A High Court judge, Mr Justice Weir, has quashed a decision against Professor Philip Lamey of Belfast to erase his name from the dental register and imposed a six-month suspension. The new terms imposed were reached on agreement with the parties following a hearing at the end of March.
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The General Dental Council (GDC) and Cardiff University have identified a technical issue with the award of the BDS qualification and the registration with the GDC of Cardiff students who graduated between 2010 and 2014. They have assured those involved that their registration remains (and will remain) in place while the error is rectified and that all graduates are able to practise dentistry lawfully.
A new Cochrane review by researchers at the University of Manchester found low-quality evidence that fluoride toothpaste containing the natural sweetener xylitol prevents tooth decay. Lead author Philip Riley said: "The evidence we identified did not allow us to make any robust conclusions about the effects of xylitol, and we were unable to prove any benefit in the natural sweetener for preventing tooth decay."
Read more: Doubts raised over efficacy of xylitol in prevention
Two NHS workers from East Lothian Scotland have each been jailed for nine months after they admitted stealing dental equipment worth £75,000. Darren Lawson took the items from storerooms at NHS Lothian and Gianni Donofrio sold them on eBay. The thefts came to light when a dentist, who had bought some of the equipment, contacted the manufacturers to ask if it was covered by warranty.
Peter Crooks has been re-elected unopposed as Chair of the Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee. He said: “This is a crucial time for dentistry in Northern Ireland with practices under significant financial pressures and ever increasing regulatory burdens. As a committee we will continue to push for better resources and provide strong leadership to meet the challenges that face the profession.”
Read more: Peter Crooks re-elected to chair Northern Ireland DPC
Denplan has announced the launch of a new dental partnership funding programme which will see the company enter a partnership with individual dental practices. Denplan will initially pilot the partnership programme with five Denplan member practices, acquiring a 50% equity stake in the practice and becoming an equal partner, with the dentist retaining full clinical management of the practice.
Read more: Denplan launches a pilot programme for new dental partnerships
Private dental practices in the UK have been in the doldrums but show signs of picking up, according to the NASDAL quarterly goodwill survey. Alan Suggett, specialist dental accountant and a partner in UNW LLP said ‘it was still apparent that there was a 'feeding frenzy' for dental practices of all kinds in the South East – which he dubbed ‘London area lunacy’.
Read more: Feeding frenzy for dental practices in SE England
More than 60 dental practices around the country have been chosen to pilot the new ‘protoype’ contracts. Health Minister Lord Howe visited one of those, Woodford Dental Care in Essex and spoke to staff about their practice. The owner Len D’Cruz said: “I am very pleased to have the opportunity to be a prototype in the move toward models of preventative care, an approach we have fully embraced from the outset.”
Andre Basson was last month was given a six-month suspension and ordered to repay an NHS grant. He failed to wash his hands between patients and occasionally failed to wear gloves at his Inverness practice. In 2009, he was awarded £175,000 by the NHS to help him set up his practice as part of a scheme to address the shortage of dentists in the Highlands.