Community Health Councils in Wales have reported that benefits claimants are being put off going to see a dentist due to confusion over what free treatment is available and have said the system needs to change. Some patients have faced £100 fines after wrongly filling in claim forms. The Welsh Government said it was considering simplifying the process.
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The Ipswich Star reports that Community Dental Services CIC, who operate eight clinics across Suffolk, have recruited Basil, a six year-old beagle, to offer comfort and distraction for anxious patients. Senior dental nurse, Jacci Plant, who is Basil’s owner, had the idea to train as a pet therapy practitioner.
The BDA says child tooth decay epidemic needs more than unfunded gimmicks. The Association has slammed government inaction on children’s oral health, as the latest figures reveal 45,000 children and teenagers underwent procedures to remove teeth last year. BDA Chair Mick Armstrong said: “Ministers have not put a penny of new investment into early years prevention.”
Read more: BDA slams Government inaction over children’s oral health
Patients claiming free prescriptions in England face checks before medicine is issued in an effort to stamp out fraud, which currently costs the NHS an estimated £256m a year. The new digitised system to be piloted next year will mean pharmacies can instantly verify who is entitled to free medication. Other measures will include a new drive to catch dentists who claim payments for services they have not carried out.
Read more: Patients claiming free prescriptions will face checks
The Oral Health Foundation is calling for free dental care for mouth cancer patients to combat the costs of ongoing healthcare that survivors are often burdened with, calling them a discriminatory ‘tax on cancer’. The charity estimates that mouth cancer sufferers could face dental costs of up to £1,500 over five years – around five times higher than that of the national average.
Read more: Dentistry should be free for mouth cancer patients
Coca-Cola has scaled back its annual Christmas truck tour as resistance was growing to the company giving out free sugary drinks. Asda and Tesco have been urged to review their partnership with the tour. The BDA has urged Coca Cola to drop the spin on the ’healthy options’ offered on its Christmas tour - and says its sugar-free brands are more acidic than lemon juice and vinegar.