According to research more than a third of adults in the UK are likely to delay dental treatment due to cost.

This is very understandable given the current economic climate however it ends up being a false economy as dental problems will only progress and what started out a simple problem can quickly become more serious and much more costly to put right. 

The best way to keep your dental costs down is to regularly visit your dentist to ensure any problems are identified as early as possible, thus reducing the likelihood of needing costly, complex treatments.

You may not know Emily and many of you will not yet have met her as she works behind the scenes at Birchfield.  Emily has been with us for a little over 2 years in the capacity of Business Manager, making her the newest addition to the Birchfield team and her role is to manage all aspects of the practice and she works hard to keep things running smoothly.  

Emily is the face behind our Facebook page and twitter feed, she is responsible for all of our marketing including design and up-keep of our website, she spends a large proportion of her time administrating things at the practice to ensure you receive the best level of service possible.

Emily started her career in private healthcare running the busy front of house department of a large private hospital.  She moved into dentistry in 2006 and trained as a dental nurse going on to manage a group of practices.  In 2008 Emily joined the UK’s largest private dentistry provider and worked with them as a Business Manager until joining Birchfield in 2011.

Emily plays a very hands on role at the practice and she enjoys interacting with patients wherever possible.  Her passion and ambition drives Emily to consistently strive to improve what we have to offer.

Emily lives in Bovington near Wareham with her husband and 3 children.  Emily’s personal life is centred around her family.  Living in the isle of Purbeck she enjoys getting out and about to appreciate the local scenery , her favourite local gem is Worbarrow Bay in Tyneham.  She regularly enjoys walks, picnics and fun by the sea with her family.  Travel is Emily’s favourite thing to do, she has spent time in the Middle East including Jordan, Israel and Eygpt and more recently (before the children) she enjoyed travelling to Thailand and Bali for the trip of a lifetime.  


Emily is currently working in a rather diminished capacity as the newest addition to her family, baby Eddy, is just 6 weeks old!

It hasn’t made worldwide headlines but there has been an exciting development in dentistry this week.

From 1st May 2013 Dental Hygienists have been granted direct access to patients, this means they no longer need to work on prescription from a dentist for treatments within their scope of practice such as a scale and polish.

Up until this week, if you wanted to see a hygienist you had to undergo an examination by a dentist before you could be treated by the hygienist but thanks to this new ruling by the General Dental Council this is no longer the case.

This is a fantastic step in making dentistry more accessible to patients.

Hygiene care is a vital part of your dental routine but it certainly does not negate the need to see a dentist for regular check-ups.  Your hygienist will be able to help you keep your teeth clean, advise you on oral hygiene and monitor your current gum health status but they cannot diagnose common dental diseases such as decay or oral cancer, you still need to see your dentist for this.

What this exciting change of the rules will allow is for a patient to visit any hygienist without the need for a prior assessment by a dentist so if you’ve got a special occasion and would like your smile freshened up with a scale and polish you can now simply book an appointment with the hygienist.

Call us today to book your hygiene appointment on 01425 615080 or request an appointment by email contactus@birchfieldpractice.co.uk