EKC write up on Probe's Review

Little Things Mean A Lot

It's not been easy. Setting up the Smile Studio in Sutton Coldfield with my business partner Martine Graham, BDS, has taken two days of my working week for the last two years, and we've certainly had our challenges to overcome.

Our ambition was to deliver 'spa' style dentistry - offering the finest dental treatment in the most comfortable way we could, with standards of service to set us apart from other dental and facial cosmetic businesses.

We realised very quickly we had to have the 'wow' factor which would instantly impress on our patients that we were genuinely different. We conducted an intensive review of all our procedures, put ourselves in the position of the patients, and identified the aspects of receiving treatment where significant improvements in comfort would enhance the experience, or at the very least reduce the stress, of being in the chair for long periods.

Excellent dentistry and the finest materials were a given from the beginning, but we realised that not being dentists themselves the patients would not appreciate the nuances of different quality composites! We needed to change the character of the whole dental experience from a cold, automatic ordeal into something relaxing, comfortable and even enjoyable, giving the impression that nothing had been spared on their behalf. And then we came up against paper bibs.

Paper bibs are temporary, disposable and alien to the impression of quality and luxury we were seeking to convey. We embraced the concept of CollarDam dental bibs with enthusiasm and put them to the test.

The immediately noticeable feature of the CollarDam is the quality of the material. It's thick and soft, warm to the touch, folds luxuriously and silently and instantly dispels the memory of the cheap rustling associated with fitting a paper bib. The CollarDam dental bib presents in two versions, and we particularly enjoyed using the PREMIER CollarDam.

The PREMIER incorporates a unique petal collar which fits around the neck and protects the shoulders as well as the chest area. The fit is adjustable to suit all patients and the Velcro fastener eliminates ugly clips or hooks. The bib is long enough for protection towards the lap, which is especially useful when patients have to sit up in the chair for an hour or more. The bib's material is absorbent and 'intelligent;' areas which become wet or moist during treatment very obviously change colour, indicating a new bib is required and preventing any possibility of leakage through the bib on to the patient's clothing. .

Patients like to raise the bib to wipe their mouths, which with waterproof, non-absorbent paper bibs is uncomfortable and not very practical. The CollarDam, however, performs well as a napkin, and its absorbent nature prevents fluid run off even with the excessive salivation experienced with some cosmetic treatments. Potential contaminants are also safely absorbed and contained.

Sitting immobile for any length of time can lead to a drop in body temperature, but patients report that the PREMIER Collar Dam is warm as well as comfortable.

Although the PROCEDURE CollarDam was a good fit and vastly superior to a paper bib, its design left an area of the patient's shoulders unprotected. While the patients were again warm and comfortable, we felt this was a drawback and left the area vulnerable to spills and splashes during pre treatment scaling, polishing and stain removal.

Here at Smile Studio we shall continue to use CollarDam to enhance our patient experience, and although we prefer the PREMIER version we highly recommend trying both products and finding which best suits the treatments your practice offers.

For further information on CollarDam™ please call 0845 310 4286 or email: Collar4uk@collardam.com, or visit www.collardam.com