Dental Tribune UK Edition, October 11-17, 2010, No.25 Vol.4

PUBLISHED IN LONDON T he decision by General Dental Council (GDC) to increase the annual reten- tion fee (ARF) paid by registrants has sparked outrage throughout the dental profession. The ARF has been raised due to a number of challenges; a 40 per cent rise in fitness to prac- tise cases, an increase in hear- ings and a cost of more than £8m on legal fees, not forgetting the plans for a Government-led revalidation, are the main rea- sons behind the increase. The ARF for dentists has been increased by 31 per cent and now stands at £576 (due by 31 December 2010); there has also been a 25 per cent ARF increase for DCPs, which now stands at £120 (due by 31 July 2011) and the Special- ist Lists fee will now be £72. GDC Chair Alison Lockyer said: “We have looked very care- fully at what it costs us to regu- late dentistry. “We check the quality of edu- cation so that new registrants are fit to practise. We make sure only appropriately qualified dental professionals join our registers. “As a dentist, I recognise that there are dental professionals whowillbeunhappywiththisde- cision about the ARF.” She added. Many have contacted Dental Tribune with regards to this is- sue. One flustered practice man- ager commented: “I think it is absolutely disgraceful that the GDC have put the ARF up for DCPs. Why should dental nurs- es, most of whom earn nothing compared to the likes of dental hygienists and therapists, have to pay the same ARF?” Dentists have been suggest- ing that the increases “reveal an alarming ‘out of touch’ mentality at the offices of the GDC” whilst others say it is a “disgrace that the GDC are helping themselves to a 31 per cent pay increase.” BADN President Sue Bruckel JP said on the ARF increase: “I am appalled that the GDC could be so insensitive to the position of dental nurses. The BADN survey – of which the GDC are aware – showed that the majority of dental nurses in the UK earn £15,000 or less a year; to expect them to pay £120 merely to have the right to practice their profession is un- reasonable and unacceptable. One clinical specialist com- mented that she felt that such demands were discriminat- ing against women as many women reduce their work- ing hours to care for their families. Having worked part- time in Community Dental Services, she couldn’t under- stand why she should pay the same retention fee as a GDP working full time in a private practice, whose salary would be almost six times more than her income. Many have called for the GDC to introduce a way to pay by instalments. Dental Tribune contacted the GDC on the topic of instalments, who responded: “We have looked at this option on several occasions. We believe it would only be fair to introduce instalments if all registrants were able to pay this way. So far we have not found a solution to allow us to do this in a cost-effi- cient way. There are a number of issues relating to offering pay- ments by instalments We cannot offer this to all registrants with- out changing the law (specifi- cally the Dentists Act) through a section 60 order which would take time and money. “A GDC-run payment system would need to be designed, de- veloped and tested in order to make sure it worked properly. Our research shows this would be a lengthy and costly process. It is likely extra GDC staff would then be needed to maintain and update the information on it.” They added: ‘‘If we looked at the option of using an external service, the kind of com- panies we could employ to collect payments in instalments are generally not keen on col- lecting amounts under £400 due to the amount of work involved for the return they receive.” DT October 11-17, 2010 VOL. 4 NO. 25 The end for “drill and fill”? Scientists at the University of Sydney have worked on laser tests to identify weak dental enamel. Named the Raman spectroscopy, the laser has the ability to see beneath the skin and detect disease, without exposing patients to X-rays. The laser technology could also result in blood tests be- ing completed without the patients having blood taken from them. With regards to dentists and the dental phobia that has been hitting the news lately, the Raman spectros- copy could mark the end for the traditional “drill and fill” routine that dentists carry out for tooth decay treatments. Stem Cell Development A new approach to anchor teeth back in the jaw using stem cells has been developed and successfully tested in the laboratory for the first time by researchers at the Univer- sity of Illinois at Chicago. The strategy represents a poten- tial major advance in the bat- tle against gum disease, a se- rious infection that eventually leads to tooth loss. Research- ers in UIC’s Brodie Labora- tory for Craniofacial Genetics used stem cells obtained from the periodontal ligament of molars extracted from mice, expanded them in an incuba- tor, and then seeded them on barren rat molars. The stem cell-treated molars were rein- serted into the tooth sockets of rats; they aligned and formed new fibrous attachments be- tween the tooth and bone, firmly attaching the replanted tooth into the animal’s mouth. Tissue sections showed that the replanted tooth was sur- rounded by newly formed, periodontal ligament fi- bres and new cementum, the essential ingredients of a healthy tooth attachment. FDA Warning to Manufacturers The FDA (Food and Drug Ad- ministration) have warned mouthwash companies Johnson & Johnson, CVS Corporation and Walgreen Company to immediately stop making claims that their products are capable of preventing gum disease. The FDA is stressing that consumers of mouthwash products by these compa- nies must be aware that the products may help protect against cavities, but there is no evidence demons- trating protection from gum disease. The three compa- nies have been told to take “appropriate action” within 15 days. If they don’t, they may face civil or criminal penalties, as well as hav- ing their product seized. www.dental-tribune.co.uk Smiles all round Bridge2Aid share their educa- tion experience with Smile-on Home Sweet Home Practice for the future A breath of fresh air Dental Tribune tests the Cleanaer purification device News in Brief Practice Managment ClinicalFeature CQC chair confirmed Dame Jo takes her seat page 3 page 6 pages 16-17 page 30 Anger over 2011 ARF increase Increase in Fitness to Practise cases blamed for 31 per cent rise in dentists’ retention fee; DCPs hit by 25 per cent rise News