The Faculty of Dental Surgery says, in a new report, that at least 1.8 million people aged 65 and over may have their life blighted by an urgent dental condition and this could rise by more than 50% by 2040. Concerns have been raised about the effect that conditions such as toothache and oral sepsis are having on older people’s quality of life.
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Campaigners have warned that some GPs and other NHS doctors are undermining a policy to stop homeopathic treatments. NHS England has announced a ban on commissioning them, yet in London and the South West family doctors continue to prescribe them, and some NHS hospitals deliver them, costing up to £6 million a year, it has been reported.
A “culture of apathy” in care homes means residents are not treated as individuals, the watchdog Healthwatch has concluded. The BDA has called on ministers, health commissioners and care home owners to act on its conclusions, which show that elderly residents do not always have access to basic care, including with their oral health.
A new automatic toothbrush, which it is claimed takes only 10 seconds to clean patients’ teeth and remove plaque is due to be launched later this year. The Amabrush, which looks like a bristly mouth guard, can dispense toothpaste and vibrates to clean every tooth, according to its creators. It does not appear, however, if there are any scientific studies to verify the claims.
Researchers have say that they have now developed a new material to better protect sensitive teeth, using green tea polyphenols. A team of scientists, led by Dr. Cui Huang, of Wuhan University in China, have tried to explore alternatives to conventional therapies. The study has been published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
The Government’s controversial Making Tax Digital (MTD) plan will not affect dental practices until at least 2020. The good news comes after the government seemed to buckle under pressure and removed MTD from the 2017 Finance Bill as many groups, including NASDAL (National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers) had made representations about the timeframes involved.