6 JUNE 2023

It’s National Smile Month! So what better time to sign up to The Dental Hygienist Roadshow by Johnson & Johnson Ltd.? There are only a few dates left in the calendar so here we find out what to expect from the remaining events.

Professor Iain Chapple, Benjamin Tighe and Laura Bailey have been touring the UK, bringing The Dental Hygienist Roadshow to dental events throughout the year.

Between them, they have covered the current impact periodontitis is having on the UK population, why managing gingivitis using plaque control measures is key to successful preventive care, and the role the dental hygienist and dental therapist can play in instigating behaviour change.

‘The reception we’ve had from the roadshow so far is that we’ve reinvigorated the passion for patient health, systemic health for behaviour change,’ Laura Bailey said.

‘We’re starting to get excited about oral hygiene again and how we motivate our patients, which is just really important.’

If you’ve missed the events so far, don’t worry, there are a couple more dates left in the diary, including:

• 1 July – Bristol South West Dentistry Show
• 7 October – London Dentistry Show

WTF: what is the future?

During the roadshow, the three lecturers take delegates through the very latest in periodontal research.

Professor Iain Chapple looks at the role of personalising dental medicine and the size of the challenge the dental profession faces.

Benjamin Tighe then discusses the role of chemotherapeutics in biofilm prevention, reviewing the latest mouthrinse evidence. He also explains how important it is for dental hygienists and dental therapists to critique research and how to implement these findings into everyday practice.

Finally, Laura Bailey explains how to inspire change in each patient’s behaviour. She unpicks the human brain and introduces the four personality types and how to adapt your approach to each one.

‘When I think about myself at the Hygienist Advisory Panel, I was adamant my mind wasn’t going to be changed on mouthwash,’ Benjamin Tighe said.

‘Professor Chapple was fundamental in shifting in my own thinking. He presented the evidence in a way I could understand.

‘It was open, free, I could ask questions. It helped me understand it a lot better. If you understand it, you’re more likely to recommend it.

‘That’s what this roadshow is all about, it’s an open forum. It’s there not just to get ideas from the lecturers but also from the delegates.

‘We want to know what you think. If there’s anything we can do to facilitate change in practice, then that’s what we’re here for.’

Register for the Q&A Forum

But the event doesn’t stop with the lectures. There is also the chance to discuss current challenges in practice in a more private setting with the speakers.

Johnson & Johnson Ltd., the maker of LISTERINE®, is hosting a Q&A Forum with up to 10 delegates at each event.

‘Quite often, people are a little shy coming up, particularly in an open environment, and asking questions. They wait until the end of the presentations,’ Professor Iain Chapple explains.

‘We’ve had some great conversations and great questions, not just from dental hygienists and dental therapists but dentists and dental nurses as well.

‘What this lunch has offered is a really relaxed and informal environment for people just to exchange views, talk about challenges. Question and challenge what we’ve been saying, which is really important.

‘That’s really enriched the main presentation.

‘For me, what’s really important from these roundtable discussions is I learn as much as the delegates do. They’re giving information on how they do things in practice.

‘It’s certainly a two-way learning process.’

To register your interest in attending the breakout Q&A Forum with the speakers, simply visit www.listerineprofessional.co.uk/roadshow2023.

For more information about The Dental Hygienist Roadshow, as well as an opportunity to sign up for an exclusive Q&A Forum following the roadshow lectures to discuss with the speakers the latest research and recommendations in a private session, simply visit www.listerineprofessional.co.uk/roadshow2023.

About the speakers

Professor Iain Chapple is Director of Research for the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, The University of Birmingham, UK.

Benjamin Tighe is a tutor dental therapist at the prestigious Eastman Dental Hospital alongside working in private practice.

Laura Bailey is an award-winning dental therapist, passionate about the relationships she has with her patients.