The waiting list to see an NHS dentist in Exeter has increased by nearly five times in a year, a local paper reports. Bradford MP, Judith Cummins, asked Ministers to increase the number of NHS dentists practising in her constituency and other areas with significantly above average incidences of oral and dental health problems
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A report in the GP magazine Pulse says that the UK’s three medical defence organisations have raised salaries and benefits for their top executives by hundreds of thousands of pounds in the past three years amid spiralling medical and dental indemnity fees with some top earners having salaries ‘reach close to £1 million’ last year.
Read more: Income boost for defence organisation executives reported
An international team of researchers and clinicians has charted the microbial ecology of the mouth at all stages of this progression, in nearly 1,000 women in Malawi. This work is laying a foundation of knowledge that could lead to better oral health. The research is published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
Read more: Research has investigated microbial ecology of perio disease
A guide for parents to help them care for their children’s teeth has been launched by the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD). Covering all aspects of oral healthcare for children from birth to 16, the guide is designed to correct some of the damaging myths about teeth and help parents get their child’s dental health off to the best possible start. See: http://bspd.co.uk/Resources
Read more: New guide to help parents give their children healthy teeth for life
Data issued by the Scottish Government show that 4.9 million (91%) of the Scottish population are registered with an NHS dentist. Children are more likely to be registered with an NHS dentist than adults (94% compared to 90%) and this is true across all deprivation areas. But at March 2016, 3.5 million (72%) of those registered had seen an NHS dentist within the last two years.
Read more: Over 90% of people in Scotland registered with dentist
Dentists’ Provident has investigated if dentists are as good at looking after themselves as they are their patients . An online survey earlier this year revealed that dentists aren’t taking enough breaks or drinking enough water during a working day. This could not only affect their ability to practise, but also have an impact on their health and wellbeing.