I had a patient in today who lost his brace. I asked him what happened.
“I took my brace out and tucked it into the waistband of my football shorts”
Me: “…and then you played a game of football?”
He: “No, I ate a packet of biscuits”
And when he’d finished the pack of biscuits he went to put the brace back in, but ...
A while ago, I had to cancel a holiday to help a relative with some medical appointments. I notified the airline, and although I had the cheapest version of my ticket and it was not refundable the people I spoke to suggested I ask the refunds department and if they didn’t refund then go to customer care. My general advice ...
A few days ago, I heard that The Betsy in Swords closed suddenly. I was sorry to hear this. It was just across Swords Main Street from the practice and it was a location for many Swords Orthodontics lunches for birthdays and maternity leaves and even a Christmas party.
Over my time at Swords Ortho ...
Swords Orthodontics is looking for a new colleague. We have got some chairs/sessions available.
We are looking for Specialist in an area other than orthodontics - I would be delighted to consider colleagues from any areas, but probably ...
Dear Fingal
I’m Stephen Murray. For a couple of decades now, I’ve been helping local families and individuals. I thought I’d explain a bit about why I do it, and how.
I don’t know what things you’ll see or read today, so if you’re reading this, then straight off, I will thank you for lending me your attention for a minute or ...
I had a patient come in this afternoon for an appointment that was marked in the diary as “retainer review”.
When I opened up his notes, it turned out that his orthodontic treatment finished over 3 years ago and we hadn’t seen him in almost 3 years. At that stage we had made him a spare retainer and he never came ...
After a busy day of orthodontic treatments, I was in the practice one evening doing some treatment planning for the patients that would be coming in later that week and the phone rang with Prof Stassen’s name on the screen.
As he does the jaw surgery and other special procedures for my patients that need them, I’d always take the call ...
I have blogged about mouth cancer before. We had mouth cancer screening days in the practice, there was a national mouth cancer awareness day.
It’s not one of the more famous ones, there isn’t a national campaign where we wear a ribbon or a flower or have a coffee morning at work for it, but it’s certainly there in the background ...
It’s a given fact among orthodontists that every child should have an orthodontic examination by the age of 7. This is to look for healthy development of teeth, their positions in the developing mouth and the way they relate to each other. Some problems might be obvious but some are lurking unseen by parents - and the kids themselves - ...
Every year, the World Federation of Orthodontists convenes a meeting of the presidents of the national orthodontic associations around the world. There are about 120 of these connected to the WFO.
The current president of the Orthodontic Society of Ireland (OSI) is Paul Murphy, who operates South Beach Clinic in Greystones, Co Wicklow. As Paul wasn’t able to attend the 2024 ...
If you are looking for things to do in Dublin with your friends or family here is a list for you.
- Kylemoore Karting (Go karting)
- Bowling
- Gunness Store house
- The Stella Cinema
- Go Quest- indoor challenge adventure
- Token (Retro arcade and restaurant)
- Candle light concert
- Axe throwing
- Paddle boarding
- Zipit Forest adventures (high ropes course)
I hope this helps! Have fun!
Christopher Pike, Star Trek (2009)
Many people interact with us only once, or a few times at most, and only on a rare occasion are they remembered and even more rarely do they leave ...
After a couple of years of corona-virus-disrupted goings-on, it was about time we did something together as a practice, so the team arranged a trip....to The Nightmare Realm.
I'd never been to this sort of thing before, ...
Yesterday I blogged about Princess Diana and The Crown and on the one occasion that she came to visit the place where I worked we didn't stop to go and look at her, but I forgot one piece of trivia.
And I don't mean that the percussionist on Song for Guy was also occasionally the drummer ...
So, once upon a time, when I was a very junior minion on an oral and maxillo-facial surgery team, Princess Diana visited my hospital. I won’t mention the name of the hospital, suffice to say it was in a town where you’d expect the Royal Family to be quite popular. I was ...
I had a patient with neurosensory issues in last week. We were planning to put the orthodontic braces on his teeth - we call that process "bonding" or a "bond-up".
Kid: What are you going to do to me today?
Me: Stick the braces on your teeth.
Is this going to hurt?
Me or you?
Me! Is it going to hurt me?
No, it's not going ...
Baby friendly recipe ideas
Here are some quick and easy tasty recipes for your little one. I started Harry with these recipes from about 6/7 months old. The finger food lunch ideas are great for their hand eye coordination and to encourage led weaning.
Egg Muffins
Ingredients: 2 large eggs, Handful of spinach, small cherry tomatoes 2-3 copped, ham 2 ...
I recently went to Paris for the first time. I went for five days and really enjoyed my time there. Here is my experience and my tips and tricks if you are thinking about going yourself.
Booking in advance
Homemade water mat sensory toy for babies
Sensory toys are perfect for both children and adults and their development. Sensory toys offer the opportunity for children to get engaged and explore their surroundings which is essential to their brain development. Children that are involved in sensory play, engage their senses which helps them develop their ability to grasp concepts and ...
There are many hard, crunchy, sticky and chewy food to avoid with braces on as they can cause parts of the brace to break and come off.
These foods include:
Looking after toddlers teeth
We all know how important is it to look after your teeth, but when it comes to toddlers it can be quite a difficult task. Here are some tips to help you and your toddler keep their little teeth clean and cavity free:
It can take a bit of time to get used to wearing braces and they may irritate the mouth and gums at first. However taking care of your own teeth or your child’s teeth and mouth and getting them to care for their braces - whilst you’re travelling should be simple with these handy essentials:
It can take a bit of time to get used to wearing braces and they may irritate the mouth and gums at first. However taking care of your own teeth or your child’s teeth and mouth and getting them to care for their braces - whilst you’re travelling should be simple with these handy essentials:
Planning a wedding
Wedding season is here! As I am getting married this May I thought I would share my top tips for brides to be:
Easter is a great holiday full of Easter egg hunts, delicious treats, and family time. You don’t want to put a dampener on your day by suffering problems with your braces or Orthodontic appliances, do you? We are happy to help you avoid any problems as much as possible over Easter.
Here are some top tips to ...
First off, I’d have to say that I’ve never actually met the Tooth Fairy. I have had transactions with the Tooth Fairy as a small child, but I was asleep at the time and have no actual memory of it. But like many kids, when my baby teeth fell out I’d leave them under my pillow at night and when ...
I often get asked what does an ideal bite look like, how should teeth meet together, that sort of thing. That’s very important, because working to achieve that is what we do at Swords Orthodontics day in, day out. But there’s a bit more to it than that – you have to think about the teeth in the context of ...
Our YouTube channel has a lot of Swords Ortho videos on it - some are plain silly, but most are there to help you get the best results from your treatment and the best experience on the way there.
Today's addition is a very useful chat from Courtney on how to look after your braces once you have them on - ...
There was a phrase trending on twitter recently: #lastnormalphoto. The idea was that you’d share the last picture you took before lock down. At first I thought they meant any photo not dealing with teeth, because it’s not normal to take photos of teeth…..is it? But they meant photos taken before lockdown all kicked off.
Strangely, my last “normal” photo was ...
Well, yesterday was a lot of words about how an orthodontic practice can reopen after the Covid Lockdown restrictions are lifted in Phase 1. (Phase 1 restriction lifting allows dentistry - which is good, because a lot of people need to get to their dentist now)
Here's the same idea in diagram form!
here's another diagram explaining the Swords Ortho procedures now we're reopened as part of the Phase 1 restriction lifting for dentists.
Hi there
First of all, a big thanks from me and everyone here at Swords Ortho for your patience and understanding at what’s been going on over the last 9 weeks....and more importantly, what wasn’t going on – specifically regular orthodontic treatments.
Two weeks after the first recorded coronavirus case in Ireland, on the day before St Patrick’s Day, I made the ...
I have completed a series of orthodontic reflections on the seven traditional naval toasts.
But I was a bit curious about the traditions. This started because of a memory of a Russell Crowe movie, Master and Commander, where he was the captain of HMS Surprise in the middle of a war between the UK and France. When I looked into it, ...
In many navies around the world, the seventh toast of the week is to “Absent Friends”.
This is usually the first toast my own family observes on Christmas Day. We’re not big drinkers, it’s usually the only toast.
It’s an important one. Given the career paths of an orthodontist (there was a bit about this in the previous few toasts) you ...
The traditional sixth toast of the week in many navies was “To Wives and Sweethearts”.
Classically, although unofficially, this is met with a reply of “May they never meet”. When Russell Crowe makes the toast in “Master and Commander” he adds that himself after the toast. The officers laugh at the joke, so I’m not certain if this is the ...
KFC chicken at home
I’m sure during Covid19 some people are missing their favorite diner’s and restaurants. I know I am, so I decided to make these easy KFC chicken tenders in the comfort of my own home.
All you need is:
Step by step to make this recipe;
In various navies, the fifth toast of the week is to The Nation.
Classically, this toast was “to a willing foe and plenty of sea room”. I’m still not sure exactly what that means, but I presume it means that your adversary is taking responsibility for the consequences of the engagement and it’s ...
It’s over a month since the government brought in the serious lockdown measures and last Friday, it announced its plan to gradually lift the restrictions in 5 phases. For our part, Swords Orthodontics has been seeing patients in pain or distress but we haven’t been conducting regular orthodontics. We’re looking forward to getting back to treating people and we’ve been ...
In various navies, the fourth toast of the week is “Our Navy” specifically the service they are in.
As in yesterday’s blog I talked about “ourselves” as the profession we’re in: dentistry. I will consider today’s theme as the specialties we choose to work in.
And off the bat, I say specialty which is an area of special expertise within a profession, ...
In various navies, the classic third toast of the week is “Ourselves”.
This is traditionally met with the response “for no one else will concern themselves with our well-being” in the Royal Navy in the UK. Two centuries on from when the movie “Master and Commander” is set, Russell Crowe’s toasts to his officers still have ...
In various navies, the classic second toast of the week is “Our Men”.
Over the years this has modified to “Our Sailors”. In the dental world this is the team members that make our practices perform the way they do. This is a work force that is predominantly female. Given that from now on, 50% or ...
In 2003, Russell Crowe starred in a movie called Master and Commander which I’ve always enjoyed. He’s Jack Aubrey, the captain of a ship (HMS Surprise) during a war between the UK and France about 200 years ago. What I didn’t realise when I saw it first time was the amount of leadership lessons in it that would come back ...
It’s about 6 weeks since I took the decision to postpone seeing patients for routine orthodontic treatment at Swords Orthodontics. I did this because I felt it was the safest thing to do for my patients and my team, given that Ireland was heading into its coronavirus challenge.
We didn’t really close but it’s certainly not normal service at the practice. ...
Baking has become one of the nations biggest boredom breakers to fill the days in lockdown.
One of my favorite recipes I have done so far is Millionaire shortbread and below I will share my simple recipe.
Hope you enjoy :)
120g of crushed digestive biscuits mixed with 100g of melted butter. Pack tightly into a square bowl and leave to set in ...
I think it may be like a war or other drivers of innovation. Every day I on my news feed, I see reports of clothes manufacturers diverting their activity to making surgical scrubs but also companies, individuals, schools coming up with ideas for 3D printing devices to help make protective visors or components for ventilators or equipment.
One upon a time ...
This week I am reading Dracula by Bram Stoker.
I loved the movie by Francis Coppola (anything that involves Winona Ryder assuming the surname Murray gets my attention without delay) - and bought the book shortly afterwards, but never got around to reading it. Surprisingly (to me) for something written in 1897, it has very readable language and structure.
Obviously, it has ...
Nearly quarter of a century ago, my wanderings brought me to Portland, Oregon. I was visiting an American cousin and he recommended I visit Powell’s Bookstore, one of the world’s greatest book shops. My points of reference for great bookshops at that stage were Eason’s in O’Connell St, Hodge Figgis, Waterstone’s in Belfast and Foyle’s in London. I figured the ...
Well I’ve lost count of how many days we’ve been into this, and I don’t know if we even agree on when it started but we’re clearly in the middle of it now.
For Swords Orthodontics, the big day was March 16th, that was the day I decided that we’d stop routine orthodontic treatment until it was safe to resume. Normally, ...
Just a brief update on Swords Orthodontics and our part in the national Covid-19 response
We remain closed for routine orthodontic treatment, but we are still answering emails, and checking the voicemails through out the day. Deliveries to the practice will be accepted by the small crew remaining in the practice while the rest of the team works from home and ...
On March 16th, I took the decision to close Swords Orthodontics for routine orthodontic treatment as a public health measure in the response to the coronavirus Covid-19.
The choice was a simple one, but simple doesn't mean easy. Open or close, they were the basic options and the pros and cons of each were colossal.
Ultimately though, I felt there was a ...
Mental health awareness and tips
How do you define mental health?
Your mental health refers to you behavioural, physical and emotional health.
Why is good mental health important?
Good mental health is important because it is a crucial part of your life as it effects your emotions, the way you behave, your mind and your thoughts. It is important to have good ...
Stephen was interviewed for Dentaltown last week - this is a big deal for Stephen and Swords Orthodontics. Dentaltown is the biggest dentistry-related podcast and blogcast station in the world and they run their own newspapers for dentists and award ceremonies for the industry and the like. There haven't been many Irish dentists on the station (Richard Lee Kin from ...
This evening's Blog is mainly aimed at my colleagues. We're running Dental Photography Bootcamp again in Portmarnock and once again, we went about getting Verifiable Continuing Professional Development (vCPD) approval from the Dental Council of Ireland.
We were informed that the Dental Council is updating its processes for CPD, and although at time of writing its website still uses terms ...
Tenn-shun!!!!
Sir, yes, sir, it’s back,sir.
Blood, sweat and tears and better dental photographs.*
Irish Dentistry Awards Finalist 2020
The practice has been shortlisted for four awards at the Irish Dentistry Awards on Saturday 29th of February 2020. To be selected as a finalists is an excellent achievement.
We are finalists in the following categories:
The awards is held in ...
2019 Was a great year all around at Swords Orthodontics.
Here is a few of the highlights that have happened to us last year 2019..
Aesthetic dentistry awards.
In March we travelled to London for the aesthetic dentistry awards ceremony. It was held in the Landmark hotel which is a stunning setting as always. All of the team were very eager this year ...
How early is TOO early to prepare for Christmas? – NEVER!
Usually as soon as Halloween us over with – the Halloween decorations come down and the Christmas decorations go up! Sometimes this even comes around earlier each year. Planning ahead for Christmas is always good for saving money and creating less stress around you. Even though not everyone is in ...
One week after the event.
I’d still know something was wrong with my rib cage, but it’s much better.
Several sneezes today, but it’s great to be alive.
I can tell you that thing about pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth to stop a sneeze doesn’t work for me.
Might have a little aside here about a famous rib fracture....
I was ...
I’m still not sleeping on my side, but that’s not a huge problem. Another good night of sleep, and not too much problem getting out of bed.
I have been able to sneeze for the first time! Up to now, the process of sneezing seems to have inflated the lungs to a point where it becomes quite painful and when I ...
I can’t comfortably sleep on my side, but I have no great problems with that – I have had another good night of sleep.
I saw a short video message online today from Biff Byford, the lead singer of Saxon, one of my favourite bands. He’d had to have emergency heart surgery a few weeks ago and he’s just started posting ...
Again, I had a good night's sleep. The main discomfort is from changing posture and twisting movements.
I decided to commit to cancelling my holiday.
I found the process was more complicated than I expected, but in fairness, Aer Lingus do try to give you a variety of options before completely cancelling (as my fare was not refundable).
Also, there was job I ...
Much more painful than any of the preceding days. I might put some of this down to not taking my night time medication the previous night. I felt like a high altitude climber with low oxygen taking ages just to put my socks on. – and that was excruciating to do. By the time I was fully dressed I was ...
I woke from a good night’s sleep. It’s quite sore to stand up though. I had a shower with some apprehension but without incident. I will experiment with bathroom-appropriate footwear over the coming days, but it would appear that Darth Vader slippers don’t offer any more traction than my own skin.
Dressing with a broken rib
This was my first day where ...
I was still coming to terms with the pain and limitation of things. My initial plan was to cancel two days of patients and see if I’d be fit to work on day 3 and then challenge the sick certificate to see if I can get it shortened. As I was up and about on day 2, this seemed like ...
Needless to say, the blogs and the website aren’t meant to be an alternative to a proper orthodontic diagnosis and treatment plan and certainly they’re not meant to diagnose an orthodontic problem so definitely I’m in no position to be advising anyone about broken ribs. ...
With Halloween just over two weeks away it’s very important not to forget your oral hygiene and brace care. For children with a brace or dental appliance I’m sure all they are thinking about right now is what costume they are going to wear and how many sweets they are going to get and eat. We always tell our ...
Do you play sports?....... YES, therefore, you will want to take effective measures to protect your teeth.
With sports, especially contact sports such as rugby, hurling and boxing mouth injuries are a high risk – chipped or broken teeth are a high risk. It is so important for anyone who plays contact sport whether you wear braces or not to wear ...
There are 3 different types of Invisalign treatment, so obviously this would depend on the age of the patient, the patient types are as follows Adult, Teen and Child. Once we have chosen the patient type, we can then choose what package you are suitable for depending on the dentition and complexity of the treatment.
-Invisalign comprehensive package is 5 years ...
It’s that time of the year again- all the kids are back to school!! If you’re going back to school with braces, here are some tips and reminders to help you keep on track of taking care of your braces and improve your smile.
Eat Braces Friendly Food
When you wear braces, there are certain types of food you’ll need to avoid. ...
Ireland is a small country with some beautiful landscapes. Hiking is an excellent way of working out and enjoying the scenery along with it. Going on a hike you should;
Steve: This computer isn’t working well, can we call iPing for some IT help?
Later…
Team member: Can you work on the other computer? The guys at iPing are going to look into the slow computer.
Steve: Excellent
Later...
Team member: Stephen, did you record Masterchef on this computer?
Steve: huh?
Team member: Well, it turns out that the computer wasn’t working well because it was full ...
Instructions...
A couple of weeks ago, I got a pair of Bluetooth earphones. This is my fourth pair in about 2 months, as I’m still trying to find a balance between what stays in my ears and functions well and doesn’t break easily. I had started using them straight away, and it was only a couple of days ago I got ...
Yesterday at Swords Ortho we completed a refresher BLS ( Basic life support ) course.
BLS (Basic life support) is a level of medical care which is used for victims of life threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care at a hospital.
As we work in healthcare we are required to be certified in Basic Life support.
We ...
You can't out train a bad diet
It's a phrase I picked up on an exercise video on YouTube, but I imagine the idea has been there for a long time before the internet was with us.
A few weeks ago I bought some airport-sized Toblerone bars for the team at Swords Ortho (don't tell the dentistry police). The ladies of Swords ...
Stephen: Did you see that kid’s T-shirt?
Nurse: No
Stephen: It said “Floss like a boss”
Nurse: Oh. OK
Stephen: I think it’s great that they have T-shirts for 10 year olds with oral hygiene slogans. I think they wore that in specially because they were coming to orthodontist.
Nurse: Oh Steve. Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve. You are so not with it, aren’t you?
Stephen: ...
Yesterday, I was talking about advertising salads and today I thought I'd briefly compare that to Advertising in Dentistry, in Ireland at least.
I guess both sets of adverts are subject to the regulation by Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland, but dentists are also regulated by The Dental Council of Ireland for most aspects of what they do - even extending ...
I went to buy some salad at the weekend. One packet of spinach proclaimed "unwashed for an honest leaf".
I think that's probably the maddest slogan I've come across in a long, long time.
What's an honest leaf? What's a dishonest leaf? I imagine the most honest thing is that it's unwashed because that saves time and money for everyone involved in ...
I had some blogs about technology for the last couple of days, I think I'll stay on topic for this one.
It seemed like something I should be keen on, I've seen enough sci-fi movies, but I have no specific interest in techie things and gadgets. It took me a while and a Palm Pilot to realise this, but knowledge of ...
Yesterday, I was talking about compatibility of technology, today I thought I'd look at the change in technology in an area that is special to me....music.
I'm old enough to remember vinyl records not merely before they made a come back for hipsters, but before they went away in the first place. In fact, I remember record players that had settings 33/45/78 - ...
Yesterday I bought some blue tooth headphones.
Sony.
I normally have a caution about mega brands, because I think the price reflects the cost of making them a mega-brand, and telling everyone about them, as well as simply building a good product, but I had a series of other brands that had let me down, and I use Sony noise cancelling headphones ...
Stephen: "hi there, how are you getting on?"
Patient: "great."
S: "Any problems with your brace since last time?"
P: "No"
S: "Great. So I'll just have a look and do today's adjustment"
P: "Oh, one of my brackets came off though"
S: "Were you eating hard food at the time?"
P: "No"
S: "It just came off out of the blue?"
P: "Well, I was chewing on a piece of ...
So today, I had to have a medical assessment for an insurance policy.
It was at Meridian Healthcare in Blanchardstown - I was very impressed at the care and attention from Dr Claire Cunningham and her nursing and admin colleagues. There was a multi-lead ECG connected to me while I walked on a treadmill that got faster and faster and steeper ...
Taking care of your teeth and gums is essential to your health. Plaque, which is a sticky, colourless film of bacteria, can build up on the teeth and cause significant problems, particularly when it hardens into calculus. This can lead to issues like holes in the teeth, gingivitis, decay, gum disease and bad breath. This is why it’s so important to ...
Want healthier looking skin? Here are a few small useful tips to help you achieve a healthier, more glowing complexion:
The two crossbites we see the most here at Swords Orthodontics are Incisor crossbites and Molar crossbites.
Incisor crossbite before
Incisor crossbite after
Is it common? The rate of anterior crossbite is 4 to 5 percent according to the Contemporary Clinical Dentistry Journal (2013)
Causes: Usually developmental, but could be as a result ...
College: the next chapter
Completing your leaving certificate is a great achievement and you should be proud of yourself. The summer after your leaving certificate is always a great one for having fun now you don’t have to worry about studying and exams, but college is just around the corner and it can feel very different and daunting for some people, ...
Saving can be hard to get the hang of. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting in the swing of things and how to start saving in the first place! In this blog I will give some useful tips of how you can budget and start saving a bit of money each week;
1 – Record your expenses; the first step ...
I haven't heard it yet as at time of blogging, it's still due for broadcast but here's a link to a BBC 4 programme about the toothbrush...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0005m
How often do you change yours?
If you are wearing braces and are planning a holiday this summer (lucky you!), our team Swords Orthodontics would suggest that you be prepared. We put together a list of items that will be handy to have with ...
A colleague of mine gave me a text last week to tell me that Murray Gell-Mann had died.
He's not exactly a house hold name, but within his field (extreme theoretical physics) he was a legend. I had heard of him in passing as he appears on the periphery of the legend of Richard Feynmann, a physicist who became a bit ...
Stephen: "you're looking after your teeth really well, that is great toothbrushing!"
Patient's mum: "he used his confirmation money to buy an electric tooth brush."
Now that, my friends, is a person who is serious about oral hygiene.
The Orthodontic Dictionary
"what's that" and "what does that mean" are words we hear alot of from patients and parents in the dental clinic. Here ...
As you probably know, the crew at Swords Ortho is not just strongly committed to being good at what we do, we’re strongly committed to being better at it as we go on. So we go to various conferences and continue learning about dentistry in general and teeth in particular. This is called CPD - Continuing Professional Development.
I try to ...
The Department of Health released its new National Oral Health Policy a few weeks ago. Smileagusslainte is the hashtag they're using. There was an announcement, a public appearance from the Minister of Health, Simon Harris, some tweeting and then everyone went back to whatever they were doing beforehand. I made a few comments directed at the Department of Health and ...
The Orthodontic Society of Ireland (OSI) was invited to send a representative to an evening event hosted by the Japanese Orthodontic Society to promote the forthcoming 9th International Orthodontic Congress (IOC), which will be held from 4th to 7th of October 2020 in Yokohama, Japan. As I was president up until last November and neither our current or future president ...
This year’s meeting took place on Sunday morning, 5th of May, 2019 at JW Marriott meeting rooms in Los Angeles. As usual, it’s organised to be part of the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthodontists, who appear to do a disproportionate amount of work in the WFO – not unlike NATO. The current WFO president, Allan Thom, welcomed ...
Holidays can be at any time of the year - not necessarily just during the summer. We are all guilty of letting 'life' take over our time. Many people are juggling different day to day activities be it work, college, having a family, meeting up with friends and things can all get very busy!
There are many reasons why we need ...
Late Afternoon
I was on the flight to the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthodontists. It’s probably the biggest event in the orthodontics world. This year it’s in Los Angeles California.
There was a selection of TV shows and Movies you could watch –which is good as I like to be distracted while flying – and flicking through them I ...
I'm in the departure lounge at Dublin airport, headed out to the Annual Session of the American Association of Orthodontists. It's probably the biggest gathering of orthodontists in the world.
We'll be listening to speakers talking about their most up to date research, looking at new products made by companies from all over the world to do the best work for ...
It is not unusual for a bracket or wire to break during orthodontic treatment and its nothing to panic about.
This usually happens when you bite into something a bit too hard and the pressure causes the bracket to come away from the tooth or the wire to move/break.
So what to do if you need something fixed on your brace…
Book ...
They say a week is a long time in politics – I’m sure if you’re Theresa May or Leo Varadkar trying to sort out Brexit, it’s a very, very long time. In a way, I’m lucky that I get to work in the more mundane environment of orthodontics that the public is usually a lot happier about. But if not ...
A couple of weekends ago, I met up with some friends I used to share a house with the year after I graduated. At the time, I used to head off at the weekends and go scuba diving or walking in the mountains or cycling and my friends got up late, had BLT sandwiches and watched the Grand Prix on ...
Michelle: Now, that’s your braces all off. Does it feel different?
Patient: Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. It feels so weird. That’s so weird, that’s so weird. Oh my God.
Michelle: I’ll show you your teeth now, here’s a mirror.
Patient: Oh my God, ...
It has been a great week here at Swords Orthodontics. We won three awards at the Aesthetic Dentistry Awards 2019 in London! This took place on the Friday 22nd of March. The categories that we won in are: Interdisciplinary Team Orthodontic Surgical, Orthodontics child/teenager fixed and Best Aesthetic Practice Ireland. This is a massive win for us as we have ...
6 tips for getting back on track after a bank holiday weekend
The dreaded Tuesday after a bank holiday weekend is one we all struggle with. Getting back into the routine of our work week can be hard after that extra day of relaxation so here are some tips on how to motivate yourself.
1: Do a spring clean. Being in a ...
In September 2016 I did a part-time makeup course with Vanity X makeup academy in Swords which lasted for 12 weeks. I attended on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6.30-9.30pm, I had written exams and practical exams - my overall result was marked on these and my attendance to each class. We all had to do a portfolio and take ...
This week we had a training day with Ashley Latter provided by Invisalign. We learnt all about how to create a memorable first impression with new patients and also creating good relationships with our existing patients. Here at Swords Ortho we feel we try our best to create a calm welcoming atmosphere to all our patients.
Ashley’s first step that he ...
Parent: "My son's brace is broken again. I am not happy with this, that's the third time and the braces are only on 3 weeks. I don't think you've done a very good job here"
Swords Orthodontist: "What happened when the bracket came off?"
Patient: "Well I was eating a (insert well known brand name here) mint and it got stuck between my ...
A few weeks ago, I posted a blog about suicide in the dental profession and at lunchtime today, I heard that Keith Flint of The Prodigy had taken his own life.
I think it's safe to say that I wasn't a fan of The Prodigy, ...
People often think of making an appointment to see a specialist orthodontist after all the permanent teeth have come through (around age 12-13) but actually The American Association of Orthodontists recommend all children have an initial assessment with an orthodontist by the age of 7.
The reason is, at this age all possible treatment options are available- if we seen a ...
Recently I posted about Geoff Tate touring last year on the 30th anniversary of Operation:Mindcrime, the landmark album he made with Queensrÿche. He’s still touring and was back in Dublin, just over 12 months since starting his tour here last January. It was just after the announcement that the Orthodontic Society of Ireland (OSI) was successful in its bid ...
At the start of the week it was announced that the Orthodontic Society of Ireland was successful in its bid to host the 2025 European Orthodontic Congress (EOC) in Dublin.
The EOC is the annual meeting of the European Orthodontic ...
I am an android sort of guy.
I do own an iPod. It's apparently an iPod Classic, but when I got it, it was just called an iPod.
I love my iPod. But it isn't as good as the Creative Zen MP3 player it replaced.
But that's it for me and Apple for the time being.
I am an android sort of guy. I ...
About thirty years ago, as dental student, my friend Terry introduced me to Operation:Mindcrime by Queensrÿche. It was the great heavy rock concept album of the 80s, and as well as the record (CD as well as vinyl back then!) there was a full length film to go along with it (on VHS of course) and the guys (not dental ...
As a dental nurse here at Swords Orthodontics, I've seen alot of young children come through our doors with their parents looking for an Orthodontic opinion about their teeth. Many of which present with a narrow upper jaw (maxilla) compared to their lower jaw (mandible). There is a orthodontic interceptive method to help correct this called ...
We all go through experiences in life that make us stressed. Some of which can be the lead up to big exams, making a big life change or something as small as trying something new.
Stress can cause us to be tired, feel groggy and even miss out on sleep but what many people do not know is that it can ...
Edward Angle is pretty much universally considered to be the father of modern orthodontics. There have been a few changes in what we now believe about how teeth move best, but he’d still recognise the appliances that he developed, even in their modern form - most of the materials and equipment we use would have changed considerably though. As would ...
This is the third Lumix DMC TZ (the TZ stands for Travel Zoom, apparently) that we’ve had in the practice. Although not an obvious choice for dental photography, its predecessor was very handy when we needed to shoot video and we didn’t have an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera with video. It’s also handy for blogging ...
The first digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera I bought, and still the one Michelle or I pick up every day at Swords Ortho to take intra-oral and extra-oral photos of a new patient or someone we’ve just finished ortho treatment for.
Dozens of photos.
Every day.
Every week.
Every month.
Every year.
Since 2010.
Remarkable service. It’s outlasted the lens I bought with it.
You ...
Swords Orthodontics has a few connections to Gaelic Football - we support Fingallians and Clann Mhuire, and make plenty of mouthguards for our patients (Stephen Murray thinks that the GAA policy on mouthguard wear was one of the great national dental health measures in history). But specialist orthodontist Donnchadh O Morain is our man in the arena, out every ...
Me: So that’s how you work the Rapid Maxillary Expander appliance
Patient Dad: Fair enough. And how often do I have to do that?
Me: One turn every day, and I’ll check it again in 2 weeks
PD: But how’s that going to work?
Me: Well just turn it once a day, last thing at night is best.
PD: But he’s in boarding school.
Me: Oh.
Patient: ...
The fitness industry seems to keep growing and growing. More and more people seem to want to ‘get into shape’ – especially in January after the Christmas period. Personal trainers are all over your feeds on Facebook, Instagram and gym gear is everywhere in site! Every individual person has their own way of doing this, be it going to the ...
This week Swords Orthodontics interrupted its usual activities on Friday, with a full day of training for all the team, except Brenda (who’d been on a similar day’s course last year) who stayed back at base to look after patient enquiries and get all the work done that can’t happen when the practice is in its normal busy mode.
When I'm working, I like to eat lunch away from the practice. If I'm having lunch on a Sunday in Swords, then one of many great places to eat is Gourmet Food Parlour, where I was this weekend. It's still pretty close to Swords Orthodontics (they're on North St, we're about 200m away on Main St) and they serve brunch ...
Top 10 Tips about your Invisalign aligners
Dublin is in the grip of the 2019 David Bowie Festival. Probably Ireland’s biggest annual event coordinated around the cultural effect of one person. Lectures, books, movies, science, photography, cabaret, improvisational comedy, even a children’s art competition, and obviously music, music, music.
Most people who know me, know I am a big fan of Thin Lizzy and their leader, Philip Lynott. They were probably the first Irish rock band to make a big impact internationally, performing and recording from around 1970 to 1983. Over that time they made a dozen studio albums, ...
"I see we haven't seen you since March last year, that's 10 months since you last orthodontic appointment"
"I know, I've been busy."
"You know, you're meant to see us more often than that - if we don't see you regularly the treatment doesn't go as fast as it should."
"I ...
So for me, that means my family converging for a few days in one place. This year ...
...or at least the title of a chapter in the story.
Imagine there is one toy you needed to buy for Christmas, and the last shop you go into at 5pm on Christmas Eve has one left when you get there. What ...
On behalf of my team at Swords Orthodontics, and my colleagues, and myself, I sincerely wish a happy Christmas, and every happiness in the New Year, and many smiles ahead, to ...
Orthodontists are a funny bunch.
This year, from some colleagues I received Christmas presents of:
....actually loads of people smiled, at a reunion of The Blades.
The Blades were one of the legendary Irish bands of my childhood. They released a series of monumentally good singles in the early 80s and were widely loved by audiences around the country. They ...
Well, it's only a few more sleeps to Christmas...
But an orthodontist's work is never done, and the Swords Ortho elves are as busy as ever.
I could stick up photos of Christmas trees in the practice, but the big thing about Christmas here is the extra ...
From time to time I talk about Orthodontics waiting lists in the HSE. This was just put online at the very useful website kildarestreet.com, which reports questions and answers from Dáil Éireann. Recently the TD Charlie McConalogue asked about the orthodontic waiting list in Letterkenny Hospital in Donegal.
The current ...
This series of blog posts started with a reflection on Ryanair’s model of providing cheaper air ...
Well, last weekend I bought some groceries at a shop where they have a self-service check-out. I collect the groceries from the shelves, carry the groceries to the ...
I can't adequately explain how talented this man is. His music has sustained me through O Levels, A Levels, Dentistry and ...
Contrary to many people who phone into radio shows, I haven’t had any major problems with ...
Last week I was at a couple of Joni Mitchell tribute shows in honour of her 75th birthday. When Total Guitar magazine listed the 300 greatest ...
Last week I blogged about a U2 concert
I have seen them in stadiums like Croke Park, Wembley, Twickenham and even the RDS.
The couple of times ...
“’’Ello, miss?”
“What do you mean, miss?”
"I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint."
....and thus begins the most famous sketch in the history of TV comedy. To be ...
Last week, I went to see U2 in Belfast.
First time seeing them at my home arena, but my umpteenth U2 concert. It was decades since the 17 year-old me saw them in Croke Park, as ...
Last week, I wrote an article about a career in dentistry as a result of being asked to take part in a careers evening at Ardgillan Community College. That article was mainly a collection of reflections and thoughts from over a dozen colleagues who had spent many years in dentistry, but they were all dentists. I will write an ...
Although I’m not originally from Dublin, since I took over at Swords Orthodontics it has been important for me to be part of what’s going on locally when the opportunity arises.
I was recently asked ...
I recently started studying for my dental nursing diploma in the Dublin Dental University Hospital. I decided to do a blog about my top tips for busy college students. Many college students may also be working full time and have many more obligations that make it difficult juggling work and study. To successfully manage your college work here are some ...
It’s that time of the year again- all the kids go back to school!! If you’re going back to school with braces, here are some tips and reminders to help you keep on track of taking care of your braces and improve your smile.
Eat Braces Friendly Food
When you wear braces, there are certain types of food you’ll need ...
When you are getting Invisalign at Swords Orthodontics, we view your treatment as an investment in a new smile and better oral health. Like any investment, Invisalign takes time and care to get the best result. While you are going through your Invisalign treatment, it is important to not only keep your teeth really clean, but you should ...
We understand that for many people, the idea of visiting a dentist can be a stressful experience. But at Swords Orthodontics, our goal is to help make every visit to our office enjoyable and completely stress-free. Our friendly professional team work hard to help you feel at ease from the moment you first arrive at our office.
During this visit, we ...
If you are wearing braces and are planning a holiday this summer (lucky you!), our team Swords Orthodontics would suggest that you be prepared. We put together a list of items that will be handy to have with you at all times while you are away. They include:
Aesthetic Dentistry Awards 2018
Well it’s that time of year again, we were eagerly waiting on an email from the organisers of the Aesthetic Dentistry Awards on whether or not we would be finalists in the categories we had entered.
We sent in all our entries last December, the criteria was of high standard and our results were pretty hard to pick ...
When most people think of orthodontics, they imagine unsightly and painful metal braces. However, recent advances in dental care allow patients to straighten their teeth without metal wires and brackets. If you're looking for a discreet teeth straightening option, you should strongly consider Invisalign.
Invisalign technology uses clear plastic aligner trays to slowly move ...
Are you interested in Invisalign or Invisalign Teen for your child? Are you asking yourself ‘is it the right choice for me’?
Maybe you’ve already had a consultation with a dentist, and you’ve been told that Invisalign can straighten your front teeth, and that’s all that really matters, right?
Wrong!
Invisalign is a lot more capable than that, in the hands of a ...
Reflecting back on the year 2017 for Swords Orthodontics…
2017 has had some great highlights for all of its Swords Ortho staff. So many it’s nearly too hard to fit them all into one blog… but I decided to give it a go! Here are my top 12 highlights of 2017…
On January 28th our Therapist Michelle gave birth to the most ...
Almost 2 years to the day I finally got my braces taken off. I am here today to fill you in about my experience with braces. So if you are thinking about getting braces or just curious about them this blog should answer your questions.
As you can tell from my before picture my teeth were overcrowded so the first thing ...
Many patients are referred to an orthodontist by their family dentist because of issues with their bite. We instinctively know a good smile but what does an ideal bite really look like? The best way to describe a healthy bite it is by looking at it from three different views.
Front on
The front view is what you'll see first when ...
Orthodontic treatment has become extremely popular, with most of us experiencing treatment during our teenage years- nowadays adult orthodontics is just as popular. Everyone has a different reason for treatment, whether it be for the aesthetic view of their teeth or for functional purposes. One major part of orthodontic treatment which we, here at Swords Orthodontics strongly believe is so ...
Your Invisalign Teen aligners have been delivered and now you’re on your way to a great smile. But you’re wondering: How do I clean my Invisalign aligners?
Proper cleaning essential for keeping your Invisalign aligners invisible and odour free.
Here’s Your Smile Specialist’s list of Do’s and Dont's to keep your aligners in great condition.
Do:
My name is Bogdan Tsukanov and I'm in charge of the lab here at swords orthodontics. For those that aren't too familiar my job involves making all of the appliances (retainers, expanders, mouthguards etc) for our patients. I work behind the scenes where all the magic happens!
Day to day, it's a great job, fortunate enough to say I ...
The teenage years can be a difficult time in the life of your child. Kids are pressured to take perfect selfies, have flawless skin, and maintain model-like figures.
Many children who have noticeably crooked or unevenly spaced teeth suffer from bullying and low self-esteem.
Parents have several options:
Many ...
1
DO wear your retainers as your orthodontist directs.
The rest of what follows is what we tell our own patients. At Swords Orthodontics, for most removable retainers, I advise full time wear for the first 3 days and then ...
Most people have heard of Invisalign as a brand name for a particular kind of clear braces treatment, and if you need Invsalign in Dublin, Swords Orthodontics has been providing this kind of treatment for almost a decade now.
That said, since then, Invisalign has evolved a fair bit. For a start, the actual system is a lot more predictable and ...
Professor Lysle Johnston is the special guest speaker at the 2017 Spring Meeting of the Orthodontic Society of Ireland. He is joined by Dr Jose Chaques Asensi discussing the effective use of the Forsus Appliance and Dr Liz Moynihan discussing the aetiology, diagnosis and management of dyspraxia and how it affects dentistry. For more details go to orthodontics.ie. Specialist orthodontists ...
Is there a benefit to being part of a group, or are you better doing your own thing? We all start out dependent, and if we're lucky we evolve on from that to independence. Many would say that there is a higher state of development, interdependence.
In the orthodontic world, indeed in any profession, this is also the case. Clinicians have an ...
Well Swords Orthodontics started the year at an awards ceremony, and we ended the year at another. This time it was the IDA-Sensodyne Sensitve Dentist awards. This is voted for by patients of a particular dentist, and there are two awards - one for Ireland's most sensitive dentist and one for the most sensitive dental team.
There is an annual WFO breakfast held at the AAO, and this year Ireland was represented by me, Stephen Murray, currently the secretary of the Orthodontic Society of Ireland. This is a useful insight into what’s going on with the WFO, and - if you are of that disposition - a vital networking opportunity with the presidents and representatives of ...
A frenum is the attachment between the gum (fixed soft tissue) and some moving soft tissue part of the mouth - typically the tongue (that’s a lingual frenum) or the lip (that’s a labial frenum) or the cheek (a buccal frenum).
Sometimes this is contributing to a problem with the gums ...
Unless you are burrowed deep at home with some really good DVD box sets, it probably hasn’t escaped your attention that later this week we have a general election, with the opportunity to vote for new public representatives or return the existing ones, and so influence the make-up ...
Happy New Year to all our patients - past, present and future!
All of us at Swords Orthodontics wishes you all a year with plenty to smile about - take care and we'll see you in 2016!
Just a quick blog post - Swords Orthodontics are part of the Invisible Ortho Specialists of Ireland and we're delighted with our new website, so we're continuing our Autumn Offer to the end of November 2016 - which means that new patients ...
This is a quick blog post today about regular dentistry, not so much specialist orthodontics. I read an interesting article here, about huge numbers of people in the UK not going to the dentist. About half of adults, and 40% of children, haven't been to the dentist in a couple of years.
How many Stephen Murrays are too many? Indeed, what actually is the plural of Stephen Murray - is it Stephen Murrays, or Stephens Murray? And how did Swords Orthodontics end up sponsoring an international slam poetry team?
It sort of started when I got an email asking me to perform my poetry at a festival in Galway. I didn't have any ...
Just a brief blog today on some more movie connections that I found while at the American Association of Orthodontists meeeting AAO 2015 in San Francisco. I took a bus tour from Union Square and there was a statue dedicated to Yoda with the message "Do or do not. There is no try".
Sorry for anyone looking for orthodontics in this blog entry - there isn't much about teeth, just movies....
As a kid, I used to see the start credits of The Streets of San Francisco on TV, then it was time for bed as the show wasn't nearly as much fun as the opening titles. It was the ...
If you're going to San Francisco...
I tend to get wiped out by jet lag, so if I am travelling any distance for a conference or course, I try and get in a day or two beforehand to get on local time so that I can get the best out of the event. Since the American Association of Orthodontists 2015 meeting ...
The American Association of Orthodontists move their conference around the USA and this year it was in San Francisco. When I was a kid, there was a TV show called The Streets of San Francisco which is where I heard of it first. I remember finding it on my light up globe of the world bedside ...
Yep, destination for the hippies of the world in the summer of love back in the 1960's, San Francisco is now the convergence points for orthodontists from every corner of the globe for the biggest orthodontics conference on the planet, the American Association of Orthodontists' annual meeting, AAO 2015.
As you know, Swords Orthodontics likes ...
Here's a video from Sandra Murphy, the TV presenter, who is starting her Invisalign treatment with Smile Revolution - and if you are looking for a Smile Revolution branch providing Invisalign treatment with a specialist orthodontist in Swords, then come to us! We were one of the initial practices ...
I am just back from the 2015 Irish Dental Association's annual conference. This year it was in Cork, and the theme was Evidence Based Dentistry - hence the event title "Evidentaly" which has mildly irritated me since I saw it first, as it is neither "Evidently" or "Evidentally" - neither a real word or a clever pun - but it ...
Hi there, haven't blogged in ages for Swords Orthodontics, but we haven't been idle! Dr Stephen Murray is now on the council of the Orthodontics Society of Ireland (he's the secretary) and has been at meetings and organising conference calls for them and for the Smile Revolution, who you'll be hearing more about next month.
We're still buzzing from our win ...
...and the winner is...
We were delighted to be declared Irish Dentistry's Practice of the Year Dublin 2015 - this happened at the Mansion House Dublin on January 30th and it was one of ...
So here it is, the highlight of the Swords Orthodontics year in 2014.
Just to recap on the countdown....
This was a great development for the practice, and for the local area in general - we expanded our specialist dental services by adding an oral surgeon to our team here.
Dr Marie O'Neill qualified with ...
May is the month for the world's biggest orthodontic jamboree, and in 2014 the American Associations of Orthodontists had their annual conference in New Orleans and Swords Orthodontics was in the midst of it all in force with Dr Murray, Brenda and Michelle ...
The entire practice had a great day out at the Irish Dentistry Awards in January at the Mansion House. 2014 was the second ...
In late May, the clinical team at Swords Orthodontics (that’s Brenda, Michelle and Courtney) headed to Kilkenny’s Lyrath Estate for the Irish Dental Association’s 2014 National Conference. There were updates on all sorts of things ...
Swords Orthodontics organised an inter-practice team building event with members from 4 practices taking part. There was a bit of archery and a lot of gravity-defying as we negotiated the high wire adventure course, with challenges of balance and nerve as we zip wired and jumped into the unknown.
Also in the middle of the year, our long serving orthodontic technician Brian left to set up his own business so the hunt was on to find a suitable person to run our on-site ortho laboratory. The great advantage for our patients is that with an on-site lab is that we can ...
In the middle of the year, Swords Orthodontics was delighted and honoured to be part of Ireland’s first ever training programme for orthodontic therapists. This is intended to prepare team members to actually carry out ...
Dr Stephen Murray handed out some prizes as our local GAA club hosts a one day tournament. Swords Orthodontics sponsors the Fingallians Under 10s team who were taking part in this particular event.
Well the new year is well under way, but in the grand tradition of all those TV shows you get around Christmas and January, I felt we could hardly begin the year’s blogging without winding up the year that has passed.
Fortunately we don’t have a video ...
We’re looking for a dental nurse to join an established and expanding team that provides high quality specialist care. We strive to make a difference to the way our patients feel about themselves, we are looking for a committed candidate to add to our dedicated team.
Our practice ...
Regular readers of my blog will know I occasionally give updates on HSE Orthodontics waiting lists. These figures are in the public domain, but not easily found unless you look for them, so that’s why I share them from time to time with a wider audience. I have recently found out ...
A brief blog post here...
Swords Orthodontics got their Invisalign promotional month off to a great start with Dr Stephen Murray attending a special day of lectures and demonstrations from Dr Donna Galante, a very popular and widely respected Invisalign expert from California. There was a group of specialist orthodontists from all over the country at this and it ...
Fashion and beauty blogger Deborah from Love By Debs is starting her Invisalign treatment at Swords Orthodontics and is going to keep us updated with her progress and her experience of the Invisalign appliances.
Although she's renowned for being glamorous, there's a few small details about her teeth that do annoy her, ...
Indeed, there is a special offer on Invisalign treatment running through October 2014 - call Swords Orthodontics today at the number at the top of the page to find out more.
Do you like to enjoy your work?
North Dublin County
We’re looking for a dental nurse to join an established and expanding team that provides high quality specialist care. Every day, we make a difference to the way our patients feel about themselves, they really appreciate us for doing it, and you can be part of this.
Our practice team is professional, ...
Do you like to enjoy your work?
North Dublin County
We’re looking for a receptionist to join an established and expanding team that provides high quality specialist orthodontic care. Every day, we make a difference to the way our patients feel about themselves, they really appreciate us for doing it, and you can be part of this.
Our practice team is professional, ...
Winter is coming. Arm yourself, arm yourself with knowledge. I came up with this coat of arms and motto in the style of a well known TV series to sum up the Swords Ortho approach - wisdom and smiles.
A while back, I was delighted to work with MC Rapperman who did this excellent Orthodontic Rap and video for us. Hope you enjoy it. If you - or anyone you know - has an orthodontic poem or song, or rap, get in touch! Meantime, enjoy this work of art, he's on super ...
I have written several blogs on topics related to children's orthodontics in Ireland, because it is a regular source of interest to my blog readers. Orthodontic treatment for children in Ireland is also a frequent topic in the newspapers because it has strong political significance. Children's orthodontics is important, it's not something that's done casually. It's not just a significant ...
Here's a video of our patient Faye Rooney at Swords Orthodontics, discussing her orthodontic problems from her own point of view, and why she wanted treatment with clear braces or Invisalign, and her experiences so far as her ortho treatment begins with us. Since she works as a model, conventional metal braces or coloured braces wouldn't be a practical option.
As we approach Ireland’s National Mouth Cancer Awareness Day on Wednesday, September 17th, I’m going to outline what the disease involves and some of the problems that can arise from mouth cancer. You can find more information on this in my previous blogs, but this is a summary of the important stuff.
Swords Orthodontics is in the middle of a busy street where ...
Faye is a model, and although she enjoys a successful career which involves being beautiful for a living she's not happy with ...
This weekend, I am at an orthodontics conference in The Netherlands, where the main speaker is Gerry Samson, a very popular educator from the USA giving his first ever conference in The Netherlands and a relatively rare appearance in Europe. Samson is organiser of the Gnathos group (gnathos means "jaw" in Greek), and much respected due to his enthusiasm for ...
Swords Orthodontics arranged a team building event in June 2014, which was attended by dentists and teams from 4 local practices. Here's a video of the some of the day's highlights.
Normally we work on helping patients smile, but it was a bit of a change to make dentists, dental hygienists and dental nurses ...
As well as being home to the American Association of Orthodontists' 2014 meeting, New Orleans had plenty going on in May. So, while Swords Orthodontics headed into learn about new braces and orthodontic treatment, the big event that everyone else was there for was the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Although New Orleans is famously associated with Jazz (your plane lands ...
Just a brief blog today - I read in Irish Independent this week that there is an increase in the rate of tooth decay in children since the cutbacks to the HSE and dentistry began a few years ago. Previously, there were routine dental examinations in second, fourth and sixth class, and now it's often only in sixth class.
This can ...
Just a brief blog today - I read in Irish Independent this week that there is an increase in the rate of tooth decay in children since the cutbacks to the HSE and dentistry began a few years ago. Previously, there were routine dental examinations in second, fourth and sixth class, and now it's often only in sixth class.
This can ...
"I wanna be elected" was a song by Alice Cooper, who's one of the few rockers of his time that I enjoy listening to but never actually have seen in concert. When I was studying orthodontics in the UK, he came to my town, but was sold out before I could get a ticket. I have a cousin in Arizona ...
Yes it's true.
Invisalign is a great new way to give patients a better smile. It uses a removable plastic sleeve around the teeth that's practically transparent so most people don't notice you're wearing it. And since it's removable, you can take it out for special occasions as well as everyday things like eating ...
Well here we all are for AAO 2014, the American Association of Orthodontists Annual Session. This year it's in New Orleans, Louisiana and it's 9 years after hurricane Katrina and the city is very keen to show it's back in business.
So once the American Association of Orthodontists' conference (AAO 2014) got underway in New Orleans, we were presented with a great opportunity - to meet the area's top Invisalign operator, Dr Gotsegen. The Swords Ortho team and another Irish orthodontist (who's also a member of the Smile Revolution specialist group) met up with the local Invisalign team who were also at ...
New Orleans is the main city in the state of Louisiana, and surrounded by water – Lake Ponchtrain to one side and the Mississippi river to the other, and much of it is barely above sea level (hence the flooding when Hurricane Katrina struck). Once you get out of the city centre, there’s this expanse of very low lying land ...
When you fly into New Orleans, you arrive at Louis Armstrong International Airport. Strangely enough, there’s a Louis Armstrong Stadium in the Queen’s district of New York because that’s where he actually lived for much of his life, but the association of New Orleans, Louis Armstrong and Jazz is clearly too good to pass up, so Louis Armstrong Airport it ...
So it’s time for the biggest orthodontics conference on earth – the American Association of Orthodontists annual meeting, AAO 2014. This year it’s in New Orleans and since I can’t get a direct flight there, I am headed via New York and there was a great view out of the ...
Orthodontists seem to enjoy getting to the top of high buildings. After my Invisalign conference in London where we ended up at the top of a tower looking down at the Houses of Parliament and the Tate Gallery, I was surprised to find that a couple of weeks later a different group of Irish Orthodontists were up at the top ...
Hi there - I was in London for an Invisalign conference that was at the top of building by the River Thames - there were some interesting views that I thought I'd share here.
Stephen Murray,
Swords Orthodontics
As part of a commitment to continuing professional development, Dr Stephen Murray was in London recently for a couple of courses.
As part of a commitment to continuing professional development, Dr Stephen Murray was in London recently for a couple of courses.
Rounding up my thoughts from my course in Brussels, I have a few extra photos of a strangely influential city.
Here's the Belgian Grand Palace, where 100 years ago this summer, King Albert made the decision not to allow the German Kaiser ...
Well, this are my thoughts on the final 5 of Gary Brown's 25 Characteristics of a Successful Dental Practice, which was part of the keynote address he presented to the Irish Dental Association's practice management seminar last month. Once again, I reckon these are ones that would wait until you've sorted ...
Working in a busy orthodontics practice, I find that there are plenty of people who would like a great smile and like their teeth to be straight, but many of them don't want to wear braces -particularly grown-ups with jobs that involve dealing with people. The ...
Here are some more ideas and observations from the Irish Dental Association's 2014 practice management seminar and particularly Gary Brown's keynote address on building relationships with your patient base.
People always listen to their friends first – regardless of what they read on Google or in the yellow pages – so handing ...
You might have heard about Invisalign on TV or Radio - they even sponsored a comedy channel at one stage. This is a new approach to straightening teeth to give you a ...
You might have heard that the GAA have made it compulsory to wear mouth protection when playing Gaelic sports, and I think that in the future people will look back at this as one of the great landmarks in advancing Dental Health - and it wasn't done by a ...
More thoughts arising after Gary Brown's keynote presentation to the Irish Dental Association early in 2014. His talk was on maintaining your base of patients and building loyalty.
By telling your patients what to look out for in terms of dental health and disease ...
So following the 2014 Irish Dental Association's management seminar, I thought I'd summarise some more thoughts from Gary Brown's excellent keynote address on engaging with patients, offering them value and building loyalty.
“In a world of chaos, most people crave order.” - Michael E. Gerber, ...
The Irish Dental Association runs an annual conference focusing on dental practice management, and the 2014 event was based on the theme of improving attendence of patients at dental practices - a particular concern for dentists in the new economy.
One of the 2014 keynote speakers was Gary Brown - the executive chairman ...
The Irish Dentistry Awards have been running for a few years now, and Swords Orthodontics enjoyed our trip there last year so much (we were finalists in Ireland's Best Specialist Practice category), we're back again this year.
If there's one thing I hate to see or hear about in the course of my work as an orthodontist, it's bullying. Just last month there was an article in the American Journal of Orthodontics about bullying and teeth. Thankfully it's not too often I came across it among ...
Best wishes to all our patient and their friends and families.
From Dundalk and Drogheda down the coast to Skerries and Balbriggan to Malahide and Portmarnock and beyond, I hope you all have plenty to smile about in 2014!
Hard to imagine ...
Well, yesterday was the last day of scheduled appointments for 2013 at Swords Orthodontics - we removed braces and completed treatment for as many patients that day as we'd normally do in one week! So finally, as we tidied up the practice we hardly had time to look back on a busy month at the end of a busy year ...
Happy Christmas from Swords Orthodontics!
Swords Ortho loves Christmas - it's actually a very busy time for us because everyone that's almost finished their treatment wants their braces off BEFORE Christmas. So in December we finish as many patients in a week as we do in a month during the rest of the year - you can imagine how tired our ...
I have got a few questions in to my other blog about Twin Blocks, so I'll answer them here. The most common ones are about speaking with twin blocks and twin blocks making the lower jaw seem prominent. This article is about the lower jaw and chin.
Typical questions are along the lines of:
December is incontrovertibly here, Movember is complete, and the Mo has outstayed its welcome. Which was limited at the best of times in some quarters. One of my orthodontic patients this morning said to me "next thing you know, you'll be buying ...
Back from the BSSO in Haarlem, and I'll have a full report later. But for now, here's the last full Mo photo, I'll be dismantling it, De-Mo-bilising it if you will, over the next few days.
Well, it has finally come to an end. Well, almost. I am in Haarlem, a quiet town near Amsterdam in The Netherlands for the Biennial Symposium on Surgical Orthodontics, and really haven't time for moustache removal (these things can't be conducted lightly). So it's staying for another 48 hours, which means ...
Well, I might extend it a little as I am away at the biennial Netherlands meeting on surgical orthodontics - the BSSO. This is an area of orthodontics that connects with oral and facial surgery to treat some of the more extreme problems with teeth and jaws, usually in ...
Got a Movember update from earlier in the week, and some patriotic facial hair from the US of A for you in our series of inspiring Mo Bros.
I might have to extend it by another day just to get more entertainment from this mo'. Well, we have a new Mo-Bro for you today, an absolute legend from my childhood. A major inspiration to me as a small child, and it was fortunate for all concerning ...
There'll be an update on my own 'tache soon, but meantime for some inspiration from a legendary Mo-Bro how about this:
I sometimes write about Orthodontics waiting lists in Ireland. Just to recap, the Health Service Executive (HSE) offers treatment without charge to patients who meet both these conditions:
Should I keep the moustache running after Movember comes to an end? Maybe not, but there's only a week to go - less, just 6 days.
Well, we have a short entry today- I have been at an excellent orthodontics conference arranged by 3M orthodontics company, and after that we've all been busy watching Dr Who's 50th anniversary so I figure we'd have a coulple of Dr Who related mo-tastic icons of facial hair.
Nnah nah nah nnn nah Nineteen!
I had been promising some moustaches to keep my female readers happy, so here's another one. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow, the madder the Mo the better.
Well I don't have a Movember photo of my own progress, but as promised, another Mo-bro that women go mad for - I never understood it, but given that even Winona Ryder was impressed with him at one stage, I really should look into it. Anyway, here's Johnny Depp. A friend of mine from my worked as a ...
So yesterday marked the mid-point in my Movember challenge and we have a new update photo and an absolute legend of facial hair in our inspiration Mo-bro gallery. Meanwhile in the real world of orthodontics, a patient on Friday finished their treatment with me and I took their braces off their teeth and they were delighted with the result and ...
Some Mo -progress from today, and a surprise late entry from another part of the Swords Orthodontics team - one of our storage heaters has joined in and practically overnight acquired a magnificent moustache the envy of any Belgian detective!
A dozen days into Movember
Sorry I didn't have a Mo-post yesterday, but to make up for it, we have a new photo of my evolving Mo and two icons of facial hair from the 70s, probably the greatest decade for that commodity that the western world has known in a century!
Whilst at the Excellence in Orthodontics conference yesterday an interesting comment was made by the speakers, Nigel Harradine and David Birnie. People in this country, and the western world generally are living longer than ever before*, and there are dental concerns connected to this.
People need to hang on to the teeth for longer. Yes, it's possible to get ...
Movember continues, but my conference finished this afternoon. Our speakers were Nigel Harradine and David Birnie who were presenting their long running series of lectures called "Excellence in Orthodontics". I first saw them in 1999, and it's amazing how much orthodontics has changed since then. Some of the stuff that we'd be used to now was just experimental then, ...
Well, it's the end of the first week of Movember. I am still at my conference (Excellence in Orthodontics with David Birnie and Nigel Harradine) and it's interesting to see how many of my orthodontic pals are entering into the spirit of Movember (not many). There'll be new mo-pics on Monday, but in the meantime, here's today's facial hair hero.
Wow, Movember is zipping along - almost a week into it now.
I don't have a photo of today's progress, as I am not at base in Swords Orthodontics, but have headed to Limerick for the Orthodontic Society of Ireland (OSI) autumn conference and AGM.
This is the biggest event on the Irish Orthodontic calendar- usually - and this year sees the ...
check with Fingal Council or the AA for the most up to date stuff, but here's the story from the Frontline.
Extreme roadworks are underway in the centre of Swords, Co Dublin. Apparently due to a burst watermain or something well underground anyway.
There ...
Movember Day Six
well, things are motoring along, but we have a different Face Hair Hero to keep me on track.
Day five, and things are starting to take shape.
Time for a little definition of the moustache perimeter, and a new Mo hero for the gallery.
Well here's the evidence of Movember 2nd, and another motivational Mo from my childhood.
The follices are clearly starting to accelerate.
I am going to keep a daily record of the progress, mogress if you will, of my Movember challenge. A bit like orthodontics, you don't see the results instantly, you have to work at it methodically over a prolonged time and put a bit of effort in to get the best results.
Yes folks, Swords Orthodontics is participating in Movember, the month-long initiative to improve the general awareness of men's health issues like prostate cancer and heart disease (I know that's not exclusive to men, but it's a problem that might be under-estimated generally).
The plan is that we stop shaving (selectively if desired) and start some facial hair architecture over the month ...
After last week where Swords Orthodontics had the unholy trinity of orthodontic retainer complaints (lost/broken/eaten by dog), this week we had a patient in who told me their retainers didn't fit after their mum tried to freshen up the retainers by soaking them in boiling water. Fortunately they realised as soon as there was a problem and got back in ...
2013 was a great year for GAA - not just one exciting All-Ireland final, but three! But to get to the final of anything, a lot of hard work has to be done beforehand, and the earlier it starts the better the chances of ...
Swords Orthodontics had a patient in from Balbriggan the other day and he had broken several of the attachments of his fixed braces (the brackets). This turned out to be because he was eating the wrong kind of food and he was eating it the wrong way for good brace ...
Well, we were delighted at the response for our free mouth cancer screening here at Swords Orthodontics. Like hundreds of dentists around the country, as part of the National Mouth Cancer Awareness Day, we offered free examinations specifically to look out for this disease and we had even more people attending ...
Aaaargh! Well shiver me timbers, yesterday was the day we could say "today be International Talk Like A Pirate Day, aar". Sadly, we didn't get to observe it fully at Swords Orthodontics, apart from a bit of pirate talk from me.
Yo, ho, ho? Well, no. This was quickly discouraged by everyone else, so I knew I'd be back to ...
As Irish National Mouth Cancer Awareness Day approaches, I am finishing my series of articles on Mouth Cancer with a discussion on risk factors for the disease and some things you can do to reduce your chances of having mouth cancer or reduce its effects if you.
In the first article, I ...
Here at Swords Orthodontics, we take infection control seriously. You'll see handwashing posters up, separate bins for clinical and non clinical waste, and patients wear protective glasses during treatment.
Not much to do with teeth with this blog post, but I thought I'd share a couple of photos from a big event that was on in Swords a couple of weeks ago - "Salute", the Irish Association of Military Enthusiasts' big display of military vehicles and equipment that has been collected and restored by people from all over the ...
Well, this was sort of the question I was asked by one of my orthodontic patients from Balbriggan two weeks ago, and it's a great opportunity for a short article to explain a common reason that you might still ...
Twin Blocks are probably the most widely used functional orthodontic appliance in the world, if not the most popular (which they probably are). A functional appliance is one that modifies the way that the mouth works (functions), and uses the muscles around the mouth to achieve a particular orthodontic effect.
Orthodontists like twin blocks because they can ...
Mouth Cancer: How serious is the problem?
AS we approach Ireland’s National Mouth Cancer Awareness Day, we’re blogging with a series of articles about mouth cancer. In this one, I’m going to outline what the disease involves and some of the problems that can arise from mouth cancer.
What is mouth cancer?
Cancer is a general term for diseases where some of the ...
Some pretty fundamental advice about retainers - wear them!
Here at Swords Orthodontics this week, I had several patients in who hadn't worn retainers after treatment and they were very disappointed about the changes in their teeth since treatment. Some seemed surprised, and even more surprised when I told them they'd need to have orthodontic treatment ...
Every patient at Swords Orthodontics gets advice on how to look after the different kinds of braces that they have to help their teeth. But we have a video here with one of the fundamental rules of fixed braces!
Orthodontic braces are fixed to the teeth with special dental glue. It's been around since the 1970s ...
So here's the Swords Orthodontics Logo 2013:
Swords Orthodontics is one of many dental practices all over Ireland that is offering FREE oral cancer screening on Wednesday September 18th 2013, which is national Mouth Cancer Awareness Day, and this is the first of a few articles about this disease.
Although it's not a widely discussed illness, the mouth is a relatively common area for cancer to occur. If ...
A dozen photographs. In a standard position (more or less). Hair tied back (more or less). Who's beautiful? What's beautiful about them? What is beauty?
Orthodontists are interested in a combination of things, improving the appearance and function and health of the teeth, and doing this in the most stable way. It's not just about the teeth - you have to take the entire face into account when you are planning the treatment, because you don't want to treat the teeth in isolation. ...
I had an email in a while back asking about HSE waiting lists ...
I see that everyone's favourite one-eyed, green furry monster, Mike Wazowski is wearing orthodontic braces in the new Monsters University movie! Two things to note here:
Just a short blog today. I had a patient in yesterday evening (Swords Orthodontics opens late night on Mondays) from Donabate who arrived about an hour early for their appointment, but as luck would have it, all the patients ahead of her turned up on time and I wasn't able to call her in any earlier than her scheduled appointment.
I acknowledged ...
Do you know any TV shows or movies that feature dentists or orthodontists?
Do you know any movies where they talk about teeth or dentistry or braces?
Tell us which ones you remember and whether you’d like to go to a dentist like that!
Who do you think is the most famous dentist in ...
At Swords Orthodontics, lots of patients come in and tell us they aren’t happy with their overbite. This still surprises me – I had never heard the word “overbite” until I had been in Dental School for nearly two years.
I can still remember the first time I heard the word used by someone that wasn’t a dentist – it was ...
The Single Use Only Symbol for medical and dental materials - including most braces
From Skerries to Swords and Donabate to Drogheda, and everywhere in North County Dublin in between, as an orthodontist that looks after the smiles of hundreds of teenage girls, even I (unrepentant ...
At Swords Orthodontics, this is a question we get asked a lot, but after an enquiry from a Balgriggan orthodontic patient, I figured I'd put a blog post up about common reasons why you might have ...
I had a Donabate patient at Swords Orthodontics the other day who asked me about the best way to get used to speaking while wearing twin blocks. I figured I'd do a blog post on it, because that's a great question.
It's a great question, because it’s right at the centre of twin block treatment. When we make twin blocks for a patient, ...
Most days at Swords Orthodontics, I find myself helping my patients by using “twin blocks”, probably the world’s most famous functional brace – that’s a brace that uses the muscles of the jaw to provide the force to move the teeth, and alter the way the muscles exert an influence over the teeth, and maybe even influence the growth of ...
The brand new retainer on the right can be turned into the chewed up retainer on the left in about 2 seconds flat
- just add friendly dog.
Last week at Swords Orthodontics we had a patient in from Rush who had lost a retainer due to ...
Hi everyone
Swords Orthodontics has embarked on another entry into the world of social media - we have now set up a location on foursquare.com
If you're set up for foursquare, you can check us out on:
https://foursquare.com/v/swords-orthodontics/51e2d28e5019a7fabf16b492
If you're a patient and have a foursquare account, be sure to check in with the site and leave a tip or two for any ...
Hi folks
just a quick blog today, to let you know that you can follow things from Swords Orthodontics on our new pinterest page
http://pinterest.com/swordsortho/
there'll be updates and info from the all the gang here, and maybe the odd special offer, so go ahead and follow us there.
Stephen Murray
Welcome to the Swords Orthodontics Blog!
Stephen Murray here, and this is the first blog you'll be seeing from me on the Swords Orthodontics website. You might have seen my previous orthodontics blogging on the Friendly Orthodontist site, but if not you can expect to read articles ...