Practice News

National Smile Month May 15th – June 15th 2011

A ‘smile’ has topped a poll of the most important physical features when it comes to attraction between men and women. A smile was rated highly by 56 per cent of respondents, closely followed by faces (53 per cent) and eyes (51 per cent). Dress sense, body shape, hair and height were also measured, with the latter bringing up the rear on 25 per cent. Interestingly, it was a non-physical attribute – personality – which was the clear winner of the survey. Ninety per cent of respondents rated this human attribute most important when it comes to attraction.The results have been published as part of the British Dental Health Foundation’s annual campaign – National Smile Month – now in its 35th year.

This year the theme is ‘The Smile Factor’, which aims to remind people that their mouth, teeth and smile is fundamental to all aspects of their life – whether career, personality, relationships, attraction or all-round good health. Despite the importance of smiles and teeth to everyday life, many people appear to have a poor image of the nation’s ‘Smile Factor’. The survey reveals that only 23 per cent believed that the nation had ‘good teeth’, and approaching half the population were not happy with their smile or teeth – stained or yellow teeth being the most common concern (37 per cent).

Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, said: “As a nation we probably spend more time and money looking after our hair and the clothes we wear, rather than caring for our teeth. The survey is a great reminder that we should be giving greater attention to our teeth – not just because it improves oral health – but because it gives us the confidence to smile, which makes a major difference to our relationships, careers and overall image.“During National Smile Month, we hope everyone will consider what they can do to improve their Smile Factor. Hundreds of dental practices across the UK will be supporting the campaign and it’s an excellent time to seek their help and advice.“It’s really important to get the basics right at home as well. We recommend brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, cutting down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks, and visiting your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend. Adopting this good oral health regime can make a huge difference to a confident smile and many aspects of everyday life”, advised Dr Carter.

The wait will soon be over…… Dentistry Awards 2010

We are all getting really excited about the finals of the Dentistry Awards 2010 which take place in 3 days time here in Leicester.  The girls of Smile Essential have been busy shopping in and around Leicester for their evening dresses and booking hairdressers appointments to help to make it a night to remember. Nik and Shrik have decided to join in the excitement and have both had dress rehearsals to make sure that they look suave in their tuxedos.  Being a tooth-crazy bunch, we have all been carrying out tooth whitening top-ups on our own teeth to make sure our pearly whites are in good order!

Smile Essential Achieves Investors in People Bronze Status!

We are  celebrating the news that we have retained our Investors in People (IIP) status and achieved an additional recognition by securing a Bronze award, placing our practice in a small minority of organisations in the country to achieve this feat.

Investors in People is a nationally recognised standard awarded to organisations that show excellent people management leading to improved business performance. As of April 2010, those achieving the Bronze standard are in the top 3% of Investors in People recognised organisations.

The Bronze status was awarded to us after a day of intense assessment involving a random sample of staff within the practice and covering things such as communications, learning and development, and continuous improvement.

To enable us to achieve this level of accreditation we were assessed against the Investors in People profile framework of good practice.  This framework provides further challenges for Smile Essential by looking beyond the standard Investors In People framework. This gives us an indication of how good we are in certain areas and what areas we need to focus on to improve our People Management. 

 Lina Kotecha said, “I’d like to thank everyone within Smile Essential for helping us achieve this positive accolade. It’s an excellent acknowledgement of our developing ‘people first’ culture and our ongoing commitment to learning and continuous improvement.

Smile Essential finalists in Dentistry Awards for second year running!

We are delighted to announce to all of our patients that we have been short-listed for three national dental awards: Best Practice, Best Team and Best Young Dentist Award in the forthcoming  Dentistry Awards 2010.  Now in its fourth successful year, these regional awards launched by Dentistry magazine have been created to recognise outstanding individuals, teams and practices who have an active interest in continuing professional development and staying at the top of the dental profession.

“We are absolutely delighted to have been short-listed for the second consecutive year in the prestigious awards which help to recognise contributions made to our profession by individuals and/ or dental practices who are passionate about offering the very best for their patients says Shrikesh Kotecha, a joint partner at the practice nominated for the Best Young Dentist award.

To enter, we had to write 500 words per category saying why we  think we deserved to win the award, backing the entry up with pictures, marketing material and testimonials.  Battling against practices within the region ensured the entries were of an exceptionally high standard.

The judging panel consists of top members of the profession including dentists, hygienists, and practice managers who will be looking to decide who is the Best Practice, Best Team and Best Young Dentist in the Midlands region.

The winners will be announced at The Dentistry Awards Ceremony on Friday December 10th 2010 at the Athena – a beautiful Art-Deco cinema in Leicester.  The evening is a black-tie event and will be hosted by the comedian Paul Thorne.  Last year over 650 people attended making this the largest annual dentistry event ever in the UK and the event looks to break records again this year!

We would like to thank all of our patients for their continued loyalty and look forward to caring for you for many years to come.

Recommend A Friend

Recommend a friend scheme at Smile Essential

The best way to compliment our service is by referring a friend, family or colleague.

If you have had a fantastic experience at Smile Essential, don’t keep it to yourself.

Like any other business we work on referral and if you feel that someone you know deserves to be treated in relaxing comfortable surroundings and be seen by a highly skilled and caring dentist then there is no place like Smile Essential.

We provide a host of other services including Dental Botox and dermal fillers, professional tooth whitening and smile makeovers.  We also provide the world famous Enlighten tooth whitening treatment for that ultimate dazzling smile.

Call us today on 0116 2891317 or email us at info@smileessential.co.uk  to recommend someone to the practice using our Recommend A Friend Card and by doing so, your friend will receive a fantastic 10% saving off their first course of treatment with us.

Avoid costly dental treatment with regular check ups at Leicester Dentists

Looking after the health of your teeth is fundamental to avoiding dental problems occurring in the future. When it comes to the health of your teeth it really is prevention that plays the biggest part in keeping them healthy. As well as brushing and flossing as part of a complete and thorough home dental hygiene routine, it is also very important that you keep up regular six-month dental appointments with your dentist.

Leicester dentists recommend six-months as the maximum time you should go without having a check up. In some cases it will need to be shorter but your dentist will keep you fully informed. Six-months is the maximum time because this will give you the best chance of avoiding any dental problems that can arise. Even if you start to succumb to dental decay or gum disease, as long as you visit a dentist within six-months it will usually be enough time to catch the problem before it gets too serious. Treating decay and disease at their earliest stages will give you the best chance of beating the condition and avoiding the need for more serious, costly and painful dental treatment. It will also help to keep your teeth in the best condition possible.

There is also a more serious reason why check ups are important. With one in three adults in the UK suffering from cancer at some point it is crucial we do all we can to be aware of the disease. Oral cancer is a very nasty form of cancer that occurs on the soft tissue of the mouth. A dentist will carry out a thorough check for cancer as part of a routine check up which could just save your life.

September is Colgate Oral Health Month

September sees the launch of Colgate Oral Health month which is an annual education campaign in association with the British Dental Association. It aims to raise awareness and educate on key oral health messages. This years theme is Discover three essentials for an even healthier mouth and it has the following key messages:

Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and replace your toothbrush regularly
Avoid sugary snacks between meals
Visit the dentist regularly

You can find out more information from the Colgate Website

Book an appointment with us to get more information on how you can improve your oral health.

Smile Essential RUNS the Race for Life 2010

On Sunday 13th June 2010, the team from Smile Essential ran the 5 km Race for Life at Loughborough.

A record number of about 3,400 women and girls took part in the race in Loughborough and they were expected to raise about £200,000 for the charity. Many were sporting fancy dress, and some were wearing touching messages about loved ones they had lost to the disease.

Practice manager  Dawn Massey said, “It’s just a really good day out. We walked round and just had a nice girly chat! We had fantastic warm-ups before the race and the weather was great.”

Dental Receptionist Adele Wright  added,”It was a fantastic atmosphere and everyone has been having a really great time. I will definitely be doing it again next year!”

Dentist Lina Kotecha  said “It was a brilliant day and very emotional. You ran along looking at all the messages people had written on their back about loved ones they had lost and it did bring a tear to your eye. Lots of our patients and family and friends have been generous to sponsor us  and it’s been brilliant to take part. It’s been lots of fun.”

Smile Essential are proud to announce that they have raised just over £1500 for Cancer Research.

Thank you to all our patients, families, friends, suppliers and labs for their generous support.

Dental nurse Emilia graduates with flying colours

 

We are delighted to announce that Emilia Leszczynska is over the moon at graduating in her nursing qualification, not only achieving a very rare merit but also winning an award for the most improved student of her class – wow!!!

Many of our patients know that Emilia has been working very hard over the past 18 months to achieve her qualification in dental nursing and we are all really proud of her achievements. She has shown a very understanding approach to patient care and her constant enthusiasm to excel in patient care proves that she is a worthy asset not only to Smile Essential but the profession.

Ten Reasons to Smile

At Smile Essential, we are mid-way through our series of special events at the practice as part of National Smile Month 2010 and wanted to share our 10 good reasons to smile with you.

We all know that it feels great to smile. We smile when we feel happy and are enjoying life, but did you know that smiling is actually good for our health?

There are so many reasons why smiling is good for us, so now we have another reason to smile. It is good for us! Here are some reasons to keep smiling today!

1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive

We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away — but a smile draws them in.

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood

Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There’s a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling Is Contagious

When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress

Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you’ll be better able to take action.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System

Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure

When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.

8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger

The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don’t go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day — you’ll look younger and feel better.

9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful

Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.

10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive

Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It’s hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that “Life is Good!” Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling.

Please pass it on and tell all your friends

If you have found this blog helpful please pass it on to your friends, colleagues, schools and nurseries and help us help more people SMILE!

Dentist Lina Kotecha with some of her younger patients attending the practice during National smile Month 2010