The Future Of Dentistry Roundtable – Coronavirus Exposed Issues
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- Published: Friday, 19 March 2021 09:59
- Written by Chris Tapper
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The coronavirus has “exposed and exacerbated the issues facing mixed and private practices across the UK,” a roundtable on the future of dentistry has heard.
Catherine Rutland, Clinical Director at SimplyHealth told a virtual roundtable “We all know from first-hand experience, that over the last 12 months practice teams have done tremendous work in meeting patient care needs and carrying out treatments under challenging circumstances.”
The event was attended by a group of clinicians, academics and policymakers from different areas of the profession to share their knowledge and experience of dentistry in the current climate.
Chairing the Denplan-led inaugural roundtable on the future of dentistry, Dr Rutland added “However, given the large patient backlogs and the spotlight currently on dentistry, combined with the recent publication of the Department of Health and Social Care’s White paper on the future of healthcare, now is the window of opportunity for members of the dental profession, to make their voices heard and influence the policy agenda for the dental sector.”
A press release on the roundtable said “With over 19 million dental appointments lost over the course of 2020, and Denplan’s dentist member survey revealing that nearly 70% said that they felt politicians and decision makers in government didn’t sufficiently understand the dentistry sector, Denplan’s roundtable comes at an opportune moment.”
The roundtable also threw a spotlight on the mental health strains which the pandemic inflicted on dental teams as a result of having to cope with fast-paced changes in regulations for practices, as well as face some risk of contracting the virus while continuing to care for patients.
The roundtable press release said “While many practices have provided good support and mentoring throughout the pandemic, in the cases of associates and dental nurses, there are indications they are feeling the pressures of the pandemic environment acutely. This has been compounded by the fact that some dentists have suffered from a lack of support network in certain aspects.”
The roundtable also considered the recruitment and retention of staff.
“Although the backlog in dental procedures has placed practices and dental teams under immense strain, it was stated that there is also an opportunity to reshape the way we deliver dentistry to meet this challenge and allow wider practice teams the opportunity to step up as they have done throughout the pandemic. Dental nurses, hygienists, and therapists perhaps have a larger role to play in the delivery of dental care as work to clear procedure backlogs, patient demand for cosmetic treatments increase and the focus of public health policy shifts towards a more preventive approach to oral health.”
The Roundtable also highlighted the pandemic has led to a large spike in interest as nursing as a profession and it was suggested the dental sector should be taking advantage of this opportunity to recruit young people.
The increasing usage of digital technology within dentistry formed a key part of the roundtable discussion. With Denplan’s member research showing that 1 in 4 practices are providing virtual consultations and 1 in 5 using digital impressions, and 1 in 7 employing computer aided design and milling for indirect replacements[3], digital tech in dentistry is following the same path as the wider healthcare sector with telemedicine, monitoring and diagnostics increasingly becoming the norm.
Members of the roundtable echoed the view of many in the profession that there is great potential in digital technology to help facilitate a more person-centred approach to dentistry that moves beyond the physical confines of the dental chair to enable better dispensation of oral health advice, monitoring of chronic conditions and post-surgery check-ups.
Joining the roundtable were Professor Avijit Banerjee of Kings College London, Sir Paul Beresford, Conservative MP for Mole Valley, Dr John Makin of the Dental Defence Union, Dr John Milne of the CQC, Dr Hannah Woolnough of Parkview Dental Centre, Dr Lauren Harrhy of Sparkle Dental Centre, Dr Ian Mills of General Dental Practitioners, and Dr Raj Rattan MBE, Dental Director at Dental Protection, Medical Protection Society.
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