Richard Birkin, national director for BDA Wales, claimed NHS dentists' ability to take on new patients are limited by the ‘target-driven’ contract they have with NHS commissioners. He was responding to a report that just two out of 48 general dental practices in Cardiff are accepting new NHS patients. BDA Wales said the problem lay with capped dental budgets for treatment.
No commentsRead more: BDA Wales speaks out on target-driven contracting
The General Dental Council (GDC) is reminding dental care professionals (DCPs) to pay their annual retention fee (ARF) to by 31 July 2015. The ARF is £116 for dental nurses, dental technicians, dental therapists, dental hygienists, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists, a reduction from last year's fee of £120.
Several patients who may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis are considering legal action against the Sydney (Australia) dentists who performed invasive dental surgery with poorly sterilised equipment. Lawyers have been contacted by several distressed patients after it was revealed over 11,000 people were potentially exposed to blood-borne diseases at clinics in the city.
Read more: Legal action threatened in Australia over poor sterilisation
In the Lords debate on the Queen’s speech, retired dentist, Lord Colwyn said that the dental profession had expressed grave concerns with the GDC. He added that it was disappointing that the Queen’s Speech made no reference to the Law Commission’s recommendations for health regulation—something health regulators and unions are all keen to scrutinise with a move to implementation. He also raised several other matters of concern to the profession.
Kevin Lewis said it was deeply disappointing to see public confidence in their dentists being undermined yet again. He commented: “Nobody would support cases where patients are being deliberately misled, but it is not acceptable to assume that this must be the case, simply because a dental practice – perhaps through the quality and popularity of the service it provides – finds that the demand for its services exceeds its capacity to supply them.”
Read more: Kevin Lewis speaks out on Which? report about access to NHS dentists
The British Dental Association (BDA) has issued a strong response to the Professional Standards Authority’s (PSA) recent annual report on the General Dental Council (GDC). BDA Chair Mick Armstrong, said: “Yet again GDC registrants must acknowledge that they are being regulated by the worst health regulator in the UK. It is difficult to understand how badly the GDC has to perform before someone actually intervenes.”
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Early childhood caries (ECC) is a common oral health problem, particularly in disadvantaged and developing populations. Its causes are multifaceted, including feeding practices like breastfeeding. The link between breastfeeding and ECC is unclear. Key findings No significant association was found between breastfeeding and the development of early childhood caries (ECC). Nighttime breastfeeding was associated with an [read the full story...]
The post Does breastfeeding increase Early Childhood Caries? appeared first on National Elf Service.
Antiresorptive drugs, used to treat osteoporosis and metastatic bone disease, can complicate dental implant procedures by increasing the risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). This systematic review investigates how these drugs affect the success and complications associated with osseointegrated dental implants. Key findings Antiresorptive drugs significantly increase the risk of (MRONJ), accounting for [read the full story...]
The post How do antiresorptive drugs affect the success of dental implants? appeared first on National Elf Service.
The study assesses the impact of antibiotic prophylaxis on the incidence of infective endocarditis following invasive dental procedures, specifically focusing on the risk reduction for high-risk individuals.
The post Does antibiotic prophylaxis reduce endocarditis risk after dental procedures? appeared first on National Elf Service.