In a case that has parallels with the UK, the US Supreme Court will hear a case on whether non-dentists can carry out tooth whitening. The North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners is challenging a Federal Trade Commission order that said the board is trying to kill off competition from day spas and tanning booths that offer teeth-whitening.
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In reply to a question by dentist peer Baroness Gardner of Parkes, health minister Earl Howe revealed the cost to be £3.1 million for minor extractions and £27.4 million for multiple teeth – a total of £30.5 million. The data covers all tooth extractions in hospital, and does not distinguish between deciduous or adult teeth.
Professor Philip John Lamey has been struck off by the General Dental Council (GDC) following a public hearing into multiple allegations of poor care, patient management and record keeping. Of 215 allegations, 110 were found proved. The proven facts in this case relate to the treatment of 27 patients between 2006 and 2010. They relate to a period when he was working as a Consultant in Oral Medicine at the School of Dentistry, Belfast.
A new survey by Public Health England (PHE) shows that 12% of 3 year olds have visible tooth decay. Although the large majority of children (88%) are free from decay, there was wide variation from 2% - 34%. Dr Sandra White, Director of Dental Public Health at PHE, said: “Tooth decay is an entirely preventable disease, which can be very painful and even result in a child having teeth removed under general anaesthetic, which is stressful for children and parents alike.”
The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) has welcomed the oral health survey of 3-year-olds. Claire Stevens, a Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry said: “While the majority of pre-school age children in England are dentally healthy, there are still thousands of children as young as three who are undergoing multiple extractions under a general anaesthetic due to a disease that is entirely preventable.”
Neil Marshall, the Director of Regulation will be leaving the GDC on 28 November, having accepted redundancy. Changes to the top management team mean the creation two separate directorates; one to cover Registration and Operational Excellence, the other to include Fitness to Practise and Illegal Practice, each led by a director who will be members of the Executive Management Team.