NHS dentistry was the only service to see a statistically significant increase in levels of public satisfaction this year; at 61% it was up 7 points from 2015. Public satisfaction with the NHS overall was 63% in 2016. The figures come from the National Centre for Social Research’s British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey.
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A new method of detecting bacteria during root canal treatments could improve results according to a study published in the Journal of Dental Research. The SafeRoot device, created by a team of researchers at King's College London, enables rapid bacterial detection inside the root canal, ensuring the procedure has been successful and reducing the need for tooth extraction or surgical intervention.
BDA Scotland has criticised the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) and its recommendation for a 1% pay award for general dental practitioners in Scotland for 2017/18. Associates and practice owners in Scotland have seen their income fall by well over a quarter since 2009.
Oral surgeon Sean Ferguson dentist killed himself after he was forced to stop treating patients because of a hereditary illness which was damaging the nerves in his hands. He suffered from a condition, Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease, which affected his peripheral nerves and had been told to stop working by the General Dental Council while they looked into his condition.
Read more: Dentist killed himself after hand condition forced him to stop work
The European Parliament has voted in favour of a gradual phase down in dental amalgam. The move has ended months of speculation over whether the dental filling material faced an outright ban by 2022. The so-called great reform act should mean that this will be incorporated into UK law and after 2022, decisions will be made by UK parliament.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has said underinvestment in dentistry is bringing NHS services to the brink, as the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) announced its recommendation of a below inflation pay uplift of 1% for dentists in 2017/18. The BDA said that the report had ‘comprehensively failed to recognise the impact that a collapse of 35% in earnings since 2006 has had on investment in dental practices.’
Read more: DDRB report published: BDA says dentistry is ‘on the brink’