Appointments Necessary – Dr Michael Sultan Endocare

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  Posted by: manpreet.boora      2nd October 2017

In July, Optometry Today[1] described how surgeons, about to perform a scheduled cataract operation, discovered an incredible 27 contact lenses in one of the patient’s eyes. Seventeen of these lenses had fused together in what was termed a ‘blueish mass’, with 10 more lenses found individually.

The patient, 67, had been wearing monthly disposable contact lenses for the past 35 years, but had not realised that any of them had gone missing. She attributed the irritation she felt to her age or dry eye syndrome. In truth, the bacterial buildup around the lenses increased the risk of endophthalmitis, and the possibility of severe damage to her eye. The most striking part of this case was the fact that the patient in question had not been attending regular appointments with an optometrist.

Obviously, this highlights the importance of attending healthcare appointments regularly – and it is a story that could easily have come from the dental sector. Indeed, just recently there were stories reported about a woman who had resorted to using superglue to affix her teeth[2], and a man who hadn’t brushed his teeth for around 20 years.

In dentistry, the most common reason for this type of behaviour is dental phobia. We are all aware of this issue that dental phobia affects many people in the UK and, ultimately, we, as dentists, are probably the source of many of the original problems.. We need to ensure that our patients are treated in a way that does not leave them too scared to come back, and assure them we will do everything we can to rectify any issues as soon as possible.

The second most likely reason for non-attendance is accessibility and cost. Unfortunately, there is very little we can do to change this – at least individually. The barriers to NHS dental care can only truly be solved by the Government, but it is our responsibility to put pressure on them to do so. As a profession, we need to work together to discuss these problems with the relevant regulatory bodies in order to enact change – and we need to do so on behalf of our patients. Without our input, more and more patients may be put off from attending our practices, to the detriment of their health and wellbeing.

It is vital that we make the effort to encourage better attendance from all patients and investigate the reasons why they might not want to come into the practice to begin with.

 

For further information please call EndoCare on 020 7224 0999

Or visit www.endocare.co.uk

 

 

EndoCare, led by Dr Michael Sultan, is one of the UK’s most trusted Specialist Endodontic practices. Through the use of the latest technologies and techniques, the highly-trained team can offer exceptional standards of care – always putting the patient first. What’s more, EndoCare is a dependable referral centre, to which dentists from across the country send their patients for the best in specialist endodontic treatment.

 

[1] Optometry Today. Surgeon finds 27 missing contact lenses in woman’s eye; published online 14/07/17; link: https://www.aop.org.uk/ot/science-and-vision/research/2017/07/14/uk-surgeon-finds-27-missing-contact-lenses-in-womans-eye [accessed 17/07/17]

[2] The Mirror. Woman too scared to go to dentist superglued her own teeth; published online: 11/07/17; link: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-scared-go-dentist-superglued-10773526 [accessed 17/07/17]


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