A new study from the USA claims that people who drink more than four cups of caffeinated coffee a day have half the risk of dying from oral/pharyngeal cancer compared with people who drink it either occasionally or not at all. However, the researchers say their findings need to be confirmed by more research.

The Shirley Glasstone Hughes (SGH) Trust Fund, chaired by Professor Elizabeth Kay, has launched its annual competition for primary care dental practitioners to win up to £200K of funding for research. The Fund is this year seeking applications for research projects that investigate the environmental impact of plastics in restorative dental materials.

The Oklahoma Department of Health is sending letters to patients of Dr Scott Harrington, urging them to have their blood tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Investigators said they found numerous health and safety violations at his practice, including nonsterilized and rusty instruments. The unsanitary practices of the dentist may have exposed thousands of patients to HIVand hepatitis forcing him to close his practices while health officials investigate and test about 7,000 people who had visited him since 2007.

Shadow Health Minister and Labour MP for Copeland, Jamie Reed, has told GDPUK that, as part of Labour’s Healthcare policy review, he will be visiting dental practices to speak to patients and dentists about all aspects of the current system. He also asked anyone with an interest to put their concerns in writing.

Alan Suggett reported the latest NASDAL goodwill survey showed the dental practice sales market is still strong with no sign of the impending changes to NHS contractual arrangements having any impact on values. He said that in the build-up to the introduction of the 2006 contract, dental practice sales slowed down dramatically . By contrast, the latest figures show that the market is still active and NHS and mixed practices in most areas are still sought after.