The craze for tongue splitting is leaving people open to serious risk of haemorrhage, infection and nerve damage, surgeons have warned. The warnings come after a recent study found that more than half of tongue piercings and 20% of lip piercings result in complications. Selina Master, of the FDS RCS said dentists had seen some ’horrific consequences’ of such procedures.
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Replying to a question from Rushanara Ali Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, health minister Steve Brine MP said that there were no plans to change the system for raising penalties where a disabled or unwell patient wrongly claims exemption from patient charges.
Read more: Penalty charges for incorrect exemption claims to stay
Public Health England has issued a report on the carbon footprint of 17 of the most common dental procedures. The highest proportion of these emissions is caused by travel, followed by procurement, energy, nitrous oxide, waste and water. As a start the NHS is urging dentists to try to reduce the amount of travelling by patients and staff.
A powerful group of MPs has castigated NHS England for the shambles it made of outsourcing its back-office function to private company, Capita. In a scathing report published by the Public Accounts Committee, the MPs condemned both NHS England and Capita for causing mayhem to health workers and potentially “put[ing] patients at risk of serious harm."
For seriously ill children, a simple toothbrush can be critical to health and well-being. This is the message being delivered to medical teams at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) by paediatric dental consultant Urshla Devalia. Her team are implementing a pioneering new programme called Mini Mouthcare Matters (Mini MCM).
Read more: Pioneering mouthcare programme being developed at childrens’ hospital
Plans to add fluoride to the water supply of more than 340,000 people in Hull and the East Riding to address some of the worst rates of tooth decay in the country “will not happen”, according to a councillor. But the BDA has slammed such misleading comments that could sound the death knell of fluoridation there.
Read more: Hull fluoridation bid attacked by local councillors