A new study has highlighted the potential threat to the teeth of professional wine tasters. Researchers at the University of Adelaide found that just 10 one-minute swill-and-spit sessions are enough to soften tooth enamel and make teeth vulnerable to erosion. It found that the acid in most wines would render teeth vulnerable to erosion “within minutes”.
No comments
The UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors (COPDEND) has announced that 76 UK graduates are still on the waiting list for a Dental Foundation Training (DFT) place, while 968 graduates have confirmed places. The BDA’s Judith Husband has responded to the report by calling for ‘proper investment’ in DFT places.
Hull City Council is considering introducing water fluoridation to improve children's teeth. However, a campaign against the plans has been started and protesters are claiming it was "mass medication without consent". Local dentists are appealing to people in Hull to ignore "scaremongering" from campaigners.
Read more: Dentists accuse fluoride opponents of scare-mongering
The GDS Regulations have been amended from today so that dentists must give all NHS patients who attend their practice ‘the opportunity to provide feedback about the service received from the practice through the Friends and Family Test’. From 1 April 2015, it has been expanded to NHS dental practices, ambulance services, patient transport services, acute hospital outpatients and day cases.
Read more: Patients able to provide feedback about dental practices
A scheme to varnish thousands of primary school and nursery pupils' teeth with fluoride has been positive, according to Bradford District Care Trust which provides the service. All primary schools across Bradford and Airedale have been invited to sign up for the varnishing sessions carried out by dental nurses and so far about 300 of them have enrolled.
A dentist who was served with a notice of erasure from the Dentist’s Register has defied all predictions and successfully appealed. Edgar Gordon was told by the General Dental Council he was “unlikely to succeed” and family and friends counselled him against challenging the erasure - but sustained by a belief in the rule of law, he defended himself and won.
The BDIA’s ‘Dental Industry Manifesto’ sets out five key priorities for action in the dental sector for the next Government. BDIA Executive Director, Tony Reed, explains, “The industry believes that positive and focussed investment and support from Government is vital to ensure the highest quality oral health outcomes for patients and an efficient and sustainable future for the provision of dentistry in the UK”.
Average profit of UK private dental practices was just ahead of NHS in nearly a decade according to the latest statistics from the National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers(NASDAL). The difference is small, with an average NHS practice making a profit of £129,000 per dentist, compared to £131,000 in a private one but there were some strong performances in private practice during 2013-14.
Read more: NASDAL survey shows private practice profits just ahead of NHS
A survey by the BDA shows that dentists are almost twice as likely as the general population to feel dissatisfied with life. It found that dentists rated their levels of satisfaction with life, happiness, and whether the activities they engage in seem worthwhile, at much lower levels than the wider population. They also reported higher levels of anxiety.