DTUK1810

Dental Tribune has been in Glasgow re- cently, attending the International Sym- posium of Dental Hygiene. More than 1,300 delegates were registered, and this international meeting certainly lived up to its billing! Speaking with many of the delegates there was a real sense of coming to- gether and learning from each other. I really enjoyed the lectures I attended – watch out in future is- sues for a write-up! The Smile-on 10th anniversa- ry celebration was held recently on a luxury boat on the Thames. It was a fantastic evening, as the weather was perfect and the company... well it was pretty good too! There was a real mix of guests on board, all enjoying the occasion. There were a few surprises too, with Singing Den- tist Andrew Bain entertaining the guests and a moving rendition of Rudyard Kipling’s If by actress Ruth Rosen. The aim of the event was both to celebrate 10 years of Smile-on but also to say thanks to everyone who had supported the company along the way. From the happy smiles on people’s faces as they collected their limited edition anniversary watches and went off into the London night air, I’d say it was mission completed. Do you have an opinion or some- thing to say on any Dental Tribune UK article? Or would you like to write your own opinion for our guest comment page? If so don’t hesitate to write to: The Editor, Dental Tribune UK Ltd, 4th Floor, Treasure House, 19-21 Hatton Garden, London, EC1 8BA Or email: lisa@dentaltribuneuk.com Editorial comment Learning and growing NEW Effective enamel defence. Superior plaque control.* Combined. All-round protection for enamel Choosing a mouthrinse has often meant choosing between effective enamel protection and effective plaque reduction. Until now. New Listerine Total Care Enamel Guard contains 225 ppm fluoride with high uptake and comparable re-hardening in vitro to formulations with twice the fluoride.1,2 Add this to its ability to kill bacteria associated with dental caries3,4 and reduce plaque by up to 52% more than mechanical methods alone5 and you can see why you should consider adding it to certain patients’ oral care routines. *Superior to other daily-use mouthwashes 1. Study 103-0193. Data on file 1, McNEIL-PPC, Inc. 2. Study 103-0196. Data on file 2, McNEIL-PPC, Inc. 3. Tanzer JM et al. J Dent Ed 2004; 65(10): 1028-37. 4. Data on file A, McNEIL-PPC, Inc. 5. Sharma NC et al. J Am Dent Assoc 2004; 135: 496-504. TOTAL CARE ENAMEL GUARD 05849 03024_ocdlis_Dent_Tribune_WP_A4_fa1b.indd 1 6/24/10 3:22 PM I n a recent exchange in the House of Commons, the new Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Health, Anne Milton, gave her response to MP, Sir Paul Beresford, who said the biggest disincentive in the contract is ‘its targets, its units of dental activity (UDAs), its clawbacks’. Ms Milton thanked Sir Paul for ‘highlighting the perverse incen- tives in the contract’ and said: ‘‘It is absolutely critical that we take those out of any new contract.’’ The British Dental Association has already begun formal meet- ings with the new dentistry min- ister to discuss the issues facing NHS dentists. Speaking afterwards, Ms Sanderson said: “This was a constructive introductory meet- ing that afforded an opportunity to discuss briefly the issues con- fronting dentistry in this country. We look forward to continuing this dialogue and discussing in greater depth the issues that have been raised.” John Milne welcomed com- mitments on the reform of gen- eral dental services. He said: “I am pleased to report that the new Minister has committed to contin- uing the reform of NHS dentistry in England. He has pledged to re- view the progress so far and then take reform forward. Importantly, he has also committed the new government to discussing change with the profession and to the pi- loting of long-term change.” Peter Bateman also gave a pos- itive verdict on the meeting and said: “This meeting provided an early opportunity to raise some of the key issues confronting the sal- aried dentists who treat the most disadvantaged patient groups. A dialogue has begun and I look for- ward to discussing how care for vulnerable people will develop.”DT ‘Perverse incentives’ 3NewsJuly 12-18, 2010United Kingdom Edition