Looking to the future

Two important documents on the future of NHS dentistry have been published recently – the Nuffield Foundation’s policy briefing ‘Bold Action or Slow Decay? The state of NHS Dentistry and future policy actions’, and the Department of Health and Social Care’s ‘Dental Recovery Plan’.

One would think that the Nuffield Foundation – who, in 1993, issued ‘Education and Training of Personnel Auxiliary to Dentistry’, which recommended the registration of ‘dental auxiliaries’ including ‘dental surgery assistants’ (1993 terms for DCPs and dental nurses; the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN)reclaimed the title ‘dental nurse’ in 1994, and ‘dental care professional’ came into use later) – and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) – who are responsible for dentistry – would understand the importance of dental nurses and their role in the dental team; would be aware that dental nurses are the largest registrant group, making up approximately 48 per cent of registered dental professionals and 74 per cent of registered DCPs.However, this is apparently not the case!