Vital tooth whitening: the legal and ethical issues

Xerostomia: A continuous challenge for GDPs

Abdelghany A, Nolan A, Freeman R (2011) Treating patients with dry mouth: general dental practitioners’ knowledge, attitudes and clinical management. Br Dent J211(10): E21

Working in the specialist setting

Barbara Simpson, a specialist dental nurse in Birmingham, shares her views on working with special care patients

Using conscious sedation for dental anxiety

Dental fear and phobia represent a major barrier to dental care. Dental nurses need to know how to address this common phobia. One successful strategy for treating dental anxiety, according to Carole Boyle and David Craig, is the use of conscious sedation techniques

Alcohol and recreational drug use: The effect on oral health

Hospital admissions due to drinking alcohol have doubled in the last ten years. Alcohol-related violence accounts for 30% of cases, with the jaw being the main target. Chronic alcohol increases the risk of oral cancer and periodontitis, while other recreational substances should also be considered

What's inside the DH's oral health toolkit?

In 2009, the Department of Health published the second edition of Delivering Better Oral Health: An evidence-based toolkit for prevention. Sam Ball revisits the guidance, exploring the key themes for dental nurses

Radiography for dental nurses: A test of your knowledge

This article aims to revise the anatomical features seen radiographically with the use of a fun quiz. A series of images are provided with a description for the reader to test their knowledge against. The importance of interpretation and terminology are reinforced and some hints are provided