our dentists, saying it’s just fine. Well, it is not! It is always better (no exception) to have a check-up even if you don’t have toothache – like with any diagnosis: the sooner the better. I only went to my dentist when one of my teeth hurt badly; it had to be extracted. If I would have come earlier, she told me, I could have saved my tooth easily. So stop being a baby and book an appointment now!

   2. Save Half the Costs On Your Dental Treatment

So you went to your dentist, and heard a pretty big number for the expected costs. You can say no to that anytime! If you have the power to use dental tourism for your benefit, you can even save thousands on your dental treatment easily. All you have to do is to register, and send an x-ray of your mouth and bang, you have clinics bidding for your dental custom! See it for yourself and check out that Dental Auction Tool.

   3. Learn to Take Care of Your Teeth Properly

It’s not rocket science. Takes only 5 minutes but can save a tooth or two if you know how (and when) to properly brush your teeth. If you don’t have dental floss, get one now! It is just not enough to brush your teeth in the right way; you need to floss your teeth in order to prevent gum disease – by getting rid of pieces of food and plaque from between your teeth. Remember, mouthwash is not a substitute for using dental floss.

   4. Go Shining White

Even with everything done, you might be still missing something while standing in front of the mirror. You might think that they are good… but they could do better. Teeth whitening could help keeping your smile at its best shape. There is just a vast amount of tips on the internet regarding to how to use home remedies for your whitening, however to get a properly bright smile, a dentist is who you need to get. Prices vary from country to country like this (in pounds): 500 UK, 420 US, 380 Malaysia, 320 Mexico, 290 Poland, 150 Hungary.

   5. Be Responsible With Your Teeth

I noticed first on myself: I was constantly underestimating the situation with my smile. It’s just a little pain – I was telling that to myself. After I was seen by my dentist it came out that I had a cavity that started two (!) years ago and if went to her a bit earlier ( say, a year or so ) I would have had my tooth right now. Besides it’s always good to learn from others mistakes rather than from your own, isn’t it? It’s only hard before you make the booking and before your dentist starts to work. Afterwards you start wondering why on earth have you ever postponed your dental work.

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