Clinical and dento-legal conference hits the right notes for current affairs. Julian English reports.
More than 250 dental professionals attended Premier Symposium – a joint Dental Protection and Schülke conference – for an insight into the challenges of complex clinical, ethical and dento-legal issues.
Dental Protection and Schülke, a European leader in cross-infection, have extensive experience in supporting dentists with challenges facing their practice. They jointly hosted the conference on Saturday 29 November to prepare delegates for the key issues common to dentistry and aid safer practice.
Dental director at Dental Protection, Kevin Lewis, said: ‘This year’s conference provided excellent insight and provoked discussion around important topical issues facing dentists: communication, patient medications, tooth wear, infection control and competency.
‘Dentists are dedicated to providing exceptional clinical care and we hope that we enhanced their skills and awareness to manage the ever-evolving landscape they will encounter throughout their careers.’
Speakers
The speakers included:
- Professor John Gibson, professor of medicine in relation to dentistry and honorary consultant in oral medicine, Glasgow University. In describing the dynamic interface between medicine and dentistry, John touched on many of the advances in medicine that directly impact on the work of the dental team, including the recent NICE announcement about antimicrobials
- Ken Hemmings, consultant and specialist in restorative dentistry at the Eastman Dental Hospital. In a concise overview of the causes and management of tooth wear, Ken left the audience with the confidence to manage many of the issues in general practice
- Paul Jenkins, north Bristol NHS Trust decontamination manager. In light of the recent Daybrook Practice episode, the updated role of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the prevailing infection control guidelines offered a rich seam for discussion and learning
- Dr Mark O’Brien, international medical education consultant, Medical Protection Society. By inviting the audience to address their own attitudes and behaviours when things go wrong, Mark enabled his audience to develop a series of practical strategies to use with dissatisfied patients in their practice complaints process
- Professor Callum Youngson, honorary consultant in restorative dentistry at the University of Liverpool. In addition to challenging some widely held myths about competency and the demands of a competitive dental market, Callum offered a stimulating and entertaining approach to avoiding litigation and complaints.
To find out more about Dental Protection visit www.dentalprotection.org.
