New tooth tech will fill the gap for longer

A dental expert has come up with an idea to extend the life of a tooth filling.

The researcher at the US Medical College of Georgia is hoping that a new nanotechnology technique will extend the fillings’ longevity.

Dr Franklin Tay, associate professor of endodontics in the MCG School of Dentistry, explains: ‘Dentin adhesives bond well initially, but then the hybrid layer between the adhesive and the dentin begins to break down in as little as one year. When that happens, the restoration will eventually fail and come off the tooth.’

 

Half of all tooth-coloured composite resin restorations fail within 10 years, and about 60% of all operative dentistry involves replacing them, according to research in the Journal of the American Dental Association.

 

Dr Tay aims to prevent the ageing and degradation of resin-dentin bonding by feeding minerals back into the collagen network.

 

With a two-year, $252,497 grant from the National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research, he will investigate guided tissue remineralisation, a new nanotechnology process of growing extremely small, mineral-rich crystals and guiding them into the demineralised gaps between collagen fibres.

 

His idea came from examining how crystals form in nature.

 

He says: ‘Eggshells and abalone [sea snail] shells are very strong and intriguing. We’re trying to mimic nature, and we’re learning a lot from observing how small animals make their shells.’

 

The crystals, called hydroxyapatite, bond when proteins and minerals interact. Dr Tay will use calcium phosphate, the primary component of dentin, enamel and bone, and two protein analogs also found in dentin so he can mimic nature while controlling the size of each crystal.

 

Dr Tay says: ‘When crystals are formed, they don’t have a definite shape, so they are easily guided into the nooks and crannies of the collagen matrix.’

 

In theory, the crystals should lock the minerals into the hybrid layer and prevent it from degrading. If Dr Tay’s concept of guided tissue remineralisation works, he will create a delivery system to apply the crystals to the hybrid layer after the acid-etching process.

 

‘Instead of dentists replacing the teeth with failed bonds, we’re hoping that using these crystals during the bond-making process will provide the strength to save the bonds,’ Dr. Tay says.

 

Our end goal is that this material will repair a cavity on its own so that dentists don’t have to fill the tooth.’

^1247616000^2082^New tooth tech will fill the gap fo…^A dental expert has come up with an idea to extend the life of a tooth filling.The researcher at the US Medical College of Georgia is hoping…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/tay.png
Dental practices to fine patients for missed appointments^

Patients who skip dental appointments face a £1-a-minute fine slapped on them by an NHS practice.

Dental body corporate, Integrated Dental Holdings, runs four clinics across Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland and has been given the go-ahead to fine people £1-a-minute for the length of their appointment for every one they miss.

 

Health officials agreed the charge at a board meeting on Monday after figures revealed that almost 3,000 patients failed to turn up for a dentist appointment during a six-month period — costing the NHS £54,890.

 

• The Conservative Party published plans to introduce patient fines in England earlier this year in its proposals to shake-up NHS dentistry.

 

And last autumn, the Liberal Democrats announced that they would consider slapping a £10 penalty charge on patients missing their dental appointments.

 

Norman Lamb, the party’s shadow health secretary, said that the ‘persistent’ failure of a minority of people to attend appointments was a form of ‘irresponsible behaviour that needs tackling’ in the health service.

^1247443200^2074^Dental practices to fine patients f…^Patients who skip dental appointments face a £1-a-minute fine slapped on them by an NHS practice.Dental body corporate, Integrated Den…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/fines.png
Can you win this? Yes you can!^

The Preventive Practice of the Year Award 2009, in partnership with Oral-B, is designed to recognise the UK practice with the strongest, best established and well though out preventive ethos, whether it be NHS, private or mixed. As a team, you will successfully communicate the oral health message to your patients, you will work together to raise oral health standards and you will regard prevention as your number one priority above all else.

Who will be judging?
An independent panel of judges including members of the Preventive Dentistry editorial board will compile a shortlist of four finalists from all entries received, and the final say will rest with them.

How do I enter?
To enter, submit your details and 500 words explaining why your practice deserves to win. You may submit as much material as you wish to support your claims such as photographs (please send hard copies as well as electronic), patient testimonials or PR.
The more effort you make to present clear reasons why you should win, the more impressed the judges will be. The cost for entering the competition is £15 per practice.
If you would like to pre-register, please email your details to [email protected].

Is there a prize?
If you are lucky enough to win, you will be exposed as an example of excellence to dental practitioners up and down the country. You will also win £500 for your practice to spend as you wish. Perhaps you could use it for a sophisticated team night out, or that new piece of equipment you’ve had your eye on.
This Award will help you get your practice the recognition it deserves.

What is the deadline?
All entries must be received by 30 October 2009. Enter now…

Thanks to our sponsor
Finally, a special ‘thank you’ must go to our official partners, Oral-B, without whom this Award would not be possible.

^1251158400^2079^Can you win this? Yes you can!^The Preventive Practice of the Year Award 2009, in partnership with Oral-B, is designed to recognise the UK practice with the strongest, bes…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/preventiveaward.png
Devon dental practice is cream of the crop^

Devon dental practice ‘committed to providing patients with quality gentle dentistry’ has been rewarded by the British Dental Association (BDA).

Trinity Dental Centre in Barnstaple, Devon, was accredited as a British Dental Association Good Practice and has joined its Good Practice Scheme.

As a member of the BDA’s Good Practice Scheme, each member of the practice team has signed up to the following 10-point commitment.
1. Providing a quality service
2. Meeting your needs
3. Making sure treatment is comfortable and as convenient as possible
4. Looking after your general health whilst receiving dental care
5. Following BDA guidelines on infection control
6. Checking for mouth cancer
7. Taking part in continual professional development
8. Training our team in work systems and reviewing training plans yearly
9. Welcoming feedback and dealing promptly with complaints
10. Working safely under General Dental Council guidelines.

 

For the last 12 months, the team at Trinity Dental Centre has been working to comply with 102 requirements of the BDA scheme.

 

Practice manager Julie Winfield said: ‘It has been hard work, but everyone has found
it worthwhile and we really do feel that we have improved our service to patients.’

 

Practice owner Donna Hill said: ‘We are committed to providing our patients with quality gentle dentistry and a kind and understanding way, and I am delighted that we have now been recognised by the British Dental Association as achieving this. Our commitment is ongoing and we will continually strive to ensure this in the dental care that we provide.’

^1247529600^2078^Devon dental practice is cream of t…^Devon dental practice ‘committed to providing patients with quality gentle dentistry’ has been rewarded by the British Dental As…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/trinity-copy.png
Obituary for Dennis Carroll ^

Dennis Carroll, 25 May 1946-10 June 2009

Dennis Carroll first burst into my life in the late 1980s when he joined the executive and finance committee of the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF), of which I was also a member.

His enthusiasm and dedication was infectious, and over the next few years he took the lead in developing the educational resource sales and leaflet range of the Foundation, bringing his knowledge of sales to the dental profession as dental manager of 3M dental to the table.

Never one to do things by halves, when Dennis felt that commitments to the British Dental Trade Association (BDTA) as a council member would detract from his work with the Foundation, he left the Foundation committees in 1993, but always remained a staunch advocate and a great supporter.

 

His legendary energy and enthusiasm was given for many years to the BDTA where he rapidly attained high office and was elected president in 1994. Here, he rejuvenated and reshaped the organisation, making it more inclusive and responsive and, by exerting his personal charm and magnetism, increased the membership during his presidency.

 

Breaking with tradition and unwilling to lose his talents, the BDTA members voted to extend his presidency for a further year and he continued to serve continuously on BDTA Council until 2004 when he retired from the dental industry. On his retirement he was elected to the BDTA roll of honour, an award reserved for very few exceptional people and a distinction of which he was very proud.

 

Not content with his great impact within the UK dental industry, Dennis also served as the representative of the BDTA in Europe on both FIDE and ADE where his charm and enthusiasm endeared him to colleagues from across Europe. Although he spoke no other languages, he was always able to communicate with his colleagues using his measured and clear approach.

 

Dennis was instrumental in developing the collection and distribution of dental market data across Europe, no mean feat when this involved sharing sensitive commercial information. He continued to fulfill this role after his retirement and it was at a press conference to launch the latest set of data in Cologne in March that I last saw Dennis. His performance as always was accomplished and entirely without notes.

 

Dennis was persuaded to rejoin the Trustee Board of the BDHF in 1998 and continued to provide his wise counsel until his untimely demise. He was instrumental in helping to guide the transition from a hands-on Board of Trustee to a true Governance body. He was elected president in 2006 in which role he served for two years. His passion for dentistry and for the Foundation was obvious to all who met him.

 

Dennis’ impact at the Foundation in his years as a trustee cannot be overstated.  He was energetic and focused throughout the most recent years of the growth of the foundation and many people will recall his impassioned speeches at the launches of both National Smile Month and Mouth Cancer Awareness campaigns at the House of Commons.

 

Few could match Dennis’s commitment to the cause and he was a regular visitor to the Foundation’s head offices in Rugby. A telephone call would often be Dennis enquiring after the health of a staff member or simply thanking staff for their efforts. Dennis’s aversion to email was legendary – so there was a steady stream of printed emails being sent to his home by post.

 

As an active member of the Foundation Trustee board, Dennis fought for the best interests of oral health promotion and was a passionate advocate for the Foundation at any event he attended. 
In his private life he had a passion for wildlife photography, the countryside and birds.  He would often arrive at Board meetings with pictures from his most recent wildlife photography trip, most notably to India to photograph wild tigers. He fulfilled a lifetime ambition of moving to Scotland where he could indulge this love of nature and could be seen binoculars in one hand and glass of red wine in the other observing the wildlife in his surroundings.

 

Unfortunately this sojourn in Scotland was to be short lived and Dennis was taken ill and rushed to hospital in April. Whilst he fought bravely to recover, this was not to be.

 

Dennis will be missed not only for his sense of humour, his wry smile and his passion for a cause, but also for the loyalty he repeatedly demonstrated to any cause or individual in which he had faith and belief.

 

Our sympathy goes to his partner Kath, who he always referred to as his ‘young lady’, his children Nicky and Paul and his grandchildren.

 

Dennis will be missed by many, but I for one have lost a valued colleague, mentor and friend.

^1247529600^2077^Obituary for Dennis Carroll ^Dennis Carroll, 25 May 1946-10 June 2009Dennis Carroll first burst into my life in the late 1980s when he joined the executive and finance c…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/dennis-carroll.png
NHS registration figures are up, but varied^

Figures show that the number of people registered with an NHS dentist has risen 14% in a year.

However, wide variations persist across Scotland where more than 3.3 million people in Scotland had an NHS dentist, up from 2.9 million a year ago, by the end of March.

The statistics revealed that levels of registration varied around the country, with rates for adults, in some areas, dropping as low as 35%.

Published by ISD Scotland, the figures showed that 61% of adults and 80% of children were registered with a dentist at the end of March – compared with 53% and 74% a year ago.

But rates vary across the country, with a low of 54% for children in the Western Isles and a high of 90% in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. For adults, the percentage registered with an NHS dentist ranged from 35% in Grampian to a high of 75% in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Opposition parties said parents faced a ‘postcode lottery’ when trying to secure an NHS dentist for their children. Six health boards have yet to meet a national target for 2010-11 of 80% of three-five-year-olds registering with an NHS dentist.

Almost £222 million was spent on NHS dental care in 2008-9 – up 10.2% on the previous year. The average cost of treating a child increased from £54 to £60, while the cost for an adult went up from £35 to £39.

^1248825600^2118^NHS registration figures are up, bu…^Figures show that the number of people registered with an NHS dentist has risen 14% in a year.However, wide variations persist across Scotla…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/increase.png
Dental team to log training at the click of a mouse^

Dental professionals will be able to track and submit continuing professional development (CPD) returns online for the first time next month.

Around 47,000 dental care professionals need to provide an annual declaration of continuing professional development (CPD) hours this summer – and a new section of the eGDC website aims to help.

All dental care professionals who registered before 30 July 2008 – and paid the annual retention fee by 31 July this year – will receive their Annual Practicing Certificate and a letter with instructions on how they can log on to the eGDC website to fill in their annual CPD hours electronically.

 

DCPs will also still be able to submit a return form which will be sent out with the letter this August.

 

A telephone helpline and email advice service will go live in August to help with any questions registrants may have in filling out their paper forms or hours online.

 

The new online facility will allow professionals to track and record CPD hours over their five-year cycle at the click of a mouse.

 

If they have previously submitted paper forms, they will be able to edit and add hours from their current five-year cycle online. Once they’ve entered their hours for this year, the site will tell them how many hours they have left to do.

The deadline for professionals to submit their hours is the end of September.

GDC Registration Development Manager Sarah Arnold said: ‘Lots of registrants tell us that the eGDC website is very user-friendly. As well as submitting your CPD returns you can also check and update your contact details that appear on the Register, pay your annual retention fee by credit or debit card, set up a direct debit and access your annual practising certificate.’

Professionals can contact the GDC by emailing [email protected] or calling the customer advice and information team on +44 (0) 845 222 414.

^1247616000^2081^Dental team to log training at the …^Dental professionals will be able to track and submit continuing professional development (CPD) returns online for the first time next month…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/bllue-mouse.png
Shoppers bag a dentist at supermarket ^

Shoppers at a supermarket can bag a place at an NHS dentist this week.

Staff from the Tewkesbury House Dental Practice still have 10,000 places to fill – and this week they are heading to the Sainsbury’s store in Gloucester to get shoppers to sign up.

 

With most NHS dentists in the county full to capacity, practice manager Julie King  said it was a great opportunity for people without a dentist to get access to treatment.

 

She said: ‘We want to talk to anyone who is looking for an NHS dentist. We are taking patients from across the county. There are 10,000 spaces left because people just don’t realise we are here.’

 

The practice has been open for just over six months but is only running at a third of its full capacity.

 

Dental staff will be in the foyer of Sainsbury’s today and tomorrow (Thursday 16 and Friday 17 July from 10am until 4pm).

^1247702400^2083^Shoppers bag a dentist at supermark…^Shoppers at a supermarket can bag a place at an NHS dentist this week.Staff from the Tewkesbury House Dental Practice still have 10,000 plac…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/trolley.png
Report recommends canning Dental Treatment Benefits Scheme^^1247788800^2089^Report recommends canning Dental Tr…^^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/patient-in-pain.jpg
She shall go the ball!^

Elizabeth Summan from Edgbaston Dental Centre registered for tickets to BDTA Dental Showcase 2009 and was selected as the winner of 10 complimentary Bridge2Aid Charity Ball tickets.

Out of the thousands of people that have registered for tickets to this year’s BDTA Dental Showcase so far, Elizabeth Summan was picked at random and won 10 tickets for herself and members of the dental practice in which she works.

Liz Jennings, business manager at the Edgbaston Dental Centre said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to have won tickets to such a worthwhile event and our thanks go to the BDTA. I am sure the evening will be a great fundraising event and that we will all enjoy every moment of it.’

The Ball is taking place on the evening of Friday 13 November 2009 during the BDTA Dental Showcase event at the Hilton Metropole, within the grounds of the NEC, Birmingham and is sure to attract hundreds of people from the dental world.

The event is sponsored by Henry Schein, FMC and Dentsply and has been designed to raise money for Bridge2Aid, the charity running Hope Dental Centre, which is a training and community development programme in Mwanza, Tanzania.

If you would like to find out more information about the ball or book tickets, please visit: www.dentistry.co.uk/charityball.

BDTA Dental Showcase 2009 takes place 12-14 November 2009 at NEC Birmingham. To register in advance for your complimentary ticket, visit www.dentalshowcase.com/visit, call the registration hotline on +44 (0) 1494 729959 or text your name, address, occupation and GDC number to 07786 206 276. Advance registration closes 6 November 2009. On-the-day registration: £10 per person.

^1247702400^2086^She shall go the ball!^Elizabeth Summan from Edgbaston Dental Centre registered for tickets to BDTA Dental Showcase 2009 and was selected as the winner of 10 compl…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/B2A-Ball-logo.png
Dentistry graduates – best record for getting jobs^

Graduate unemployment may have reached a 10-year high but vocational courses – including dentistry  –  have the best record for getting their graduates into employment with a 99.5% success rate.

Almost one in ten are now not in jobs or further study six months after finishing university.

 

The recent figures on the destinations of last year’s graduates are the first evidence of the long-term impact of the recession upon university leavers.

 

Graduates from 86% of institutions in England found it harder to get jobs in 2008 than those who finished university in 2007.

 

Only 18 of 125 English universities improved their graduate employment rate — including Birmingham, Cumbria and University of the Arts London.

 

Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary of the University and Colleges Union, said that the figures, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, were ‘grim reading’ for the higher education sector.

The figures show that 9% of graduates in 2007-08 were without work and not on a course half a year after completing their first degree. This was a 2.8% rise on the previous year.

The graduates covered by the research began looking for employment just as jobs began to be shed at City firms and large banks. They were also the first to be hunting for a job during a downturn in numbers of graduate traineeships — which had previously been in abundance.

The study comes as prospects for this year’s finalists look bleak with 80,000 fewer vacancies for graduate-level jobs.

Vice-chancellors warned that the figures showed it was important that graduates had good quality degrees if they wanted to progress to graduate-level jobs.

^1247702400^2087^Dentistry graduates – best record…^Graduate unemployment may have reached a 10-year high but vocational courses – including dentistry  –  have the best r…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/mortar.png
Mouth bacteria study aims to protect unborn babies^

A scientist is investigating how to halt common bacterium in a pregnant mother’s mouth which can prove deadly when it reaches an unborn child.

Yiping Han, associate professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in the US, aims to understand how to build roadblocks for a common bacterium that’s harmless in a mother’s mouth but can become harmful when it reaches the baby.

She has received a five-year, $1.85 million grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) at the National Institutes of Health to fund the effort.

 

This is the professor’s second NIDCR RO1 award. She’s published more than 10 papers from previous research related to the bacterium, Fusobacterium nucleatum, that creates havoc once it leaves the mouth and enters the blood stream.

 

She has discovered an adhesin protein molecule, called FadA, in the genes of F. nucleatum. This adhesin, or binding agent, on the bacteria allows them to connect with receptors on epithelial cells in the mouth and later the endothelial cells of the placenta.

 

In tests, bacteria without FadA had less binding capability compared to those with the adhesin, Han and a team of researchers report on this finding in the July issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.

 

Professor Han says: ‘We want to block the bacteria before it can do any damage. It’s an upstream approach to go back to where the whole process begins and stop it from starting its destruction.’

 

Once it leaves the mouth, the invasion of the bacteria through the placenta allows the bacteria to multiple rapidly in the immune-free environment that protects the foetus from being rejected by the mother’s body.

 

The rapid bacterial growth causes the placenta to become inflamed. In turn, the inflammation can trigger pre-term birth and foetal death.

 

According to Professor Han, this research into the mechanisms of bacterial transport not only has potential to prevent pre-term and stillborn births, it may have implications in preventing periodontal disease.

^1247702400^2085^Mouth bacteria study aims to protec…^A scientist is investigating how to halt common bacterium in a pregnant mother’s mouth which can prove deadly when it reaches an unborn chil…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/pregnant-copy.png
e-Den project blossoms for dental learning^

The national e-learning initiative encompassing dentistry’s foundation years’ curriculum – e–Den – is in its pilot phase and will be launched at The Royal College of Pathologists, London, on 15 October 2009.

The e-Den project is the first major collaboration between the four dental faculties of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow and the Department of Health.

 

It is one of several programmes in different specialties that are being developed as part of the
Department of Health’s e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH) initiative.

 

Registration for the launch is at 9.30am and the day will begin with a welcome from the chief dental officer for England Barry Cockcroft.

 

Presentations for the day will include an introduction to the programme itself from the e-Den clinical lead, Paul Brunton, a view from a trainee’s perspective and live demonstrations of
e-learning sessions.

 

The launch will conclude with closing comments from the DoH e-LfH National Director, Julia Moore.

 

The e-Den project will be available nationwide and free of charge to all NHS trainees and all relevant staff with an NHS contract, and will offer educational support for the two years after graduation.

 

e-Den aims to be a useful tool for deaneries and VT/GPT schemes to use as part of supporting
postgraduate training for dentistry and promoting a consistent standard of
knowledge, skills and expertise across the country.

 

if you would like to attend the launch, contact the e-Den project at [email protected] or call 020 7869 6815/6814.

^1247788800^2088^e-Den project blossoms for dental l…^The national e-learning initiative encompassing dentistry’s foundation years’ curriculum – e–Den – is in its pilot p…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/laptop-study.png
Junk food advertising ban to boost dental health^^1248048000^2092^Junk food advertising ban to boost …^^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/doughnut.jpg
Aloe to healthy teeth and gums^

Aloe vera tooth gel is as effective as toothpaste to fight cavities, according to the May/June 2009 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry’s (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal.

Aloe vera tooth gel is intended to perform the same function as toothpaste, eliminating pathogenic oral microflora in the mouth. The ability of aloe vera tooth gel to perform that function successfully has been a point of contention for some dental professionals. However, research presented in General Dentistry may alleviate that concern.

The study compared the germ-fighting ability of an aloe vera tooth gel with two commercially popular toothpastes and revealed that the aloe vera tooth gel was just as effective, and in some cases more effective, than the commercial brands at controlling cavity-causing organisms.

Aloe latex contains anthraquinones, which are chemical compounds that are used in healing and arresting pain because they are anti-inflammatory in nature. But, because aloe vera tooth gel tends to be less harsh on teeth, as it does not contain the abrasive elements typically found in commercial toothpaste, it is a great alternative for people with sensitive teeth or gums.

However, buyers must beware. Not all aloe vera tooth gel contains the proper form of aloe vera. Products must contain the stabilised gel that is located in the centre of the aloe vera plant in order to be effective. Products must also adhere to certain manufacturing standards.

Dilip George MDS, co-author of the study, explains that aloe ‘must not be treated with excessive heat or filtered during the manufacturing process, as this destroys or reduces the effects of certain essential compounds, such as enzymes and polysaccharides’.

Dr George suggests that consumers consult non-profit associations such as the International Aloe Science Council to see what products have received the organisation’s seal of quality.
Although there are more than 300 species of the plant, only a few have been used for medicinal purposes.

‘Thankfully, consumers with sensitive teeth or gums have a number of choices when it comes to their oral health, and aloe vera is one of them,’ says AGD spokesperson Eric Shapria. ‘If they are interested in a more alternative approach to oral hygiene, they should speak with their dentist to ensure that it meets the standards of organised dentistry, too.’

^1248048000^2091^Aloe to healthy teeth and gums^Aloe vera tooth gel is as effective as toothpaste to fight cavities, according to the May/June 2009 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy …^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/aloe.jpg
Dental decay detector secures UK distribution deal ^

A dental technology firm has signed a £4million distribution contract with a national supply company.
 
CarieScan, the Dundee-based producer of hand-held devices for the early detection of tooth decay and a subsidiary of 3D Diagnostic Imaging, has struck the UK distribution deal with Clark Dental.

 

The agreement will see the marketing and distribution company promote the CarieScan PRO tooth decay detection system to the dental market.

 

The CarieScan PRO device is a lightweight caries detection monitor, manufactured at factories in Livingston and Arbroath, which enables the early detection and monitoring of tooth decay.

 

It’s claimed that the device measures the presence of tooth decay earlier and more accurately than any other device on the market and is more than 90% accurate in detecting both sound and carious teeth, well ahead of current methods.

 

It also takes away the risks linked with the repeated use of X-rays.

 

The company, established in May 2008, uses technology developed by nearby St Andrews and Dundee universities and also say the device detects ‘hidden’ tooth decay, providing dental practitioners with the opportunity to arrest or even reverse decay, driving the trend towards preventive dental care.

 

It was originally developed by university spin-out IDMoS, which went into administration last year, but 3D Diagnostic Imaging snapped up the rights and assets of the business.

 

Graham Lay, chief executive of 3D Diagnostic Imaging, said: ‘We bought the assets of IDMoS last May, and we secured £2million of investment to keep the company going, which was 50% Scottish Enterprise and the rest coming from private equity.

 

‘There were a lot of lessons learned out of the demise of IDMoS, particularly entering into the market as a one-product pony without having access to a working distributor and sales marketing system to make it commercial viable. Trying to do all of it independently meant spending an awful lot of money to get the product to market.’

 

With the first major deal for CarieScan now secured in the UK, Lay is eyeing the North American market for further expansion.

 

He said: ‘The UK is our home territory, and Clark Dental, in our estimation, are the most appropriate dental distributor available to us, and they have sole exclusivity to distribute the product in the UK. At the same time we expect to get regulatory clearance for the device in the United States by early autumn, and we already have approval in Canada, so we are in discussions with distributors in those territories.

 

‘We expect sales in the US and Canada, once approval is granted will be substantial, but at this point I’d rather not put a figure on it.

 

‘The US has around 160,000 dentist, compared to 22,000 in the UK, so the expectations in the US are substantial.

 

‘There are other products on the market which claim to do similar things, but there is nothing on the market which measures dental decay like our device does.’

^1248048000^2093^Dental decay detector secures UK di…^A dental technology firm has signed a £4million distribution contract with a national supply company. CarieScan, the Dundee-based…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/cariescan.png
From dentistry to Capitol Hill^

Second year dentistry student Alan Clarke, alongside three fellow Queen’s undergraduates, is currently on a prestigious Washington posting under an exclusive internship scheme run by the Washington Ireland Program for Service and Leadership (WIP).

Alan is interning for Congressman Tim Murphy. He said: ‘This experience has allowed me to gain insight into how change in the world happens. Working in government is a window into the issues faced by the whole of the USA. I feel privileged to be part of the WIP Class of 2009 and to be in DC at this new chapter in history.’

In week one of their placement, the class met the Chief Justice of the United States, John Roberts, at the US Supreme Court.  They have also had the opportunity to listen to award-winning journalist Mark Shields, the Irish Ambassador, Michael Collins, Norman Houston, Director of the Northern Ireland Bureau, and the former White House Press Secretary, Mike McCurry.

And, during a recent visit to New York, they enjoyed a series of events at the United Nations, gaining private access to the Security Council Chamber, before going to NASDAQ for an informative session on the market system.

WIP is a US-Ireland charity that is helping to prepare the next generation of leaders for Northern Ireland and Ireland. WIP inspires students from Ireland to lead through service at home and expands their skills by placing them in Washington DC’s most prestigious internships.

More than 350 young adults have graduated from WIP, representing 25 different universities throughout Ireland and the UK. Many graduates are now emerging in important careers in politics, law, business, communications and education. As they move into critical leadership roles, they retain their connection with WIP and continue to give back to their local communities through an active alumni network.

For further information, and details of how to apply for the Class of 2010, please visit www.wiprogram.org.

^1248048000^2094^From dentistry to Capitol Hill^Second year dentistry student Alan Clarke, alongside three fellow Queen’s undergraduates, is currently on a prestigious Washington pos…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/capitol.jpg
Dental course cleans up to meet guidelines^

A new course aimed at assisting in raising the standards of effective decontamination of dental instruments in dental practices is taking place in the autumn.

The Decontamination of Dental Instruments (DDI) course is to take place at Eastwood Park training centre in Gloucestershire.

It aims ensure that staff in NHS and private practice are fully proficient and operating to the latest best practices for dental instrument decontamination as laid down in HTM 01-05 Decontamination in Primary Care Dental Practices.

 

Failing to operate to these standards not only compromises patients’ well-being, the dentists’ reputation but also his/her ability to continue to practice.

 

Sue Peckham, Eastwood Park’s training manager (decontamination) says: ‘We already run an extensive infection prevention portfolio at Eastwood Park, however, I am delighted to be able to extend this into the dental sector.  Effective decontamination of dental instruments has certainly been in the public arena in recent months following reported cases about poor hygiene standards in dental practices in Bristol and Bournemouth, where dental practices had been found to be inadequately decontaminating instruments.’

 

‘Best practice is certainly the minimum that dentists’ customers expect and I am sure now the profile on effective cleaning, washing and sterilisation in the practice has been raised, customers will be looking for much more re-assurance that standards are being proactively met.  A key part of this process has to be addressed through practical staff training.’

 

Eastwood Park’s new DDI course includes:
• Day 1 Decontamination and Infection Prevention: an overview of current guidelines and best practice; what is meant by decontamination and the full decontamination process for dental instruments
• Day 2 Operation of Decontamination Equipment: staff responsibilities for decontamination; daily testing requirements; processing of dental instruments; tracking and traceability of instruments
• Day 3 Management of a service: management of issues including HTM 01-05 unit compliance; servicing and periodic testing of equipment; log books and record keeping; as well as training of staff in decontamination

 

Delegates will be able to attend days 1 and 2, with an optional day 3 aimed at senior staff/managers. (Unit managers are recommended to attend all 3 days).

 

The first courses will run in October and November. To find out more about the Decontamination of Dental Instruments course call 01454 262777 or visit www.eastwoodpark.co.uk/training.

^1248048000^2098^Dental course cleans up to meet gui…^A new course aimed at assisting in raising the standards of effective decontamination of dental instruments in dental practices is taking pl…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/tools.png
2009 Show Guide delivers verifiable CPD^

A new dimension has been added to the Show Guide which accompanies BDTA Dental Showcase 2009.

This year for the first time members of the dental team who attend Showcase will be able to gain verifiable CPD hours by reading and answering questions on a selection of dental and business articles.
   
Five educational articles will feature in the CPD section of the Guide and will cover clinical dentistry, innovations in equipment and materials, business and finance and customer satisfaction.

 

The articles will complement the information already contained in the guide which includes exhibitor contact details, a product locator and the latest news about the event.

 

Tony Reed, executive director at the BDTA said: ‘The Show Guide is essential reading for visitors planning to make the most of their time at BDTA Dental Showcase. I believe that the addition of verifiable CPD articles linked to Showcase will further enhance the value of the guide and add to the overall Showcase experience.’

 

For further information about the Show Guide CPD and other CPD opportunities available at Showcase 2009 visit www.dentalshowcase.com/CPD.

 

BDTA Dental Showcase 2009 takes place 12-14 November 2009 at NEC Birmingham.

 

To register in advance for your complimentary ticket visit www.dentalshowcase.com/visit, call the registration hotline on +44 (0) 1494 729959 or text your name, address, occupation and GDC number to 07786 206 276.  Advance registration closes 6 November 2009.  On-the-day registration: £10 per person.

^1248048000^2097^2009 Show Guide delivers verifiable…^A new dimension has been added to the Show Guide which accompanies BDTA Dental Showcase 2009.This year for the first time members of the den…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Showcase-logo.png
Dental students go global with blog peer reviews^

A UK university has joined forces with dental schools around the globe to build an online peer review forum to evaluate each other’s work.

The University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry has signed up to International Peer Review in Blog Format, a new media project that encourages ‘professional development and global citizenship’ among dental students.

It will encourage dialogue and collaboration among dental students from the universities of Birmingham, British Columbia, Southern California San Francisco, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Tec Monterrey Mexico and Saskatchewan.

 

The format allows students from the different dental schools to meet online and evaluate each others’ work by peer review. The project is led by Karen Gardner from the University of British Columbia.

 

 width=370 height=250 /></p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Professor Damien Walmsley (above), co-ordinator of the project at the University of Birmingham, believes this is a great way that students learn from the experiences of others around the world.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>He says: ‘Blogging is a great way to include reflective learning by sharing experiences but also allows our students to experience other cultures and views on the world.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The project which operates at the undergraduate level, is being funded by Universitas 21, a network of research-led universities around the world.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Many providers of medical and dental education have embraced the use of new technologies blogs and podcasts for delivering learning materials. Over the past three years, the University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry has been developing a library of podcasts for a number of teaching areas.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Professor Walmsley and his team recently carried out a study to evaluate how clinical students reacted to the use of podcasts for undergraduate teaching.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Their research revealed that short podcasts are a useful vehicle for delivering learning materials to students. They offer flexibility and are in tune with students’ love of downloading materials to use when they wish.</p>
<p>^1248048000^2096^Dental students go global with blog…^A UK university has joined forces with dental schools around the globe to build an online peer review forum to evaluate each other’s w…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/blog.png<br />
Mouth cancer linked to mobile use^</p>
<p>A recent study suggests that a sharp rise in the incidence of salivary gland cancer in Israel may be linked to the use of mobile phones, reports <em>Ha’aretz</em> newspaper. </p>
<p>The research, commissioned by the Israel Dental Association, included examination of the incidence of oral cavity cancers in Israel from 1970 to 2006. </p>
<p>Among salivary gland cancer cases, researchers found a worrying rise in the number of cases of malignant growth in parotid glands, near the location where mobile phones are held during conversations. </p>
<p>By contrast, the incidence of salivary cancers in glands of the lower mouth – the so-called submandular and sublingual salivary glands – remained stable. </p>
<p>Of the 11,843 Israelis who developed oral cancers during the period studied, salivary gland cancer was the third most common (at 16.2%) after lip cancer and throat cancer. Most oral cancer patients were over 70, with only 2.7% under the age of 20. </p>
<p>However, salivary gland cancer, which researchers suspect to be linked to mobile phone use, was disproportionately common among young patients. Twenty per cent of those patients were under the age of 20. </p>
<p>From 1980-2002 the number of cases of parotid salivary cancer held steady at around 25 per year. The number of cases rose dramatically in the following five years, to 70 cases per year. </p>
<p>Lead researcher, Dr Avi Zvini of the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, said: ‘We haven’t gathered data on the use of cell phones on the part of the patients but the rise [in cancer cases] absolutely could indicate increased exposure to cellular telephones and damage caused by radiation.’ </p>
<p>The researchers intend to collect data on their oral cancer patients’ mobile phone use during the next stage of the study to examine the possible statistical link between the two. </p>
<p>Oral cancers are associated with a high mortality rate in Israel, with patients living an average of five-and-a-half years.</p>
<p>^1248048000^2099^Mouth cancer linked to mobile use^A recent study suggests that a sharp rise in the incidence of salivary gland cancer in Israel may be linked to the use of mobile phones, rep…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/woman-on-mobilejpg.jpg<br />
Laser microsurgery aids tongue cancer recovery  ^</p>
<p>Transoral laser surgery to remove cancer at the base of the tongue is as effective as more invasive open surgery and may improve quality of life, according to a new study by Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. </p>
<p> The study involved a retrospective chart review of 71 patients who underwent transoral laser microsurgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue. At 24 months, overall survival was 90% and disease-specific survival was 94%. Quality of life data, obtained for 46 patients, revealed the majority had mild or no pain, minimally impaired to normal swallowing, and normal speech.</p>
<p> Historically, the tongue base could only be safely accessed through complicated open surgical approaches through the neck. Delicate structures in the neck, such as the voice box, the trachea, the oesophagus, lymph nodes, muscles and large nerves make surgical resection difficult, with significant complications including speech and swallowing impairment.</p>
<p> Advances in transoral laser microsurgery have transformed the surgeon’s ability to treat cancer that was not otherwise amenable to surgical therapy. The surgery is performed through the opening of the mouth using an endoscope with a lighted camera and microscopic lens to view the area. Using a CO2 laser and micro-staging, surgeons carefully remove the tumour in small pieces, minimising disruption to nearby tissues, thereby reducing complications and the likelihood of infections. With magnification of normal and abnormal tissue the surgery is very precise, which contributes to very good cancer outcomes.</p>
<p> Dr Guy Petruzzelli, study author and chief of the Section of Head, Neck and Skull Base Surgery and the Charles Arthur Weaver Professor of Cancer Research at Rush University Medical Center, said: ‘Due to the precision of this surgery, most patients require less adjuvant chemotherapy and in some cases patients will not need chemotherapy, and the functional outcomes are superior. Patients are able to speak and swallow much sooner and better than with an open technique.</p>
<p> ‘Transoral laser surgery is an acceptable, and in many cases preferred, option for managing appropriately sized tumours of the back of the tongue. Its overall safety and functional outcomes are, in many cases, superior to traditional open surgeries and potentially high-dose chemotherapy and radiation.’</p>
<p> The study is published in the July issue of the scientific journal <em>Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery</em>, 141(1): 66-69.</p>
<p>^1248134400^2100^Laser microsurgery aids tongue canc…^Transoral laser surgery to remove cancer at the base of the tongue is as effective as more invasive open surgery and may improve quality of …^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/microsurgery-light.jpg<br />
Dentist is pretty in pink^</p>
<p>A dentist will cycle 60 miles – from London to Cambridge – on 26 July, wearing a pink tutu, to raise vital funds for charity.</p>
<p>Dr Adrian Mullish, of Adrian Mullish Dental Care in Watford, Hertfordshire, is also offering all new patients a full check-up, X-rays and oral cancer screening for £30, from which £5 will be donated the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity.</p>
<p>Adrian, who lives in Elstree, Hertfordshire, said: ‘Cancer screening and research into treatment and prevention is very important to me as my brother David died from bowel cancer 11 years ago, at the age of 50. I’ve reached an age where some very close and dear friends have had breast cancer, which is why I chose this particular charity.’</p>
<p>He added: ‘I turned 50 in June, so I wanted to mark the event by doing something special, rather than just having a party. This just seemed like a good idea with the added benefit of getting me a little fitter at the same time. My cycling companion, Allan Kay, has encouraged me and so we’re doing it together. </p>
<p>‘The response from my patients has been great. Many have taken up the offer and I hope, with all the recent publicity, that even more do.’</p>
<p>Regarding his outfit on the day, Adrian said: ‘A friend of ours who made a very generous donation said he would double his gift if we wore pink tutus. This was too good a challenge to turn down so we’ll both look lovely on the day.’</p>
<p>Donations can be made online at <a href=http://www.bmycharity.com/adrianmullish>www.bmycharity.com/adrianmullish</a>.</p>
<p>^1248134400^2101^Dentist is pretty in pink^A dentist will cycle 60 miles – from London to Cambridge – on 26 July, wearing a pink tutu, to raise vital funds for charity.Dr …^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Adrian-Mullish.png<br />
Eubank rids lisp with £30,000 worth of dentistry^</p>
<p>Ex-world champion boxer Chris Eubank is spending £30,000 to get his teeth fixed and get rid of his lisp.</p>
<p>The 42-year-old old travelled to Ireland last week to undergo treatment, which he hopes will fix his speech defect by closing the gap in his front teeth, it’s reported at <a href=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/5874792/Chris-Eubank-hopes-to-cure-lisp-with-30000-of-dentistry.html>www.telegraph.co.uk</a>.</p>
<p>Dentist Barry Buckley is carrying out the work at Clane Hospital, Co Kildare, which will also see all his other teeth slightly lengthened.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Eubank´s new porcelain veneers are being crafted at the Da Vinci Laboratory Los Angeles.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>One of the world´s leading dental technicians, Daniel Materdomini, is making them, and they are guaranteed for life.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Eubank will return to the hospital to finish the treatment in about five weeks.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The former WBO middleweight and super-middleweight champion, famously mocked his lisp in 1999 when he appeared in a Nescafe coffee advert under the headline: ‘Thimply the Betht’.</p>
<p>^1248134400^2102^Eubank rids lisp with £30,000 wort…^Ex-world champion boxer Chris Eubank is spending £30,000 to get his teeth fixed and get rid of his lisp.The 42-year-old old travelled …^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/face.png<br />
Tánaiste warns dentists on economy^^1248134400^2103^Tánaiste warns dentists on economy^^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/coughlan.jpg<br />
£6million investment to improve access to NHS dentists^</p>
<p>A £6 million investment will enable more than 70,000 extra patients to see an NHS dentist in Surrey.</p>
<p>The extra cash will pay for increased capacity at NHS dentists across the county, according to <a href=http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk>www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk</a>.</p>
<p>Among the areas to benefit are Ashtead, Epsom, Ewell, Leatherhead and Tadworth.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>NHS Surrey has also given grants totalling £800,000 to dentists across Surrey to improve the quality of services offered to NHS patients. Practices will use the money to enhance and upgrade infection control and hygiene equipment.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The additional investment means spending on dental services for Surrey residents is now more than £49million for 2009/10 Jonathan Perrott, dental lead at NHS Surrey, is quoted as saying:</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>‘Making it easier for patients to see an NHS dentist is a top priority for NHS Surrey.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>‘I’m delighted to announce that we’re investing £6million to help patients right across the county. The money will make it easier to see an NHS dentist for an extra 70,000 people.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>‘We’ve got dentists who are able to see new NHS patients right now, so if you’re looking for an NHS dentist ring the Surrey dental helpline on 0845 271 2040 to find out about dentists near you.’</p>
<p>^1248739200^2112^£6million investment to improve ac…^A £6 million investment will enable more than 70,000 extra patients to see an NHS dentist in Surrey.The extra cash will pay for increa…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/queue-model.png<br />
Dentist swaps root canal for Channel route^</p>
<p>A dentist is embarking upon a mammoth swim across the English Channel in the autumn to raise funds for his local charity.</p>
<p>Lancashire dentist Matthew Gormally, 32, plans to swim the Channel in support of the Christie cancer hospital.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Matthew’s swim is planned for some time between 24 September and 1 October, depending on weather conditions, and he hopes to make the crossing in under 15 hours.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Matthew, who runs the Lyndhurst Dental Practice in Burnley, with his wife, Lecia Jhagroo, said: ‘One in three people are affected by cancer, either through family or friends, so I hope people will sponsor me to make as much as possible.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>He said: ‘I’ve been training for 18 months, and done a lot of pool training.. It’s 21 miles in a straight line but unfortunately, due to the tides, you cross in a ‘S’ shape making the total mileage longer. Some points are tide assisted and some points not.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Future training includes trips to Dover to become familiar with salt conditions and the sea temperature. He has to complete a four-hour swim in open water below 16 degrees and a qualifying six-hour swim.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>He will also have to spend £2,000 to hire a skipper and boat to accompany his solo swim and navigate a route.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Sports enthusiast Matthew is being supported in his efforts by Lecia and 13-month-old daughter, Asha.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>In an effort to boost his support, Matthew is writing to all his patients to tell them about his swim, and he set up has a sponsorship site at justgiving.com.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>He added: The swim will be a lot of work, but it will be well worth it. I hope my patients will pitch in and people who have been touched by cancer will support me as well.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>To donate, go to <a href=http://www.justgiving.com/matthewschannelswim>www.justgiving.com/matthewschannelswim</a><a href=http://www.justgiving.com/matthewschannelswim/>/</a></p>
<p>^1248134400^2104^Dentist swaps root canal for Channe…^A dentist is embarking upon a mammoth swim across the English Channel in the autumn to raise funds for his local charity.Lancashire dentist …^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/matthew–swim.png<br />
New education clinic gets official opening^</p>
<p>The Peninsula Dental School dental education clinic at Devonport, Plymouth, was recently officially opened by Lord Colwyn.</p>
<p>Lord Colwyn practised as a dentist from 1965 to 2005 and is deputy speaker of the House of Lords and vice chair of the House of Lords Dentistry Group.</p>
<p>The Devonport Dental Education Clinic opened its doors to patients on 28 April this year.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>It is the first purpose-built dental education facility in the UK for 30 years, the last being built in Cardiff in 1979. The Peninsula Dental School is the first new dental school to have opened in 40 years.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The new facility has 40 dental chairs arranged in five bays of eight, plus three single chair bays. It also includes seminar rooms and an IT suite along with a laboratory where students will learn clinical skills for procedures such as casting models, adjusting dentures and making mouth guards.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>A range of dental care is available free of charge from dental students under the supervision of a qualified dental tutor, and patients should allow more time for their appointment because of this.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Treatments and services include:<br />• Dental check-ups, oral examination and diagnosis including X-rays<br />• Advice for preventing tooth decay and gum disease including tooth brushing and oral hygiene instruction, dietary advice and the application of sealants that protect the surfaces of teeth<br />• Assessment and treatment of gum disease<br />• Fillings and extractions</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The Dental Education Clinic is primarily an NHS training clinic for dental students. Should a patient require a treatment that is currently not provided by dental students, they will be treated at the Dental Education Clinic by qualified dental staff or referred to other the dental units in the city.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Lord Colwyn praised the Peninsula Dental School and its partners, including the Devonport Regeneration Community Partnership, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS Plymouth, the University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter, for the meticulous and imaginative planning that has produced not only a fresh and innovative approach to dentistry, but also the buildings required to support the community ethos of the Peninsula Dental School and the dentists it trains.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Professor Liz Kay, dean of the Peninsula Dental School, commented: ‘We are delighted that Lord Colwyn, who is a respected figure in the world of dentistry, officially opened our Devonport Dental Education Clinic. My thanks go to him, and to my colleagues and our partners who have worked so hard to make the Dental Education Clinic such a success. It is being very well received within Devonport, and it is providing our students with vital first hand contact with NHS patients.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Professor Wendy Purcell, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Plymouth said: ‘As a key partner in the Peninsula Dental School, the University of Plymouth is committed to leading transformational change in the city and region. I consider that this new facility will play a vital role in furthering the regeneration of the city of Plymouth as well as offering free community access to an important health service.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Emily Street, strategic dental commissioning manager for NHS Plymouth said: ‘We are extremely proud to have worked with the Dean and her colleagues and are delighted with the state of the art facilities in which students are learning and treating patients in Devonport.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Ann Leaves, DRC Partnership Board Member, said: ‘The people of Devonport are delighted that part of the Peninsular Dental School is based here. It’s not always easy to get access to dental care and to have the dental education facility here is Devonport is great. I know a lot of local residents have already booked appointments.’</p>
<p>^1248134400^2105^New education clinic gets official …^The Peninsula Dental School dental education clinic at Devonport, Plymouth, was recently officially opened by Lord Colwyn.Lord Colwyn practi…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Official-opening-pic[1].png<br />
Dental school dean lands new role^</p>
<p>Professor Liz Kay, dean of the Peninsula Dental School, has been chosen to become the Interim Dean for the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The current Dean, Professor Sir John Tooke, leaves the organisation to join University College London as vice provost (Health), head of the UCL School of Life & Medical Sciences and head of the UCL Medical School.</p>
<p>Professor Kay is the inaugural dean of the Peninsula Dental School and has been since May 2006.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Key to the success of the Peninsula Dental School is its close association with its sister insitution, the Peninsula Medical School.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The combination of skills and expertise apparent in both organisations is resulting in ground-breaking collaborations between dental and medical researchers, clinicians and educationalists.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Professor Kay said: ‘While I am personally delighted that the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry has confidence in my abilities to be its Interim Dean, what it really shows is the fantastic working relationship between the two schools, and the amazing way in which both organisations are integrating to the benefit of students, members of staff and the wider community.’</p>
<p>Professor Sir John Tooke added: ‘I am very pleased that Professor Liz Kay will be succeeding me as interim College Dean. We share the same ethos for the College and her exceptional abilities manifest through the rapidly developing success of the Peninsula Dental School, will be a great asset to the College during this transitional period. I have every confidence that under her leadership the College will go from strength to strength.’</p>
<p>Professor Kay will hold the role of interim dean until a new dean of the Peninsula Medical School is appointed at some time in the coming academic year.</p>
<p>More information is available by logging on at <a href=http://www.pds.ac.uk>www.pds.ac.uk</a>.</p>
<p>^1248220800^2106^Dental school dean lands new role^Professor Liz Kay, dean of the Peninsula Dental School, has been chosen to become the Interim Dean for the Peninsula College of Medicine and…^<br />
Dentistry Awards 2009 – last chance to enter^</p>
<p>Now in its fourth year, the Dentistry Awards is the most prestigious event in the dental calendar, celebrating regional and national excellence throughout the profession.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The Awards were created to recognise outstanding individuals, teams and practices who show an active interest in continuing professional development and lead from the front with their skills and teamwork.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The biggest difference between these awards and any other is that they are split into UK regions, so you have a chance to prove just how outstanding your practice is, not just against other practices all over the UK but also against your very own local competition.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The deadline to enter this year’s Dentistry Awards is approaching fast. You now have only five weeks to complete your entry and send it off to FMC in time for 11 September and prove you are the best in your region.</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Benefits of entering</strong><br />In today’s challenging times, being recognised as a practice which strives to be the best will be a crucial selling point to potential patients when they are choosing which practice to spend their money in.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Entering the Dentistry Awards also motivates your practice staff to raise their standards and strive above the competition, while improving team morale on the way.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Another advantage of entering is marketing – a vital tool to promote your practice. You can generate press coverage for your practice in your local media – even being shortlisted is a major achievement and can create a variety of PR opportunities.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>As well as rewarding teams and practices, there is also an award for young dentists, so if there is anyone in your practice who is excelling beyond their years through tremendous hard work and determination, give them their well-deserved curtain call by entering.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The awards ceremony is being held at Leicester’s Athena venue on Friday 4 December, making it an ideal team Christmas party – without you having to arrange it! Regarded as the most glamorous and certainly the largest UK dental event of the year, the evening consists of a champagne reception and three-course black-tie gala dinner before the awards ceremony itself.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>After that, a fabulous live band will leave everyone dancing into the early hours. There will be – as usual – a special guest host to present the awards ceremony. Read Dentistry magazine next month to find out who it will be.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Category details</strong><br />There are nine regions, as follows:<br />• Scotland<br />• Northern Ireland<br />• North West<br />• North East<br />• Midlands<br />• East <br />• London <br />• South West & Wales<br />• South East.<br />And there are four categories in which to enter:<br />• Best Practice <br />• Best Young Dentist <br />• Best Team<br />• NEW category: Best Marketing.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>There are also the Dentistry.co.uk Website Awards, of which the categories are:<br />• Best Website<br />• Best New Website<br />• Most Improved Website<br />• Best Specialist Referral Website.</p>
<p></p>
<p>To enter visit www.dentistry.co.uk/webawards</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Plus: The UK Outstanding Achievement Award, won last year by Eddie Crouch.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>How to enter</strong><br />Please provide the following:<br />• A personal statement of 500 words outlining why you feel you deserve to win the category you are entering<br />• Think of your entry as a means of presenting you as well as your practice: bound booklets, laminated pictures and practice marketing material will all help the judges get a feel for your business<br />• Letters of reference and testimonials from patients are a very good way to back up your entry<br />• Patient testimonials can be backed up by before-and-after-shots, if appropriate<br />• Creativity and originality help applications stand out<br />• Press cuttings are a great way to prove your influence within your community<br />• Ensure you include high quality professional pictures of your practice, either hard copy or on CD (if you would like to use <em>Dentistry</em>’s recommended photographer, visit <a href=http://www.lloydgoodall.co.uk>www.lloydgoodall.co.uk</a> or call 07759 206081).</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>So, you could be one of the winners of the Dentistry Awards 2009. Gain the recognition you deserve and enter by contacting Elisa on 01923 851734 or elisa.allen@fmc.co.uk for further details and an entry brochure. Alternatively, visit <a href=../../awards2009>www.dentistry.co.uk/awards2009</a>.</p>
<p>^1248307200^2107^Dentistry Awards 2009 – last chan…^Now in its fourth year, the Dentistry Awards is the most prestigious event in the dental calendar, celebrating regional and national excelle…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Polaroid-Image-with-Post-it.png<br />
 ‘Cocaine’ haul was dental powder^</p>
<p>Officers claimed to have found a stash of 13 kilos of cocaine with a street value of £500,000 after swooping on a pub in Tiverton, Devon, reports <a href=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5897189/500k-cocaine-haul-was-actually-dental-powder.html>www.telegraph.co.uk</a>.</p>
<p>Police said it was the largest seizure of a class ‘A’ drug in Devon and Cornwall and arrested five people on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.<br /> <br />But tests have revealed the ‘coke’ was actually benzocaine.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The four male and one female suspects, aged 22, 38, 42, 43 and 30, were due to answer bail in September.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>A police spokesman said they have now been told no further action would be taken following the bust on the Prince Regent pub in May.</p>
<p>^1248393600^2108^ ‘Cocaine’ haul was dental powd…^Officers claimed to have found a stash of 13 kilos of cocaine with a street value of £500,000 after swooping on a pub in Tiverton, Dev…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/copper.png<br />
Annual retention fee reminder for dental team^</p>
<p>The deadline for all dental care professionals (DCPs) to pay their annual retention fee (ARF) is 31 July 2009.</p>
<p>Failure to pay will put registration at risk.</p>
<p></p>
<p>It is important to be aware of the deadline, especially dental nurses and dental technicians, who are paying their annual retention fees for the first time.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The GDC has taken the decision not to increase the fee this year.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>It remains £96 for dental nurses, dental technicians, dental therapists, dental hygienists, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The quickest way to pay is by credit or debit card on our 24-hour automated payment telephone line on 0800 197 4610 (+44 207 000 3650 from overseas)</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>For those of you registered online, the eGDC self-service website at <a href=http://www.gdc-arf.com>www.gdc-arf.com</a> can be used to make payment by credit or debit card.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>If you are not yet registered online, all recent ARF related correspondence contains your ID verification, which you will need to create your eGDC account.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>GDC Director of Operations, Edward Bannatyne said:’We are doing all we can to make sure people know about the deadline. We also hope you will spread the word among your colleagues. Please don’t ignore the deadline as you need to pay your fee in order to remain on the register.’</p>
<p>^1248393600^2109^Annual retention fee reminder for d…^The deadline for all dental care professionals (DCPs) to pay their annual retention fee (ARF) is 31 July 2009.Failure to pay will put regist…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/clock.png<br />
Celebrity supports mouth cancer fundraiser^</p>
<p>The Mouth Cancer Foundation’s fourth annual 10km sponsored walk will be supported by celebrity Natasha Hamilton.</p>
<p>The former Atomic Kitten member, Natasha, said: ‘Mouth cancer is a disease that has affected my family as it is how my Nan died. The Mouth Cancer Foundation plays a pivotal role in supporting patients and families who have to go through the horrors of mouth cancer.’</p>
<p>The walk, to raise much-needed awareness of the disease, is being held on Saturday 26 September 2009 at 2pm in Hyde Park, London.</p>
<p>A website has just been set up – <a href=http://www.mouthcancerwalk.org>www.mouthcancerwalk.org</a> – where people can sign up to take part in the event.</p>
<p>The founder of the Mouth Cancer Foundation, Dr Vinod Joshi, is encouraging dental, medical and healthcare practitioners, as well as friends and family from all over the UK, to sign up and take part in the free 10km walk.</p>
<p>He said: ‘Last year’s walk was a huge success; we are really excited about the fourth annual walk this year. This walk is a great opportunity for mouth cancer survivors, their families and friends, the public and health professionals to come together in a fun outing that will make a big noise in Hyde Park London about mouth cancer, loud enough for everyone to take notice. Costumes are invited if you’re feeling brave!’</p>
<p>There will be free mouth cancer screening on the day, plus prizes available for top individual and team fundraisers as well as top individual and team awareness raisers.<br />Money raised from the walk will help the Foundation improve its support for patients and carers.</p>
<p>To take part in the free Mouth Cancer Foundation 10km sponsored walk, visit <a href=http://www.mouthcancerwalk.org>www.mouthcancerwalk.org</a>.</p>
<p>^1248912000^2127^Celebrity supports mouth cancer fun…^The Mouth Cancer Foundation’s fourth annual 10km sponsored walk will be supported by celebrity Natasha Hamilton.The former Atomic Kitt…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/walkMCW.png<br />
PCTs urged to play ‘copycat’ to make NHS dentistry a world leader ^</p>
<p>The future of NHS dentistry is in the hands of PCTs prepared to share the secret of their commissioning success.</p>
<p>That was the shared view of Professor Jimmy Steele and chief dental officer (CDO) Barry Cockcroft as they addressed a packed auditorium of dental leaders at <em>The Future of Dentistry,</em> the second of the Westminster Health Forum keynote seminars.</p>
<p>The forum, held in London on 22 July, served as a post-mortem on the Steele-led independent review, published in June and recommending significant changes to the way NHS dentistry is organised.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The review – commissioned last year following widespread criticism of the new contract by the House of Commons Health Select Committee – advised the government that, this time, they must pilot reforms properly in order to succeed.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>At the July forum, Professor Steele maintained that change would have to move slowly and be ‘evolutionary’ in order to be effective, but suggested that the sharing of information among those PCTS already successful in commissioning quality dental health care services could improve the process.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>He urged PCTs with successful dental commissioning to share information with others, saying: ‘What it comes down to is the ability of those who do get the model to work well, to share that and make sure there is a transfer of information.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>CDO Barry Cockcroft was in agreement. Referring to the review report, he said that ‘this will not, cannot and must not be quick. Making this change must be done in an evolutionary way’.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>He accepted that the speed in which changes were made was one of the problems with the 2006 contract and that PCTs will now need more national support in a direct way as there was ‘too much variation between them in their approach to commissioning dentistry services’.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>He also added that this needed to be high-quality local commissioning, and, looking ahead, he, too, is keen to see communication between PCTs.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>His message was do it, evaluate it, plagiarise it to develop a national protocol.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Citing Bradford, Tower Hamlets and Salford PCTs as leading lights in commissioning, Dr Cockcroft said: ‘One things that’s nice is that both Bradford and Tower Hamlets acknowledge that there’s some plagiarism in their programme towards Salford, and Salford is so pleased to be plagiarised.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>‘Plagiarism is the highest form of compliment and also the quickest way to do your work. It’s the best way to make progress.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Professor Steele began his address with what he called a ‘bold statement‘, suggesting ‘NHS dentistry could lead the world in providing an oral health service’.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>He said: ‘This time, the changes have to be piloted over a long period of time as 60 years of habit needs to change, so the profession should “edge” towards it.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>He dug deep into the annals of history and put the blame for the UK’s poor dental health in the past 60 years firmly at the door of that ‘high energy cheap import’, sugar. He talked of an NHS dental profession brought up on ‘this diet of high caries and low expectation. And, of course, that world is changing and changing quite fast.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>In his address that followed, CDO Barry Cockcroft reiterated the NHS promise that ‘anyone who wants to should be able to access an NHS dentist by April 2011’ and announced that the latest data regarding access figures will be published on 20 August.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>A lively questions-and-answers session followed for which the duo were joined by Jimmy Steele’s review team – Eric Rooney, a consultant  in dental public health for four PCTs in Cumbria and Lancashire, Janet Clarke, clinical director of the salaried dental service in Birmingham and deputy director of the provider services in Heart of Birmingham teaching PCT, and Tom Wilson, director of contracting and performance with NHS Tameside and Glossop.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Topics debated included:<br />• how the government propose to offer IT support to NHS dentists<br />• how the three-year warranty for dental treatment will work<br />• the clarification of plans for specialists<br />• the crossover between the Steele report and Mike Warburton’s dental access programme (DAP)</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Lord Colwyn, member of the Science and Technology Select Committee, chaired the forum.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Rounding it up, he thanked the two speakers for a ‘stimulating and interesting’ address and noted how all questions in the Q&A session ‘hit the nail right on the head’.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Closing the forum, he commented: ‘The review is a natural progression of change following on from the Health Select Committee review.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>‘All parties are looking forward to constructively making the change to the delivery of NHS dentistry in England. Meaningful piloting and engagement with the profession and patient groups will be the key to developing new arrangements.’</p>
<p>^1248393600^2110^PCTs urged to play ‘copycat’ to…^The future of NHS dentistry is in the hands of PCTs prepared to share the secret of their commissioning success.That was the shared view of …^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Big-Ben-revised.png<br />
HSE helps dentists bridge the language divide^^1248739200^2111^HSE helps dentists bridge the langu…^^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/EMA.jpg<br />
Pensions expert has good news for retiring dentists^</p>
<p>Six of the top annuity companies have raised their annuity rates in the last month. And according to pensions expert Nigel Callaghan, this can only prove good news for retiring dentists.</p>
<p>Despite the long-term trend for annuity rates being downward, he says there have been some short-term blips in this trend, and the majority of all annuity price changes since early June have seen rates holding steady – or actually increasing.</p>
<p>Nigel, pensions analyst with Hargreaves Lansdown, suggests that if dentists are thinking of taking an annuity soon, now could be a good time.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>He says: ‘Many dentists have made substantial private pension contributions. The difference in their retirement annual income can often be huge by buying the best value annuity. Today’s dentists will be a long time retired – it really pays to squeeze as much income from their pension savings as possible.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Since the onslaught of the credit crunch annuity rates have become far more volatile and he predicts that this is likely to continue in the coming months.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The latest development is that the income provided by investments that back annuities has increased significantly, allowing insurers to pass on these benefits to investors in the form of a larger retirement income.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Many of these income improvements are across all age ranges and cover most types of annuity options meaning good news for thousands of investors.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The extra annual income will be payable for the rest of an investor’s retirement – that can easily be 25 years or more.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Nigel says: ‘This can all add up to potentially thousands of pounds more income over their lifetime. When you buy your annuity, you lock into that particular rate and income for the rest of your retirement – no matter how long that is. This really can mean that a small increase in retirement income can make all the difference.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>‘As you approach your retirement it is important to shop around to make sure that you are receiving the best possible annuity income. Often you can get significantly more than your current pension company is offering you.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>He adds: ‘Getting quotations from the top annuity providers can be quick and easy when you use a free annuity search service to review the market on your behalf. Their expertise increases the likelihood of searching out the best deals for you and making your pension savings stretch as far as possible. And this can be up to 30% higher than the income offered by your own pension company.’</p>
<p>^1248739200^2116^Pensions expert has good news for r…^Six of the top annuity companies have raised their annuity rates in the last month. And according to pensions expert Nigel Callaghan, this c…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/moneypig.png<br />
Portsmouth: next port of call for a dentistry debate^</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Professor Jimmy Steele, author of the independent review into dentistry, is to discuss his vision of the future of NHS dental provision at an open forum in Portsmouth next month.</p>
<p></p>
<p>NHS Education South Central has collaborated with the School of Professionals Complementary to Dentistry to stage the event.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Professor Steele will address the audience on the findings of his independent review of NHS Dental Services in England and his presentation will be followed by an open forum, chaired by Helen Falcon, postgraduate dental dean, NESC.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>It’s being held at The Portland Building at the University opf Portsmouth on Friday 28 August.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>There will be a nominal fee of £10.00 per participant to cover light refreshments, and the meeting has been approved for three hours of CPD.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Please book through the NESC website at <a href=http://www.nesc.nhs.uk>www.nesc.nhs.uk</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p>^1248739200^2115^Portsmouth: next port of call for a…^ Professor Jimmy Steele, author of the independent review into dentistry, is to discuss his vision of the future of NHS dental provisio…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/jimmy-steele.png<br />
Dental team crosses bridges to raise cash for slum kids^</p>
<p>A dental team walked the bridges of London at the weekend to raise much-needed funds for the slum children of India.</p>
<p>On Saturday (26 July), all the team members at Sparkle Dental Boutique in Hanwell, west London, crossed the bridges of London from Battersea Bridge to London Bridge in aid of UK charity, Children Walking Tall (<a href=http://www.childrenwalkingtall.com>www.childrenwalkingtall.com</a>).</p>
<p></p>
<p>It’s dedicated to helping slum and street children in India and provides food, shelter, medical care and education.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p><img src=/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/walkingtall.png alt=

 

Kavita Verma, manager at the dental boutique, is heading for Goa at the end of the year to carry out voluntary work for the charity.

 

She says: ‘We all decided early on in the year that we wanted to do something to give back in some way and we chose this particular charity as after some research we found that the most of the monies collected were actually getting to the children that needed it most and making a difference at grass root level.

 

 

‘The walk across the bridges was an idea the team came up with, being holders of Best Practice London in the Dentistry awards two years in a row.’

 

 

Sunita Verma, principal at Sparkle – and Kavita’s sister – adds: ‘It was a great day out. So many people gave us money as we were walking and were extremely generous. Doing this walk has certainly inspired us to do something again…but next time we may try something a little more adventurous like abseiling or jumping out of a plane!’

 

The team is hoping to have raised £1,500. Donations can still be made at www.mycharitypage.com/kavita.

^1248739200^2117^Dental team crosses bridges to rais…^A dental team walked the bridges of London at the weekend to raise much-needed funds for the slum children of India.On Saturday (26 July), a…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/sparkleA.png
Children need to learn better dental habits^

According to a new survey by Denplan, children need to brush up on their dental habits.

The survey canvassed parents of children across the east Midlands and discovered that many youngsters do not take enough care of their teeth.

16% of parents admitted that their children do not brush their teeth twice a day, which is recommended by dentists.

Researchers also uncovered a widespread lack of awareness over the causes of tooth decay, with over half of respondents not realising that sugar is the primary cause.

Dr Henry Clover, dental advisor at Denplan, said that parents play a vital role when it comes to teaching thorough brushing routines. He said: ‘Parents should not underestimate their role in the supervision of the twice-daily brushing routine. The recommended age to keep a watchful eye on your children as they brush is seven.

According to the British Dental Association (BDA), children should use a pea-sized blob of fluoride toothpaste and start with the top back teeth, making small circular motions with their brush as they move to the other side of the mouth.

^1248825600^2119^Children need to learn better denta…^According to a new survey by Denplan, children need to brush up on their dental habits.The survey canvassed parents of children across the e…^
All that is systemic is…^

Welcome to the first Editor’s blog after the first ever summer issue of Preventive Dentistry. I am, of course, imagining you all reading the magazine on a sun-kissed beach somewhere overseas. Seriously though, producing an issue at this time of year is a wonderful opportunity, and it’s a delight to get the opportunity to bring you even more coverage on all things dealing with oral health and prevention.

In the news
This month, my attention was held by the news that a genetic link between the dental disease periodontitis and heart attacks has been discovered – something that scientists in the UK know about and have been researching.
The link has been found to occur on chromosome 9, where a specific version of a gene appears to be present in both periodontitis and coronary heart disease. While the systemic link has never been denied, it is always interesting to hear more research done on this subject. It just adds more weight to the belief that the mouth truly is a window to the rest of the body.
I attended a medical conference, run by Colgate Palmolive, in London last year. It incorporated the knowledge of hospital surgeons, general practitioners and dentists, talking specifically about the link between periodontitis and systemic diseases. The lecturers presented compelling evidence that strongly indicated the presence of a link, but this latest discovery of a specific gene present at the chromosomal level is remarkable.

Personally, I think this latest research presents a massive leap in the understanding of systemic diseases and those that exist in the oral cavity.
This has particular importance in the field of preventive dentistry because by nature, the practice of prevention is, for want of a better word, holistic. It is not just about preventing decay or the need for invasive oral surgery, but the prevention of general health problems too. Preventive dentistry relies on the ability of the oral health professional to know what to look for in the mouth from gum colouration to marks on the tongue. Now that a link such as this has been established, it is imperative that they remain as vigilant as ever in spotting the early warning signals in the oral cavity.

What is in the Summer issue?
This issue is packed with news, articles and product information. What more could you want?
Firstly, I’m delighted to say that the winner of the Preventive Dentistry Article Awards, Maria Cockle, is back in this issue with the first of what I hope is to become a regular appearance writing for the magazine. Her first article looks at what can be done to get a good oral health message out to teenagers.
Our Marketplace section has a special focus on products that can aid in implant maintenance, as well as the regular listing of preventive products.

Final thought…

Don’t forget to check out Diana Woordward’s latest article in the articles section of this website. It’s a cracking read.

As ever, you can call me on 01923 851756, or get in touch via email at [email protected]. I hope, and look forward to hear from you.

^1248825600^2120^All that is systemic is…^Welcome to the first Editor’s blog after the first ever summer issue of Preventive Dentistry. I am, of course, imagining you all readi…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Me.png
Extended range^

Alcohol-free Dentyl pH, the mouthwash, has expanded its range of flavours by introducing Minty Citrus Splash. Alcohol -free, Minty Citrus Splash leaves the user with a fresh, citrus flavour in the mouth. In fact, data from an independent research study where users tested Minty Citrus Splash, also found that the mouthwash left their mouth feeling moisturised (Data on file, 2008).

Minty Citrus Splash, consists of two stages, a water-based phase incorporating a special antibacterial agent, and an oil-based solution with natural essential oils, which is much more powerful than the two individual parts on their own. The bacteria and debris adhere to the mouthwash solution and when it is rinsed out you can see what has been removed through brightly coloured masses.

Also, the two-phase Dentyl pH solution can efficiently remove bacterial layers from a solid surface, contributing to Dentyl pH’s smooth mouth feel.

Alcohol Free Dentyl pH Minty Citrus Splash retails for £2.49 for 250ml and £3.99 for 500ml. It is available from supermarkets and pharmacies nationwide.

www.dentylph.com

^1248825600^2121^Extended range^Alcohol-free Dentyl pH, the mouthwash, has expanded its range of flavours by introducing Minty Citrus Splash. Alcohol -free, Minty Citrus Sp…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/citrusph.png
Decisions, decisions, decisions…^

Sometimes it is really difficult working in a busy NHS practice as a Dental Therapist. There are time constraints, UDA pressures, low quality materials, products and instruments all to cope with. It is all too easy for the busy referring practitioner to delegate treatments that are not within our scope of practice, to lighten their load.

In 2006 a new document was published by the BSDHT that put the onus of clinical skill responsibility on the Dental Therapist. The way the document was worded made it appear that so long as the Therapist felt confident in completing a task, they were entitled to undertake it; however this is not the case.

An interesting opportunity presented itself when one of my referring dentists suggested I learnt to provide Cerec inlays to our patients. Cerec is a ceramic inlay designed by using CAD (computer-aided design) technology. The ceramic restorations are completed in the surgery in one visit. After tooth preparation an optical impression is taken, and then the 3D software takes a digital picture and converts into a 3-dimensional virtual model on a computer which is then manipulated by the operator, finished in a milling machine and then cemented in place by the clinician. So in effect there is no laboratory involvement, which makes it a direct restoration (something Dental Therapists are allowed to perform), as opposed to an indirect restoration.

Excited but nervous about learning such a wonderful skill I contacted my indemnity provider to confirm the legality and insurance implications of undertaking such procedures. My provider confirmed two very important issues:

  1. Although the company was more than happy for me to attend their one-day training course, it was not specifically designed for Dental Therapists.
  2. The Dental Therapist training courses at university do not teach students on the principles of cavity preparation for indirect restorations.

The published guidelines state that if the Dental Therapist has undergone enough professional training designed specifically for a Dental Therapist on a particular skill and had proved competency to some official, and then felt personally competent they would then be qualified to perform that skill.

Although it is surely the future that Dental Therapists will be taught and given additional clinical skills, at present there are no official courses available that give Dental Therapists additional clinical skills. If your referring dentist asks you to do anything you feel is not within your competency or remit always confirm any concerns with your indemnity provider, after all, that’s what you pay your money for and as a professional clinician you have a duty to always act in your patient’s best interest and a moral ethical responsibility to yourself and our profession.

^1249516800^2139^Decisions, decisions, decisions…^Sometimes it is really difficult working in a busy NHS practice as a Dental Therapist. There are time constraints, UDA pressures, low qualit…^
Diamond conference for dental hygienists ^

It’s a diamond anniversary this year as dental hygienists meet to celebrate 60 years of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) at their annual conference in October.

Hailed as the biggest event in the UK for dental hygienists and dental hygienist therapists, the 2009 Oral Health Conference and Exhibition is taking place in Bournemouth on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 October.

The conference will be opened by BSDHT president Marina Harris and features presentations from speakers including Martijn Rosema, Edwina Kidd, Phil Ower, Martin Fulford and David Gillam.

It will also include workshops and a diamond jubilee dinner with a ‘Diamonds are Forever’ theme on Friday 16 October at the Royal Bath Hotel.

The conference offers up to 9.75 verifiable CPD and takes place at the Bournemouth International Conference Centre.

Delegate registration opens on Saturday 1 August and there’s an ‘early bird’ registration fee (book by 25 September 2009). For further details, visit www.bsdht.org.uk.

^1248825600^2123^Diamond conference for dental hygie…^It’s a diamond anniversary this year as dental hygienists meet to celebrate 60 years of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Ther…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/diamond.png
Deaf aware courses for dental care professionals^

Dental Care Professionals (DCPs) in Wales have been offered courses to equip them with skills needed to communicate with patients with hearing difficulties.

The Dental Section of the Postgraduate School of Cardiff University commissioned Deafwise to deliver the three one-day courses that also counted towards CPD hours.

Deafwise is a nationwide deaf awareness training provider that helps healthcare workers throughout the UK understand and adapt to the practical needs of deaf people. 

Each student received an insight into what it means to be deaf – through theory, demonstrations, workshops and role playing – and learned how to understand and remove the barriers to communication often experienced between hearing and deaf people.

Sian Evans, the dental nurse tutor said: ‘The training was important as more needed to be done to make employees deaf aware and, more importantly, it is vital that deaf patients are able to give consent and understand clearly what treatment is planned. It is no longer acceptable for deaf patients to experience a compromised service to their hearing counterparts because of communication issues.

‘The exercises were powerful, thought-provoking and really enabled participants to experience the challenges that the deaf community faces on a day-to-day basis. What is more, the trainers were deaf, which added to the experience and provided a level of credibility that couldn’t be achieved with hearing trainers.’

By the end of the course, the DCPs were able to recognise different types of deafness, address, greet and take leave of a deaf sign user, understand the technologies used by deaf people, and spell the alphabet in British Sign Language.

Spencer Clark, co-founder of Deafwise, said: ‘Deafwise ensures patients with hearing difficulties have the opportunity to receive the same levels of care as those who are hearing and demonstrates how, by making a few minor changes, healthcare workers can make a real difference to their patients’ experience.’

 

For more information about Deafwise please visit www.deafwise.co.uk.

^1249430400^2138^Deaf aware courses for dental care …^Dental Care Professionals (DCPs) in Wales have been offered courses to equip them with skills needed to communicate with patients with heari…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/DCP-communication.jpg
Oral sex-related cancer hits an all-time high ^

A dental charity is hammering home its call on the government to include boys in a planned vaccination programme to guard against the sexually transmitted HPV virus.

The cancer virus is transmitted through oral sex, and is thought to contribute to the doubling of mouth cancers.

The British Dental Health Foundation’s demand is in response to a recent large-scale study in the US of 46,000 mouth cancer cases.

 

It found that the number of deaths caused by the sexually transmitted HPV virus has increased by a third in the last 30 years and is now the highest it has ever been.

 

The DoH has already agreed to introduce the HPV vaccine for all 12 and 13-year-old girls, which was rolled out in September 2008 and aims to guard against cervical cancer in the future.

 

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Foundation, said: ‘It is admirable that the government is taking such positive steps to reduce the number of cervical cancer cases for the women of the future but, with mouth cancer killing more people than cervical cancer and testicular cancer combined, it is clear that this little-known condition also needs to be addressed.

 

‘By expanding its HPV vaccination programme to include boys as well as girls, the government would be able to address the problem of rising HPV-related mouth cancer deaths in a simple, fair and effective manner.

 

‘With young people becoming progressively more sexually active this problem is not going to go away.

 

‘It needs to be addressed and sooner rather than later.’

 

Mouth cancer kills one person every five hours in the UK and affecting more men than women.

 

‘People need to take steps to reduce their risk of developing the condition; whether that be by cutting out smoking, by reducing their alcohol consumption or by taking a HPV test along with their partner,’ said Dr Carter.

 

 

^1248998400^2129^Oral sex-related cancer hits an all…^A dental charity is hammering home its call on the government to include boys in a planned vaccination programme to guard against the sexual…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/crossfingers.png
New guidelines for dental anaesthesia^

Anaesthetists in the UK have been issued with new guidelines on how to prevent and handle emergencies involving the small, but growing, number of people who have a severe and potentially fatal allergic reaction during anaesthesia.

Most reports on anaesthesia-related anaphylaxis originate from France, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Other case series have been described from Scandinavia and the USA. The true incidence and their associated morbidity and mortality remain poorly defined. Both the accuracy and completeness of reporting is not optimal.

Dr Nigel Harper, one of the country’s leading experts on anaesthesia and anaphylaxis and Chair of the working party set up by the AAGBI said: ‘Although anaesthetic anaphylaxis is still relatively rare, we have noticed a rise in the number of patients being referred to specialist allergy clinics after an adverse reaction during surgery.

‘We believe that this may be due to more patients having a severe reaction to antibiotics. All anaesthetists are trained to deal with anaphylaxis, which can trigger dangerously low blood pressure and may cause severe breathing problems, but most anaesthetists will only see a small number of cases during their career. That is why it is so important to keep them up-to-date with the latest information on diagnosis and treatment and provide emergency guidance.’

Dr Harper went on to suggest that having operations under local anaesthesia rather than general anaesthesia may reduce the risk of some patients having an allergy-related reaction. He explains: ‘It is estimated that approximately 60% of adverse reactions are associated with muscle relaxant drugs, which are only administered when a patient is under a general anaesthetic.’

A research review carried out by the AAGBI working group also found that:
• Reactions to neuromuscular blocking agents and the latex gloves worn by surgical staff are more common in female patients.
• Antibiotic anaphylaxis is more common in smokers, possibly because of increased exposure to repeated courses of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections.
• Patients with a history of allergic skin diseases, asthma and food allergies appear to face a greater risk from latex, but not from neuromuscular drugs or antibiotics.
• Individuals who have asthma or take beta-blocking drugs may suffer a more severe reaction.
• People who suffer allergies to common environmental chemicals in toothpastes, washing detergents, shampoos and cough medicine may be more sensitive to neuromuscular blocking agents.
• Reactions to local anaesthetics are very uncommon.

The AAGBI states that it is widely recognised that more specialist allergy services need to be made available so that patients don’t have to travel long distances or face delays, especially when they are waiting for surgery.

The detailed guidelines are available at www.aagbi.org.

^1248912000^2124^New guidelines for dental anaesthes…^Anaesthetists in the UK have been issued with new guidelines on how to prevent and handle emergencies involving the small, but growing, numb…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/anaesthesia-mask-2.jpg
Ex Tory leader opens dental practice^

A new orthodontic practice has been opened by the former leader of the Conservative party, Iain Duncan Smith.

The official opening followed a lot of ‘hard work and headaches’ getting the Essex-based practice up and running.

Rehana Yaqoob, principle orthodontist at the Chingford branch of Angle House Orthodontics, explained that it took a year to complete all the legal matters before building work could begin, and prior to this they had two other potential sites fall through. Despite all this, she said: ‘The final result justified all the hard work. We had a lot of help and support from all the staff, so it really was a combined effort.’

 

Companies with specialised knowledge were used to carry out the building work to specific dental needs and this was completed within three months. Rehana continued: ‘We made the move over the Christmas period and opened to patients in January. The decorating has been an ongoing process but its all finished now.’ The practice now boasts two surgeries and improved facilities, such as digital X-rays.

 

Angle House Orthodontics has relocated from a single surgery in a health centre to larger premises. The practice – initially set up due to a shortage of orthodontists in the area and a resulting three-year hospital waiting list – needed to expand to cater to the growing number of patients and to ensure it was disabled access compliant. Rehana said: ‘The move was limited by locality because we wanted to expand for our patients, so it was important to stay in the same area.’

 

The Angle House group has five orthodontic practices across North London with a clinical team of 20 orthodontists treating a mixture of NHS and private patients of all ages. Rehana is one of the managing partners and is working with Maire M.B.O’Donohoe at the Chingford branch.

 

Rehana said: ‘There are no immediate plans for more practices, we are very limited by the new contract as to what we can do.’

 

Practice details can be found at www.anglehouseorthodontics.co.uk.


^1248912000^2125^Ex Tory leader opens dental practic…^A new orthodontic practice has been opened by the former leader of the Conservative party, Iain Duncan Smith.The official opening followed a…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Angle-House.png
Suspension for disgraced dentist^

A dentist has been given a four month suspension after a General Dental Council (GDC) hearing which discovered he intimately touched his dental nurse during appointments.

He also questioned a sedated patient about sexual experiences.
 
The GDC found his conduct was unprofessional, inappropriate and not in the best interests of patients.

Chair of the GDC hearing, Barbara Duffner, told him: ‘Whilst you had a patient in the dental chair, on a number of occasions you engaged in inappropriate sexual behaviour with the same nurse.

‘The Committee had no doubt in deciding that such conduct betrayed your profession and was plainly not in the best interest of your patients and was such that it could have brought the profession into disrepute.’

The Committee heard that in September 2002, while a patient had two teeth removed under sedation, she was asked about her sexual history. Barbara Duffner said: ‘You  [Mr Drabu] and/or (in your presence) the dental nurse asked the patient questions about the patient’s sexual experiences.’

When the patient came to the practice to collect some medicine, Mr Drabu repeatedly stated the name of her first sexual partner.

Ms Duffner said the panel had noted that Mr Drabu was highly respected by patients and fellow dentists. They did not criticise his work.

Mr Drabu has also been called into a meeting with bosses at the Manchester Dental Hospital – where he works one day a week training dentists – to discuss his future.

^1249257600^2131^Suspension for disgraced dentist^A dentist has been given a four month suspension after a General Dental Council (GDC) hearing which discovered he intimately touched his den…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/gavel-new.png
Tooth germ successfully bioengineered^

A research team has successfully bioengineered a tooth germ that develops into a fully functioning bioengineered tooth with sufficient hardness for mastication and a functional responsiveness to mechanical stress in the maxillofacial region.

The research also provided the results that the nerve fibres that have re-entered the pulp and periodontal ligament (PDL) tissues of the bioengineered tooth have proper perceptive potential in response to noxious stimulations such as orthodontic treatment and pulp stimulation.

The research group, led by Takashi Tsuji, a professor in the Research Institute for Science and Technology at Tokyo, has demonstrated growing the teeth in adult mice.

This research is expected to substantially advance the development of ‘tooth regenerative therapy’, which has potential to replace diseased or damaged teeth with bioengineered teeth.

The paper has been published in Proceeding of the National Academy of Science – see www.pnas.org for the full article.

^1249344000^2132^Tooth germ successfully bioengineer…^A research team has successfully bioengineered a tooth germ that develops into a fully functioning bioengineered tooth with sufficient hardn…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/ratty-combo.jpg
Dental nurse and technicians: a year on^

It’s the first anniversary of compulsory registration with the General Dental Council (GDC) for dental nurses and dental technicians in the UK.

For one year, dental patients have been able to step into the surgery in the knowledge that both professional groups had joined clinical dental technicians, dental therapists and dental hygienists in having to sign up to the GDC register of dental care professionals.

Today, there are almost 44,500 dental nurses on the GDC register and more than 7,500 dental technicians.

 

Compulsory registration means that all members of the dental team are signed up to the same high standards that are implemented and regulated by the GDC.

 

The change meant both groups have had to register with the GDC once they’re qualified. They can only work unregistered whilst in training, during which they can only carry out tasks under supervision and that are within their competence.

 

Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the GDC, said: ‘Patients can rest assured that we’re now regulating the entire dental team. Dental nurses and dental technicians – like all other registrants – are expected to always act in the best interests of patients. We’re currently working on plans to introduce revalidation for the dental team over the next few years. By demonstrating that they remain up to the standard expected of them over the course of their working lives, dental professionals will be able to enhance the trust of patients.’

 

One year on, around 47,000 of those who joined the registers before 31 July last year are preparing to submit their first returns of their five year-cycle of continuing professional development (CPD).

Claire Harris, a dental nurse manager at the Centre for Social Policy and Community Development at Kings College London, said: ‘Registration can only be a positive experience, opening new avenues to dental nurses with extended duties, such as fluoride application and new opportunities to further their careers. I believe it’s generated a new respect for the profession which was lacking before.’

Simon Butler, honorary treasurer of the Dental Technologists Association and a dental technologist from Hampshire, said: ‘Registration has made me feel more like a member of an official profession. It will also benefit the patients with better quality work throughout laboratories.’

^1248998400^2128^Dental nurse and technicians: a yea…^It’s the first anniversary of compulsory registration with the General Dental Council (GDC) for dental nurses and dental technicians i…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/alarm-clock.png
It’s back to dental school for review leader^

Jimmy Steele is heading back to dental school, having set himself the task of implementing the training to take NHS dentistry into the realms of a world leader.

In his independent review published in June, Professor Steele set out a blueprint for a better, more accessible delivery of NHS dental services, recommending significant changes to the way the system is organised.

And, at a recent Westminster Health Forum seminar evaluating these recommendations, he promised that NHS dentistry could ‘lead the world in providing an oral health service’ if changes are made ‘in an evolutionary way’.

Now, having landed the new role of head of school of dental sciences at Newcastle University [he was formerly professor of oral health services research there] he faces the challenge to ‘educate students to incentivise patients in good oral health’.

Speaking with Dentistry magazine, he says: ‘I now have to look at the review and ask myself: “Do I agree with the principles, what’s my role and is the school following these pathways?”

‘The principles within the review are probably what we are training for, even though we are not training for the NHS system itself. The principles of prevention are the principles of good dentistry and this is what we want to achieve.

‘We’ve had 60 years of doing things in a certain way and I’ve got to change, too, and it’s a difficult thing to do.’

Regarding the timescale for when NHS dentistry could become a world-leading oral health service provider, he warns: ‘I think we will have a system in place within five years, but everyone has to think brutally in terms of cuts in public spending, because these would be really bad for the consumer.

‘A three per cent cut, for example, is much worse for the citizen than just the cut in spending and will have a long-term effect. Patients are going to need a strong voice because we don’t die of poor oral health.’

Meanwhile, Professor Steele will be welcoming dental students to the school of dental sciences at Newcastle University on 4 September.

Speaking of his six months working on the review, he admits that engaging with dentists at a grass-root level, as he did in his roadshows, was ‘difficult, challenging and a bit scary at times’.

‘I miss it. It seems ages ago and a completely different world.’

^1249257600^2130^It’s back to dental school for re…^Jimmy Steele is heading back to dental school, having set himself the task of implementing the training to take NHS dentistry into the realm…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Jimmy-Steele-with-dental-st.jpg
Dental nurses could ease swine flu pressure^

Dental nurses could be drafted in to ease pressure on Tyneside hospital staff if the swine flu pandemic becomes worse and puts the hospital under strain.

Dr Meng Khaw, director of public health for North Tyneside Primary Care Trust said: ‘[Dental] Nurses are not qualified to treat medical conditions, and the sorts of roles that dental nurses would be asked to do might be taking phone calls, triaging patents, and providing information and signposting patients to other services.’

BDA spokesman Martin Fulford said: ‘I think with the appropriate training it’s time for everyone to pull together.

‘We need to look at the NHS in its entirety and prioritise our working practices.

‘Nurses are trained healthcare professionals and would expect to help out in such an emergency.’

Although dental nurses are not employed directly by the NHS – as dentists work as independent contractors – discussions would be held with dental businesses if there were weaknesses in the health service, said the PCT.

Dr Khaw said: ‘There’s no indication at the moment that we’ll get to a stage where we have to call on the whole health economy to help in our response.

‘We’re looking towards autumn time when we’re expecting to hit the peak weeks of this pandemic.’

The nurses would receive specific training for any such work, he added.

^1249344000^2133^Dental nurses could ease swine flu …^Dental nurses could be drafted in to ease pressure on Tyneside hospital staff if the swine flu pandemic becomes worse and puts the hospital …^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Nurses.jpg
The figures are up^

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is delighted to announce that it has achieved record attendance figures for its 2009 Talking Points in Dentistry lecture programme. With almost 5000 delegates over the seminar series, the attendance at the Motor Cycle museum in Solihull totalling 900 delegates alone.
For three weeks, the event aimed at the whole dental practice, visited nine venues across the UK offering topical evening lectures to the whole practice team.  Speakers this year included Philip Ower, Graham Smart and Ashley Latter.
Jeremy Meader, sales director pharmacy and dental channels, comments: ‘The premise of Talking Points has always been to provide further education in an engaging and entertaining manner.  Using the positive feedback that we have received from delegates over the years, has meant that Talking Points has grown into the largest dental seminar programme in the UK.’
GSK looks forward to celebrating 25 years of Talking Points in Dentistry in 2010 and once again providing an informative and worthwhile event for the whole dental team.

^1249344000^2136^The figures are up^GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is delighted to announce that it has achieved record attendance figures for its 2009 Talking Points in Dentistry lectu…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/tp.png
Northern Ireland dentists’ pay revealed^^1249344000^2134^Northern Ireland dentists’ pay re…^^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/pay-day.jpg
Brave steps against mouth cancer^

John Dabell, a teacher from Nottingham who developed tongue cancer will complete the 10k Mouth Cancer Walk, ‘with a drip stand attached if necessary.’

He was diagnosed on 31 March, his daughter’s second birthday, after weeks of being in pain with ulcers and a lump on the side of his tongue.

John had been back and forth to his GP who initially thought it was a virus, and then an allergy. Eventually he went to see his dentist: ‘He didn’t know what to make of things, so referred me to a maxillofacial consultant.’

After the consultant made the diagnosis, John underwent a 15-hour operation at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, which involved breaking his jaw and opening up his face. The cancer had spread to the neck so his lymph nodes were also removed. The operation was a success but he lost 75% of his tongue, so a muscle and skin graft was taken from his left arm to replace it.

John said: ‘It was a delicate, time-consuming and incredibly skilful operation that I think about constantly. I am in awe of what the surgeons at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham did. They saved my life.’

Despite all the trauma, John’s spirits remain high: ‘It’s tough, but I’ll cope because I have far too much I want to achieve. Although a lot of my taste buds will have been destroyed, I’m determined to eat my Christmas dinner at school [Forest Fields Primary and Nursery School in Nottingham where he teaches Year Six]. Attitude determines altitude and I’m determined to fly high again.’

Because tongue cancer is rare, John had never heard of it, so he is determined to raise awareness of the disease. He is taking part in the 10k Mouth Cancer walk in Hyde Park on 26 September. ‘It might not seem much considering I did Ben Nevis a couple of years ago, but it’s an important goal for me and I’ll do it with a drip stand attached if necessary.’

John’s dentist acted responsibly by referring him to a specialist. Vinod Joshi, founder of the Mouth Cancer Foundation says: ‘As dental health professionals, we are the natural leaders to lead the fight against mouth cancer.’ Here are some signs to watch out for in patients:
•    A sore or ulcer in the mouth that does not heal within three weeks
•    A lump or overgrowth of tissue anywhere in the mouth
•    A red or white patch on the tongue that will not go away
•    Persistent numbness in the mouth
•    A sore throat that does not go away
•    A sore spot on the tongue that does not go away
•    Pain when swallowing.

To support John’s charity 10k walk, visit www.justgiving.com/johndabell.

^1249603200^2145^Brave steps against mouth cancer^John Dabell, a teacher from Nottingham who developed tongue cancer will complete the 10k Mouth Cancer Walk, ‘with a drip stand attached if n…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/trainers.jpg
Dentists’ average earnings revealed^

Self-employed dentists in England and Wales earned on average £89,062 before tax in 2007/2008, according to the NHS Information Centre.

The NHS Information Centre’s chief executive Tim Straughan said: ‘The England and Wales report looks at earnings in the second year of the new contractual system and reveals the average earnings of NHS dentists varies greatly depending on whether they personally held a contract with their Primary Care organisation.’

The report also shows that in 2007/08 in England, all self-employed dentists earned on average £88,790 (before tax), with contract-holding dentists earning on average £126,527 (before tax) and dentists without a contract with a PCT earning on average £65,668 (before tax). In Wales, all self-employed dentists earned on average £93,924 (before tax) with contract-holding dentists earning on average £131,287 (before tax) and dentists without a contract with an LHB earning on average £66,259 (before tax).

The earnings and expenses of full and part-time, self-employed primary care dentists who undertook some NHS work in England and Wales in the year were considered, covering both their NHS and private work.

A separate report also looked at the earnings of dentists in Northern Ireland showing that self-employed dentists earned an average of £89,756 before tax, contract-holding dentists earning on average £121,174 (before tax) and dentists without a contract earning on average £66,134 (before tax).

The findings of both reports will help the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration make their next set of recommendations on dental remuneration.

The full reports can be seen at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalearnexp0708 (England and Wales) and at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalearnexp0708ni (Northern Ireland).

^1249344000^2135^Dentists’ average earnings reveal…^Self-employed dentists in England and Wales earned on average £89,062 before tax in 2007/2008, according to the NHS Information Centre…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/pay-day-cake.jpg
Water jet for the win^

The Waterpik Dental Water Jet is rapidly becoming the choice for outstanding dental care, creating healthier gingival tissue and helping prevent the progression of periodontal disease.
With regular brushing, the Waterpik has seen great survey results, including a significant reduction in gingival bleeding (up to 93 %) and a reduction in gingivitis compared to regular brushing and flossing (up to 52%). (www.waterpik.co.uk)
The biggest problem with periodontal pockets is daily cleaning, but the Waterpik dental water jet with a Pik Pocket subgingival delivery tip, allows easy and gentle deep cleaning, even for pockets of up to 6mm.
For your professional courtesy discount on the Waterpik Dental Water Jets speak to a wholesaler. The product is also widely available in Boots stores.
www.waterpik.co.uk

^1249344000^2137^Water jet for the win^The Waterpik Dental Water Jet is rapidly becoming the choice for outstanding dental care, creating healthier gingival tissue and helping pre…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/wdj.png
New professor at dental institute^

Shahram Tabibi has been awarded the title of Professor at the Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).

Professor Tabibi has worked at the University of Central Lancashire since 2003, initially as course leader of the MSc in Dental Implantology, and senior lecturer in oral surgery, before becoming director of the newly created Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education in 2006. 

In his current role, Professor Tabibi has been responsible for curriculum development, quality enhancement, learning, research and marketing, developing the Institute into one of the country’s leading postgraduate dental establishments. 

He said: ‘I am delighted to have become a professor at UCLan – I believe my appointment is a great endorsement of the work of the entire Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education since its establishment in 2006. Over this short period we have become recognised as a centre of excellence for the continuous professional development courses we offer dental practitioners.’

During his career, Professor Shahram Tabibi has developed vast experience as an oral surgery specialist having undertaken attachments to oral surgery departments at many hospitals. He has attended advanced courses in occlusion and restorative dentistry and has been placing implants since 1989. He also has experience of chin grafts and sinus lifts. 

Professor Tabibi co-established the North West Implant Training Centre in 1997, providing further training in the field of implantology to GDPs.

^1249516800^2140^New professor at dental institute^Shahram Tabibi has been awarded the title of Professor at the Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education at the University of Central Lanca…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Shahram-Tabibi.jpg
Newly appointed GDC members^

The General Dental Council has announced the names of the new members appointed to the restructured council.

From 1 October 2009, the Council will consist of 24 members – 12 will be lay and 12 will be professional – replacing the current Council of 29 members.
The new composition comes after the Government published its 2007 White Paper, Trust, assurance and safety; the regulation of health professionals in the 21st century, which set out plans for the future of healthcare regulation in the UK.

Chief executive and registrar of the GDC Duncan Rudkin said: ‘The General Dental Council is moving into a new era and I look forward to the challenges ahead as we continue to strive for excellence in patient protection and healthcare regulation.

I would like to thank all the current Council members for their hard work and dedication. With their help we have come through an exciting period of change with the statutory registration of all dental nurses and dental technologists. We couldn’t have done it without them. I look forward to working with the newly appointed Council.’

The appointed members are:
1 Grace Alderson (Lay)
2 Rosemary Carter (Lay)
3 Peter Catchpole (Lay – Returning)
4 Suzanne Cosgrave (Lay – Returning)
5 Elizabeth Davenport (Registrant – Dentist)
6 Mary Dodd (Registrant – Dentist – Returning)
7 Helen Falcon (Registrant – Dentist)
8 Robin Field-Smith (Lay)
9 Hazel Fraser (Registrant – DCP)
10 Janet Goodwin (Registrant – DCP)
11 Wakkas Khan (Registrant – Dentist)
12 Anthony Kilcoyne (Registrant – Dentist – Returning)
13 Alison Lockyer (Registrant – Dentist – Returning)
14 Alan MacDonald (Lay)
15 Kevin O’Brien (Registrant – Dentist)
16 Grahame Owen (Lay)
17 Derek Prentice (Lay – Returning)
18 Mabel Slater (Registrant – DCP – Returning)
19 David Smith (Registrant – DCP)
20 Neil Stevenson (Lay)
21 Linda Stone (Lay)
22 Anne Marie Telford (Lay)
23 Denis Toppin (Registrant – Dentist – Returning)
24 Carol Varlaam (Lay – Returning)

^1249516800^2141^Newly appointed GDC members^The General Dental Council has announced the names of the new members appointed to the restructured council.From 1 October 2009, the Council…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Mabel-Slater.jpg
Dental commissioning report released^

The Department of Health (DoH) today released the statistics for dental commissioning for the quarter ending June 2009.

The data shows the number of Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) commissioned as at 30 June 2009.

The DoH states these key findings this quarter:
•    All 152 commissioners (PCTs and Care Trusts) returned data
•    84.5 million UDAs have been commissioned as at 30 June 2009
•    This represents an increase of 1.1 million (1.4%) on the UDAs commissioned as at 31 March 2009.

The statistics can be viewed at:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/PrimaryCare/DH_089886

www.performance.doh.gov.uk/dental_contracts/index.htm

^1249516800^2142^Dental commissioning report release…^The Department of Health (DoH) today released the statistics for dental commissioning for the quarter ending June 2009.The data shows the nu…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/dentist-reading-report.jpg
Tribute to Sir Bobby Robson from mouth cancer victim^

The mother of a young mouth cancer sufferer has paid her respects to football legend Sir Bobby Robson, who raised over £1.6million to help fight cancer during his life.

Daniel Sewell was diagnosed with a rare form of mouth cancer when he was 13 months old, after tests at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital on a malignant tumour in his mouth.

He was then transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle for an operation that involved breaking his jaw to remove a large part of his tongue.

Daniel also had chemotherapy but is now, aged five, free of cancer. He was supported by the children’s charity Rainbow Trust, of which Sir Bobby was a patron.

Alison Sewell, 39, of Crook, County Durham said: ‘He did so much for cancer sufferers and, if it wasn’t for people like him, Daniel wouldn’t be here today. It was fantastic that he raised so much for the treatment of cancer and helped so many people.’

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has given money to hospitals and he had just opened the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre at the Freeman Hospital.

^1249603200^2143^Tribute to Sir Bobby Robson from mo…^The mother of a young mouth cancer sufferer has paid her respects to football legend Sir Bobby Robson, who raised over £1.6million to …^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Bobby-Robson.jpg
BDA Director defends dentists’ earnings^^1249603200^2144^BDA Director defends dentists’ ea…^^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/receipts.jpg
Redheads more susceptible to dental pain^^1249862400^2146^Redheads more susceptible to dental…^^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/redhead.jpg
Redheads may be avoiding the dentist^

Redheads are twice as likely to avoid the dentist due to low pain tolerance, according to a new study published by Journal of American Dental Association.

Researchers believe variants of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene play a role. This produces melanin, which gives skin, hair and eyes their colour.

While the relationship between MC1R and pain sensitivity is not entirely understood, researchers have found MC1R receptors in the brain and some of them are known to influence pain sensitivity.

‘Redheads are more sensitive to pain than people with other hair colours and will thus experience more discomfort during painful procedures,’ said Cleveland Clinic anaesthesiologist Dr Daniel Sessler, who led the study. ‘This can lead to dental care-related anxiety and dental care avoidance.’

The study involved 144 participants – including 67 redheads and 77 people with dark hair – who completed surveys designed to measure dental care-related anxiety, fear or dental pain and previous dental care avoidance.

The next phase of research is to evaluate whether more anaesthesia is needed for people with red hair and those with variants of the MCR1 gene for dental procedures.

^1249862400^2147^Redheads may be avoiding the dentis…^Redheads are twice as likely to avoid the dentist due to low pain tolerance, according to a new study published by Journal of American Denta…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/redhead.jpg
Mouth cancer expert calls for booze abstinence ^

A mouth cancer expert is calling for an abstinence from alcohol to stem the rise in mouth cancer in the UK.

New figures suggest that booze is largely to blame for an ‘alarming’ rise in the rate of oral cancers among men and women in their forties.

The figures, released by Cancer Research UK, show that since the mid-1990s, rates of oral cancers have gone up by 28% for men in their forties and 24% for women.

 

Alcohol consumption has doubled since the 1950s and is the most likely culprit alongside smoking, says Cancer Research UK.

 

Now Dr Vinod Joshi, founder of the Mouth Cancer Foundation is suggesting people should ‘avoid drinking alcohol altogether’.

 

The Department of Health’s current advice is that men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol per day, and women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units of alcohol per day.

 

He says: ‘In view of the latest reports from Cancer Research UK, the current alcohol guidelines that we’ve got are actually very high.

‘To reduce the risk of mouth cancer risk, the Mouth Cancer Foundation recommends that people should limit or avoid drinking alcohol altogether.’

For men, the Mouth Cancer Foundation recommends no more than occasional drinking of two standard drinks a day and for women no more than one standard drink a day.

Experts suggest that increased alcohol consumption is to blame as they say cancers caused by smoking often take 30 years to develop, and smoking rates have gone down while drinking has gone up.

Hazel Nunn, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, says: ‘These latest figures are really alarming. Alcohol consumption has doubled since the 1950s and the trend we are now seeing is likely to be linked to Britain’s continually rising drinking levels.

‘It’s possible that HPV and diet are also playing a role, and the evidence – particularly for the role of HPV – is growing.’
 

Each year in the UK, around 1,800 people die from the disease and there are 5,000 newly diagnosed cases per year.
    

Other risk factors that may be involved include a diet low in fruit and vegetables, and the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), which also causes cervical cancer.

 

For further information, visit www.mouthcancerfoundation.org.

^1249948800^2148^Mouth cancer expert calls for booze…^A mouth cancer expert is calling for an abstinence from alcohol to stem the rise in mouth cancer in the UK.New figures suggest that booze is…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/over-40-drinks.png
Prisoner resorted to DIY dentistry^

A prisoner has pulled out his own tooth because he had to wait so long to see a dentist.

A report has revealed that inmates at HMP Kirklevington Grange, near Yarm in the north-east, were waiting seven weeks or longer for treatment.

Inspectors said: ‘This had resulted in some desperate self-treatment measures. We spoke to some of the individuals concerned; all stated that they still had dental pain, two had obvious facial swelling, one showed us that he had pulled his own tooth out to try to relieve the pain and another admitted to “self medicating” with illegal medications.’

The long wait for dental appointments was caused by category C prisoners having to wait for officials to complete risk assessments and approve permission for them to leave the grounds to visit a dentist.

Director of the Prison Reform Trust Juliet Lyon said: ‘This report finds that Kirklevington Grange prison is performing well its vital role preparing long-term prisoners for release.

‘But it shows that even a well-run prison sometimes struggles to provide basic health and dental services equivalent to those in the community.’

^1249948800^2149^Prisoner resorted to DIY dentistry^A prisoner has pulled out his own tooth because he had to wait so long to see a dentist.A report has revealed that inmates at HMP Kirkleving…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Prisoner.png
Win a FREE place to Private Dentistry Live!^

We are giving you the chance to win one of 30 free places at Private Dentistry Live!

Celebrating its 10th annual conference, Private Dentistry Live! brings you the core principles of private dentistry, which includes everything from how to survive in this climate to top clinical tips on crown and bridge and periodontics.

It’s being held on Friday 23 October at The Royal College of Physicians, London.

 

There is something for everyone, including an extensive exhibition keeping you up-to-date with all the latest developments.
 
Sessions include:
•         Surviving and thriving in the credit crunch – Jane Lelean
•         Crown and bridge – Joe Oliver
•         Top 10 tips for clinical practice – Joe Oliver
•         Periodontal management and systematic treatment planning – Paul Baker
•         Case acceptance for all the team – Mervyn Druian
•         Essential habits of a successful business – Jane Lelean
•         Customer Service – Emma John
•         The role of the treatment co-ordinator – Laura Horton

 

You can enter the competition by answering the question below:

At which London venue will Private Dentistry Live! be held?

Call 0800 371652 or email your answer and full contact details to [email protected] by 31 August.


You can find full details of each session, speaker, and the exhibition online at www.pdlive.co.uk To book a place at Private Dentistry Live! call 0800 371652 or visit www.pdlive.co.uk

Terms: The first 30 names drawn out of the hat will win a place. No refunds on previous bookings.

^1249948800^2150^Win a FREE place to Private Dentist…^We are giving you the chance to win one of 30 free places at Private Dentistry Live!Celebrating its 10th annual conference, Private Dentistr…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Private-Den-Live-logo.png
Redheads less likely to go to the dentist^

Research has shown that people with red hair are more averse to seeking dental treatment, linked to a gene that creates their hair colour.

Experts believe that people with red hair will require larger doses of anaesthetics to numb the sensation, than those with other hair colours.

Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio, looked at whether redheads were more likely to avoid visiting the dentist than others.

The study looked at 144 people aged between 18 and 41. 67 were natural redheads and 77 had dark hair.

They were all asked to complete a survey designed to show if they were worried about seeing a dentist, how they felt about dental pain and whether they would avoid having dental work done.
The findings, indicated that 85 participants had the MC1R gene variants associated with red hair and pain, including 65 of the 67 red-haired group and 20 of the 77 with dark hair.

They were more than twice as likely to avoid the dentist, even after the researchers controlled for those who had generally more anxious personalities.

The researchers advise that dentists should assess all their patients, but especially those with red hair, for fear of dental work.

However, dentists suggested that the gene might occasionally drive redheads to their dentist more swiftly.

^1249948800^2151^Redheads less likely to go to the d…^Research has shown that people with red hair are more averse to seeking dental treatment, linked to a gene that creates their hair colour.Ex…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/redhead.png
Threat to fluoridation in the north^

A legal attempt to overturn a decision to fluoridate Southampton’s water supply could disrupt moves to explore a similar process in the north west of England.

The North West Strategic Health Authority (SHA) is due to discuss progress on a feasibility study for adding fluoride to the tap water in Greater Manchester and further afield in September.

The next stage would involve the SHA presenting to the region’s primary care trusts a formal set of proposals for how fluoridation would work and asking them whether they wanted the SHA to kick off a consultation.

 

However, the North West SHA has said it is waiting to see whether a formal application for a judicial review into the way South Central SHA ran its consultation into fluoridation for the Southampton area is successful.

 

Chief executive Mike Farrar said: ‘Should permission be granted, the process may take several months and it is prudent for NHS North West to wait for the outcome before committing significant resources on this matter.’

 

The application for a judicial review in Southampton – the outcome of which is expected shortly – has been initiated by city resident Geraldine Milner, who is being represented by solicitors Leigh Day & Co.

 

Ms Milner is opposed to the proposals, which were approved by health authorities in February, because of uncertainties regarding long-term health risks associated with fluoridation, as well as concerns about possible adverse environmental effects.

 

The legal challenge argues that the SHA failed to have regard for the government’s policy that mass fluoridation of drinking water should only go ahead in any particular area if a majority of the local people are in favour of it.

 

Chief dental officer Barry Cockcroft has already said there is ‘a lot of interest around the country’ in the outcome of the challenge, which if successful would be a serious blow to supporters of fluoridation. Such supporters include the new health secretary, Andy Burnham, who said he wanted health authorities in Greater Manchester to ‘take forward’ proposals for fluoridation there.

 

Burnham calls for debate
Health secretary Andy Burnham has called for a national debate on the merits of fluoridation.

 

Mr Burnham, a long-standing supporter of the process as a way of reducing tooth decay, said while it could not be ‘imposed’ on a community that did not want it, the government had a responsibility to set out the health benefits.

 

Mr Burnham stressed the benefits fluoridation could bring to areas such as north west England, and said as a backbench MP representing the Greater Manchester constituency of Leigh he had campaigned for a change in the law to make fluoridation easier.

You can’t look at evidence like that and say we can’t have a debate about it. I think there’s a very powerful case for fluoridation, but it shouldn’t be imposed on anybody

The health secretary, who stepped down as vice-president of the British Fluoridation Society following his promotion in June to avoid any perceived conflict of interest, pointed to the stark contrast in oral health between the West Midlands, which had added fluoride to its water supply for four decades and whose children’s teeth were in relatively good condition, and Manchester, where there was a much higher rate of tooth decay.

 

He said: ‘The West Midlands has been fluoridated for 40 years and if you look at children’s dental health there compared with dental health of children elsewhere in the country, Manchester being a good example, there’s a significant difference between the number of decayed, filled or extracted teeth per child at age five – the difference is really marked.

 

‘If you looked in Birmingham at how many children are having their teeth extracted under general anaesthetic and compare that to Manchester, you will see quite a big difference.

 

‘There is no evidence of adverse health impact to people in the West Midlands, but there is major evidence of health gains, particularly to children.’

 

Mr Burnham said while he wanted Greater Manchester to bring forward fluoridation because children’s dental health in the area was ‘the worst in England’, he said the process was ‘not necessarily’ appropriate for every area.

 

He explained: ‘You have got to pay for it so the health bodies have got to decide it’s worth doing, given their levels of dental health need, and it’s a matter for local decision in the health service.

 

‘However, if the 10 PCTs of Greater Manchester were to say, in my view rightly, this is something we should be doing, then absolutely I would encourage them to take forward a proposal and have a debate, but also listen to local opinion.’

 

Mr Burnham acknowledged there was opposition to fluoridation, but said: ‘I am personally persuaded that while there is a small loss of personal liberty for the person that doesn’t want that one part per million [of fluoride in the water], there is a major public health gain in terms of the quality of children’s dental health. Actually it improves adults’ teeth as well, and that’s the evidence.’

 

The Labour MP cautioned: ‘It can’t be imposed – it’s got to be a matter for local decision making by the health authorities obviously listening to local opinion.’

 

But stressing the need to start the ball rolling across the UK, he said: ‘I have always felt quite strongly about it. If we know of a health gain that could improve children’s lives, on what basis would we not put that question to a local population? Because we’re frightened of the debate that might create? Let’s have that debate.’

 

Mr Burnham complained that the debate over fluoridation was often taken in ‘a certain direction’ by a minority of ‘very vociferous people’.

 

He said: ‘Sometimes, the other side of the story does not come out as clearly as it might. I am not aware of a clamour in the West Midlands to remove [fluoride] but I am aware of major evidence of improved child dental health in the West Midlands.

 

‘You can’t look at evidence like that and say we can’t have a debate about it. I think
there’s a very powerful case for fluoridation, but it shouldn’t be imposed on anybody.’

^1249948800^2152^Threat to fluoridation in the north^A legal attempt to overturn a decision to fluoridate Southampton’s water supply could disrupt moves to explore a similar process in th…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/tap.png
News feature: Children are our future^

Having gone through the traumas of the ‘wet the toothbrush under the tap and put it back in the mug without brushing’ moments, the ‘I’ll only do it if it’s Barbie pink’ obsession and the ‘sweets and biscuit-treating grandma’ scenarios, Sara and Mike Reece are well-equipped to understand the frustrations of parents who have toothbrush-reluctant children.

In August 2007, the husband and wife team opened their third dental practice – Reece Associates Dental Care Solutions – and, with it, the pilot site for the Smilescool programme, a new approach to preventive dentistry for children.

 

 width=370 height=250 /></p>
<p></p>
<p class=blue_bigfont><em>This is a highly innovative project that we are confident will help towards positive progress in children’s oral health – Dr Nigel Carter<br /></em></p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The initial idea was Mike’s, 52, who qualified from Guy’s in 1980. Sara, 43, qualified from Guy’s as a registered general nurse in 1986. She’s the practice partner and Smilescool’s CEO.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Sara explains: ‘It was borne out of his frustration that, after 23 years, nothing had really changed in the way we approach the delivery of the care of children in general practice i.e. in the main, we still wait until something goes wrong before we fix it. We do nothing to address the fact that both tooth decay and gum disease are preventable and that someone, sometime has to take a longer view and ensure children are empowered to be proactive by knowing exactly “how and what” they need to do to keep their mouths healthy for life. Being told to clean “more”, clean “better” and “not eat sweets” really doesn’t hack it. Mike was – and is – determined to leave some kind of legacy that will move forward the experience of dentistry and the lifelong outcomes with regard to improved oral – and general – health for today’s children.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>She explains: ‘At a time in our careers when most of our peers are feeling that they’ve “made their mark” – and as a result are looking to coast gently towards retirement – Mike and I decided to undertake the biggest challenge of our careers to date.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>With two mixed NHS/private dental practices and two nursery schools, they decided to embrace the concept of their new-style practice to be used as the base and launch pad for the visionary approach to delivering children’s dentistry – Smilescool.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>At the heart of the practice, in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, is the dedicated Smilescool children’s waiting-area that boasts computers and seating set knee-high to an adult, a range of dental health education books and their centre for positive oral development (POD), designed as a non-clinical environment to help children grow familiar with the sights, sounds and ‘strange people’ associated with dentistry.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Sara says: ‘By including a specific children’s area within a general practice setting, we’ve tried to ensure that children, parents, grandparents, etc can use the same premises and most of the same personnel. Smilescool is designed to combat or reverse any existing fear of “a trip to the dentist”, teach parents and children to understand how tooth decay and gum disease develop and, most importantly, the skills necessary for their prevention.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>‘We recognise that preventive and educational childhood dental care has not always been seen as a priority and, by the time some children see a dentist, problems of decay and bad hygiene habits have already formed. We have provided a system for educating children and parents while encouraging practise and evaluation of their skills on an on-going basis. Smilescool moves away from the reactionary system of waiting for a problem to develop before intervening with repair – we teach that prevention is better than cure. Our goal is to help children enjoy looking after their teeth, teach, empower and motivate them with the skills necessary to do it and instil lifelong habits at the earliest age possible.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>At Smilescool, the team teaches life skills and methods to practise, and assesses each child’s oral cleansing techniques and skills. They dreamed up a measureable and quantifiable solution called M.I.K.E.S (Motivational Index for Kids Education Scoring) system – ‘and it’s not a coincidence that the acronym happens to be my husband’s name,’ Sara jokes. Children may join Smilescool from birth – and by the time they reach the age of three each member will visit the practice for 90 minutes, three times a year.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>During each session, the children are given all of the tools to assist them at home which includes:<br />• support information<br />• a pen torch<br />• mouth mirror<br />• disclosing tablets<br />• a score sheet<br />• wall chart<br />• scoring stickers.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Smilescool can even benefit nursing mums.  Sara explains: ‘Smilescool can provide an invaluable social network and can be the first point of contact for mums. We offer advice, assistance, tips and information both for pregnant and nursing mums and their babies and toddlers. You name it, we’re there – from explaining the importance of vigilant gum care during pregnancy, to teething and weaning, advising on the problems of thumb and dummy sucking to the solutions for oral thrush.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The concept for Smilescool has attracted interest from across the sector and within the media. The Smilescool programme has received endorsement and recognition from the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF), Birmingham Dental Hospital, and the practice has developed working partnerships with both Aquafresh and DPAS. Smilescool is now being rolled out across the UK in the form of affiliation. </p>
<p><strong>Final word</strong><br />BDHF chief executive Dr Nigel Carter says: ‘The Foundation is delighted to be working with Smilescool, whose system will assist the important change to a new emphasis on preventive dental care. Providing a fun environment and educating children in dental hygiene habits will also help transform the image of a trip to the dentist. This is a highly innovative project that we are confident will help towards positive progress in children’s oral health.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>With regards to expansion into Europe and possibly, worldwide, Sara says: ‘We’ll have to watch this space! However, I can report that we have already had an enquiry from Salt Lake City.’</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Fees start at £4.50 per month and go up to £15.73 per month. Practice owners interested in finding out more about Smilescool can visit <a href=http://www.smilescool.co.uk>www.smilescool.co.uk</a></p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p><em><strong>How Smilescool works </strong><br />•    Attendance is encouraged from birth/six months<br />•    Children enrol for a 12-month period into groups with children of their own age<br />•    From 3-4yrs of age, attendance is three times a year for 90 minutes each session<br />•    Makes use of all DCP team’s skills and knowledge, not just relying on ‘the dentist’<br />•    Non clinical (Centre for Positive Oral Development) as well as clinical environment is provided – promotes orientation, familiarisation, continuity, trust, acceptance and enjoyment<br />•    Programme includes care, treatment and educational content<br />•    Large range of purpose-designed/age-specific educational/practice/support materials are provided<br />• System designed to facilitate practice and weekly monitoring of oral cleaning technique skill development at home<br />•    Reward system</em></p>
<p>^1250035200^2153^News feature: Children are our futu…^Having gone through the traumas of the ‘wet the toothbrush under the tap and put it back in the mug without brushing’ moments, t…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Mikey.png<br />
Searching for a better way^</p>
<p>Mike Walsh BDS is principal dentist at his well-established practice, MGW Dental Care, in Bedford. While he has a particular interest in cosmetic dentistry and endodontics, it is his penchant for searching out safer and more effective methods of treatment that command attention. He has the distinction of being the first dentist in general practice to use the now world-renowned Sterilox system for disinfection of dental unit waterlines, and now it seems his exclusive use of Smartseal for endo treatments puts him in the innovative category once more. </p>
<p><strong>What’s wrong with being satisfied?</strong><br />Mike had been successfully treating patients with Gutta Flow and GP points for many years. The product had been more than adequate and Mike and his nurse, Kerrie, were familiar and comfortable with the process. There were no problems and customers seemed satisfied. But Mike was dissatisfied. He wanted a product that was biocompatible, that wouldn’t affect people with a latex allergy. He wanted a material that provided a better seal than GP – ideally something that actually bonded. There’s nothing wrong with being happy with what you have if it is <br />working well, but that’s no reason to stop searching for something better.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Mike knew what he wanted and when he read about the launch of Smartseal, his interest was piqued. It certainly filled his criteria: a biocompatible, non-rubber-based, bonding material. It was 2007 and the BDTA Showcase was approaching, so Mike visited the Smartseal stand to find out more. He purchased the product, returned to his practice full of enthusiasm… and put it in his cupboard.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Like so many dentists, once back at the practice Mike returned to his usual routine and didn’t have the time to try something new. Kerrie was unfamiliar with the new product and so wasn’t keen to try it either. Despite knowing that on paper Smartseal ticked all the boxes, and the fact that he had invested money in its purchase, Smartseal remained in Mike’s cupboard until a specific event forced him to try it. </p>
<p><strong>The case for Smartseal</strong><br />Mike’s case notes read: ‘The patient presented in February 2008 with symptoms at UR6 requiring root canal treatment. The symptoms settled following the first stage of RCT, and the treatment was completed in March 2008 with GP, using the Race system, with our usual protocol of irrigation with hypochlorite, EDTA, and 2% chlorhexidene. ‘The patient returned two weeks later complaining of discomfort and tenderness on touching the side of the tooth. I could detect no cause, did a minor adjustment to the occlusion, and booked in for review a few weeks later. He <br />re-attended as an emergency appointment five days later, complaining of sharp, shooting sensations and increased sensitivity. Suspecting a missed canal, I re-opened, and being unable to detect any extra canals, I refilled the tooth.</p>
<p></p>
<p>‘He returned again in May 2008 complaining of an ache from the same tooth and tenderness to palpation. I removed the GP, reviewed canal lengths (MB 21mm, DB 20mm, P 20mm), irrigated ultrasonically with 2% chlorhexidene, and dressed with calcium hydroxide. The symptoms settled within a few days, and on return two weeks later, I refilled the canals with GP. The patient returned a month later, reporting that the discomfort settled within a few days of the root filling being placed, but then returned describing it as being “like a nail being driven into the gum”.</p>
<p></p>
<p>That subsided, but now had become tender on touching the side of the tooth with a general ache all of the time, no temperature sensitivity, and not waking the patient.</p>
<p></p>
<p>‘I decided to keep it under review, but in October, as there was no improvement I again removed the GP, and this time I placed Smartseal, which had been languishing in my cupboard since I’d purchased it. Being unused to it, I felt that my handling of the new material was not as accomplished as we had become with Race and greater taper GP, but the symptoms settled almost immediately and the tooth has been problem-free since October 2008.’</p>
<p><strong>Seminar solution</strong><br />Smartseal succeeded where all else failed, which was no surprise to Mike and Kerrie. Their only issue was how fiddly it seemed to use. Mike had always used tweezers to place points, and so naturally he emulated the process when using Smartseal. The points were difficult to grasp with tweezers and he embarrassingly had to contend with several flying across the room. And so, despite the fantastic result, Mike and Kerrie returned to their quick, efficient and well-practised GP-based approach until Mike decided there must be a solution and booked them both onto a Smartseal seminar.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Mike said: ‘I really wanted to use Smartseal so we attended a local seminar one evening to find out how we could overcome the drawbacks we had identified. I am very glad we did because the solution was so simple I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself. Smartpoints are much more rigid than traditional points, so tweezers are unnecessary – you can just use your fingers. It’s that simple. With that one problem solved we now use Smartseal exclusively and why wouldn’t we? It is biocompatible, it seals better and it is much easier to use. Both Kerrie and I love it.’<br /><strong><br />Beneficial to patients</strong><br />Mike acknowledges that because of its radio-opacity, Smartseal radiographs don’t look as clear as GP. However, he also has experience of X-rays that show perfectly sound root canals <br />treated with GP that later turn out to be unsuccessful. He says: ‘If you know, as I do, that Smartseal is in there and working better at a microscopic level, then that’s what counts. Once you understand and acknowledge that the material you are using is superior, how it looks on an X-ray is less important.</p>
<p></p>
<p>‘Patients appreciate both my explanation and the fact that I am using what I consider to be a superior product. Let’s put it this way: if I were having a root canal, I would want Smartseal, and <br />you can’t get a better recommendation from your dentist than that.’</p>
<p>^1250035200^2154^Searching for a better way^Mike Walsh BDS is principal dentist at his well-established practice, MGW Dental Care, in Bedford. While he has a particular interest in cos…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/Jerry-Watson.png<br />
On the right tracks?^</p>
<p class=bk_bigfont>I am 53 and I don’t remember anyone in my childhood who had braces fitted.</p>
<p></p>
<p><span class=bk_bigfont>Was this because we all had wonderful straight and even teeth? I don’t think so.  My own teeth were neglected, due to ignorance or mishap, and heavily filled in the 1970s, where it seemed that dentists who catered for the masses were on a mission to fill as many teeth with ugly amalgam as possible. Of course, it may be that the well-heeled parents in those days took their gap-toothed offspring to orthodontists,  but it was certainly not de rig<span class=bk_bigfont>eur</span></span><span class=bk_bigfont> for the ordinary, as it seems to be nowadays.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p class=bk_bigfont>In the early 1980s I had two small daughters. We went regularly to the dentist and, subsequently, orthodontists and rows of tortuous-looking metal devices were fitted to their little mouths. My girls cried with sore gums and aching faces and I almost took them back to have the braces removed. Of course, as a doting mum, I always felt that straight teeth would only add to the given attractiveness of my two girls.</p>
<p></p>
<p class=bk_bigfont>However, sitting in the waiting room on all those appointments, I couldn’t help but wonder about the merits of fitting braces to the spotty or ugly that were lined up for the ministrations of the always apparently fraught NHS orthodontists. </p>
<p></p>
<p class=bk_bigfont>There was always the implication that the NHS was doing an enormous favour for those of us who could not even contemplate the cost of private orthodontic care. I found it difficult to get appointments, and had a misplaced sense of guilt at having to pull the girls out of school if after-school appointments were not available. </p>
<p></p>
<p class=bk_bigfont>Now, it seems that braces are often a fashion statement, with adverts for invisible braces for fully grown adults who have presumably managed to live adequately with a few gaps in their teeth or a crooked canine or two. The cynic in me would suggest that this is a trend which has evolved in our celebrity-obsessed world of trying to achieve perfection. </p>
<p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><span class=bk_bigfont>I recently read an article that suggested that scientific developments have successfully grown new teeth from stem cell therapy and that the boffins have achieved producing teeth in a test tube. <br /></span></p>
<p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=bk_bigfont>I just hope they will be straight and even!</span><span style=font-size: 11pt;><!--[endif]--></span></p>
<p>^1250121600^2155^On the right tracks?^I am 53 and I don’t remember anyone in my childhood who had braces fitted.Was this because we all had wonderful straight and even teet…^<br />
Twittering about Dental Showcase^</p>
<p>BDTA Dental Showcase has joined the long list of celebrities who are sharing snippets of their lives, courtesy of the social networking website Twitter.</p>
<p>The online microblogs have caught the imagination of thousands and Twitter has been described as ‘one of the fastest growing phenomena on the internet’.</p>
<p>Now, Dental Showcase has a presence on <a href=http://www.twitter.com>www.twitter.com</a> and regularly updates its page with the latest news about the event. </p>
<p>If you are already registered with Twitter, simply type Dental Showcase into the ‘who are you looking for box’ on the ‘Find People’ page.</p>
<p>Tony Reed, executive director at the BDTA says, ‘With millions of people around the world using Twitter everyday to communicate and stay connected, we felt it was an ideal platform for keeping people in the industry up to date with Showcase developments.’</p>
<p>BDTA Dental Showcase 2009 takes place 12-14 November 2009 at NEC Birmingham. To register in advance for your complimentary ticket visit <a href=http://www.dentalshowcase.com/visit>www.dentalshowcase.com/visit</a>, call the registration hotline on +44 (0) 1494 729959 or text your name, address, occupation and GDC number to 07786 206 276.  Advance registration closes 6 November 2009.  On-the-day registration: £10 per person.</p>
<p>Visit <a href=http://www.twitter.com/DentalShowcase>www.twitter.com/DentalShowcase</a>.</p>
<p>^1250121600^2156^Twittering about Dental Showcase^BDTA Dental Showcase has joined the long list of celebrities who are sharing snippets of their lives, courtesy of the social networking webs…^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/logo.png<br />
Dental nurses unite at conference^</p>
<p>The 2009 National Dental Nursing Conference, sponsored by the British Dental Trade Association, will be held at the Cheltenham Chase Hotel, near Cheltenham, on 23 and 24 October 2009. </p>
<p>Outgoing President Angie McBain will hand over to Sue Bruckel at the opening ceremony and presidential inauguration, at which the keynote speaker will be Hew Matthewson, president of the GDC.</p>
<p>At the closing ceremony, sponsored by Phillips Sonicare, the new president will introduce new members and first-time delegates, present fellowships and congratulate members on their achievements.</p>
<p>Presentations will include:<br />• cross-infection control (sponsored by Schulke)<br />• personal development (sponsored by Colgate)<br />• chiropractics, dental technology, professional indemnity, health and safety, oral/max fac surgery, implants (sponsored by Nobel Biocare)<br />• the new BSc for DCPs<br />• medical emergencies, special needs, speech therapy and forensic dentistry (sponsored by Phillips Sonicare).  </p>
<p>The annual general meetings of the British Association of Dental Nurses and the BADN national education group will also be held.</p>
<p>The conference registration fee of £120 for BADN members or £195 for non-members also includes breakfast canapés, lunch and refreshments on both days, as well as the black-tie presidential dinner. </p>
<p>BADN has also negotiated a special bed-and-breakfast rate for delegates at the Cheltenham Chase (www.qhotels.co.uk/hotels/the-cheltenham-chase.aspx) for the nights of 22, 23 and 24 October 2009.  To reserve rooms, please contact the hotel direct quoting ‘BADN’.</p>
<p>Last year’s conference was such a success we had to turn people away as we just didn’t have room, so early booking is essential. </p>
<p>And for those arriving the day before conference, we have arranged special discounts in the hotel’s spa with an express facial at £15, bronze manicure/pedicure at £15 each and an express back, neck and shoulder massage at just £20.</p>
<p>To book or for further information, visit <a href=http://www.badn.org.uk>www.badn.org.uk</a>.</p>
<p>^1250121600^2157^Dental nurses unite at conference^The 2009 National Dental Nursing Conference, sponsored by the British Dental Trade Association, will be held at the Cheltenham Chase Hotel, …^http://dev.dentistry.co.uk/sites/all/themes/dentistry/images/news_images/nursey.png<br />
Chewing tobacco may cause mouth cancer rise^</p>
<p>Tobacco chewing is causing an ‘alarming’ rise in cases of mouth cancer in east London, health chiefs warned today.</p>
<p>Chewing paan, a mixture of tobacco and areca nut, is leading to a high number of patients in the Bangladeshi community in the London borough of Tower Hamlets being diagnosed, experts at Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry in Whitechapel have revealed.</p>
<p>The findings emerged in a screening programme in the East End, led by Bart’s, when 1,300 people were tested for early signs of mouth cancer.</p>
<p>Most were from the Bengali community. One in 15 people were referred for further investigation. </p>
<p>The findings come in the same week that figures suggest that, nationally, alcohol is largely to blame for the rise in the rate of oral cancers among men and women in their forties.</p>
<p>The figures, released by Cancer Research UK, showed that since the mid-1990s, rates of oral cancers have gone up by 28% for men in their forties and 24% for women.</p>
<p>Anand Lalli, a clinical lecturer in oral surgery, said: ‘In parts of south Asia where paan usage is widespread, oral cancer is one of the commonest causes of death from all cancers. If oral cancer is caught early on, there is a good chance of curing it. But it becomes far less easy to treat the longer it is left.’</p>
<p>A team from the Centre for Clinical and Diagnostic Oral Sciences used a mobile dental unit to tour areas of East London, targeting the Bangladeshi community, especially those who rarely visited a dentist.</p>
<p> He advised regular dental check-ups for people worried about oral cancer, saying: Your dentist is trained to spot the early signs of oral cancer such as ulcers or red or white patches on the gum or tongue. If you have any of these symptoms now you should see your dentist or doctor without delay.</p>
<p>‘If oral cancer is caught early on then there is a very good chance of curing it. But it becomes far less easy to treat the longer it is left,’ he said.</p>
<p>The Mouth Cancer Foundation has produced a new free leaflet in a bid to raise awareness of the symptoms of mouth cancer and risk factors. People can visit the charity’s website to request leaflets.</p>
<p></p>
<p>To get your free leaflets, send an online request via the website <a href=http://www.mouthcancerfoundation.org>www.mouthcancerfoundation.org</a>.</p>
                                    </main>
                <div class=

Favorite
Get the most out of your membership by subscribing to Dentistry CPD
  • Access 600+ hours of verified CPD courses
  • Includes all GDC recommended topics
  • Powerful CPD tracking tools included
Register for webinar
Share
Add to calendar