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Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

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 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 2/23/11 4:59 PM B DA Scotland’s manifesto for the election, Some- thing to smile about, pro- vides a reminder that Scotland’s oral health continues to fall be- hind Western European norms. The manifesto explains that measures such as the expan- sion of the successful Childsmile scheme have a key role to play in addressing this issue. It also calls for the fluoridation of water supplies; something the BDA believes could dramati- cally improve the oral health of children in Scotland’s most de- prived communities. Focusing on the quality of care patients receive will also be important, the manifesto says. It calls on the new Government to re-think lifelong registration which was introduced in 2010 and recognise the importance of regular attendance in stemming the growing number of cases of oral cancer Scotland is suffering. It also calls for progress on the introduction of a long-envisaged oral health assessment follow- ing evaluation of pilots for such a tool at the end of 2010. The number and location of dentists in Scotland also requires attention, the BDA believes. The manifesto cites the continuing shortage of dental academics and geographical disparities in the provision of both primary and secondary dental care as prob- lems that must be addressed. Andrew Lamb, BDA Director for Scotland, said: “Despite im- provements in the dental health of Scotland over the last 40 years, there is a great deal still to do if we are to eradicate persistent oral health inequalities. We have suc- cesses to celebrate, including the excellent Childsmile scheme and improvements in access to dental care in some areas, but the new Government will nonetheless face significant challenges in the field of dentistry and oral health. Candidates standing for election this year must pledge to work with the dental profession to take on those challenges and deliver improvements for patients.” DT Inequalities should be top priorities T here has been a great em- phasis lately on the growth of social media in the dental profession (coincidentally, we have an article on that very subject in this issue, see pages 9-10). This was never more apparent than at this year’s Dentistry Show in Bir- mingham, when both days saw a dental ‘Tweet-up’ – a meeting of people involved in Twitter for their companies or practices. Friday’s Tweet-up saw a net- working group of roughly 30 peo- ple, most of which only knew each other through tweets. It was great to put faces to names and net- work with people who I would not normally have had the chance to speak to at such an event. Thanks to those who had the idea to get together and made it happen, and also to those who attended. You can follow Dental Tribune on Twitter @dentaltribuneuk... The GDC’s view to postpone the decision affecting the use of the title Dr has given profession- als whose input to the consulta- tion was dismissed as being the ‘Usual Suspects’ to reiterate their point. If you’re not a usual sus- pect – now is your time to make a contribution to the debate as the strength of feeling is so high right now there has never been a better time to have your voic- es heard. Take a look at page six to see clinician comments on this. An- gry of Apple Dental Practice, your profes- sion needs you! DT 3NewsMarch 14-20, 2011United Kingdom Edition