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Published: Tuesday, 15 February 2022 15:45

Written by Peter Ingle

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A round-up of interesting & significant recent dental news that you might have missed.

The BDA is “winning the argument for reform” on NHS dentistry

So says GDPC Chair Shawn Charlwood, in a recent blog.

The BDA has been at the centre of a very effective media push with significant results over the last few weeks. Multiple debates around dentistry and NHS access in parliament are just a part, but hearing MP’s who are mostly well informed about the problems practices face, is a real advance. Media coverage has also been sympathetic to the profession, and begun to inform the public about the perversity of the UDA system, as well as the pressures dental teams are facing. As Shawn Charlwood explains, the BDA has made its objectives clear; “a closing date for UDA’s”, “fair funding”, and “a service where dentists want to work”, closing with perhaps the clearest sign of its ambition, “Real long term changes, not quick fixes.” Followers of recent British political history may wonder about the expression “winning the argument,” but it has been a remarkably good month for the BDA’s communications team.

A new voice for Scottish Independence

The argument that Scotland needs its own representation has led to a new organisation for dentists.

The Sunday Times has reported on the Scottish Dental Association (SDA), formed last year, which claims to have 700 members. The group intends to champion the particular interests of dentists north of the border amid concern that the BDA was struggling to champion the specific needs of Scottish members.  Douglas Thain, speaking on behalf of the SDA provided some punchy quotes, claiming NHS patients are being let down with a fast food approach and “cheap and quick” care. He spoke of decades of underfunding creating a “toxic” environment and of a conveyor-belt mentality.

“We are expected to provide a fine-dining experience with McDonald’s resources” he said and warned of a dramatic drop in the estimated 3,500 dentists working in Scotland.

David McColl, chair of the BDA’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said that it had worked “tirelessly to secure the widest possible support,” adding that the BDA was the trade union for Scottish dentists.

Brexit opportunities update: Devon

A Devon journal has looked into dental access problems in the region, and even in the current climate they make dismal reading. The number of NHS dentists in Devon is lower than it was a decade ago, with claims of waits of up to nine years for treatment. As in so many recent articles it includes DIY home “extractions”, along with a gloomy Healthwatch report. No doubt, readers of Devon Life will be reassured to see that although the Government “accepts there are problems with the dental contract” and that a backlog has been created by the pandemic, it is working on “reforming the system”.

Devon  life went on to report that, post Brexit, dentists were struggling with a loss of staff returning to their home countries in Europe. The resulting workforce shortages were then  made worse by delays in bringing in new team members from overseas. Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw described the situation as an “absolute disgrace”

What looks like a crisis to most observers can be an opportunity to a true visionary. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the recently installed Minister for Brexit Opportunities, may already be hard at work explaining the benefits of working in Devon to any under employed dentists looking for some more patients needing their care.

GDC up to speed

The GDC has now added it’s thoughts to the late change in “COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of deployment,” instructions, or mandatory vaccination as it may be better known by those outside the bureaucracy of the NHS and GDC. Ian Brack, the Chief Executive, wrote that the Governments declared intention to withdraw the requirement did not alter its own guidance to dental professionals. and urged all of those who could be vaccinated to be vaccinated. This he added was “in keeping with our standards, designed to protect dental professionals, their patients, and everyone in the dental team.” While the rowing back on mandatory vaccination for dental teams may not be breaking news, it may cheer them up to see the GDC’s chief executive wanting to protect dental professionals.

Guardian readers suffering, too

The national newspapers may have very different views on many topics, but there is a definite consensus that all is not well with access to NHS dentistry. In the Guardian comments were invited on a response form under an article entitled, “Tell us your experience of accessing NHS dental care?”  Some readers took to The Guardians twitter account to answer. Familiar stories of practices no longer accepting NHS patients, and having to live with dental pain for months while on a waiting list featured in depressing numbers. Happily, there was one responder who enjoyed seeing a “caring gentle dentist” but with the catch that it involved a 2 hour bus journey each way. There was also some dissent with one post responding to an account that had not been able to access NHS dentistry for 20 years with a brief, “You haven’t tried then.”  In keeping with tradition, another comment saw practices seeing private patients being described as a “purely money grabbing exercise.”

Magic Implants

In an eye catching claim for a new system, implants “powered by jaw movements heal infected gums.” Intelligent Living, a website with a particular interest in health developments, reported on work at Pennsylvania State University’s School of dental medicine. Geelsu Hwang has developed the new implant and claims that it resists bacterial growth by issuing “tissue-rejuvenating” light. The power source for this is from biomechanical forces such as chewing and even brushing. Barium titanate (BTO) nanoparticles are included in the crown and this piezoelectric material generates an electrical charge under stress. Inside the crown is a battery and ring of near infra-red LED’s at the base which provide the therapeutic light. Previous studies found that such light could speed up healing of gum tissue damaged by infection and also reduce inflammation. Lab testing of discs embedded with BTO resisted biofilm formation. It is believed that the piezoelectric effect is sustained over time and so could help reduce the later periodontal issues that can cause problems with implants. At the moment the new implant exists as a physical proof-of-concept prototype.

Creepy teeth

In a change from NHS access headlines the Mirror has reported on an unpleasant discovery made in New Hampshire. Tradesmen were demolishing 1960’s shop fronts in Concord, and as an old ceiling was being pulled down some teeth began to fall out from above. Eventually about 200 teeth cascaded from the roof. It appears that in the 1950’s a dentist had worked in the offices above. The unfortunate builders’ boss had been a patient there as a young man and wondered if any of the teeth might have been his. The story first appeared on the Facebook Forgotten New Hampshire page, complete with an illustration showing dozens of extracted teeth, roots and some dentures. No explanation was given for exactly how the teeth came to be there but it seems possible that it may have been a novel and non CQC compliant means of dealing with clinical waste.

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