The Bridge Dental Clinic is now under new ownership – however the ethos and focus on quality customer service remains the same.

Dr Ushi Shah (BDS, MSc Implantology) has now purchased the Bridge Dental Clinic from the previous owners Dr Hylton Jenkins and Mrs Anne Jenkins. Dr Jenkins will be staying on for a transition period and will continue to provide his expert services.

Dr Shah has been working as an Associate Dentist at the Bridge Dental Clinic since 2017. She has an excellent rapport with her patients and is delighted to be taking over ownership of the clinic. She aims to continue providing the excellent quality of care and dentistry that the Bridge Dental Clinic is known for.

The Bridge Dental Clinic would like to thank all their patients for their ongoing support and look forward to welcoming both existing and new patients in the future.

Dr Alexandra Musgrove

Bridge Dental Clinic is delighted to welcome Dr Alexandra Musgrove (BDS MJDF RCS(Eng)) as their new Associate Dentist.

 Alexandra will provide general dentistry services such as root canals, extractions, fillings, hygiene, crowns, dentures and cosmetic dental treatment. She will be working closely with the clinic’s staff to provide quality dental care for patients of all ages.

Alexandra recently relocated to Guernsey from Suffolk, where she worked in a small, family-run dental practice. Here, she provided cosmetic and orthodontic treatment with Invisalign, teeth whitening and cosmetic bonding.

Alexandra is highly accustomed to working in general practice and is qualified in a number of dentistry courses, including Invisalign. This training has given her the ability to offer a form of orthodontic treatment which she often combines with whitening and restorative treatment.

She is also a professional member of the British Dental Association, General Dental Council and Royal College of Surgeons.

‘After working in a small, family-run clinic, I was attracted to Bridge Dental’s gentle dentistry ethos and their concentration on a relaxed but efficient dental experience,’ said Alexandra.

‘I especially enjoy treating anxious patients as so many people have a fear of dentists and I find this side especially rewarding as they come back for more routine appointments without the initial worry they had.’

‘It is great to see our team grow with talented dentists like Alexandra. She has demonstrated her knowledge and passion for the profession, and I am thrilled to welcome her to the practice.’ says Bridge Dental Clinic Manager, Anne Jenkins. ‘Her approach to working with anxious patients reflects our clinic’s gentle dentist philosophy.’  To make an appointment to see her please call us on 245357 or go back to our home page and book online.

National Smile Month – why it’s important

There are lots of national days and national month events nowadays, and it’s easy to lose sight of the important ones and why they are important.

For the past few years, the Bridge Dental Clinic has been supporting National Smile Month, which is organised by the Oral Health Foundation and was launched in 1977(!) as National Smile Week. The event has many aims, not least of which is improving dental health, but also brings together the dental industry and brings in other groups and organisations.

The great importance of the event is that even though modern medicine and dental technology can help improve people’s oral health, there are many ways in which people, and in particular children, are suffering from more tooth decay and worse oral hygiene.

As part of the research for this years event, it was revealed that:

“nearly a third (31%) of 5-year-olds and nearly half (46%) of 8-year-olds in the UK have obvious tooth decay in their primary teeth.”

Also, it was found that: “35% of 12-year-old children are too embarrassed to smile or laugh due to tooth decay or missing teeth.”

Through events like National Smile Month, we can help to get people smiling and being proud of their smile which in turn gets them thinking about brushing more regularly, visiting the dentist and cutting down on some of those sugary snacks.

Dental Implants in Guernsey

Many people have heard of dental implants, but not everyone knows what they are or if they are suitable for them. Here at Bridge Dental Clinic, we want to help you understand the basics so that you can decide if you’d like to speak to us about having them fitted.

A dental implant is an artificial tooth which is connected into the jaw bone using a tiny, but very strong, titanium screw. These implants can also be used to provide support to other loose dentures, and in so, aid to giving you back a better quality of life.

Who could benefit?

  • Those with loose, painful or missing teeth
  • Some people with loose dentures

With the loss of a tooth, your dental structure is changed and this can have a knock-on effect on other teeth which can shift or tilt due to the gap.  This knock-on effect could lead to further loss in the future and so it’s wise to get a consultation now, to help alleviate any future problems.

If you’ve already got a missing tooth then you probably know how painful it can be when a hard bit of feed comes in contact with the gap in your teeth – ouch! Filling this gap with a dental implant can mean an end to that daily suffering and mean you can star to enjoy all those foods you’ve been avoiding.

Another issue suffered by those who have lost a tooth is the negative impact on your quality of life through a loss of confidence or a sense of embarrassment. Getting a dental implant and returning to your ‘old’ smile can bring about a transformation and reduce any of the stress that you were feeling.

The process of getting an implant fitted

Choosing whether dental implants are for you is a big decision.  If you are considering a new smile or having teeth fixed with implants, it is vitally important to understand what can be done for you and the whole process that will take you from start to finish.  We are here to hold your hand, make you feel comfortable and ensure you get the best possible end result in as quick and painless a time as possible.

  1. Initial implant consultation
  2. Pre treatment
  3. The treatment visit
  4. Aftercare and review

If you would like to start the conversation about implants then please call us on 01481 245 357 or email reception@bridgedental.gg

Bridge Dental Clinic – Customer Service Champions!

Here at Bridge Dental Clinic, we love our jobs and we know that we’re only here because of YOU, our amazing patients. To make sure you keep coming back to use us as your dentist we know it’s important to give the BEST customer service we can.

To recognise the amazing service that we strive to give every day, we’ve been honoured to accept, for the second year running, an award at the Guernsey Customer Service Awards.

At the 2018 awards ceremony, we collected the award for “Best Service from Professional Services”

On top of our recognition from the Guernsey Customer Service Awards, we’ve also got hundreds of reviews from you, our loyal patients (thank you!!).

  • 429 reviews and 4.9/5 on reputations.com
  • 98 reviews and 4.8/5 on Facebook.com
  • 60 reviews and 4.9/5 on Google.com

We’ve still got so much more we want to do and we’re going to keep striving to give you the best dental experience you’ve ever had…

Bridge Dental Clinic now offers 3D X-ray

As part of our journey to give patients the best possible care and treatment at Bridge Dental Clinic, we’ve now completed the installation and certification of our new 3D X-ray machine, the Planmeca Cone beam scanner.

What is dental cone beam CT scanner? A dental cone beam (CB) CT scanner uses x-rays and computer-processed x-ray information to produce 3D cross-sectional images of the jaws and teeth. It is a smaller, faster and safer version of the regular CT scanner. Through the use of a cone-shaped x-ray beam, the radiation dosage is lower, and the time needed for scanning is reduced. The machine moves around your head in a circular motion in a similar way to the panoramic dental radiography unit which is commonly used in dental surgeries and hospitals, which you may have already experienced.

Why should I have a dental CBCT? The scan will give us detailed information which cannot be obtained from normal x-ray examinations. For example, if you are being considered for dental implants or other special procedures, it enables us to assess the exact shape of the bone.

All of this means that Bridge Dental Clinic will now be in a position to offer patients Dental Implants. For more information regarding implants, please call us on 01481 245 357 and request to speak to Dr Ushita Shah

Update on ‘our’ elephants, Kamok and Kauro

As many of you will know, we met Kamok and Kauro when they were tiny babies at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and have been sponsoring them since 2014.

Now a lot bigger, both have been moved to the Ithumba Relocation Unit in Tsavo National Park. This move will allow the elephants to continue their development and live a life much closer to what they would have experienced in the wild.

Moving elephants like this is a huge and dangerous operation, but one that the teams from the DSWT are very experienced with. To give us more of an idea of what goes into such a move, the team filmed the experience and post it to share with the world.

What a privilege it is to see how well the elephants get on and to be part of such an amazing organisation. We’re looking forward to seeing how they get on in their new home and sharing the news with you.

Children pocket nearly £24m from Tooth Fairy

According to a survey carried out by the Oral Health Foundation, children from across the UK are receiving £23.7 million annually, after losing their baby teeth.

This sum was calculated from a survey which found that the tooth fairy paid out on average £1.58 per tooth (43.6% more since 2011!). With roughly 15 million first teeth falling out each year, this represents a staggering amount of money across the whole of the UK.

Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, says: “The Tooth Fairy business is increasingly lucrative and has seen major inflation in recent years, but it is really important that children are mindful of just how precious the baby teeth they are placing under their pillows are.

“Many believe that milk teeth don’t need to be healthy, as they will just fall out anyway, but this could not be further from the truth.

“The health of children’s baby teeth and their oral health in adulthood are closely linked so it is vital that a child’s mouth is kept clean and healthy. We want to see children’s milk teeth fall out naturally and healthily, free from signs of decay.

With extractions of children’s teeth up nearly 20% compared to four years ago (43,000 in 2017) it’s more important than ever that we share the news of how to keep your children’s teeth healthy.

  • children under 16 receive a free annual checkup at Bridge Dental Clinic
  • children’s toothbrushes should be replaced every 3 months
  • always check the sugar content of food and drink to help reduce one of the main causes of tooth decay

Bridge Dental Clinic – June 2018 Upgrades

As many of you will know, we’ve been making a few upgrades to the building here at Bridge Dental Clinic , in order to make it a nicer place to visit and also a nicer place for the team who work here.

As part of these upgrades we’ve now finished the staff’s private space and kitchen:

 

As part of this upgrade we also got the team to pick some new fabric for the upholstery – what do you think?


We think it’s important to have a nice quiet area so that, when we’re not busy on reception or in the surgeries, we all have the chance to recharge the batteries for a little while. This helps us deliver the top service that our patients deserve!

Forgotten How to Brush Your Teeth?

We’re always on the lookout for ways to help our patients keep their teeth healthy, so we’ve found another guide on how to brush your teeth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVg7_wRT9Cg

You can find written instructions on the Curaprox website and you can also buy their excellent brushes when you visit the Bridge Dental Clinic.