Questions resumed in the new Parliament with Yorkshire MPs asking on progress of the new dental contract and access to NHS dentistry in their area. There was also a speech in the House of Lords from a former Dean of the Royal College of Surgeons expressing concern about the high consumption of sugar and its effect on childrens’ teeth.
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The new guidance looks at the scale of the problem, risk factors for tooth decay, how it can be prevented and effective interventions for improving children’s’ oral health. It also calls for action outlining how all partners across the health and care system can help prevent tooth decay in children under 5 as part of ensuring every child has the best start in life.
Read more: Public Health England publishes guidance on child oral health
The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) is supporting a new standards document from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on oral health promotion in care homes. The new quality standard recommends that residents have their oral health needs assessed on admission and recorded in their personal care plans, and are supported to clean their teeth twice a day and/or their dentures daily.
Read more: FGDP(UK) supports drive to improve oral health in care homes
NHS England will adopt a twin track approach to reduce the sales of sugar-sweetened beverages on NHS premises. The first track is to launch a voluntary sales reduction scheme, with a target of a 10% reduction by March 2018. The second track is to take steps to implement a ban on sales of sugar-sweetened beverages from 1 July 2018.
Read more: NHS England acts on sugar based beverages on its premises
The BDA has expressed disappointment following the government’s failure to deliver pledged reforms on patient protection in the 2017-19 legislative programme, raising real questions about government’s commitment to reform. However new legislation, which could give official powers to the Health Service Safety Investigation Branch, was unveiled in the Queens Speech.
Children are better off eating crisps than raisins because of the damage the dried fruit cause to teeth, according to a report in the Sunday Times. Ben Atkins, a dentist and a spokesman for the BDA, said crisps were “totally fine” for teeth. Ordinary crisps were better because some children’s brands had added sugar, he added.
Specialist financial services provider The Wesleyan Group has acquired Quality Plan, a dental plan administrator based in Northern Ireland. The Birmingham-based financial mutual already incorporates Practice Plan and DPAS, and provides a range of services to the dental profession. This acquisition will strengthen its position in the dental market further and opens up new opportunities in Ireland.
Dental Protection has called on the Government to implement a package of legal reforms to help tackle the rising cost of clinical negligence, and the challenging claims environment for dentists. Raj Rattan, Dental Director said: “We are calling on the Government to take urgent action, to help tackle the rising cost of clinical negligence.”
Read more: Dental Protection calls for reform to tackle negligence claims
The BDA has joined health associations and unions to urge a ‘change of direction’ on NHS pay restraint in this week’s Queen’s Speech. Groups representing all parts of the health workforce have written a joint letter to the Prime Minister to say the 1% cap is now putting safe patient care at risk. Civil Service unions have also lobbied Chancellor on this issue.