December 2012

01299 827 437 www.mercianhouse.com mercianhouse@gmail.com

Welcome to our first ever Newsletter

Seasons greetings to all our patients and welcome to our new bi-annual newsletter. May we start off by wishing Dr Terry Harding a very happy retirement. He put down his mirror and probe for the last time in May this year after over 30 years at Mercian House. During this time he has served the local community very well and built up a fantastic team and a loyal patient base. Replacing Dr Harding is Dr Sanghera. Known as Jay to his patients, Dr Sanghera has over 8 years of experience in general dental practice. He graduated from Kings College London in 2004 and went on to join the Royal College of Surgeons in 2007. NEW TO YOUR PRACTICE... In June this year Mercian House Dental Practice went fully computerised with the introduction of electronic patient records. This has meant we can now access your records faster than ever before. Along with the electronic records we have introduced high quality digital radiographs. Some of you may already have benetted from this during your routine examination with us. These provide exceptional detail within seconds of having the X-ray taken. We are now able to detect dental diseases earlier than ever before so can implement a preventative regime tailored to your needs earlier. The biggest development came in September with the refurbishment of our playroom into a state-of-the-art decontamination room. This purpose made facility complies with the latest guidelines and demonstrates our commitment to cleanliness and hygiene. We also have a new website which is almost complete. It provides comprehensive information about the practice and the services we offer. For more information please visit www.mercianhouse.com NEW TEAM MEMBERS... In January Michelle joined our reception team and has become a highly valued member. She is always keen to provide our patients with an appointment that is convenient for them. In September Amy joined our nursing team. She is fully qualied with over 9 years of experience and is trained in dental radiography and sedation.

BDA Good Practice Gold Member

We involve our patients in all aspects of care We ensure a safe environment We recruit competent staff We monitor the quality of the service we provide

December 2012

NEW SERVICES WE OFFER... We are now offering our most nervous patients the option of having certain dental procedures carried out under sedation. Dr Sanghera has treated hundreds of patients safely using this technique. It involves giving an intravenous sedative before starting a dental procedure. Patients are relaxed enough to allow treatment to be carried out. Also new to Mercian House are invisible braces. These revolutionary discreet aligners are the perfect way to straighten crooked teeth without the need for unsightly xed braces. We are currently taking clinical photographs of patients to complement their dental records. High quality photographs allow us to document current llings, tooth wear and decay and save them for future reference. Dont be surprised if you are offered this service at your next examination.

31st October 2012 the concentration of hydrogen peroxide legally permitted increased to 6% in line with the EU Scientic Committee on Consumer Products. At Mercian House we adhere to these guidelines and patient safety is paramount. It is also the General Dental Councils (GDCs) view that applying materials and carrying out procedures designed to improve the aesthetic appearance of teeth amounts to the practice of dentistry. This means tooth whitening can no longer take place in beauty clinics Anyone who practises dentistry illegally risks being prosecuted by the GDC in the criminal courts. If you suspect someone is illegally practising dentistry you can report it via email to illegalpractice@gdc-uk.org

Mercian House Dental Practice

16 York Street, Stourport-onSevern, Worcestershire DY13 9EE 01299 827 437 mercianhouse@gmail.com www.mercianhouse.com Dr J Sanghera GDC No 83740 Dr R Atkinson GDC No 68083

OPENING HOURS OVER THE FESTIVE PERIOD Do not panic if you have a dental emergency RECENT INSPECTIONS... over the christmas period as we are open most Like most professions we are highly regulated days. Here are our opening times: and the care we provide is constantly monitored Mon 24th Dec - 9am - 1pm by external agencies. We will provide feedback to Tues 25th Dec - Closed all day you in our twice yearly newsletter. Wed 26th Dec - Closed all day In July the Worcestershire Primary Care Trust Thur 27th Dec - 9am - 1pm visited our practice and assessed our dental Fri 28th Dec - 8.30 - 1pm records, infection control procedures and various Mon 31st Dec - 9am - 5pm other requirements. We are pleased to inform you Tues 1st Jan - Closed all day they were very impressed with our practice, Wed 2nd Jan - 9am - 6pm especially our electronic patient records and digital radiography. AND FINALLY.... In September the British Dental Association Merry Christmas visited us to assess the requirements of the BDA & Good Practice Scheme. Mercian House Dental Practice has been a member since the scheme A Happy New Year began over 10 years ago. Membership of the from all the staff at Mercian House scheme demonstrates our commitment to excellence in Quality Assurance. We are delighted Thats about it for this issue. Should you wish that the assessor was able to conrm we met the to add anything to the newsletter or have any scheme requirements. comments please do not hesitate to speak to We are currently awaiting our rst Care reception team. There is also a suggestions/ Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. comments box in the waiting room. IN THE NEWS RECENTLY You may have seen reports surrounding the area of tooth whitening in the press recently. On The next newsletter will be in June/July 2013. Bye for now.

2012 Mercian House Dental Practice