The scheme is a ‘Two minutes to save a life’ screening protocol, which is a 10-point checklist that every dentist should be able to include in their routine examinations, whether they are based at an NHS, private or mixed practice. The charity accredits dental practices that meet the criteria.
Practice Name: The Old Surgery Dental Practice
Practice Address: 31 Hungerford Road, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 5EQ
Size of Practice: six surgeries
Website Address: www.oldsurgerydental.co.uk
Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme Lead: Lisa Bainham
Tell us about your practice
The Old Surgery Dental Practice in Crewe was founded in 1998 by Steve Lomas, who was later joined in partnership by Richard Willis.
We are all dedicated to constantly improving the way we deliver our service and are genuinely honoured that someone has chosen us to care for their smile. We do not take that privilege and responsibility lightly.
We have invested heavily in the latest clinical and dental equipment so that we know our patients are well cared for. However, most patients never notice this as they are more impressed with the comfortable seating and hot and cold beverage menu. The ambience of the practice is light and airy – it’s all about patients being at ease.
We have invested in our people right from the start. Nothing and nobody is too good for our award-winning team. We are able to offer a specialist service which includes Specialist Periodontists, Specialist Endodontist, three Specialist Oral Surgeons, a CDT, general dentistry and hygiene services all under one roof.
What attracted you to the Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme?
Mouth cancer kills one person every five hours. At The Old Surgery Dental Practice we are dedicated to fighting the disease. Hence, when we heard about the Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme, we decided to join the scheme to show the public how seriously we take cancer of the mouth. It is also reassuring to know that we are following best practice standards.
What benefits has your practice seen for the team, patients and wider community since implementing thorough head and neck cancer screening into practice?
Although mouth cancer is a massive killer in the UK, it can be treated if caught in its early stages. This is what drives us to carry out a comprehensive mouth cancer screening on every patient. We hope we will never find the signs of the disease when examining our patients, but if we do then we know that they have a good chance of beating the cancer.
We are extremely passionate about providing awareness of oral healthcare to our community and each year we embark on a new community project. This year we discovered that there is a lack of education to carers in nursing homes and therefore we have been visiting numerous homes. We are not going in to screen patients but just to try and provide some basic care skills and educate the carers on how to look after their residents’ oral health, which will hopefully help raise awareness of oral cancer. We have had a great response to the training and hope to have visited at least 30 care homes by the end of 2015.
How has the Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme benefited your practice?
There are a number of benefits that we have found since joining the Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme. The regular training and professional development including a 1-hour CPD ensures that all of the team is up to date. They also mean that the clinical team is aware of any new advice or updates on how to check for signs of cancer.
The educational tools are useful for us as they have taught us how to speak effectively to patients. The scheme has also helped us with marketing and PR support which has probably led to a general increase in treatments taken up.
What the Patients say about your practice?
“When I first arrived at The Old Surgery Dental Practice, I didn’t really know what to expect and could honestly say I was a little apprehensive. Not being from the local area, I had no previous experience of the practice or didn’t know of anyone who had visited the practice.
From the moment I stepped through the door, I felt so comfortable with the surroundings and the team.
Seeing the photos of my teeth made me realise just how bad things really were. It was really affecting my confidence.
I hadn’t really considered just how long some treatments take and thought things would just happen overnight, but as treatment progressed, my confidence just built in.
It’s just amazing how natural everything looks; I’ve had many people comment on how I look. Everything that was done is just perfect.”
Peter Richardson
Have your say…
If you are a dental practice and would like to feature as our practice of the month or have something to say about our scheme, please contact The Mouth Cancer Foundation.