Accent on Mastery

They say that when you've done 10,000 of anything, you've mastered it. Is it true? All I can tell you is having done well over 10,000 hours as a dentist, I find myself increasingly comfortable with any dental challenge thrown at me - so what keeps me loving my job as much as I do is the people I meet every day (yes that's you guys!). Sure I'm definitely proud of the more complicated cosmetic dental procedures my team and I have been doing recently (you can see some of these in the review section) but what I really enjoy most is getting to know you, exchanging ideas and finding out what makes you tick. And that's what motivates me as a dentist.

And since I enjoy meeting people so much, plus because I'm always trying to grow our practice, I want you to know how much I appreciate your recommendations and referrals (and this goes for both Priya and Grace too). Not only does this give me a chance to get to know more of our vibrant community, it's also great to have other like-minded people on board. So if you like what we're doing please don't be shy to share it with others.

I want to take a moment to share the wonderful results we've been having with a new anaesthetic. You may not be aware that your ethnic background and physiology can influence how effectively local anaesthesia works for you. For example, people with a Celtic background need 20% more anaesthesia than average. We have certainly noticed across our patient base a group of people who up until recently have had considerable difficulty achieving complete numbness. So it's very rewarding to have an anaesthetic new to the market that works so well for these people. If you or anyone you know has had challenges with this in the past, please don't hesitate to find out more about this great development.

Now for a case study you may be interested in. A patient of mine recently came to me with a split tooth that was giving him so much pain he had been up most of the night before. Looking further, I found his tooth had completely sheared in two, and underlying all this was a deep abscess and significant nerve damage (hence his pain). Up until that moment his tooth had given him absolutely no trouble - yes it was cracked, as well as filled, but it still wasn't causing him any bother. However harmless enough as things appeared, because his tooth was subjected to the forces of everyday chewing, it was gradually weakening - leading to such a profound split that it needed to be root filled and then crowned, costing him much more time and money (and being greatly more invasive) than had he addressed the crack earlier on. I'm not trying to scare you guys, but this is one of the reasons I often suggest preventative treatment. (Incidentally, I'm well aware of the increasing challenges on the household budget, which is why our fees haven't changed in the last 18 months).

Quite separately, and on a rather pleasant note, I've just come back from an inspiring trip to Sydney for some more professional training - mixed in with a weekend away from the children! Having worked very hard this year to keep things moving forward, as well as living through a major home renovation, it reminded my wife and I that it's good for the soul to mix fun, lightness and new learnings into all this focus. I very much hope you are able to do the same as you leap into Spring. See you soon.

Matt Sumner and the team @ Accent Dental Solutions