Illume dental practice prides itself on its commitment towards client care, where all clients are made to feel at ease during dental appointments and involved with the planning of their dentistry.

Part of this duty of client care is listening carefully to all of our clients to make sure their individual oral health needs and well-being are the central focus of all appointments. Illume dentists take the time to discuss the client’s dental wants, needs and expectations and communicate all treatment options available, including a clear indication of associated fees.

A great way to aid communication is the use of an intraoral camera to take digital photographs of problem areas of the mouth or of particular teeth, in order to demonstrate why treatment is required.

The photographs allow the client to visualise the problem area, aiding patient education and increasing understanding for required treatment – in turn this allows clients to make informed decisions moving forwards.

Practice Owner, Tim Rumney, confirms, “They say a picture is worth a thousand words and the use of an intraoral camera is an excellent tool for allowing clients to see a detailed view of their mouth. Typically the camera magnifies the teeth by 40 to 60 times their original size, allowing the client to see the full extent of the problem, aiding their understanding for relevant treatment. This really helps involve a client with their own treatment planning."

“The intraoral camera is particularly valuable for showing clients ‘before and after’ images for restorative treatments, so they are able to see why treatment was necessary and how it has improved their oral health. It can also help clients to understand why dental work can sometimes be so intricate and complex”

Illume dentists have been using an intraoral camera since 2010 and believe it to be a positive – even invaluable - tool for aiding communication with clients.

Have you experienced the benefits of an intraoral camera at Illume? If so, we would love to hear from you – either email us your comments to [email protected] or submit them to our Facebook page.

Ladies and Gentlemen – I have a confession – I SNORE!

There, I admit it. Thousands of others don’t. They either don’t believe they snore or realise they do but don’t want to do anything about it.

However that doesn’t seem fair on their sleeping partner - or others affected by the huge problem that is sleep disordered breathing.

Since attending further post-graduate training I have been able to prove to myself the effectiveness of wearing a snore guard and feel well placed to help others as I have tried a few, know which ones work and their pros and cons. 

Snoring, and it’s more serious relative, Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), affects many people. Here are some facts you may not be aware of.

It is estimated that as many as 60% of people snore at some stage in their lives and snoring is more prevalent in older people. It is more common in men than women with a ratio of 2:1 though this evens up after the menopause. It is more common in people who are overweight and who drink alcohol. Going to bed after a few too many will only increase our likelihood of snoring.

Snoring is sometimes cited as a contributory factor in relationship difficulties and the cause of couples sleeping in separate rooms. It also leads to difficulties on long flights and in hotel rooms – whenever there is a shared sleeping space. It has even greater knock-on effects: from daytime drowsiness affecting a person’s ability to function, to really serious events such as traffic accidents – drivers of cars, lorries and coaches falling asleep at the wheel as a direct result of sleep apnoea.

But help is at hand and at Illume we can provide that help.

Your GP is not in a position to do much other than refer to a physician specialising in sleep medicine. And they are very stretched and can really only help those diagnosed with the more serious OSA.

As dentists we are ideally placed to help as with suitable post-graduate training we have the skills both to screen for OSA (and refer on if necessary) and to make effective snore guards – dental appliances that reduce and in many cases eliminate snoring.

You can find ‘DIY’ snore guards on the internet but nothing can match a custom made precision appliance made by a dentist and his technician. It fits better, lasts longer and works more effectively.

So how do I know if I snore or whether I might have OSA? – well that’s easy – your partner will tell you or maybe has already tried! If they tell you that you gasp, choke or appear to stop breathing in your sleep then that can be a serious indication to get checked out. And if you still don’t believe it and have a smart phone then download an app like Sleeptalk – it records all the noises made while you’re asleep and you’ll be amazed.

Do yourself – and your partner – a favour and ask us about snore guards such as Somnowell and Sleepwell.

Somnowell in particular is a sophisticated and precision-made appliance which, unlike most other guards, isn’t bulky. So you can wear it without others being aware of it, you can still speak with it in and also drink and take medications. It’s an excellent investment for you and your partner – they’ll appreciate it as much or more than you will!

For more information there are some really good resources online

www.somnowell.com
www.s4sdental.com
www.britishsnoring.co.uk
www.sleeptalkrecorder.com

or download the Sleeptalk App at the App Store.

If you’d like to join the list of clients who’ve been helped to reduce their snoring then give us a call to book a consultation with Tim Rumney on 01242 522230 or drop an email to [email protected].

We’d love to be able to help you.

Radio Winchcombe is due to air an interview with The Best of Cheltenham’s, Anne Thompson, and Illume’s Non-Clinical Director, Alison Rumney, at 9.00am on Friday 14th February, to discuss Illume’s membership with the ‘bestof’, and why the practice is one of Cheltenham’s most loved businesses.

Illume missed out on first place as Cheltenham’s Best Loved’ business last year by just three votes, and was placed third nationally in the dentists category – only one vote behind the practice in second place.

Based on Queen’s Road, Illume was first established over fourty years ago, and has since built up a loyal customer base that values the personal service they receive from the team.

Alison confirms, “The radio interview provided us with an excellent opportunity to discuss why Illume received so much support in last year’s Best Loved Awards.

“Here at Illume we aim to build rapport and long term relationships with all of our clients, where we ensure they feel at ease when visiting the practice. Unlike the stereotypical dental ‘check-up’, Illume’s three dentists ensure all appointments are guided by the client, their concerns and their needs, resulting in long term client commitment to the practice.”

During the interview, Anne and Alison also discussed Illume’s status as the first practice in Cheltenham to be accredited by the Mouth Cancer Foundation.

Alison continues, “The Mouth Cancer Accreditation Scheme recognises practices committed to mouth cancer screening, which have also completed the required continuous professional development and training implemented by the Mouth Cancer Foundation.

“Under the scheme we offer all clients and non-clients a free mouth cancer screening appointment on a no strings attached basis.”

To listen to the full interview, please tune into Radio Winchcombe on 107.1FM this Friday at 9am and let us know what you think! If you miss the broadcast you can listen again here.

To show your support for Illume in this year’s ‘Local and Loved’ awards please submit your vote online, or alternatively please come into the practice to receive a voting card. Voting closes on Friday 14th so you’ll need to be quick! Thank you!

We are delighted to announce that the Mouth Cancer Foundation has chosen Illume as its ‘Practice of the Month’ for February, due to Illume’s continuous commitment to the Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation scheme(MCSAS).

Illume joined the MCSAS in September 2013, becoming the first practice in Cheltenham to offer free mouth cancer screening services to local people, even those who are not regular clients.

Though many practices carry out screening, Illume is the first dental practice in Cheltenham to receive this accreditation, which is only awarded to practices that have completed the required continuous professional development and training implemented by the Mouth Cancer Foundation.

Prior to receiving the accreditation, Illume provided its clients with mouth cancer screening as part of its healthy mouth review service, a thorough examination which is far more extensive than a traditional quick dental ‘check-up’.

February is particularly significant for Illume to be awarded ‘Practice of the Month’ by the Mouth Cancer Foundation as the 4th of February 2014 is World Cancer Day, a global event that aims to raise awareness of this condition by ‘debunking myths’ associated with cancer.

In particular, World Cancer Day aims to encourage individuals to talk about the disease in order to learn signs and symptoms, understand different types of cancer treatment and individual rights for cancer care.

Practice Owner, Tim Rumney says, “Here at Illume we discuss mouth cancer with our clients on a daily basis as part of a Healthy Mouth Review or in the  ‘2 minutes to save a life’ free mouth cancer screening service to the general public. We also provide clients with lifestyle advice that could considerably cut their risk of mouth cancer, and explain signs and symptoms that should not be ignored.”

World Cancer Day provides an excellent timely reminder of Illume’s free mouth cancer screening service, and how increased education is helping to raise awareness of the condition.

Tim continues, “Talking about mouth cancer helps people become more aware of the condition and of the risk factors associated with it. This in turn helps them make lifestyle choices that may significantly reduce their risk - however you can’t eliminate all risk so Mouth Cancer Screening is crucial in detecting it at an early stage, the key message in saving lives.””

For clients who require further information about mouth cancer, the Illume website has a dedicated Mouth Cancer Screening page that provides relevant details about signs and symptoms of the disease as well as statistical information and advice about risk factors.

For further information about World Cancer Day please visit the official website.

It’s that time of year again, where businesses across the country compete in The Best of ‘Local and Loved Awards’ via the 14 days of love campaign. 

Last year, Illume received outstanding support from our clients, with a massive 112 recommendations during the 14 day campaign. We came second just missing the top spot for the whole of Cheltenham by six votes! Illume was also placed third in the Dentist category for the whole of the UK, which was an excellent achievement for us, especially as we only missed second place by one vote.

Alison Rumney, Illume’s Non-Clinical Director says, “The support we received in last year’s 14 days of love campaign was just outstanding, and a real testament to Illume’s core value of client care. We hope to receive the same level of support this year, and are of course grateful for any votes we receive.”

If you are happy with the service you receive at Illume Dentistry and would like to show your support, please register your vote online or alternatively please come into the practice to pick up a voting card, which we will use to register your support by post.

And as an added incentive to get involved, every day an online referrer is picked at random in the ‘Loved and Local’ prize draw to win £100 which can be spent with any ‘thebestof…’ business.

For further information please contact the practice directly.