Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

I n the first known scheme of its kind in London, student volunteers from Thames Valley University (TVU) in West London have qualified as Smok- ing Cessation Advisors to help fellow students in Ealing, quit the habit. Ealing Stop Smoking Serv- ice has trained 11 Psychology students at TVU to a profes- sional standard so that they can help their peers quit smoking through a free personalised six week programme. TVU and Ealing Stop Smok- ing Service found that students could save £1,000 a year if they stopped smoking ten cigarettes a day, which is equivalent to almost a third of a basic stu- dent loan. Research has shown that 63 per cent of smokers in Great Britain want to give up smoking and 22 per cent of peo- ple in London smoke, which is the second highest rate in the country*. Clinics, located at St Mary’s Road in Ealing, run on Monday afternoons, Tuesday evenings and Friday lunchtimes so that full-time and part-time students are able to attend them. Student Advisors offer confidential ad- vice and free recommendations on everything from stop smok- ing medication to nicotine re- placement therapy. Pauline Fox, Health Psychol- ogist and Principal Psychology Lecturer at Thames Valley Uni- versity, said: ‘The University is very proud to be working with Ealing Stop Smoking Service to give students the support they need to quit smoking so they don’t need to ‘go it alone’. Stu- dents are four times more like- ly to stop smoking if they use our service and as Student Ad- visors can recommend stop smoking medication at prescrip- tion rates, they can do it on a tight budget.’ Rachael Davis, Stop Smoking Facilitator at Ealing Stop Smok- ing Service said: ‘We are de- lighted to have trained Thames Valley University’s hardwork- ing and enthusiastic students as Stop Smoking Advisors. Peer support is really effective in changing behaviour, especially amongst students; this was the catalyst for the project. We are very proud to be working in partnership with Thames Valley University on this project which puts student wellbeing at the heart of the education service that it provides.’ TVU student Caroline La- farge has been trained by Ealing Stop Smoking Service as an a Stop Smoking Advisor and said: ‘‘As a student myself I under- stand how stressful exams can be and what it is like being away from home for the first time so to quit smoking can be a big chal- lenge. The training I received from Ealing Stop Smoking Serv- ice and the support from TVU has been excellent and I am thrilled to be involved in this exciting project. When a stu- dent comes to see me and wants to give up smoking I ask them about their smoking behaviour history, I take a carbon monox- ide reading from a detector and set a quit date.’’ DT * Figures from General House- hold Survey 2009 Students kick the habit L-R: Weronika Suszynska and Krishna Talsania, both advisors, run through the first meeting of a smoker and a mentor in TVU’s scheme T he National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN) is seeking to recruit new members to its Panel of Examiners in order to deliver a new assessment of the National Certificate in Dental Nursing qual- ification in 2011. Featuring Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), NEBDN has completely revised the format of the qualification in order to provide a more modern approach to the assessment of dental nurses. To become an Examiner with NEBDN you must: • Have previous experience of assessing OSCEs within dental training • Be registered with the General Dental Council • Be currently practicing as a den- tal surgeon or dental care profes- sional • Have two years’ experience since qualification • Be well organised and able to maintain high quality standards • Be passionate about Dental Nurse Education and helping peo- ple reach their full potential Becoming an Examiner will help you to: • Improve your personal develop- ment and professional status • Develop your skills and under- standing of Dental Nurse Educa- tion and training • Gain verifiable CPD through on- going support and training • Network with other profession- als with a commitment to improv- ing Dental Nurse Education For further information and an application pack please visit our websitewww.nebdn.orgorcontact sarah@nebdn.org Full training and support will be provided. Suc- cessful applicants will be invited to an assessment day in May 2011. DT T he the British Dental HealthFoundation(BDHF) is delighted to announce the theme for this year’s National Smile Month, the ‘Smile Factor’, running from 15 May – 15 June. The aim of the campaign is to put the smile back on peoples’ faces and help them display their full personalities through the ‘Smile Factor’ theme. Now into its 35th year, National Smile Month remains an integral part of the Foundation’s work in promoting greater oral health. As in previous years, the Foundation will also be raising the awareness of a healthy diet and the link be- tween good oral health and good overall body health and promoting thethreekeymessagesofbrushfor two minutes twice a day using a fluoridetoothpaste,visitthedentist regularly, as often as they recom- mend and cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks. Chief Executive of the Brit- ish Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, described the think- ing behind this year’s campaign. Dr Carter said: “A smile can be a very powerful show of emotion, yet not everyone has the confidence to doso.Theysayyoucanhidebehind a smile if you are not happy or are self-conscious about your teeth, so many people are missing out on showing their very own ‘Smile Factor’. Others are being held back by poor oral well-being and its im- pact on their general health. This year’s campaign is designed to challenge those perceptions and get you smiling again.” Every year the Foundation en- courages local communities, prac- tices and individuals up and down the country to take part and get involved in National Smile Month, and as ever, there will be a wide range of different ways in which people can do just that. There will be many family and community events throughout the campaign – all of which need your support. If you’d like to find out more about National Smile Month, wish to take part in an event or organise one, all campaign material is now available. Please call the Founda- tion’s PR Department on 01788 539792 to request a copy. DT ‘Smile Factor’ for NSM Wanted: NEDBN exam panel members 3NewsMarch 28-April 3, 2011United Kingdom Edition