Here is a campaign in which GDPUK can be the leader and get the whole profession to change their thinking, and from there spread outwards.
I believe dentists, their teams and dental company offices and dental events must lead the way by being sugar free.
When we visit a dental organisation offices, or we go on a dental course, a conference, an exhibition, any event at all, we must demand that the organisers make the catering sugar free. As well as the granulated white stuff, we must banish the biscuits and the cakes, put out fruit and other snacks. Our chefs can conjure up delicious sugar free creations - let's make dental events the showcase for them.
I have found it weird that for years we would go to dental events and find white sugar, brown sugar, but we cannot find artificial sweeteners.
We need to banish the sugar from OUR events and encourage hotels, venues and offices to do the same. After dentistry, we must campaign for the NHS events to do the same, there must be hundreds of those every day. Minister of Health?
There are multiple alternatives to sugars for drinks, there are many sugar free options amongst soft drinks
In terms of table top sweeteners, there are intense sweeteners such as saccharin, and there are bulk sweeteners such as sorbitol or sucralose. Some people cope with artificial sweeteners in drinks, some dislike, we can accept that. At the premises of dental companies, and in our dental practices the law demands no smoking in the workplace, let dentistry take the lead and encourage adoption of sugar-free to trickle down to all food outlets, all hotels, all workplaces, and from there into homes. It does not have to be forced on anyone, no legislation, just a gentle change.
The larger dental organisations need to change their policies, and shout this from the rooftops. It would be good PR. Give journalists packets of sugar free sweets when the story is launched.
Let's do it, colleagues - we can take the lead and start the change to help our nation's health.
Main blog Image credit - Moyan Brenn under CC licence - not modified.