Two NHS workers from East Lothian Scotland have each been jailed for nine months after they admitted stealing dental equipment worth £75,000. Darren Lawson took the items from storerooms at NHS Lothian and Gianni Donofrio sold them on eBay. The thefts came to light when a dentist, who had bought some of the equipment, contacted the manufacturers to ask if it was covered by warranty.
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Denplan has announced the launch of a new dental partnership funding programme which will see the company enter a partnership with individual dental practices. Denplan will initially pilot the partnership programme with five Denplan member practices, acquiring a 50% equity stake in the practice and becoming an equal partner, with the dentist retaining full clinical management of the practice.
Read more: Denplan launches a pilot programme for new dental partnerships
Private dental practices in the UK have been in the doldrums but show signs of picking up, according to the NASDAL quarterly goodwill survey. Alan Suggett, specialist dental accountant and a partner in UNW LLP said ‘it was still apparent that there was a 'feeding frenzy' for dental practices of all kinds in the South East – which he dubbed ‘London area lunacy’.
Read more: Feeding frenzy for dental practices in SE England
More than 60 dental practices around the country have been chosen to pilot the new ‘protoype’ contracts. Health Minister Lord Howe visited one of those, Woodford Dental Care in Essex and spoke to staff about their practice. The owner Len D’Cruz said: “I am very pleased to have the opportunity to be a prototype in the move toward models of preventative care, an approach we have fully embraced from the outset.”
Peter Crooks has been re-elected unopposed as Chair of the Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee. He said: “This is a crucial time for dentistry in Northern Ireland with practices under significant financial pressures and ever increasing regulatory burdens. As a committee we will continue to push for better resources and provide strong leadership to meet the challenges that face the profession.”
Read more: Peter Crooks re-elected to chair Northern Ireland DPC
A new study has highlighted the potential threat to the teeth of professional wine tasters. Researchers at the University of Adelaide found that just 10 one-minute swill-and-spit sessions are enough to soften tooth enamel and make teeth vulnerable to erosion. It found that the acid in most wines would render teeth vulnerable to erosion “within minutes”.