New GDC council members
The General Dental Council has announced the appointment of Baron Harris of Haringey (Lord Toby Harris) who will join the GDC as chair of council, and Angie Heilmann MBE, who joins as a registrant council member.
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New dental college opens
July 1 marked a momentous day in the history of dentistry in the UK, as the College of General Dentistry officially opened in a ceremony at the Barber Surgeons Hall. Dentistry now has its own independent college. The new College of General Dentistry embraces the whole dental team, recognising the invaluable contribution made by every member of the dental profession in delivering high quality oral health care for patients and the wider community.
BOC DCP programme
This year’s British Orthodontic Conference is to be held in Manchester at the Midland Hotel, with the DCP programme taking place on September 17 and 18. Over the last 12 months, the British Orthodontic Society has worked in close collaboration with the Orthodontic National Group to deliver a tremendous line-up of speakers over the two days at the British Orthodontic Conference for the benefit of all dental nurses and orthodontic therapists.
Smoking in pregnancy down
New NHS data published this week shows that smoking in pregnancy fell to 9.5 per cent last year, the first time it has dropped below 10 per cent since records began. Smoking in pregnancy declined six times faster between 2019/20 and 2020/21 than the average for the previous four years. However, in order to reach the government’s target of six per cent or fewer pregnant smokers by 2022 the rate of decline needs to be even greater in the coming year, nearly four times faster again.
Brighter smiles in Port Isaac
Children at Port Isaac Community Primary School and Nursery will be smiling brightly thanks to the generosity of local residents Mick Allen and Hannah Hutchison. The couple are generously funding Brighter Smiles – Cornwall's oral health campaign – in this Cornish school community which will see over 70 children receive oral health care and education from September 2021.
Scottish dental partnership
A partnership between Scotland’s largest dental group and a major oral health brand hopes to elevate dental care throughout the country. Clyde Munro is Scotland’s largest network of family dental clinics, recently hitting the milestone of 50 practices. The organisation has just announced that it has joined forces with Philips in a move that will promote excellence in patient oral health care throughout every one of its practices, whilst raising the bar when it comes to the products and services they offer.
Contact is key to remote ortho
Knowing the name of the clinician who provides your orthodontic treatment should be a fundamental right says Asif Chatoo, an orthodontist who founded the first clinic in the UK dedicated to lingual orthodontics. His comments are made following publication of a statement from dental regulator the General Dental Council as well as the 2020 review Dental Complaints Service (DCS) which highlight the worrying growth in "direct-to-consumer" orthodontics.
Discounted EDI courses
The British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN) has announced its partnership with TIDA – an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training provider.
Oral health is key to sports
One important area of preparation will be key to overall performance during this summer of sports – our athletes’ oral health. While this link still remains widely unknown both in and outside sports, studies prove that poor oral health badly impacts athletes training and performance. Yet while athletes are being constantly tested and monitored in all other aspects of their health, diet and performance, oral health is often neglected.
E-cigarettes less harmful
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has welcomed the launch today of a consultation by NICE on revised tobacco guidance, including updated advice for healthcare professionals on what to say to smokers about vaping.
Annual registration now open
Annual registration renewal for UK registered dental care professionals (DCPs) is now open and the deadline for completion is July 31, 2021. To renew their registration, DCPs need to do three things: • Make their annual or end-of-cycle CPD statement • Declare they have, or will have, appropriate indemnity in place • Pay the Annual Retention Fee
Dental professionals and covid
A University of Birmingham-led study of over a thousand dental professionals has shown their increased occupational risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first wave of the pandemic in the UK.
Sugar in cocktails
Cocktails, a staple in our society, can be found in nearly every bar, restaurant and pub. They are a popular alcoholic drink choice due to the masking of alcohol flavour, creativity, and sweetness (or sourness). But whilst we’re enjoying our cocktail happy hours, just how much damage can these drinks do to our teeth?
Dental volunteers in demand
It’s National Volunteers’ Week and Bupa Dental Care and its official charity partner, Dentaid, are using the occasion to thank the hundreds of volunteers who give their time and skills to provide free dental treatment to homeless and vulnerable people across the UK, at a time when demand for services has never been higher.
Call for tobacco consultation
Commenting on the study in The Lancet showing three quarters of the world’s smokers have their first cigarette by 21, Action on Smoking and Health has called on the government to consult on raising the age of sale for tobacco in England.
