DTUK13

May 17-23, 201024 United Kingdom EditionEducation The ‘How to make a SUCCESSFULCONVERSIONto private practice’ Event CHOOSE YOURDIRECTION If you’re considering converting to private practice but are unsure about how to proceed, come and join Practice Plan and our special guest, Chris Barrow for a two hour evening seminar dedicated to giving you practical and simple advice on how to make a seamless and successful conversion. Practice Plan has helped hundreds of NHS practices across the UK to successfully convert to private practice and we’ll have experts on hand to answer all your questions and support you in any way we can. Each event is FREE, just choose the venue that’s right for you... Tuesday 15th June 6.00 pm : Birmingham Tuesday 22nd June 6.00 pm : Manchester Tuesday 29th June 6.00 pm : Windsor To reserve your FREE place please call Jen Smith on... or email jen.smith@practiceplan.co.uk 01691 684141 Special Guest: Chris Barrow If you’ve never heard Chris Barrow speak...then you’re in for a treat. If you have, then you know you can expect the kind of straight talking, no-nonsense practical advice that has helped countless dental practices to succeed and grow. As an added bonus, the event will deliver 2 hours CPD! The whole process is made easy for you with Practice Plan” Gayna Horridge Cahill Dental Care Centre “ www.practiceplan.co.uk I n a well-balanced life, the pressures of practicing den- tistry are usually offset with sufficient recreational time to re- dress the balance. However, this in turn creates an additional need to ensure that adequate cover is provided for patients in the ab- sence of their usual provider. Sometimes there are colleagues in-house who can provide this service, but single-handed practi- tioners must seek the support of a colleague from a near-by prac- tice. Either way, it is important to see these “occasional” patients in person and to examine them fully before giving any advice or pre- scribing treatment. Consider the case of a pa- tient who visited his local den- tal practice complaining of sore gums. His regular dentist was away from the practice that day and so the receptionist informed the senior partner of the prob- lem. The partner did not bother to examine the patient, but no- ticed from the record card that he had suffered from periodontal disease for a long time and told him that his problem was likely to be a recurrence of the same problem. He gave the patient a prescription of Metronidazole. Unfortunately, the patient’s medical history was not checked and in fact he was on long-term high-dose Warfarin therapy. The antibiotic potentiated the action of the Warfarin and resulted in the patient being hospitalised two days later, needing an emer- gency transfusion. The partner sought advice from his indemnity provider and it was agreed that he would arrange to see the patient for a review and explain the prob- lems that could result from a prescription of this type of an- tibiotic despite it being a drug commonly used to treat periodo- ntal disease. The patient took no further action. This case illustrates the im- portance of a clinical examina- tion, to confirm that the prescrip- tion was a justified treatment and also the need for careful consideration of the patient’s medical history for possible drug interactions. Watch out for another Learn- ing Curve from Dental Protection in future editions of Dental Trib- une UK. DT With more than 4,500 new cases opened every year, there is a wealth of experience within Dental Protection from which all of us can learn ‘It’s important to see “occasional” pa- tients in person and examine them fully before giving ad- vice or treatment’