Alongside Vermilion – The Smile Experts, please welcome Vermilion Orthodontics
As they celebrate their 10th anniversary, the team at Vermilion – The Smile Experts are launching a new venture … Vermilion Orthodontics
Behind Dr David Offord, through the window, I can see green fields and rolling hills. “It’s very relaxing coming here,” he says of his practice in Kelso which opened in 2018. “It’s a different pace. I love my days in Kelso, and the patients are really interesting.”
It’s the second time within a matter of weeks that we have spoken via video; the first was to discuss the 10th anniversary of his founding Edinburgh and Kelso-based Vermilion – The Smile Experts. But, also on the call this time, from Vermilion’s practice in Edinburgh, is Dr Aman Ulhaq. They have news to share; the launch of Vermilion Orthodontics, a specialist dental clinic offering orthodontic and paediatric dentistry services in Corstorphine, and orthodontic treatment in Kelso’s Pinnaclehill Estate.
What is the thinking behind its establishment? “To provide a high quality orthodontic and paediatric dentistry service with short waiting times for consultation and treatment,” said Aman. “We want to work closely with our referring practitioners and the team at Vermilion – The Smile Experts, to provide tailored treatment plans for patients. In addition, we will look to assist our referring practitioners by giving advice for orthodontic treatment planning and mentoring for cases they may wish to treat within their own clinics.”
The service will cover the full range of treatments offered from interceptive treatment for young children to comprehensive adolescent and adult orthodontics
Dr Aman Ulhaq
Aman graduated from University College Cork, Ireland in 2004 with BDS Honours. He gained an MSc in Orthodontics at King’s College London and Membership in Orthodontics (The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh) in 2014. His post-CCST Orthodontic Training, at the Edinburgh Dental Institute, was completed in 2016. Aside from his work in private practice, Aman is also a Consultant/Honorary Senior Lecturer in orthodontics, and the Lead Clinician for orthodontics in the Edinburgh Dental Institute, providing complex multi-disciplinary orthodontic treatment.
Actively involved in teaching upcoming orthodontists at various levels including University of Edinburgh postgraduate orthodontic trainees, orthodontic therapists, and dental core trainees, he also examines for the RCSEd for the MFDS, Diploma in Orthodontic Therapy, and Membership in Orthodontics exams. He has published numerous papers in peer-reviewed dental journals and lectured both in the UK and overseas.
Aman is joined at Vermilion Orthodontics by his colleague of seven years, Dr Graeme Wright, a Consultant/Specialist in Paediatric Dentistry. Graeme is Lead Clinician for Paediatric Dentistry in the Edinburgh Dental Institute and The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Edinburgh. He has a specialist interest in the dental management of medically compromised children, cleft lip and palate, dental anxiety, and paediatric dental trauma.
Vermilion Orthodontics is based within the current Vermilion practices at 24 St John’s Road, Corstorphine and Kelso’s Pinnaclehill Estate. “Vermilion Orthodontics welcomes all groups of patients who wish to receive orthodontic treatment, including both children and adults,” said David. “The team can look to provide children with a model that can work around their busy school schedules and offer the full range of appliances. In addition, there will be the paediatric dentistry service in Edinburgh for parents seeking specialist level treatment for their children.”
Aman added: “The orthodontic service will cover the full range of treatments offered from interceptive treatment for young children to comprehensive adolescent and adult orthodontics. Being closely linked with clinicians from Vermilion – The Smile Experts and our very skilled referring practitioners, we are able to provide complex multi-disciplinary treatment (MDT) with close communication between clinicians.
For MDT cases, we are in an excellent position to provide treatments which require restorative dentistry, for example hypodontia, or surgical input such as implants. Our focus is on aesthetic appliances for both children and adults, with an emphasis on treating complex cases with clear aligners and ceramic labial brackets.”
The paediatric service, offered at Edinburgh’s St John’s Road clinic, will provide the option of anxiety management with conscious sedation, which is not readily available outside of the PDS or hospital dentistry. This will give parents and referrers access to sedation services without long waits to undergo treatment. In addition, the team will be able to give advice/manage cases with dental trauma or those that require surgical removal or exposure of impacted teeth.
“We provide an efficient and high-quality service,” said David. “We are in a position to see patients promptly on receipt of referral. We aim to formulate treatment plans to be executed with our referring practitioners or ‘in-house’. Our aim is to work with our fellow colleagues and establish a mutual network which can benefit both the patients and the wider dental community. Referrers can be confident that their patients will be looked after and will receive the highest quality of care.”
Patients have the option of virtual consultations through the Practice’s SmileMate app or a video consultation. With the SmileMate app, the practice can provide a screening report based on the submitted patient photos. “We also love getting to know our patients and are delighted to see them face-to-face in a safe and comfortable clinical environment,” said Aman. “We aim to communicate treatment plans effectively with patients and referrers, and we have our own Treatment Co-ordinator on hand to answer questions at all stages. We tailor the treatment to the specific needs of our patients, taking into account family, social, and work or education commitments.
“New digital technology allows us to provide digitally generated treatment objectives to help patients make the best choice for themselves. Once patients are in treatment, we have accurate remote monitoring apps (Dental Monitoring) which they can use with their smartphones, enabling us to schedule efficient recall appointments that are timed to reduce the amount of face-to-face appointments.”
Looking ahead, there are plans to expand Vermilion Orthodontics into its own dedicated premises, with an in-house digital laboratory to support the growing demand for clear orthodontic aligners – all with the aim of growing the provision of specialist orthodontic and paediatric dentistry services to the people of East Central Scotland and Northumberland.
For further information and to get in touch with Vermilion Orthodontics, please call 0131 334 1802
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