Dentists throughout the UK now have the opportunity to reach new standards of excellence in patient care with the launch of a new programme called Denplan Excel. The Dentists at Forest Lodge Dental Practice are one of the first to be accredited under this ground breaking dental accreditation programm from Denplan.

The Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme has been designed to help independent dentists, such as us, to develop better relationships with their patients through good communication.

The Denplan Excel Programme comes as a result of studies, which showed that patients who formed good relationships with their dentists were less anxious about check-ups than those without effective communication with their dentist. Patients who participated in the pilots praised the positive approach - those who experienced good relationships with their dentists, based on communication and trust, said that they felt more motivated to take preventive measures to improve their oral health.

The Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme is the first to be approved by the Patients Associations and there are already Accredited dentists across the UK.

The Denplan Excel Accreditation programme is designed to help patients understand:

• How their oral health changes over time.
• How to manage their oral health in partnership with their dentist.
• The reasons for any treatment required.
• A full explanation of any treatment required, including any alternatives.
• The benefits to their oral health to be gained by following their dentist's recommendations.

Denplan's Chief Dental Officer, Dr Roger Matthews, has said that dentists who had been accredited were helping lead the profession into the era of greater customer focus.

He explained "Technically, dentistry has come on leaps and bounds over the past 20 years, but, not all dentists have been as forward-looking in the way they care for their patients. The Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme will help dentists and patients to work more closely together through better understanding - thus leading patients to take a more active approach to managing their oral health, with the emphasis on prevention and maintenance or oral well-being"