The Dentistry Show 2012

"You and your Anxious Patients (Inhalation Sedation,         
   Scope of Practice and you)"

Last Friday (2nd March 2012) I presented to the Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists Symposium as part of The Dentistry Show, at the NEC.
Only others can say how my presentation went  but I didn't dry up, stumble over the stage or otherwise make an idiot of myself,  so that was a good start.

My thanks to Mhari Coxon, Dental Hygienist extraordinaire, for the invitation to speak. I very much enjoyed the experience and was very pleased that I had an audience of close to 100. It was also flattering that a dentist traveled from 1200 miles from Macedonia to hear my 45 min talk and that another dentist , who has already been on one of my courses  now wishes to have additional mentoring.

So here I have gathered some tweets written during, shortly after and a few days after my presentation.

@RichardCharon saw your lecture at the dent show. Very interesting and great lecture. Fear & phobia is an area I want to learn more about.

Marie Fitt = @bengal128

@RichardCharon You're welcome, very much enjoyed your lecture @ The Dentistry Show :-)

@RachaelEngland

@OnlineDentalCPD & Sedation experienced RDN with CDNS can mentor and certify GDP competence, If I understood correctly. Will check this.

Retweeted by Emma Male

@richardcharon Any time - if anyone needs a good RA coach, we know who to recommend :)

Missed @richardcharon - You & your Anxious Patients? Come to stand N50 & find how how you can catch up using the #icpdplayer! #dentistryshow

@RichardCharon 'fear is logical and natural. Anxiety may be illogical. Phobia is irrational' - watch this talk again with #icpdplayer

@richardcharon thank you so much for an inspiring talk on helping nervous patients....

&

#DENTISTRYSHOW newsflash. Never mind zingy white teeth come and hear the amazing @richardcharon share how you can help your nervous patients

@karenthedentist

yfrog.com/esgvkwvj the amazing @richardcharon speaking at Dentistry Show

from @Markoborn

Watch this space for future developments!

Richard Charon

Inhalation Sedation. Another little success

Vicki is my son's partner.
She came to me as a patient about 2 years ago. She was very fearful though not phobic. Here is her story,

Since then she has had several visits mainly using RA but more recently she has not always needed it.
Today she came for a minor filling which needed local anaesthetic (Using the Wand).

I said "Are you OK without the happy air for this" , she said "yes".
Then, as I prepared for the Wand, she suddenly said , "Actually I know I said I'd be brave but I'm getting panicky- can I gave the happy air after all"

"No problem" said I. Within 2 minutes she was sedated and I continued without so much as a hiccup.
10 minutes later the filling was finished ( it was a quick one)  and 3 minutes later she was leaving the dental chair ready to go back to taking care of my grandson!

There is no other simple sedation technique to overcome such anxiety so quickly in a non-invasive way, with no prior preparation and with such rapid return to normal, allowing patients to return to work, school or childcare. Just another reason that I love RA so much !

If you would like this easy approach to dentistry call us at Newbury Smilemakers on 01635 47757 and arrange a free initial discussion of your fears and your needs.

A new appointment for the Private VT Project

In addition to my other activities and upcoming articles to do with Inhalation Sedation, I can announce that I have been accepted onto a panel of lecturers, joining some illustrious names in UK dentistry, for the newly created Private Vocational Training project, spearheaded by Dr. Andy Lane, whose Apollonia House dental  practice is hosting my next course in Saddleworth.

My time commitment is not fully settled yet but I believe Andy has in mind that the sedation modules will be delivered to the year 2 Private VTs. 

I would envisage EVERY dentist taking up this route into private practice, would undertake RA training and mentorship through to competency certification. 

An excerpt from "The Competent Graduate" published in 2000,relating to Conscious Sedation in Dentistry states:

" 3) Defining Competence

At graduation, dentists should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of using conscious sedation techniques and should be capable of providing effective sedation for selected patients undergoing straightforward dental procedures in the primary care setting.
This means that the graduate should:

i) be able to assess a patient's need and suitability for conscious sedation and

ii) possess both the ability and confidence to apply knowledge and skills relating to inhalation sedation (using nitrous oxide and oxygen) and intravenous sedation (using midazolam)."

So this is an exciting new chapter for me.

Richard Charon

July 2011: RA course futher comments

Here, three of the course delegates offer some further comments about their day's training with us in Newbury last week. The first is from a dental hygienist, the wife of a GDP practice partner, who attended with two of their dental nurses:

"Thank you Richard for your prompt reply . We all thoroughly enjoyed the course and have much food for thought. I am busy telling my husband all about it! "

The next two are from GDPs. One an experienced RA user, the other not yet practicing in the UK but I understand is working towards her GDC overseas registration exam.

Interestingly both practitioners, who do not work together and with very different backgrounds and previous experience, made almost exactly the the same comment. Can you spot it?!

" Dr.Charon, many thanks for such an interesting course and for sharing all your wide knowledge and experience about RA with us.  I had 10 years of private and hospital general experience in my own country, and the foundation knowledge of sedation from my training, but before I have done your course, I had never thought that RA was an achievable and excellent tool for the comfort of nervous patients, especially in private practices.

The course content, the facilities, and venue were excellent. You had make it simple and easy to understand. 

Thank you to the whole team, for making this day such an informative and enjoyable one.

Esperanza Salazar"

The second is copied here from a comment left on the previous blog post.

Thank you Richard for an excellent comprehensive overview of RA. As an experienced RA user, I have not had any further training since my undergraduate days, and it was most reassuring to see that you have a very similar take on the subject to myself. Interestingly, I have never considered RA as a tool for private dentistry, - you certainly have opened that door for me - many thanks - Rob Regan

July 2011: RA course report

Saturday 23rd July -  
27th Hands-on training day in Inhalation Sedation with Dr. Richard Charon in Newbury.

Another excellent course with a great group of people today in Newbury.  The day was very interactive, with lots of questions and discussion and excellent feedback (see below)

Dental professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds attended, making it a full house of 8 at my dental practice. We had one dentist working in NE London in The Community Dental Service, another soon to begin in a Manchester practice, another currently seeking her GDC entrance requirements to practice in the UK from a European country. A fourth dentist with RA experience and his dental nurse from a larger practice in Wiltshire and a Hygienist and two dental nurses from the same practice in Hampshire.

So of the eight feedback forms , three gave me an "excellent" score in all categories for

• Venue, 
• Relevance to the subject,
• Audio-visuals and 
• Speaker,

Which was generous since I had to own up to an Audio-visual glitch at the start.

Another three gave me scores of very good or excellent in all categories

One returned feedback of

• Excellent - Speaker
• Very good for A-v and Relevance
• with only a "Good" for venue. 

Which is fair enough, as my practice is not a conference hotel.
The last feedback form said

• Excellent to relevance, 
• Very good to Speaker and
• Good to Venue and Audiovisuals

Overall I am pleased with this feedback. Here are some of the comments:

" Thank you very much to the whole team for making it such an informative and comfortable day. I feel enabled to take the training I have had forward and implement it in practice."

" Having had very little experience in Inhalation Sedation, this course has certainly increased my confidence and enthusiasm in being able to start providing it. Money well spent ! For me and my patients "

"Thanks for a very informative and relaxed day. Lunch superb ! "

"Very enjoyable, informative day. Thank you"

The next date is set for September 17th and is potentially full once confirmations are received.

We are also booking for Saturday 12th November.

Tel: 01635 47757

e-mail: richard@the-ra-coach.co.uk