Staying with the same GP reduces the chance of premature death, a study by Exeter Medical School, published in BMJ Open has found. This echoes a finding of the Steele Review of NHS dentistry, which said: “Continuity of care matters to patients and to dentists. It is important in building a relationship of trust and a philosophy of lifelong care.”
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The UK Chief Dental Officers have written to all dental registrants to advise them on new restrictions on the use of dental amalgam, effective from July 1. From then dental amalgam shall not be used for dental treatment of pregnant or breastfeeding women, children under 15 years, and deciduous teeth, except when deemed strictly necessary by the dental practitioner based on the specific medical needs of the patient.
Stella Creasy the Labour MP for Walthamstow has raised the issue of homeless people unable to access dentistry services in her constituency. Junior minister, Jackie Doyle-Price, said patients should not be turned away from a GP, “and the same applies for dentistry.” She continued: “training is in place to remind people of their obligations.”
Some recent court cases show variation in fines across the country, ranging from £2,000 in Birmingham to £9,000 in Derby, but overall the trend is for the amounts to be increasing. In most cases, all of which were prosecuted by the GDC, the defendants pleaded guilty, but claimed not to know they were doing wrong.
BDA Chair, Mick Armstrong, has challenged Jeremy Hunt to put prevention at the heart of government’s NHS ’birthday funding’ pledge, as they warn that a rush to reduce political pressure on hospital targets will fail to tackle the pressures facing the wider service.
Read more: BDA challenges Hunt to invest in prevention for NHS 70th
Local authorities from across the United Kingdom should add fluoride to water supplies, following new research which confirms it has no negative effects. So says the Oral Health Foundation following a study carried out by the National Toxicology Program in the US which states that there is “no link between elevated levels of fluoride and cognitive learning deficits.”
Warning labels that include photos linking sugary drink consumption with obesity, type2 diabetes and tooth decay, may reduce purchases of the drinks, according to a new study by researchers from Harvard. In a field study conducted in a hospital cafeteria, researchers found that graphic warning labels reduced sugary beverage purchases by 14.8%, while text warning labels and calorie labels had no effect.
New evidence shows that having an effective, in-house complaints process in place and displayed in the practice can help to avoid complaints from escalating into claims and prevent a complaint being made directly to the GDC, say Dental Protection. Raj Rattan, Dental Director said: “There is often a very small window of opportunity to nip complaints in the bud and dealing with them promptly, within the practice, is often the most effective way of doing this.”
Read more: Dental Protection advises practices to deal with complaints in-house
A new study by the Eastman Dental Institute has revealed high levels of oral disease amongst elite athletes across a wide range of sports. Nearly half (49.1%) of the athletes had untreated tooth decay and 77% had early signs of periodontal disease. Many reported that these conditions had impacted negatively on their performance as well as their ability to eat, relax, sleep and smile.
Read more: High levels of tooth decay and oral disease found amongst elite athletes