Bloggin' 'eck

Jenni's Orthodontic Experience part 2

2011-09-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on Jenni's orthodontics treatment. As you can see things are moving along nicely. Jenni says that she hardly notices that she has them on now but is still looking forward to having hem taken off so that she can start tooth whitening. Dr Ratakonda, our superb Orthodontic Specialist, believes that she should be complete by December. Watch out then for an updated photo.

CALL NOW ON 0121 2367630 FOR YOUR FREE SPECIALIST CONSULTATION

http://http://www.willmurphydentistry.co.uk/orthodontics.html

channel 4 dispatches

2011-05-24T00:26:00.000-07:00

Interesting programme last night on channel 4 about NHS dentistry. I noticed that the undercover reporters were after root canal treatment in March when the dentists NHS funding was all gone and they were supposed to do hours of more complex treatment for free. I know ultimately they have signed the contracts so they should do it but I think this crazy system of funding should be partly accountable. Of course no one feels sorry for dentists (and why should they) but I suppose for anyone running a business where costs are going up (VAT etc) and fees are going down they get put in these difficult situations. This is the reason that I turned down my NHS contract. I dont have this dilema and if someone needs treatment I can tell them what is needed and how much it costs. I beleive that this way my patients are better served but I'm sure the debate will go on.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/

Practice Visit to WS4 Dental

2011-03-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

We had a great day last Friday visiting out friends at WS4 Dental in Walsall. Dr Kaderbhai and Will Murphy have worked together providing implants for a number of years now and decided that the two practices should meet up for some informal proffesional development.

Will who lectures in Dental Implants gave a short talk to the staff about the provision and benfits of Implant therapy. Then the staff spent some time discussing the different types of implant treatment. They discussed situations where one tooth or multiple teeth could be replaced by dental implants.

http://www.willmurphyimplants.co.uk

Jenni's Orthodontic Experience

2011-03-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

We now have our very own Specialist Orthodontist. Dr Ratakonda is a Specialist in Orthodontics and Facial Orthopaedics. This means that he has trained to the very highest level in his field. With the advent of clear braces becoming so popular,we felt that it was important to have someone who knows when these forms of treatment are appropriate. More importantly he knows when this form of treatment is NOT appropriate. It is often thecase that many patients will get a much better job (straighter teeth) by having wire braces than the clear gum shield ones. We feel that it is important that all practitioners are trained in all forms of Orthodontics so that they can choose the right braces for their patients. Don't worry though, these wire braces can be hidden behind the teeth (Incognito Braces) or we can use white brackets to make things look less intrusive.

In order to "walk the walk", Jenni has undergone a fitting of Ceramic Brackets. She will also keep us updated on her treatment through this blogg and our newsletter.

"The fitting of the braces was really very quck. No more than 20 minuites. The process didn't hurt but for the first few days my teeth have felt a little tender. Things have setteld down now and I just have to remember to do all my proper cleaning"

http://www.willmurphydentistry.co.uk/orthodontics.html

BEACON COTSWOLD AUDAX 2010

2010-07-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

As luck would have it, the sun came out all day on this 70 miler around the Cotswolds. You can't beat the scenery and the proper "Olde English" villages that you pass through. Thatched cottages and maypoles leave you inno doubt where you are. I like to think this photo looks like I have broken away from Alberto Contardor on the Alpe d'huez but it might just be the OAP section of the ride. Mind you even that was a bonus with my current fitness level! (I have paid for the picture by the way)

Dental Implants

2010-06-24T02:51:00.000-07:00

Dental Implants are small titanium screws that when integrated into your jawbone allow us to fix teeth securely into the mouth.

Implants have a fantastic long term predictability and many implants are expected to remain in service for in excess of 20 years. Dental implants have changed the lives of many of our patients in our specialised dental implant facility in Birmingham and you can let them tell by logging onto our new dental implant website.

www.willmurphyimplants.co.uk

WIll Murphy Implants

2010-06-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

At last the new dental implant specific website can be found at

www.willmurphyimplants.co.uk

This should give patients a much clearer view on our specialist dental implant services.

white fillings and personal motivation

2010-03-27T00:28:00.000-07:00

I went on a dental course yesterday. How thrilling! but I actually learnt a lot in a very short space of time. The dental press is littered with hundreds of courses which usually go on for days and after my Implant Diploma I can't face that. My dental course attention span is now on a par with "goldfish memory". (By the time they swim around their fishtank they have forgotten what happened 30 seconds ago so it always looks like something new ) However within 2 hours I had learned about all the latest funky white fillings and restored some broken plastic teeth back to shiny new ones with all the clever realistic details. Mr Plastic head was delighted...I think. He didn't say so as such but I could just tell!

We are having another OPEN DAY on MONDAY 19TH APRIL. Lots of goodies and freebies to hand out and of course the usual niceness and friendly advice from the team..

http://www.willmurphydentistry.co.uk/

Personally I am struggling to get back on the bike for my Saturday morning rides. Yes the bad weather didn't help but the 6.30 am start in the dark seems less appealing than 14 toggs of warminess. Also I live in fear of breaking a leg before my skiing holiday which I soooooo look forward to. My fav thing in the world (along with curry, steak, rugby, Bathams beer and Reserva Rioja) is being up a mountain on skis. Damned expensive but the family has been told that there's no hot holiday as well. Hence our camping in West Wales, which is fab unless the sideways rain comes in over the sea. In Wales? Surely not!

Open Day @ Will Murphy Dentistry Friday 5th Feb

2010-02-04T06:52:00.000-08:00

It's open day time again.
The practice will be open all day with tours of the surgeries and free dental advice.
Call in meet the team and ask all those questions about routine, cosmeic and implant dentistry that you really wanted answers for.
Will Murphy Dentistry - 51 Newhall St Birmingham City Centre

http://www.willmurphydentistry.co.uk

A diploma in smuggness

2010-01-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had a monkey on your shoulder? This is a metaphorical monkey although if you go to Gibraltar I believe that real ones are all the rage. Anyhow my metaphorical monkey sits on my shoulder and flicks my ear, again and again and again... Then he whispers in my ear. Not sweet nothings but tells me about all the things I've neglected and should be doing. It's September 09 and metaphorical monkey (lets call him MM to save my repetitive strain injury (RSI in case I want to use this symptom again!)) is happily whispering in my ear "you remember that Implant Diploma at the Royal College of Surgeons, that you got so excited about, spent sooo much money on and used to work so hard at and have shelved whilst you build a new practice?, well.....you've built your new practice and now you have no excuse!"
"I know monkey but look at all these pencils that need sharpening or those paper clips that should be tidier in my draw and I haven't even checked the online weather forecast for over an hour..."
So that was it, excuses abandoned and a commitment to my imaginary primate that I would indeed complete the Diploma. Late nights and early morning were spent gathering photos, finding x-rays and collecting models so that I could present my 10 best cases to the examiners in London. Week after week went by until I reached submission day...and missed submission day.. but bless them a 2 day extension was granted. I've occasionally wondered why I have children however one Sunday afternoon as this child labour production line was putting documents into folders and sticking on page numbers it all made sense. Don't worry they are a savvy work force and excessive bribes and good working conditions were negotiated!
And that was it, they were gone. All 10 case submitted and out of my hands. All I had to do was wait and see if I had made it into the exam.
At last the call came and I was granted access to the final exam. The Holy of Holies..a 40 minute verbal exam at the Royal college of Surgeons. Oh well whats the worst that could happen?
Monday before the Friday exam. Phone call...
"Dr Murphy, 5 of your cases have been detained by US customs"
"Is that the 5 cases I was planning to topple and corrupt the free western world with or the 5 cases that have pictures of old ladies with plastic dentures in?"
When life gets too surreal it's best not to ask too many questions. Lets just say by 5am the following morning 5 of the deadliest terrorist inciting cases ever to threaten our democratic existence were reproduced for said examiners.
I better get Cheryl and Danni as my examiners I thought to myself as I approached the examination room.
Just my luck it was the dental worlds equivalent of Louis and Simon!
40 of the longest minutes later and I was out. Sweaty palms and a dry mouth that could only be rectified with a fermented beverage..or two.
One week later and the letter hit the mat. That sickky O' level (giving my age away) feeling was back again. PASSED. read it again and again. The feeling seemed to be more relief than ecstasy. However as I passed a mirror I did think
"God I look smug, but never again.......mind you that Fellowship looks interesting......."

£400 quid anyone??

2009-09-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

I had decided to embrace technology furhter and take it to a new level (for me anyway) by buying two i phones. (one for Mrs M. She wouldn't have it if I was waving it under her nose and poo pooing (is this a word?) her dodgy Motorolla)
Now in this current economic climate, I suspected that I would be man handled by sales staff spotting my "willing to buy" body language. A guaranteed sale, ney, two sales and presumably twice the comission for half the time. Simples!
As I entered the o2 shop my "indifferent sales staff" antenae were starting to twitch. Female assistant reluctant to make eye contact, begrudgingly says "Hi". Silence.....
Ok I get it, it's the low pressure, soft sell technique. I can live with that.
"I would like to buy two (smug expression) business rate i phones please"
"Have you got a bank statement, headed paper and credit card"
" Yes but not the headed paper, is that a problem"
"yes, you can't have them then" Silence, awkward smiling.....tumbleweed swirls by...
That would have been it. Had it not been for the fact that I really wanted one and I have no choice other than the o2 shop for the business tariff, that assistant would have delivered the "computer says no" moment and waved me off to "fones4nufink" or one of their competitors.
The moral of the story being unless you have a service that people desperately want (which by the way doesnt apply to dentistry-surprise, surprise) beware the assassins within your midsts.

Baaaaah Humbug

2009-08-11T05:09:00.000-07:00

As a grumpy old git I constantly bemoan the ludicrous number of signs on the roads these days. With my ever shrinking number of braincells I have to negotiate signs for roadworks, speed, directions, warnings, etc.. in the space of a millisecond. Not forgetting of course that I should be looking at the road and trying not cause a mass pile up because I missed the "narrow lanes in 10 miles" sign. Well here I was in Wales on my family holiday, on the side of a mountain (in Wales) where there are lots (and I mean lots) of animals in the fields (in Wales!!) Do you see where I'm going with this...Well just in case I failed to notice, some kind council after 3 yrs deliberation 45 meetings and 25 sub committe meetings at a cost of £99000 to the tax payer, have decided that I need to be alerted to something I may otherwise have overlooked.........

Open Day

2009-07-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

10am. The banners are up, the balloons have been blown up by the girls. The goody backs are lined up in an orderly fashion. I'm even wearing a suit (No tie of course)
No-one, Zip, Zilch! Just us and the tumbleweed. My bottom lip is quivering and the dummy is close to being spat out. "Cup of tea ?" asks Julie again.
"whose stupid idea was this open day?" I grumble.
"Yours!" comes the unanimous reply.
12 noon. A nice lady pops her head around the door. She is instantly pounced upon (metaphorically) and given "The Tour". Chris from Coffee Costes http://www.coffeecostes.com/ across the road pops over with a tray of smoothies to tempt in the punters. One turns into two turns into three... The girls are out on the street giving away freebies and the lunchtime curious are coming in thick and fast. For two and half hours we are rammed. Person after person. I can't quite fathom where everyone is coming from. It's the hottest day of the year and following huge financial investment in aircon, how happy am I to hear "Wow it's so cool in hear"

This was one of my happiest days in dental business and I didn't even pick up a drill or fix a dodgy molar. 15 new bookings have been taken (They have all since joined us as members) and 60 business cards have been left in our raffle. The ripple effect has since brought more patients to our practice. It is an honour to think that our patients will return to their place of work and make a recommendation for others to come and see us. I never take this for granted and I see it as a reflection of our fantastic team and their commitment to the practice. I am very lucky that I work in an environment that energises me with people I really like and I have the best job in the world.

It's time for a clinical blog

2009-06-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

I thought that my blogs would be filled with pearls of dental wisdom and handy hints about tooth brushing. All well and good, but when it comes to it, other things seem to come more to mind like sport, sport and music (more on my musical musings to come I fear). However I must confess that the time has come to enthuse about something clinical. Not dentistry but Facial Aesthetics/Rejuvenation - Call it what you will. I got talking with one of my patients a few months back on the use of Botox and Fillers. It transpired that she was working for fantastic company called Dermis Deep http://www.ddassist.com/ who run courses on what people are calling non surgical face lifts. To cut a long story short, a few weeks later I'm placing Botox into my wife's beautifully furrowed brow and although she couldn't possibly look more beautiful, she was delighted with the natural smoothing around her eyes and brow. (Did I get away with that)

What struck me most was how much easier it is to inject outside of the mouth in a dry environment with perfect lighting. I have continued with training in the use of fillers and I really enjoyed doing some lip augmentation. The good thing about these products is that they are not permanent and basically plump out the desired area by attracting water in the skin.

Well now I'm really loving this and on Sunday we hosted the Advanced Course in my practice. I couldn't believe that in minutes you can give a brow lift, cheek augmentation, chin augmentation and soften wrinkles around the eyes. Non Surgically! This is why I believe that Dentistry lends itself well to these procedures. ...and my wife hasn't frowned at me for weeks...

2009-06-06T01:50:00.000-07:00

Cycling is the new rock and roll. Well it is for 41 yr olds who play guitar badly. I first got into cycling in 2003 when I decided to get fit again after 25 yrs of playing rugby. I entered a triathlon (swim, bike and run in that order) and got sucked into the whole multisport thing. There is a problem with triathlon however. It is a sport designed for compulsive obsessives as you need to do six training sessions a week to get up to proper fitness. Compound that with having three children ,a wife who would like to see you occasionally, a job, the British weather and an arthritic knee and you can see that something has to give. In my case it was the swimming - booo, and the running - hooray.
I 've regularly cycled into work since then and really enjoy the ride home especially in Summer along the canals. No cars, few people, water and the odd barge. How good is that for the middle of a big city? When motivated I've joined up with a Saturday morning road ride from Birmingham City Cycles birminghamcitycycles.co.uk . That's at 7am on a Saturday! but boy do I deserve (and not feel guilty about) a full English upon my return.
Of course yesterday Alister from the shop put a load of new kit on my steed and had it primed and ready for my dawn attack on the peleton. Nothing was going to stop me. Except this mornings downpour and how comfy my bed feels at 6.30am on a Saturday. Muesli it is this morning..

First Timer not Twitter

2009-06-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

I love it when I feel that I've mastered something. Especially if it's clever and techy. Unfortunately I set my standards very low and I have to confess that I'm all excited just for having followed 4 pages of idiot proof instructions to get my blog page "live" (as I believe IT people would say)
I promise that I won't Twitterize this space....
.....currently promising not to twitterize my blog...
You see it's dull and inane isn't it! Instead I will have a random ramble in true grumpy old man style. So beware MP's, traffic wardens, my kids and reality shows, my venom knows no bounds. Grrrr not Tweet