Dr Zaki Kanaan explains why dentists are on a go slow with Slow Dentistry
Most dental professionals can name a peer or a campaign which had a profound effect on the way they practise. The dental sector boasts many passionate practitioners who have developed ambitious ways to make a tangible difference to patient care.
Recently, inspirational dentists have prevailed again with the introduction of a new initiative – Slow Dentistry – which is the brainchild of Dr Miguel Stanley who, with a group of progressive dentists, has started to build a global movement focused on achieving the best for their patients.
At its first UK event, held on 23rd November, early adopters including Koray Feran, Simon Chard, Jameel Gardee, Rhona Eskander and Marcus Engelschalk explained why Slow Dentistry is an important concept to them and how their peers could adopt it, as previously covered in Dental Review.
Also at the launch event was Past President of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and implant surgeon Dr Zaki Kanaan (top, far left) who is also a global Slow Dentistry Ambassador.
He explained why he is embracing the new concept: “Some of us have already been practising Slow Dentistry in our clinics and when teaching on our courses, we always emphasise that planning is key.
“Slow Dentistry means we take our time planning and thinking about our patients’ individual cases (that’s the slow bit) but ultimately it is the time planning which ultimately makes our dentistry faster safer and more predictable for our patients.
“It is good to have a name for something we have already been doing. Having the Slow Dentistry logo in my waiting room has intrigued some patients, to whom we explain exactly how we work. We are essentially signing up to a charter where we make a pledge to our patients that we will be committed to taking time with their treatment from planning to execution.
“With a bit of explanation, patients love the concept and are on board with it. In practice very little has changed – our consultations have always been 45 minutes allowing plenty of time for co-diagnosis and to answer questions and present a plan – however we had to train our staff who get asked about Slow Dentistry all the time, so they can clearly explain what Slow Dentistry is about.”
The launch event was actively supported by one of the leading manufacturers in the fields of preventative, restorative and prosthetic dentistry, Voco, which recognises that the Slow Dentistry ethos perfectly matched its own.
Andrew Thurston, Country Manager for Voco in the UK and Ireland explained: “We applaud the whole concept of Slow Dentistry as it dovetails with our view about the long-term success of dental care. In order to guarantee the success of a treatment, the dentist must be able to achieve certain standards.
“Our innovative approaches, solutions and high-quality products just fitted with Dr Stanley’s vision of high standards of care and quality dentistry. Voco and Slow Dentistry will certainly continue and expand their successful cooperation.”
Zaki Kanaan concludes: “I loved the first Slow Dentistry event and look forward to the next one. There was definitely a buzz that I had not felt anywhere else. People wanted to hear about how to adopt the Slow Dentistry ethos, how to treatment plan and so on.
“Before and after the launch event, I have been getting messages from people asking to know more about the concept and how to sign up. Voco advised delegates that it was supporting the initiative still further by funding dues-free memberships to the first 200 dentists, so I really encourage dentists to look into it and to join because it is well worth it.”
To take advantage of Voco's offer and become one of the early adopters, visit www.SlowDentistry.com
