A new campaign is calling for a national shift towards “Slow Dentistry”. The Swiss-based movement is claiming that rushed appointments endanger patients and increase infection risks. But BDA Chair Mick Armstrong has said, in a letter to the Sunday Telegraph, the sad fact is that “Fast Dentistry” is the reality for NHS patients across England and Wales.
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The Derby Telegraph has reported that Colin Vernall, who was fined £7,000 last year for illegal tooth whitening, is continuing to offer it after a ‘sting’ operation by an undercover reporter, after the paper saw we saw he was still offering the unlicensed service on Facebook. The report contains a full transcript of the interview, which gives some insight into the accused’s thinking.
Read more: Derby man, fined for illegal teeth whitening, caught doing it again
Much media attention across the country has followed the publication of figures from the BDA which indicate that access problems for NHS dental services are now blighting communities across every English region. GDPC Chair Dave Cottam said: “Underfunding, failed contracts and recruitment problems are creating a perfect storm for patients.”
Read more: NHS dentistry ‘a perfect storm for patients’ says BDA
The Labour Party has published its General Election manifesto promising, on health, to repair ‘our health services’, with their urgent priority being to end NHS ‘privatisation’. Our mission is to create the conditions to prevent illness and enable people to live longer, healthier lives, they say. They have also promised to provide free annual NHS dental check-ups.
The headlines of the Conservative Party General Election manifesto are: “Get Brexit Done: Unleash Britain’s Potential” and these themes dominate the message. They claim that “a Conservative Government will give the public services the resources they need,” but there are few pledges as far as primary care is concerned and no mention of dentistry.
Read more: Boris Johnson launches Conservative Party manifesto
A new round of strikes have been announced by the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU), starting on 25 November. One dispute centres on changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and a separate dispute relating to universities’ failure to make improvements on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads.
Read more: University lecturers to launch fresh strike action
National dental organisations are supporting World Antibiotic Awareness Week by reminding the dental profession about the importance of using antibiotics judiciously. A free dental AMS toolkit endorsed by them provides patient information highlighting that antibiotics do not cure toothache, advice for dentists on the use of analgesics, and an antimicrobial prescribing self-audit tool.
Read more: Dental organisations support World Antibiotic Awareness Week
The British Dental Association (BDA) has called on all parties to stop treating oral health as the missing piece in health policy, as it launches its 2019 manifesto. BDA Chair Mick Armstrong said: “Our message to politicians of all parties is that oral health can no longer be the missing piece in health planning and budgets.”
Read more: The Missing Piece: BDA sets out 2019 manifesto for oral health
Jeremy Corbyn has pledged that dental check-ups will be free in England, if Labour is elected. Band 1 courses of treatment, currently costing £22.70 will be charge-free. The policy would be the "first step towards making all dentistry services free of charge", Corbyn declared. They claimed that the move would encourage more people to go to the dentist.