The StoneRock’s Patient Journey is very important to us, we aim to ensure you feel reassured, and know what to expect from your treatment, on this page we highlight our commitment to excellence, comprehensive care, your initial consultation, cross infectionn and technology in dentistry.
Mission Statement
StoneRock Dental Care is a business dedicated to the pursuit, promotion and provision of excellence
All treatment provided will be appropriate to the patient’s desires and needs and will take place after all options have been fully discussed, and agreed upon. At the heart of every treatment plan will be the knowledge that each patient must fully understand the cause of their disease, and how they can prevent it in the future. To help us deliver this care we are constantly working towards the creation of an excuse free work environment, which will allow each one of us to achieve their very best.
Every working day must be planned to provide our patients with the time and care that they need to maintain a healthy mouth. The entire dental team will be able to work at his or her optimum pace, with the highest quality equipment, to ensure that every patient we treat receives the best care available, on every occasion.
The staff of StoneRock Dental Care should work as a team, each member dedicated to the pursuit of excellence. The success of our patients’ treatment will lead, in turn, to the success of the business. Sharing that success, we can all benefit from the successful growth of the practice.
StoneRock is at the centre of a larger community and must strive to elevate itself, within the community, to the highest possible level of trust and respectability. Once this trust is achieved, the business will be able to grow, and provide a greater diversity of services, each of which must follow our dedication to excellence and customer care.
Comprehensive Care
At StoneRock Dental Care we have undertaken a rigorous postgraduate training programme for the entire team to allow us to stay at the very forefront of current dental thinking.
Under the guidance of Bobbi Anthony, an internationally renowned lecturer and professional development coach (www.bobbianthony.com) we have made a firm commitment to providing truly comprehensive care for all of our patients.
Comprehensive care means that we are centring our treatment on the patient’s ability to take control of the health of their mouth. To give every patient the best chance to do this we will carry out each review visit with one of our hygienists and the dentist as well when appropriate. At each review we will look at all aspects of dental health including a full oral cancer screening check, a full assessment of the gum health paying particular attention to how this maybe both affected by and affecting the patients general health and a full review of the dental condition and how it may be affecting the patients ability to achieve full dental health.
We now know that gum disease is intricately linked to general health and can have an affect on, among other things, coronary heart disease, type two diabetes and pre-term birth weight. We also know that gum disease can be worsened by general health problems in particular stress which can lead to rapid periods of breakdown in the attachment between gum and tooth. By centring our care on prevention and viewing the patients dental health as an extension of their general health we are able to catch problems at the earliest possible stage, so preventing further damage and disease.
The improvements in the service that we are now providing require that we spend more time with each patient, which also gives us every opportunity to discuss and demonstrate all the techniques that can be used at home to prevent further disease. Under the current guidelines from the General Dental Council and NICE, the institute for Clinical Excellence, we are required to inform patients of all aspects of their dental health and offer all available treatment options to allow each person the chance to make an informed choice about their dental care. Our extended review visits with both hygienist and dentist give us the ability to do this in a relaxed and friendly environment. It is our aim to give each patient a plan so they can know everything that is needed to get you back to complete health. Each patient can then decide what level of care is appropriate to him or her.
We are very excited about the care that we now provide and are looking forward to helping all of our patients on their pathway to complete dental health.
Initial Consultation
In any great relationship their needs to be a good first date, and it’s no different in dentistry. Meeting a new dentist for the first time can be an unsettling time for anyone and not knowing what to expect at that initial consultation can make it even worse.
With this in mind we at StoneRock have tried to make sure that every time a new patient comes to join us they know exactly what to expect on the day. Our main aim at any New Patient Initial Consultation is to gather as much information about the current dental conditions and then discuss this with the patient. The dentists at StoneRock will discuss with the patient everything that can be done for any given situation, it is then up to the patient to decide what level of care is appropriate to them. We know that a truly comprehensive plan needs to be fully flexible so that patients can work through their care at whatever pace they like. Modern dentistry can often require a significant financial investment for patients and so we make sure that any cost implications are discussed fully before any treatment begins.
A New Patient Consultation takes the form of an informal chat about StoneRock and the various facilities that we offer. Early on in the visit we like to take some simple digital photographs, which can be very helpful when discussing treatment options. If any radiographs are required they are also taken at this stage. At StoneRock we use the latest digital radiographs, which give us much more information at a much lower radiation dose to you, the patient.
The New Patient Consultation is probably the single most important visit in dentistry and we aim to make it the most relaxing as well. As much as possible we like to talk in a relaxed atmosphere in our consult rooms over a cup of coffee having spent only a short time in any of the treatment rooms. Any new patient is encouraged to take time considering their treatment options so that when a plan is decided upon we can all be happy that it is the right one. After all at StoneRock, we’re not interested in a load of first dates, we want lots of long-term relationships with all our patients.
Cross Infection
We know that a lot of people have worries about coming to the dentist. We at StoneRock make it our business to try and ease these worries as much as possible. Once worry we think we can completely free you from is the concern about whether the equipment we use is clean.
Cross infection control is the term we use to describe all of the processes that we employ to make sure that every bit of clinical equipment that we use is absolutely safe. Dr Kerr has one golden rule that he uses to check if we are happy with our procedures. Would he be happy to use this equipment if the next patient in the chair was one of his children? If the answer is no then the equipment is discarded and the procedure is changed, it’s that simple.
But what about the future, what about the next virus that comes along, how do we know that our measure are protecting all of us from them? When we look back over just the past twenty years we see that just when we think we are safe, nature has another trick up it’s sleeve. Hepatitis C, HIV, vCJD, and now MRSA, the list keeps growing. It seems that the only lesson we can learn from the past is that we can’t predict the future. The only way we can hope to combat the new challenges of the future is to stay ahead of the game now and with this in mind we at StoneRock endevaur to exceed all current cross infection control requirements. To allow us to do this we have invested in the highest level of sterilisation equipment available and use disposable materials whenever it is appropriate to do so. All of the cross infection procedures take time to implement so each appointment has time allowed with in it for the StoneRock team to prepare your clinical area and clean it up again after we have finished. If someone else is telling you they can do the work quicker and cheaper than us then perhaps you should ask yourself, where are they cutting corners?
Technology In Dentistry
At StoneRock we are proud of our investment in modern technology and have advanced all of our clinical skills to ensure that you can experience the many benefits that state of the art equipment can bring.
To give you an idea of how this investment can improve your dental care today here is a list of a few of the items available to you.
Air Abrasion systems – the silent revolution: Less than 10% of practices in the UK offer this amazing treatment yet in certain conditions it can do away with the need for any drills or injections. Using helium enhanced micro-abrasion technology tooth decay can be removed with out any noise, vibration or patient discomfort. Because very little extra tooth tissue is removed the filling size can be kept to an absolute minimum reducing the risk of later problems.
The Wand – A magical way of giving local anaesthetic. This neat little device delivers the local anaesthetic to just the spot where we want it with much less of the usual discomfort. This means better numbing with less stinging, hence its name!
Digital radiography – A direct benefit: Digital x-rays use an electronic sensor in the mouth rather than the conventional film, which allows us to reduce the dose of radiation you receive by up to 80%. Put simply we can take five x-rays for the same dose as one old one. As the sensor utilises digital technology the image appears on the screen instantly so there is no more waiting around for x-ray results.
Surgical microscopes – Giving a better view: With so many advances in modern dentistry there are new techniques evolving all the time. Many of these techniques require dentists to get a closer and better view of the teeth they are treating. If we get a better view then you get a better result. Microscopes allow us to see minute fractures in teeth that can cause a lot of discomfort and would simply be missed by someone working without one.
Digital photography – Clinical photographs of not just your whole smile but inside your mouth as well can help us discuss every aspect of your dental treatment with you and plan well in advance any improvements you may wish to make.
Computer records – All of the information that we gather at every appointment is stored on computer software specially designed to allow us to share it with you in a clear and interactive manner. This means that at any stage we can review with you any of the work that we have carried out and measure the improvements that together we have achieved.
Air Flow– A great way to remove stubburn stain from hard to get to parts of the smile. With AirFlow our hygienists can almost “jetwash” your smile so that you are left with little or no visible stain and a great feeling of clean teeth without getting a mouthful of paste. Ask for it by name when you come for your next visit.
Of course no piece of equipment, however fancy, can ever take the place of an experienced pair of hands. Here at StoneRock we know that for any bit of technology to be really valuable it must enhance the patient experience and improve the quality of the completed treatment. The gadgets can’t just look fancy, they have to work for a living!
If you would like more information or to make an appointment at our dental practice in Hawkhurst, Kent please contact our Reception Team on 01580 752202 or info@stonerock.co.uk who will be more than happy to help with any matter.