Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

Published by Dental Tribune UK Ltd © 2011, Dental Tribune UK Ltd. All rights reserved. Dental Tribune UK Ltd makes every effort to report clinical information and manufacturer’s product news accurately, but cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims, or for typographical errors. The publishers also do not assume responsibility for product names or claims, or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune International. Editor Lisa Townshend Tel: 020 7400 8979 Lisa@dentaltribuneuk.com Advertising Director Joe Aspis Tel: 020 7400 8969 Joe@dentaltribuneuk.com Sales Executive Sam Volk Tel: 020 7400 8964 Sam.volk@ dentaltribuneuk.com Editorial Assistant Laura Hatton Laura.hatton@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Design & Production Ellen Sawle ellen@dentaltribuneuk.com Clinical Editor Livui Steier Dental Tribune UK Ltd 4th Floor, Treasure House, 19–21 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8BA D ental health experts are calling for radical plans to be implemented to halt rising rates of child tooth decay. Dr Gill Davies and Dr Colette Bridgman, dental pub- lic health specialists who work for Manchester’s NHS primary care trust, want a new approach to tackle the growing number of children, some as young as three, who have to undergo painful extractions. Writing in the British Dental Journal, they demanded that par- ents play the key role in getting their offspring into good dental hygiene habits from soon after they are born by not giving them high-sugar foods and drinks, en- suring they have regular check- ups and cleaning their teeth regularly. They also want schools to stop rewarding students who do well with chocolate; child-mind- ers and nursery staff to ensure that toddlers brush their teeth twice a day; and a big increase in the number of children receiving fluoride varnish. To halt the rising rates of child tooth decay, dentists are saying that not only should fami- lies receive free toothpaste and toothbrushes and parents told not to sweeten babies’ feeding bottles, but pupils should also be banned from sharing birthday cakes with friends at school. “It is the parents who have influence over food and diet choices, purchasing and use of toothpaste and the making of ap- pointments for dental care,” they write. “How many children are likely to insist that no more bis- cuits or sugary drinks be bought for a household?” Given that only 10 per cent of the UK has fluoridated water, the authors want other steps taken, such as: • Children using family fluoride toothpaste, not children’s tooth- paste, which is low in fluoride • Schools and nurseries to stop giving children fruit squash at snack times • Every schoolchild to have fluo- ride varnish painted on their teeth at least twice a year. Cur- rently less than 15 per cent do so • “Meet the dentist” sessions at primary schools • An end to the practice of shar- ing birthday cakes at schools Theirrecommendationsdraw on the success of the Manches- ter Smiles dental health cam- paign which began last year. Under it, 6,000 pupils at 80 pri- mary schools have supervised brushing sessions twice daily and dental practices are “bud- died” with schools. Under a dif- ferent scheme, 200,000 families in Manchester have received free toothpaste and toothbrushes since 1999, a plan that Davies and Bridgman believe should be extended nationally. The Department of Health said: “The government has wasted no time in setting out its plans to improve dental serv- ices. At their heart is improv- ing preventative care for chil- dren. They need a service that helps them maintain good oral health and prevents decay, rath- er than one that is based solely on treatment.” DT Free toothpaste for families, experts say Experts want birthday cakes to be banned in schools T he chairman of the As- sembly’s health com- mittee has said Health Minister Michael McGimpsey will face “difficult questions” after the removal of a sen- ior dental consultant from his job at Belfast’s Royal School of Dentistry. After a review of senior den- tal consultant Professor Philip Lamey’s work, the Belfast Trust has recalled 117 people as a “a precautionary measure” fol- lowing concern about the late diagnosis of cancer found in some patients. Four patients have since died; however the Belfast Trust will not confirm whether a late cancer diagnosis may have con- tributed to their deaths. Health Minister Michael McGimpsey is expected to make a statement to the Assembly in relation to the dentist’s work and he is also due to meet with the chair of the health commit- tee, Jim Wells. Mr Wells said the 117 pa- tients involved “deserve serious answers from the Belfast Trust.” “This simply isn’t good enough. The committee will be asking very searching and dif- ficult questions,” he said. Dr Lamey is due before a hearing of the General Dental Council in London on 9 July. One of the patients re- called by the trust told BBC reporters how the situ- ation was affecting him. Reports said that the patient, who remains anonymous, said it was “very worrying”. “Until Monday morning when I go to my appointment and the follow-up, I’ll not know for sure. This condition hasn’t gone away, it’s very upsetting not only for me but for my fam- ily,” reports stated him saying. According to reports, Trust Medical Director Dr Tony Ste- vens said problems with the care administered by the den- tist came to light in late 2009; however he was not removed from his post until the end of last year. Even though he is no longer treating patients he is still employed by the trust. Dr Stevens said anyone who needs to be contacted has already been sent a letter. The trust is also provid- ing a helpline, which received between 40 and 50 calls at the weekend. The telephone number is 028 9063 6330. DT Dentist removed after diagnosis concerns A new £9 million pur- pose-designed facility to train dental care profes- sionals and final-year under- graduate dentists was officially opened by Health Minister, Earl Howe at the University of Port- smouth’s Dental Academy. Supervised by tutors, dental students will work with hygiene therapists and dental nurs- ing students, as they would in practice and provide free treat- ment for 2,000 local people eve- ry year. The new centre has 20 additional dental chairs, radiog- raphy facilities, a state-of-the- art instrument decontamina- tion centre as well as seminar rooms. Each year, 80 final year students from King’s College London Dental Institute will be trained alongside dental nurs- ing students from Portsmouth. Development of the new building has been enabled by capital funding support from the Department of Health, the local NHS and the Higher Ed- ucation Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Earl Howe, who is the Min- ister with lead responsibility for Dentistry, said: “I was delighted to see the high quality hands-on training provided at Portsmouth Dental Academy today. “As set out in the NHS White Paper, we are committed to improving oral health for adults and children as well as in- creasing access to NHS dental services across the country. The University of Portsmouth Den- tal Academy has an important role to play in delivering on this agenda. They are providing first-class training and educa- tion for our future dentists and dental care professionals and excellent services to patients in the area.” Director of the Dental Acad- emy, Sara Holmes MBE, said: “Today marks the culmination of over two years of planning and represents a unique part- nership between the University and the NHS. The entire staff and student body are thrilled to be working and studying, along- side colleagues from Kings, in such a dynamic and progres- sive institution right the heart of Portsmouth.” Nairn Wilson, Dean and head of KCLDI, said: “King’s College London Dental Insti- tute is delighted to have joined forces with the University of Portsmouth to create the Den- tal Academy, with a focus on innovation in the education of the dental team and the stu- dent experience. The event was attended by over a hundred members of the local dental community, representatives from the local NHS and from KCLDI who was joined by University Chancel- lor, actor Sheila Hancock. DT Training centre opens at Portsmouth University February 14-20, 20112 News United Kingdom Edition