Health Minister, Alistair Burt MP, said that dentists have a key role to play in improving child dental health through prevention. He also said that a new contract, based on the outcomes of the current prototypes could be rolled-out nationally in 2018-19. He was replying to a House of Commons debate, imitated by dentist MP, Sir Paul Beresford. The minister will address the BDA conference on May 27.

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Read more: Dentists have a key role to play – Minister

The General Dental Council (GDC) is consulting on its plans to introduce Case Examiners, to speed the Fitness to practise process. Complaints will be dealt with, they say, more quickly and efficiently making it safer for patients and a less stressful experience for dentists or dental care professionals. Case Examiners will agree undertakings with dentists where this is proportionate. The consultation is now open and will run until March 14.

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Read more: GDC wants to hear your views on Case Examiners

Following debates in both Houses of Parliament the Order permitting the GDC to appoint case examiners has been passed into law and will become effective later this year. The GDC ‘welcomed’ the Lords debate, where they were slated by Lord Hunt, and said that consultation on implementing the Order would start on Feb 1.

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Access to NHS dentists was raised by Bradford South MP, Judith Cummins, at Prime Minister's Questions. She asked the Prime Minister to look at the lack of availability of NHS dentists there ‘as a matter of urgency’. Mr Cameron replied that there had been a ‘big increase’ in NHS dentistry since 2010 and reminded Labour about ‘huge queues around the block’ for an NHS dentist when Labour was in government.

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Read more: PM challenged over lack of dentists in Bradford

The BDA says it is dismayed to learn that around 40 per cent of local councils have dropped their free stop-smoking services when incidences of mouth cancers are soaring. The chair of the BDA’s Health and Science Committee, Russ Ladwa, said: “Investing in stop-smoking services ought to be a mandatory rather than an optional service given the high prevalence of oral cancers and their poor mortality rates.”

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Read more: BDA calls for smoking cessation funding to be ring fenced