In answering a question from an MP, Health minister, Alistair Burt MP, claimed that 1.7 million more patients had accessed NHS dentistry compared with May 2010. He also said that the Government is committed to increasing access still further through reform of the dental contract to incentivise dentists to focus on prevention as well as treatment and, by seeing patients at intervals appropriate to their clinical need.
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The General Dental Council has announced that its Chief Executive and Registrar, Evlynne Gilvarry, is to step down in January 2016. The GDC will then appoint an interim Chief Executive to lead the organisation following Evlynne’s departure, whilst steps are taken to find a permanent replacement. She said that after five years in post: “It is now the right time for me to hand over to a new chief executive to lead the GDC going forward.”
A study published in The BMJ claims that exposure to secondhand smoke at 4 months of age is associated with an increased risk of tooth decay at age 3 years. The research indicates that smoke may directly affect teeth and microorganisms in a number of ways, including inflammation of the oral membrane, damage to the salivary gland function and a decrease in serum vitamin C levels, as well as immune dysfunction.
Read more: Secondhand smoke leads to tooth decay in children
The British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) has said that Dental Showcase did brisk business and networking at Birmingham’s NEC from 22 to 24 October. The BDIA said that although overall footfall at the exhibition was a little lower than in previous years, it was clear from visitor and exhibitor feedback that the exhibition ‘was a great success.’
The regulator is the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which has issued a consultation paper in relation to fees in 2016/17 and beyond. For many providers, including GPs, this means large increases to achieve ‘full chargeable cost recovery’. For dentists, however, this is likely to mean no increase in 2016/17 and a reduction to in 2017/18.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has accused the General Dental Council (GDC) of hoarding reserves, and has told the regulator that it can and should set a fee level for dentists of no more than £500 for 2016/17. Mick Armstrong, Chair of the British Dental Association, said: “Sadly the regulator has served up another fees consultation with a familiar line in disinformation and predetermined results.”