Dental Tribune UK Edition, October 25-3, 2010, No.26 Vol.4

PUBLISHED IN LONDON L ord Browne of Madingley in his Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance has recom- mended an increase in university tuition fees. If the proposed plans go ahead there could be serious implications for students all over the country. It is currently unclear wheth- er the government will consider going ahead with Lord Browne’s review; however, whatever deci- sion the government decides to make is likely to involve increas- ing university fees. Along with the proposed changes to the sys- tem with regards to budget cuts, universities across Britain will lose a proportion of state-funding in an effort to try and reduce the country’s ever-increasing deficit. The problem that arises with the proposed changes will have far greater implications for den- tal and medical students, as their courses tend to be significantly longer than the usual three years. Recently, figures of £7,000 per year are being discussed; howev- er there is also talk of an unlim- ited annual fee to be determined by individual universities. If these changes are brought into action then students are going to poten- tially leave university with a stag- gering debt of £100,000. As it stands, many students are struggling to find a job after graduation due to the economic climate, resulting in interest pil- ing on top of their student loans at an uncontrollable rate; this undoubtedly will put off future students. The implications that this could have on society has a rec- ipe for disaster. A decrease in the number of future dental and medical university students could result in a sudden shortage of trained professionals in the future and could ultimately affect eco- nomic growth. As Lord Browne stated in his review: “Analysis submitted to the Review suggests that, in the UK between 2000 and 2007, the increase in employed university graduates accounted for six per cent of growth in the private sector (measured by the extra wages they earned as a re- sult of being graduates) or £4.2bn of extra output.” According to the Independ- ent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance the current system puts a “limit on the level of investment for higher education” and it has been sug- gested that the country’s educa- tion standard is at risk of “falling behind rival countries.” The pro- posals will introduce a greater investment: students are going to be persuaded that by paying more in they will get more out. Reported cuts throughout the economic sector have further made the proposed fee increase an ever more pressing subject; university budgets will be cut by £1bn, affecting research funds and student support, and it is feared that worse may follow. Re- ports in the media suggest that the coalition government aim to cut £82m from university budg- ets next year and that the number of student places available is to be halved. It is believed that if the pro- posed changes are adhered to, selected universities, where stu- dents compete to get a place, would end up charging higher fees for the privilege. However, through all the speculation, those who are clos- est to the students have generally said that ‘dental and medical stu- dents are guaranteed a job that is well paid and because of this they leave university in a better position to pay back their fees.’ Dental Tribune contacted various dental schools who were reluctant to comment before the announcement of the Com- prehensive Spening Review (CSR). DT Call Max on 01737 221020 EXT 2042 or email DTacquisitions@adp-dental.com If you’re thinking about selling your practice or group then come and have a chat with us. You’ve worked hard. Now reap the rewards. Think of selling your practice and think of • Beating the Corporate Gains Tax rise • Clinical freedom • A minimum 1 year working contract • Reducing your income tax bill • Reducing stress • Developing practice potential & growth • Supporting staff & patients • Unlocking equity October 25-31, 2010 VOL. 4 NO. 26 Help rebuild Haiti The earthquakes which dev- astated Haiti destroyed a third of the countries dental prac- tices. Chantal Noël, National Liaison Officer of the Associa- tion Dentaire Haïtienne plans to help Haiti recover from the earthquake and its aftermath. Without help, most Haitian dentists will not be able to re- build their practices. Chantal plans to enlist the support of NDAs worldwide in the re- building and re-equipping efforts. She will use VOX to communicate with all FDI members about the equip- ment that is needed by Haitian dentists. Already engaged, the American Dental Associa- tion is raising funds for Haiti through a campaign called “Adopt-a-Practice; Rebuilding Dental Offices in Haiti” which aims to raise $350,000 by the end of 2010. BDA Bookclub BDA members will have ac- cess to a new scheme offering discounts of up to one-fifth off a wide range of key dentistry titles following the launch of BDA Bookclub at Showcase (14 October). This new ben- efit arises from an exclusive deal the BDA has negotiated with leading publishers, such as Elsevier, Oxford Univer- sity Press, Informa and Wiley- Blackwell. A core range of 50 titles is available to BDA members, and the Bookclub also offers a facility for mem- bers to buy any other dentist- ry title from the participating publishers at a discount. Fur- ther information about BDA’s Bookclub, as well as secure online ordering, can be ac- cessed at www.bda.org/book- club, or email enquiries to bdashop@bda.org. The serv- ice is only available to BDA. Truro Practice wins Award The River Practice in Truro, Cornwall, has won the Brit- ish Dental Association Good Practice Scheme “Practice of the Year 2010”. Every year the British Dental Associa- tion (BDA) hosts an annual Honours and Awards Din- ner where awards are given in recognition of outstanding and distinguished services to the association and to the dental profession. The Good Practice Scheme Practice of the Year is awarded to cel- ebrate a practice that cham- pions the Scheme recognising the efforts of a whole dental team. “The BDA Good Prac- tice Scheme has helped us develop a truly exceptional service that strives to pro- vide the best in patient care.” For more information on the Good Practice Scheme visit www.bdasmile.org www.dental-tribune.co.uk Mavericks in Morocco Michael Oliver’s diary of charity care in Morocco Pension dreams Thomas Dickson discusses link- ing your pension with property Telescope and crowns A look at precision dental prosthetics News in Brief Money Matters ClinicalFeatureNews DCP Research award Colgate awards research by dental care professionals page 3 pages 10-11 page 16 pages 22-24 Another Brown(e) causes potential money woes Proposed university fee increase in independent review could have serious implications for dental students