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Dentistry takes the baton

Dentistry Editorial Team — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:06:42 +0100

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Dentistry magazine and Dentistry\.co\.uk joined in the excitement of a massive fundraising national relay recently and raised money for a good cause.

The relay – organised by Practice Plan – is aiming to get as many dental practices as possible to transport a handcrafted baton around the UK to raise much-needed funds for Bridge2Aid.

Ad executive Dan Cockerton (dressed as Spiderman) and digital commercial manager Casey Quinlan (Superman) raced the baton to the Hilton Hotel in Stansted where it was received by Practice Plan’s marketing manager, Julie Modena, at one of their practice seminars.

Once it has completed its UK tour, the baton – decorated by the children at the Bukumbi Care Centre in Tanzania – will be flown back to Tanzania where Practice Plan managing director Steve Turnock and his team will complete the final 21 miles.

By then, the baton will have travelled more than 10,000 miles.

The project is aiming to raise around £30,000, which will go to dental charity Bridge2Aid. ]]>

GDC gets thumbs up from health watchdog

Dentistry Editorial Team — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:32:35 +0100

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The General Dental Council (GDC) is a highly effective and well managed regulator with a consistent focus on public protection and a commitment to continuous improvement.

That's the view of healthcare regulator watchdog the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) in its review of the GDC, released today.

The GDC welcomed the review and said it was pleased its work in protecting the public had been recognised by the CHRE.

'We welcome the scrutiny that the review process provides and the opportunity for us to demonstrate accountability. I’m delighted the results show we are on the right track,’ GDC President Hew Mathewson said.

'The GDC has implemented some major changes over the past couple of years to enhance patient protection. We’ve introduced registration for some 40,000 dental nurses and dental technicians and other professionals, enhanced our fitness to practise procedures, launched the Dental Complaints Service and rolled out continuing professional development requirements to the whole dental team,’ he added.

'We are not complacent though. The report highlights some areas where we need to improve, and I’m pleased to say we have already started work on them. We have an ambitious work plan which includes launching a system for regularly ‘revalidating’ dental professionals (we’re on track to run pilots next year), continuing to drive down the time we take to deal with fitness to practise cases, and streamlining our registration processes.

'Our goal is to offer a better and more efficient and service to all those who contact us. We are looking forward to the challenges ahead,’ Mr Mathewson concluded. ]]>

The impact of recent reforms on dentists

Dentistry Editorial Team — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:36:48 +0100

or email or phone 020 8688 9555.

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Prevention is better than cure

Dentistry Editorial Team — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:10:07 +0100

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Eve Martin looks at the changing face of dentistry since she was girl in the 1950s

Apparently in 1956, when I was born, the done thing when faced with a screaming baby, was to dip its dummy into jam, the more frequently the better.
/>
/>I suspect it was my mother alone who, in desperation, invented this baby-calming method. The end result of months and years of sucking on jammy dummies were two rows of completely rotten upper and lower milk teeth. I can only just remember possessing the black crumbly broken little teeth, but there are stronger memories of general disapproval, particularly by those more conscientious, or less desperate, parents of other babies and toddlers born in the 1950s.
/>
/>It has to be said, especially by me, that I was quite a pretty tot, lots of dark curly hair and lovingly handmade dresses, but I was always told to smile with my mouth closed. Unfortunately I didn’t always take any notice.

Luckily my second teeth came through without any obvious evidence of any jam damage. However, growing up in the 1970s brought traumatic visits to various different dentists, who were nothing short of vicious, and obsessed with ‘drilling and filling’. It seems, in retrospect, that there was a constant drive to fill as many teeth with as much metal as possible. I cannot say I remember any offered pain relief, and if there was any it was woefully ineffective.
/>
/>Those days, in the 1970s dentistry-for-the-masses, was always ‘on the NHS’ and I certainly accepted, even expected, whatever pain the dentist inflicted on me, and the less-than-attractive cosmetic results.
/>
/>As it turned out, I had some damage done to my jaw during a particular series of appointments in the middle1970s, and the seemingly endless ugly fillings. I suffered months of jaw pain and developed a fear of returning to a dentist that lasted until the next decade.
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/>All-change in the 1980s, then. I had two daughters and, from the word ‘go’ was determined to treat their teeth with more respect than my mother had treated mine.
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/>I found a dentist – let’s call him Mr ZC – who, over the years, restored my confidence and gave me, and my girls, the consistent care that I needed and they deserved.
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/>To my girls, he was known as ‘OJT’, (‘Open just a tarch’ he would say). For the first time I felt as if I could have a say in what was going on, and ZC would give me the option of halting any treatment that was hurting.
/>
/>Best of all, ZC offered preventive treatments for my girls, which were affordable and, over the years, they had fissure sealants, and fluoride treatments. I put a lot of effort into cleaning their teeth, and getting them to clean their teeth when they were old enough to do it themselves.

It was never an option for them, always compulsory. I avoided giving them sugary drinks and foods. They did have sweets or chocolate after their dinner, every day, just before the bedtime routine of bath and brushing teeth.
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/>My daughters this year will be 28 and 24 years old and neither of them have a filling.

I now work for social services. Most of the people I see every day have missing teeth and the ones they have got are rotten.
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/>In my 40s and 50s – in never-ending attempts to delay the signs of ageing – I have had my teeth bleached twice, once in the UK and once in New York City.

I floss with a variety of flossers, I clean relentlessly with electric toothbrushes and use whitening
/>strips.

Having my teeth whitened in New York was cheaper – and to be honest – a better experience than in the UK. In NY, there were reclining leather bed-chairs, with optional blankets for comfort, and a choice of overhead televisions or earphones with a choice of music.

‘Before’ and ‘after’ treatment photographs are taken which are presented to you when you leave. The staff is friendly, chatty and very UK-customer friendly.

In the UK, I sat on a stool, had to keep my head tilted backwards and got to stare at a dirty ceiling for the duration. No one spoke to me apart from to ask me for the money at the end.
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/>I have recently had two back teeth excavated and repaired by my very charming South African dentist. I chose to ignore the intricate details of the procedures, and it cost me around £800. My decision to have the work done was driven by fear rather than vanity.

I am scared to have any more teeth removed in case my face caves in and I look even more decrepit than my 52 years.
/> ]]>

Should dental body corporates be made to reveal themselves?

Dentistry Editorial Team — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:36:18 +0100

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/>That’s the question being asked by the General Dental Council in its current consultation Declaration of involvement with a Dental Body Corporate.
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/>Following amendments to the Dentists Act in 2005, any corporate body can carry out the business of dentistry, provided it satisfies certain conditions.
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/>However, the GDC believes that in order to protect patients, those involved in dental bodies corporates should declare that involvement.
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/>Subject to consultation, the GDC plans to insert a requirement into its Standards Guidance to ensure that GDC registrants disclose they are members of, or involved with or employed by, a body corporate, particularly as part of any complaints process.
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/>The aim is to ensure a patient has the information they need to make an informed choice and be able to pursue a complaint fully and appropriately.
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/>The consultation period closes at 5pm on Tuesday 11 November 2008.
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/>For more information and a copy of the consultation document, please visit our website www.gdc-uk.org.
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/>Responses to the proposals should be sent to dbcconsultation@gdc-uk.org. ]]>

EU law makes dental tourism easier

Dentistry Editorial Team — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:57:46 +0100

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/>According to EU health commissioner Androula Vassiliou, British consumers may soon be able to visit another European country for dental treatment and claim the cost of the treatment from the NHS.
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/>Ms Vassillou promised the controversial proposal on cross-border healthcare would be discussed when she was made Health Commissioner for the European Parliament earlier this year.
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/>At the time she said: ‘It is estimated that only 1% of patients leave their country for healthcare abroad. That is not an amount that will put national health systems in danger.’
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/>Dentistry abroad is already frequently cheaper than private treatment in the UK, but the latest move is set to make it even more inexpensive.
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/>It will not, however, cover cosmetic dentistry such as tooth whitening.
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/>A recent report by the NHS Information Centre found that the number of people being treated by NHS dentists fell by 1.1 million between 2006/07 and 2007/08.
/> ]]>

Olympic fever hits The Dentistry Awards!

Dentistry Editorial Team — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:41:39 +0100

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Olympic athlete-turned-television-personality Kriss Akabusi will take the stage on 12 December to compere the event, adding his exuberant personality and infectious laughter to proceedings.

The announcement of Kriss Akabusi is particularly topical with Team GB doing so well at the Beijing Olympics!
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/>Kriss's enthusiasm and attention to 'focus, innovation and teamwork' (FIT) when giving motivational speeches fit perfectly with the ethos of The Dentistry Awards.

Bringing together more than 600 people from all over the country, the awards celebrate passion, commitment and success throughout the dental profession.
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/>So the question is, when can we expect to receive your entry?

The competition splits the UK into nine regions, with four award categories to choose from. The winners from each region then compete for the coveted UK overall prize in each category.
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/>With three weeks to go until the deadline to enter – 17 September – why not remind yourself of the different categories just waiting for you to enter. Which one catches your eye?
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/>♦ Best Practice ♦ Best Team ♦ Best Young Dentist
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/>NEW FOR 2008 – The UK Outstanding Achievement Award
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/>Having listened to your feedback, we are thrilled to launch this brand new category.

The award acknowledges outstanding contribution during the calendar year of 2008, and will be judged independently of the regions resulting in a UK overall winner.
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/>Please visit www.preventivedentistry.co.uk/awards2008 for full details of the categories and entry hints and tips, or call us on 01923 851734 for an entry form.
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/>Please let us know that you are entering by calling us on 0800 371652 to register your details as soon as possible to that we can look out for your entry in the post. ]]>

Problems continue two years on from new dental contract

Dentistry Editorial Team — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:17:16 +0100

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NHS dentists and their patients still face significant problems two years after the introduction of the new contract in April 2006.

That's according to reports by the NHS Information Centre.
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/>They show that more than one million fewer patients in England have been able to access NHS dentistry since the introduction of a new contract for dentists and patient charges in April 2006.
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/>The number of patients accessing NHS dentistry in England in the 24 months prior to 31 March 2008 was 27,049,000, compared to 28,145,000 in the 24 months prior to 31 March 2006.
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/>The reports also appear to highlight changes to the type of treatments patients are receiving.
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/>Susie Sanderson, chair of the BDA’s Executive Board, said: ‘These reports provide further evidence of the persisting problems with the 2006 NHS dental reforms. More than a million people have now lost access to NHS dental care.
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/>‘Those that are able to access care are confronted with a system that discourages modern, preventive care by placing targets, rather than patients, at its heart.
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/>‘This is difficult for dentists, who want to focus on providing the best possible care for their patients.
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/>‘The apparent change in treatment patterns is also of concern and requires further investigation so that the impact of the new contract is fully understood. Such an investigation was recommended by MPs last month in the report of the Health Select Committee.
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/>‘The Government must take note of what these reports, patients and the profession and even the Health Select Committee have told them and act to resolve the issues facing NHS dentistry in England and Wales.
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/>‘It is also important that primary care trusts and dentists are properly resourced and supported to ensure the commissioning work they are doing is effective and meets patients’ needs.’ ]]>

Blow for dental health as EU doubts dairy benefits

Dentistry Editorial Team — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:13:20 +0100

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Ireland’s National Dairy Council (NDC) has failed to convince the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that dairy products promote dental health.

The NDC recently sought scientific substantiation by the EU of its health claim that dairy foods – milk and cheese – reduced dental caries development.

However, the EFSA considered that the foods for which the claim was made were not sufficiently characterised, e.g. nutritional composition and its variability between products were not provided, and that the evidence provided by the NDC was insufficient to establish a cause-effect relationship between consumption of milk and reduction of dental caries development in children.

The experts stated that there were ‘significant weaknesses’ in a study provided on the effect of one 5g piece of hard cheese consumed daily by children between the ages of seven and nine, which ‘limit its value as a source of data to substantiate a cause and effect relationship between the consumption of hard cheese and reduction of dental caries development in children’.

The EFSA concluded that, on the basis of the data presented, a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of milk or cheese and dental health in children. ]]>

Prepare to be shaken and stirred

Dentistry Editorial Team — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:21:46 +0100

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Growing your practice in a tough climate is the theme as keynote speaker and self-confessed ‘leadership junkie’ René Carayol addresses the Private Dentistry 2008 National Conference in November. We look at how he embraces times of change . . .

Inspirational speaker René Carayol is probably best known for his BBC series Pay Off Your Mortgage in 2 Years – television widened his audience – but he has been a huge hit on the speakers’ circuit for some years now – and deservedly so.

His TV appearances went on to include the critically acclaimed documentary for Channel 4 – The Man from the Met – on the challenges facing Sir John Stevens at the helm, and he is now a regular voice on Radio 5 Live and Talk Sport offering phone-in business advice.

But ultimately his pièce de résistance is his ability to turn around companies, and indeed, whole industries with just the power of his words – and the conviction in his delivery.

With a no-holds barred approach to addressing the captains of industry, he tackles his topic in a way that would make Alan Sugar proud.

Although to be fair, he is definitely no Alan Sugar. His delivery is less crusty, smoother, more polished with a huge display of natural charisma – but he has the same principles: he speaks as he finds.
/>‘Leaders are not born or made – they are found,’ says René.

Awarded an MBE in 2004 for his outstanding service to the business community, he says what he sees with an honesty that has been well received throughout business circles.

So successful have his addresses been, that an impressive list of blue-chip companies invite him back for more – and some have sought him in an advisory capacity, among them CBI, McKinsey & Co and Barclays.

He has also provided leadership support to the British Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit.

René’s impressive pre-speaking career equipped him with a strong core knowledge of the skills and attributes businesses thrive upon – serving as he did as an executive main board director for blue-chip companies and also within the public sector (where he is a former non-executive director of the
/>Inland Revenue).

Starting out as a buyer with Marks & Spencer in 1982 and rising through the ranks to Senior IT Manager and Executive, he was headhunted by Pepsi Co in 1992 and sat on the board of directors for Pizza Hut.

He then joined IPC Electric as Managing Director and took the business from the concept stage through to the acquisition by AOL Time Warner. He was the first black person and first IT Director to have ever sat on the IPC board.

As an author, he has produced two books – Corporate Voodoo in 2001 (now in its third edition) and the sequel, My Voodoo in 2003. René is a regular broadsheet columnist, most notably for The Guardian.
/>He is CEO of the Inspired Leaders Network (ILN) that was founded in 2000, and continues to be actively involved in public speaking.

On his website’s blog at www.carayol.com, René says ‘doing nothing is never an option’ from a leadership perspective.

He is certainly a man true to his word: having supposedly retired five-and-a-half years ago, René, 50
/>this month, now travels the globe conducting more than 100 inspirational talks a year.
/>
/>Q. Three words to describe yourself?
/>A. Confident, cosmopolitan and optimistic.
/>
/>Q. What family do you have?
/>A. I was born in Gambia – my mother passed away recently out there. My wife Yvonne died of cancer and, since then, I have been both mum and dad to my son (now 28) and daughter (18). I quickly discovered my wife had been the one who handled all the emotional problems and I’m probably a more rounded person for the dual role.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever get homesick when you’re travelling the world?
/>A. I never get homesick. If I’m away for more than three or four days, I fly my children out to be with me.
/>
/>Q. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
/>A. London, which is where I live (in Swiss Cottage, north west London). It’s the greatest city on the planet and it if wasn’t London, it would be New York. I love the mix. (Although born in Gambia, he has lived in London since he was three)
/>
/>Q. Who are you close to?
/>A. Apart from my two children, my PA, Jill Thorn, who has been with me for 16 years and knows me better than anyone else in the world. We complement each other – the secret of a good business relationship – with completely different skills and different areas of expertise. I worry about the things she doesn’t and vice versa.
/>(In return, Rene’s PA Jill says: ‘He has always been the most charismatic, inspirational boss: you can have a thoroughly bad day, but if you see René, you come away thinking that you can conquer the world.’)
/>
/>Q. How do you relax?
/>A. I’m a bit of a foodie. Cooking with my children is relaxation for me. The kitchen is the best place to relax. I’m also a lifelong Chelsea fan – a season ticket-holder – in the West Upper stand. I love the cinema and I listen to Radio 4 or Radio 5 Live.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever get nervous before public speaking?
/>A. No, it’s what I do. I recently ‘Googled’ Top 10 Fears.
/>Ironically, number one was ‘public speaking’ and number two was ‘going to the dentist’.
/>
/>Q. People you most admire within the business world?
/>A. Steve Jobs (co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc), Stuart Rose (M&S boss with a reputation for turning around struggling retailers), Sir Philip Green (billionaire owner of Bhs and the Arcadia Group) and Virgin boss Richard Branson.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever get fed up with your job?
/>A. Not at all. Do a job you love and you never work a day in your life.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever switch off your mobile?
/>A. No, but it’s always on silent and vibrate.
/>
/>Q. What three things would you take to a desert island?
/>A. A radio, my iPod (music-wise I like everything and anything, but especially soul) and my children.
/>
/>Q. What have been the highlights in your life so far – professionally and personally?
/>A. Promotion to the board of IPC in April 1995 and the birth of my children.
/>
/>Q. What’s the weirdest gig you’ve done?
/>A. I once did a talk at NASA in Houston which was a bit odd – and at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, I was lowered down from a helicopter to present the closing speech for an audience of 8,000 people! But the strangest must have been in Sun City in Johannesburg where I was on stage with two lions at a
/>conference for Barclays South Africa – funnily enough, none of the speakers overrun!
/>
/>Q. Is money the answer to everything?
/>A. No, but usually it’s the enabler to everything.

The Private Dentistry 2008 National Conference will be held on Thursday 27 November at The Hotel Russell, London. For further information about the Private Dentistry 2008 National Conference, please call Independent Seminars on o800 371652 or visit www.independentseminars.com. ]]>