
Simon Cosgrove, Specialist Financial Adviser for Wesleyan Financial Services, highlights the importance of checking where your pension is and how it’s performing…
Simon Cosgrove, Specialist Financial Adviser for Wesleyan Financial Services, highlights the importance of checking where your pension is and how it’s performing…
Kabir Ahmed, commercial insurance manager at Wesleyan Financial Services, discusses the cyber security concerns every practice should plan for.
Whether you’re a mixed practice or fully private, Practice Plan Regional Support Manager Tracy Webb, explains how having a membership plan can pay dividends.
Neil Richardson, Dental Regional Manager at Wesleyan Financial Services, shares how the Spring Budget’s biggest announcement can be addressed from a financial planning perspective…
Are you finding more patients than you’d like are declining treatment plans? There can be a number of reasons why this happens. Medenta Business Development Manager, Lesley Turner, looks at why you may be getting the brush off and how you can turn things around.
Graham Hutton, Specialist Financial Planner at Wesleyan Financial Services, shares a key business management area that poses a significant financial risk to your practice…
Stephen Barry, Specialist Financial Adviser at Wesleyan Financial Services, shares the latest retirement research from the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA)…
The most recent oral evidence sessions of the Health and Social Care Select Committee into dentistry left those watching with little doubt that any hoped-for improvements in the state of NHS dentistry were a long way off.
Are you struggling to recruit and retain good staff? Are you thinking about leaving the NHS and moving into private practice? Is your practice being affected by the cost-of-living crisis?
Questions! Questions! Questions!
Practice Plan Regional Support Manager, Chris Nicholson, talks about the importance of increasing understanding in helping patients to maintain their own oral health to prevent future dental problems.
Practice Plan Area Sales Manager, Suki Singh, gives five reasons why now is a great time to make the move to private dentistry.
Jeremy Hunt revealed the contents of his 2023 Budget in the House of Commons last week. Amongst announcements on household energy bills, free childcare and corporation tax, the Chancellor unveiled surprise changes to the pension tax regime that could benefit anyone who is a higher earner.
While the landscape for dentistry has changed considerably since I started in the industry some 25 years ago, one thing has remained the same - our patients need to know we will look after them.
Jayne Gibson shares four key questions to ask yourself whether your plan provider is right for you or if it’s time to move on...
When you’ve been working with your plan provider for a while, it can be easy not to notice that you may not be getting the best service.
The long established income protection provider Dentists Provident, has released its claims statistics for 2022.
Following a record year in 2022 for patients on plan, and as more practices decide to introduce membership plans and join the Practice Plan family, we’re adding some extra pairs of hands to the team to ensure we maintain a great level of customer service.
Iain Stevenson, Head of Dental at Wesleyan Financial Services, shares key financial planning areas for dentists to address for the year ahead…
Practice Plan Head of Sales, Zoe Close, talks to CSR expert and coach, Mark Topley, about the part CSR can play in helping practices beat the recruitment and retention crisis.
Donna Hall examines what practice teams need to look at when choosing the right plan provider to work with.
Michael Copeland, Dental Regional Manager for Wesleyan Financial Services, reveals sought-after financial nuggets when it comes to life after work for dentists…
Practice Plan Sales Manager, Zoe Close suggests that, contrary to popular opinion, we may be entering a time of great opportunity for dentistry.
Suki Singh talks to dentist and Head of Indemnity at the BDA, Len D’Cruz, about the inevitability of complaints and how to prevent them from escalating.
Paul Barnfather, Specialist Dental Financial Adviser for Wesleyan Financial Services, shares how there is a cost when delaying financial planning for retirement.
Regional Support Manager, Emma Flunt, reflects on some of the points raised in a recent Practice Plan workshop by Marcos White on adapting the patient journey to the digital age.
From listening to Marcos, I realised that’s it’s possible to use digital tools of some sort for the whole of the patient journey. In his practice he uses a 3D printer, digital design, milling, guided dentistry, a scanner, iPhones so images can be sent by WhatsApp to patients, AI (artificial intelligence) apps to show how good people’s teeth could look and a CBCT scanner which is a scan that can show both bones and soft tissues. Every part of the process has a digital element. He even uses digital language as he describes treatment planning and delivery as a ‘workflow’ which involves a combination of digital tools.
With most of Europe in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis, now is a good time to make sure you’re getting the best value from the money you’re spending.
Many people, even if they really love their job, understandably look forward to a life of leisure after retiring – and the sooner they can get there, the better.
Stephen Barry, Specialist Dental Financial Adviser for Wesleyan Financial Services, shares the lesser-known risks when it comes to the cost of living crisis, where you may see a reduction in the purchasing power of your money…
Emma Flunt talks to Simon Gallier about why he decided to leave the NHS, for the second time, and turn his 95% NHS practice to private and how he’s now feeling about the future…
Wesleyan Financial Services’ Kabir Ahmed interviews Kevin Culliney, Partner at Densura, to discuss the key occurrences that are changing the face of dental indemnity…
Two years on from the start of the pandemic, Phil Barlow, Specialist Dental Financial Adviser for Wesleyan Financial Services, looks at how COVID-19 has impacted the dental property market and what that means for those looking to sell their practice in 2022…
Birmingham-based specialist financial services mutual, Wesleyan has announced it will be supporting 15 dental students from disadvantaged communities with scholarship funding worth over £65,000. Each student will receive scholarship fees of £1,500 per year for the first three years, as well as regular mentoring and practical support both before and at the University of Birmingham.
The need for skilled dentists is more urgent than ever due to the pandemic. Dental surgeries were closed for months in lockdowns and many people are still avoiding routine check-ups for fear of COVID-19. This means people often need more complex treatments for advanced tooth decay and gum disease when they do see a dentist.
Nathan Wallis, Chief of Staff at Wesleyan said: “We’ve always been committed to supporting dentists through every step of their careers, from their first appointment right through to retirement, and we are proud to support 15 students, at the start of their professions. Not only do we care about our communities and the challenges of social mobility, but we also understand that access to funding is critical to getting started at university.”
Professor David Adams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of College of Medical and Dental Sciences, from University of Birmingham said: “Undergraduate dentistry students study for five years, instead of the usual three for many other subjects; by choosing to go into a field where they can help others, they are making a huge financial commitment. The scholarships from the Wesleyan Foundation will help to ease the pressure on students who would have otherwise struggled to get started at university.”
The scholarships form part of the University of Birmingham’s Pathways to Birmingham (P2B) programme, which has helped over 5,500 young people from underrepresented backgrounds study at the University over the last 20 years. The P2B programmes are targeted at young people who are the first in their family to go to university, are from low-income households, live in a postcode where few people go to university, have a disability, have been in care and/or are estranged from both parents or guardians.
Wesleyan, the specialist financial services mutual, launched the Wesleyan Foundation in 2017 as part of their commitment to supporting great causes that are important to their customer base of doctors, teachers and dentists, and the communities in which they live and work.
Zoe Close speaks to dental recruitment specialist, Emma Anastasi, about ways to recruit top team members in your practice… One of the many ways in which COVID-19 has changed our world has been the impact it’s had on workforces worldwide.
With the end of the tax year fast approaching, there’s no better time to start thinking about spring cleaning you finances.
Paying particular attention to your tax-free allowances and reliefs is always a good place to start. Aaron Prested, Specialist Dental Financial Adviser for Wesleyan Financial Services, answers key questions around making the most of this tax year:
We need to talk about how dental practices manage their enquiries. Unfortunately all too often they are not treated with the attention and nurturing they deserve.
Let me explain what I mean by that in 4 simple steps…
Over the past 20 years, I’ve been working within the UK and American Dental Industry to support dental practices growth through a number of different engagement and marketing strategies. However, over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed that something has drastically changed. Suddenly getting new, high-value patients has become increasingly difficult, expensive and confusing. So what’s happened?
Throughout 2021, the British Dental Association [BDA] has been at the forefront of moves to tell politicians of the challenges facing dental services across the whole of the UK. It joined with Healthwatch England in calling on the Chancellor to provide vital funding for the recovery and rebuild of services, a move backed by 40 cross-party MPs.
© GDPUK Ltd
David Hallsworth, a solicitor at BLM specialising in healthcare claims, discusses a potential surge in future dental claims as a result of thousands of children missing crucial check-ups during the pandemic.
Comment
Practice Plan’s Sales and Marketing Director, Nigel Jones, caught up with Mark Topley of Purpose Driven Business Ltd, to talk about corporate social responsibility, what it involves, and how dental practices are incorporating it into their businesses…
© Practice Plan 2021.
Zoe Close, Practice Plan’s Head of Sales, talks about the years of experience her team has in converting practices from NHS to private dentistry– and how they can help you achieve your dreams…
Practice Plan’s, Zoe Close, shares her thoughts on what dentists need to consider when making the move away from the NHS…
Hambley Trading Limited are looking to supply dental professionals, experienced in the delivery of local anaesthesia to patients, example prototypes of the SINCROTM system for them to examine and assess and compare with their current choice of syringe delivery device.
A questionnaire relating to the handling characteristics may be completed and returned electronically which will entitle the respondent to a FREE box of SINCROTM [50 syringes] after the device is launched into the UK dental market.
For a limited number of early respondents there is also the chance to be awarded a £25 Amazon gift voucher, so get your response in quickly.
© Hambley Trading Ltd 2021
December 21, 2020 – Hong Kong, Harrogate and Gothenburg
CareCapital Advisors Limited, an equity investor focused on the dental and oral care industry, announced on December 21st an agreement to acquire Neoss Limited. CareCapital is one of the largest dental investors in the world, having invested more than US$1 billion in the sector, and provides a patient and collaborative environment for dental entrepreneurs and talented executives to realize their customer-centric visions. Neoss is a leading global dental implant company committed to designing intelligently simple solutions that provide reliable and cost-effective patient care with excellent long-term results. The Neoss brand is synonymous with innovation and quality, which has underpinned Neoss’ market leading performance in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic.
In conjunction with the transaction, Dr. Robert Gottlander has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Neoss. With over forty years of dental industry experience, Gottlander has a proven track record developing and commercializing dental solutions.
Neoss has developed a range of market-leading dental solutions and “intelligently simple” procedures designed to deliver better patient care and shorter procedure times that enhance practice productivity. With a rich portfolio of intellectual property and long-term clinical data, Neoss’ peer-reviewed and published clinical support validates the efficacy of its solutions.
Dai Feng, Co-Founder and Managing Director of CareCapital, stated, “We are excited to welcome Neoss and Robert into our family. Both are dental trailblazers that, coupled, will elevate the Neoss customer experience and advance the Neoss mission. The company’s well–established brand, history of innovation, clinical validation and solid market position fit well with Robert’s customer-centric principles and passion for innovation.”
After graduating from the University of Gothenburg School of Dentistry, Gottlander joined Nobel Biocare, where he held several senior executive leadership roles. Throughout his 27-year tenure, he led the team that established clinical and educational concepts for modern dental implantology, co-developed and launched Procera, the world’s first successful CADCAM system, and developed new concepts combining implants and digital dentistry. Gottlander then joined Henry Schein, Inc., where, as Chief Marketing Officer of Global Dental, he led the global initiative as strategic planner for prosthetic and implant solutions, guiding product offerings worldwide and creating commercial sales and marketing strategies. Gottlander went on to serve the dental industry on a consulting basis. Throughout his career, Gottlander has created numerous industry-university partnerships, architecting research projects and educational programs to improve dental implant and digital technology innovation.
After two decades of service, Dormer will retire, in line with his long-standing personal intentions. Dormer will remain with the company in an advisory role to ensure a smooth transition.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Neoss team,” asserted Dr. Gottlander. “Building on its esteemed heritage in Gothenburg, the birthplace of modern dental implants, Neoss shares my aspiration to pioneer dental innovation that improves patient care. I applaud the team at Neoss and Mr. Dormer for his leadership, who, together, have created a prominent global brand. I am looking forward to partnering with CareCapital to expand on that legacy and accelerate the long-term growth of the business through astute customer service and intelligently simple innovation.”
“I am excited to collaborate with CareCapital and Robert to further advance Neoss’ technology,” added Fredrik Engman, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Neoss. “The support and dental knowhow that this transaction brings, will benefit our staff to enable better service for the needs of doctors and patients.”
A long-term investor focused on the global dental and oral care industry, CareCapital is committed to providing a patient and collaborative environment for dental entrepreneurs and talented executives to realize their customer-centric visions. CareCapital invests heavily in technologies, training, brands and enterprises that span the entire dental industry. CareCapital’s dental business portfolio encompasses dental education, digital orthodontics, imaging, implants, biologics, ceramics, distribution, software, DSOs and research hospitals.
Founded in 2000, Neoss offers intelligent dental solutions that are intuitively simple to use. The company’s products are designed to allow dental professionals to provide reliable and cost-effective treatments to their patients with excellent long-term results. Leading with ingenuity and integrity, Neoss develops smart treatment solutions and works closely with each practice to drive Intelligent Simplicity, making the complex less complicated. Headquartered in Harrogate, UK, with research and development based in Gothenburg, Sweden, the company has established a global footprint with longstanding presence in key markets.
3 in 5 of us will not purchase your service unless there is a compelling finance product to help spread the cost. 1 in 3 of us will not even consider your organisation unless you are offering finance.
The expectation to be offered ways to pay for a service or a product is now deeply rooted in our buying habits. The availability of credit is the consumer’s best friend and woe betide any retail organisation, who fails to recognise the significance of this. Credit has underpinned the spending boom across many essential and non-essential products and services over the last few years. It even has its own economic term – subscription economics!
The principle of affordability and payment choices extends to dentistry of course. Offering flexible payment options will undoubtedly help you improve your return on marketing spend through higher conversion to treatment and therefore drive more profit to your bottom-line.
Now you may already have a finance provider. If so great as we are preaching to the converted. What you may not realise is that there is only one finance provider 100% dedicated to dentistry, Chrysalis Finance. Since [date] Chrysalis Finance has been serving the healthcare industry in the UK and now has an unrivalled market leading position and reputation. So, over the years we haven’t just got to know credit inside out, we also understand your business and your specific challenges in a hugely competitive market. Our levels of service and product availability reflect this.
First of all, Chrysalis has an extensive product range covering several interest-free and interest-bearing payment options from 6 to 60 months, offering more choice to your customers at a time when help to pay for dental treatment has never been more important or welcome. Unlike some providers, who have curtailed interest-bearing loans, Chrysalis has maintained their full product menu.
Secondly, Chrysalis, by working with a panel of lenders, will always be able to offer your customers the best chance of being accepted for a loan. We believe that keeping payment options as accessible as possible is essential during these difficult times. Our acceptance rates are high and will remain so. Great peace of mind for your patients and good news for the growth of your business.
Thirdly, offering payment options is one thing but it has to be coupled with a simple, hassle-free process. Chrysalis makes it easy. Our eligibility checker is instant and an application takes less than 1 minute to make. We also give you access to a portal, through which you can follow an applicant’s progress, make an application on behalf of one of your patients, review a range of statistics and reporting and access our on-line resource library. To make the process as seamless as possible we can integrate our application process into your contact management software making the delivery of payment options part of your patient pathway.
Lastly, we recognise that you will want to share the good news with your patients that you have chosen to work with Chrysalis Finance to offer them payment options. We will provide you with dedicated marketing and communications support to help you advertise effectively and legally and we will train your front-line staff on when and how best to introduce the service.
Whilst we are confident that we are already offering an unrivalled service, we know we need to keep innovating to continue providing you with excellent support. We will shortly be launching a soft eligibility checker, which you can embed in your website to enable a patient to check if they are eligible for credit in the event that they need treatment from you. We are also working on a new credit and debit card payment service, which will be offered at market busting rates. Two more reasons, if more were needed, to contact us now on the following numbers.
Our details
Telephone: 0333 32 32 230
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Office opening hours:Monday to Friday 9:00am - 5:30pm
https://chrysalisfinance.co.uk/partner-with-us/
The 2 main types of masks that provide protection against COVID 19 according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) are N95/KN95 masks and 3 Ply Surgical masks.
3 Ply Surgical Comparison |
Type I |
Type IR |
Type II |
Type IIR |
Should I Wear This Mask? |
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Fluid Resistance |
0 mmHg |
>120 mmHgGHHhH |
0 mmHg |
0 mmHgGHHhH |
Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) |
>95% |
>95% |
>98% |
>98% |
HealthHealth.co.uk Masks |
We Do Not Advise Using These As They Are Not Fluid Resistant |
>120mmHg / 97% / EU Standard Classification |
We Do Not Advise Using These |
>120mmHg / 99% / EU Standard Classification |
Type I and Type II masks are not fluid-resistant and hence are not ideal for use during the ongoing pandemic. Fluid resistance is the ability of a mask to catch the respiratory droplets discharge. The WHO recommends fluid-resistant medical masks be worn by over 60s and those who have underlying health problems, as well as those who are in contact with these groups.
Which masks should I be wary of?
A surgical 3 Ply mask that does not fit into the above two categories cannot be classified as medical. Although they may provide some protection, they will not be fluid resistant and have not been tested by the relevant standards to qualify them as either type IR or Type IIR, and are hence not appropriate for use in the dental industry
Valve masks provide no protection for anyone but the user of the mask, they do not prevent respiratory droplets being emitted by the user, and are hence not appropriate for use in the dental industry.
Reusable cloth masks lose their integrity with every wash, a study by the WHO shows them as significantly less effective than medical masks, and are hence not appropriate for use in the dental industry.
We provide all the aforementioned masks via our website: www.healthhealth.co.uk . Our focus is on high quality at wholesale prices. Our masks have been supplied to the UK Department of Health, the NHS, Care Homes, Dentists, to name but a few. Please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any bulk enquiries.
The Charity helps dental students, dentists and their families when they face hardship, supporting those who do not have the funds to pay for some of the normal things in life, ranging from contributions towards food and daily living costs, funds to improve the quality of life for those retired due to ill health, to more specific needs like paying someone’s annual retention fee or indemnity, to help them get back on their feet and into the profession.
Dr Bill Nichols, Honorary Vice-President of the BDA Benevolent Fund, sat down with the GDPUK to share his experiences of helping to provide financial support for dental students, dentists, and their dependants in times of crisis.
How and why did you get involved with the BDA Benevolent Fund?
Bill: It is interesting to look back at my 22 years with the charity, now that I have retired from active duty, so to speak. In the 1980s, I was the Branch Secretary for BDA Northern Counties and, through that, I got to know the branch representative to the Benevolent Fund. I started helping him as kind of an unofficial deputy and, when he stepped down in the mid-1990s, I took over. It was often hard work, but I feel honoured to have been part of such an important backup mechanism for the dental profession.
What changes have you seen over the years and what role does the charity play within dentistry nowadays?
Bill: The primary role of the charity hasn't changed over the years. The aim is simply to provide financial assistance to dentists and their dependants who are in need. What has changed are the demographics of beneficiaries. They tend to be much younger now, of working age and there are more female beneficiaries. We’ve also seen a large increase in the number of beneficiaries with difficulties as a result of proceedings with the General Dental Council. Student need has changed too − we always were prepared to help students in their final year of study, i.e. when we knew they had a pretty good chance of qualifying. That has changed, and now we will help dental students more or less at any stage of their undergraduate studies.
What kind of support can beneficiaries apply for from the Fund?
Bill: The support comes in three forms, really. Financial support in the form of grants and loans and pastoral support. Subsistence grants are provided to keep a roof over someone's head and to provide them with food and, capital grants are given for essential items like a dishwasher or fridge, or boiler repair.
Then there’s payment of the annual retention fee for the GDC; that can be a big problem if you haven't been working for very long, such as newly qualified dentists and dentists recently restored to the register, who may also face difficulty in paying for professional indemnity. The fund can also help with CPD funding, for example for dentists who were suspended and must comply with GDC conditions to get back on the register. We settle debts sometimes, because it can better to clear debts incurring high interest, which takes some pressure off the beneficiary. Interest-free loans are also available in limited circumstances.
Away from the financial side of things, pastoral care is provided, and guidance is offered for additional or alternative support, even just providing a sympathetic ear can be a big help. Our manager and administrator spend hours on the phone every day listening to people in need.
What advice would you offer someone who is suffering financially in the dental profession?
Bill: Don't bury your head in the sand. Seek help as soon as you can, from the Benevolent Fund, from the BDA, from the Dentists' Health Support Trust, Citizens’ Advice, debt counsellors, family, colleagues; anyone you think might be able to offer support. Go and talk to someone sooner rather than later.
You have to be realistic, as well. You can't behave like a successful dentist if you haven't any income, so you must be prepared to make some difficult decisions and changes to your lifestyle.
How can people contact the Fund?
Bill: You don’t have to be member of the BDA to get help from the BDA Benevolent Fund, which exists to offer support to all dentists, so, if you, or someone you know, is facing financial difficulties – for whatever reason – contact the BDA Benevolent Fund, in confidence, on 020 7486 4994, or visit www.bdabenevolentfund.org.uk for more information.
Johnson & Johnson is delighted to unveil the details of its revolutionary new LISTERINE® Go! Tabs to dental health care professionals, ahead of the launch to consumers in the UK.
Chewable LISTERINE® Go! Tabs offer an innovative way to get the whole mouth feeling clean and fresh anytime, anywhere, as a handy addition to – not a replacement for – twice-daily mechanical cleaning at home.
Ninety per cent of halitosis is a result of the production of volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) by oral bacteria.1
Tackling this problem, when chewed, for example after a meal, at social gatherings, before a meeting or after a coffee, LISTERINE® Go! Tabs transform from solid to liquid in seconds, neutralising odours for long-lasting fresh breath.
Johnson & Johnson’s oral care portfolio includes the familiar brand of mouthwash, LISTERINE®, with variants suitable for daily use as an integral adjunct to mechanical cleaning to deliver an optimised daily regimen. In addition, the LISTERINE® Advanced Defence range is available to help dental professionals deliver advanced treatment outcomes for patients.
Johnson & Johnson, the maker of LISTERINE®, is committed to supporting dental health care professionals in their efforts to improve patients’ oral health. For further information, visit www.listerineprofessional.co.uk.
Reference
As the main sponsor of Mouth Cancer Action Month – organised by the Oral Health Foundation - Simplyhealth Professionals is once again fuelling awareness of mouth cancer through its #BlueLipSelfie campaign this November.
Fun, striking, and easy to do, the #BlueLipSelfie campaign encourages dental professionals, patients, and the general public to wear blue lips as a visible sign of support and get people talking about mouth cancer. The increasing popularity of #BlueLipSelfie provides dental professionals with a unique springboard to talk to their patients about the risks, symptoms and prevention of this devastating disease.
Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Simplyhealth Professionals, said: “We’re delighted with the growing support for our #BlueLipSelfie campaign and Mouth Cancer Action Month. Dental professionals in particular are really getting behind the campaign and we love seeing the creative selfies that are shared on social media and on our gallery every year. We’re extremely proud to have made excellent progress in raising awareness of the disease over the years, but the rising figures of mouth cancer cases still speak for themselves, and there is much work to be done.
“While Mouth Cancer Action Month and #BlueLipSelfie provide a brilliant focal point to shine a spotlight on the disease, it’s crucial that dental professionals keep the conversation about mouth cancer going throughout the year. Recent research* by the Oral Health Foundation and Simplyhealth Professionals revealed that 71% of UK adults said their dentist had never spoken to them about mouth cancer. We can and should improve this as a profession.”
In the same survey, figures revealed that awareness of mouth cancer amongst the public is still low. 75% of UK adults don’t know any of the symptoms of mouth cancer. In addition, research conducted by Simplyhealth Professionals and YouGov** discovered that 83% of UK adults said they never check their own mouths for signs of mouth cancer.
“When this is added to the number of adults not regularly visiting a dentist, it’s perhaps easy to see why mouth cancer is often only spotted at far-too-late stages,” says Henry. “Early detection of mouth cancer is pivotal in fighting against this disease and makes an enormous difference to survival rates. The more we can get health professionals and the public talking about mouth cancer, the more lives we can save, and we hope that #BlueLipSelfie continues to fuel those conversations.”
Dr Nigel Carter, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, commented: “We are extremely grateful that Simplyhealth Professionals is once again a key supporter of Mouth Cancer Action Month. With a joint approach from the dental profession, we can all help raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of mouth cancer and help ensure that every patient is checked for signs of the disease. This should increase the likelihood of the disease being detected early, with treatment more likely to result in a positive outcome for the patient.”
#BlueLipSelfie is easy, quick and fun to do and allows everyone to visibly show their support. To take part in #BlueLipSelfie all practices have to do is take a photo of themselves, their patients or their teams with blue lips and share it on Twitter or Instagram using the campaign’s hashtag: #BlueLipSelfie. Practices and patients can also directly upload a selfie to the specially created microsite and gallery at www.bluelipselfie.co.uk or customise their photo with fun blue cartoon lips using the app.
For more information on Mouth Cancer Action Month and how you can get involved please visit www.mouthcancer.org.
*Source: Online survey of 2,002 UK adults, conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of the Oral Health Foundation and Simplyhealth Professionals, September 2018
**Source: YouGov Plc, on behalf of Simplyhealth. Total sample size was 5,264 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th -19th February 2018. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
Boundaries for Life and sponsors, Simplyhealth Professionals, are celebrating their most successful season of health checks this summer, helped by the introduction of new diagnostic software.
Founded in 2010 by Dr Chet Trivedy, a dual-qualified dentist and doctor, Boundaries for Life offers free health checks at major cricket fixtures throughout the UK. Made possible through a team of volunteer health professionals, spectators and ground staff are checked for signs and risks of health issues, including mouth cancer, blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, heart age, and obesity.
Commenting on this year’s success, which ran between April and September at high profile cricket venues including Lord’s, Edgbaston, Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl to name a few, Chet Trivedy said: “It’s been a fantastic year with the team conducting over 250 checks and raising awareness of good general health and oral health with a huge audience.
“It was a particularly exciting season, as this was the first year that we conducted heart age checks in addition to our regular checks. This provides users with an opportunity to know how old their heart is medically, compared to their actual age. Many people were shocked that their heart was a lot older than they thought it was. As we were using a software system to calculate the heart ages - provided by Health Diagnostics - every user had the opportunity to understand how they could reduce their heart age. This was not possible in previous years as the health checks were not automated.”
As well as a detailed medical check from a health care professional, users also benefit from a mouth cancer check from a dentist – many of whom were volunteers from Simplyhealth Professionals’ network of member dentists. At the end of the checks, each user is given a five-page health report and access to an online interactive dashboard.
Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Simplyhealth Professionals, said: “Supporting Boundaries for Life is a great opportunity to champion a very important cause, as well as to highlight Simplyhealth’s approach to preventive wellbeing. We’re delighted and very grateful that many of our member dentists volunteered their valuable time to assist with mouth cancer checks.
“The health checks offer the chance to identify people who might be at risk of future health problems at an early stage, particularly those who might not be regularly visiting a dentist or GP. Importantly, the health checks help users to understand the links between general and oral health. It encourages them to reassess lifestyle choices such as alcohol consumption, smoking and diet, which could potentially contribute to issues such as mouth cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.”
Not only does Boundaries for Life provide the means to help users to understand their current and future health, the initiative also has the additional benefit of collating valuable insights into the nation’s health. Data insights discovered that 34% of users were obese, 42% had a raised BMI, and 70% had a waist measurement that is considered to be medium or high risk for diabetes. Shockingly, almost half of users (48%) were at an increased risk of developing diabetes according to the Diabetes UK risk scoring system. Furthermore, one in four users had raised blood pressure, and 40% had raised cholesterol.
As a result of their health check, nearly 50 users were referred to see a GP, dentist or other health professional for further advice or treatment - potentially saving lives.
“We’re proud to have helped so many people, but these figures highlight that there is still a lot of work to do,” says Chet. “We’re keen to keep building on our success and provide an ever-broader range of checks at next season’s cricket fixtures. The checks are only possible due to our fantastic team of volunteers, including Simplyhealth Professionals member dentists. They have all promised to do more next year and that is the best endorsement we can get.”
For more information, visit http://boundariesforlife.co.uk/
About Simplyhealth
For 145 years we’ve been helping people to make the most of life through better everyday health. In 2017 Simplyhealth and Denplan united under one Simplyhealth brand and today we’re proud to be the UK’s leading provider of health cash plans, Denplan dental payment plans and animal health plans.
We help over three million people in the UK access the health and care products, services and support that they need, when they need them and at a price they can afford.
We’re proud to donate 10% of our pre-tax profits to health-related charitable activities every year, and this amounted to over £1 million in 2017. Our Simplyhealth Great Run Series partnership raised an additional £42.6 million for charity.
Simplyhealth is a trading name of Simplyhealth Access, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Dental
Simplyhealth Professionals is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million patients registered to a Denplan product.
Simplyhealth Professionals provides the following range of leading Denplan dental payment plans under the Denplan name:
Simplyhealth Professionals also provide a wide range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme and Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme. Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.
Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 169 9962.
For patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402
www.simplyhealthprofessionals.co.uk
more sporting events in the future, dependent on their team and their funding.
Links:
http://boundariesforlife.co.uk/
Twitter @Boundaries4Life https://twitter.com/boundaries4life
Twitter @SHP_Dentists https://twitter.com/shp_dentists
Lancashire Foundation http://foundation.lancashirecricket.co.uk
Healthy Stadia http://healthystadia.eu/ - Enabling sports clubs to influence health and behaviour.
news article http://healthystadia.eu/boundaries-for-life-fixtures-2018/
Blood biochemistry tests https://www.bhr.co.uk/ - small machines which run rapid tests of blood biochemistry.
What is HbA1c? https://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html
To learn all about the new classification of periodontal and peri-implant diseases and conditions, all you need to do is attend the BDA’s roadshow, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, which will soon be on its way to Birmingham and London.
Under the umbrella of ‘Periodontal disease management now and in the future’, Professors Nicola West (pictured) and Tim Newton will offer unique insight into periodontal care and treatment.
Prof. West, Professor/Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry (Periodontology) at Bristol Dental Hospital, will be speaking about ‘Periodontal disease management: modifying diagnostic and communication behaviour for better oral health outcome’, including the new classification, and answering delegates’ questions.
Adding to this, Tim Newton, Professor of Psychology as Applied to Dentistry at King’s College London Dental Institute, will explore ‘Better oral health outcomes through changing behaviour: what does it all mean for me and my practice?’
The Leeds roadshow is currently underway but there are some places still available for the Birmingham (19th October) and London (7th December) events. For further information and to book your place, please visit https://bda.org/events/member-series.
Dental practices are currently facing another major legislative change on 1st October when the Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) comes into effect, which has caused much discussion in the industry and a range of different approaches. IDD is a change in government legislation around insurance products designed to give consumers greater choice and clarity when purchasing insurance products.
Caroline Coleman, Managing Director of Simplyhealth Professionals said: “As a trusted partner, it is our responsibility to provide our members with advice and support on new regulation, and clinical and business issues. Everything that we do as a customer-led organisation is in the best interests of our dentists and their patients. This is why we have taken the time to fully understand IDD and its implications.”
Simplyhealth Professionals has concluded that in order to comply with the new legislation and give patients the choice that the IDD demands, from 17th September for all new joiners, their supplementary insurance product - historically included as standard within Denplan payment plans – has now become optional.
Sandy Brown, Director of Dentists at Simplyhealth Professionals, said: “We have done everything we can to follow the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulations to make sure that we comply with the new IDD regulations. Giving patients the choice of whether they feel the supplementary insurance is the right product for them is the essence of IDD. It’s really important for those patients that opt in to be reassured in the knowledge that their claims will definitely be paid out according to the terms and conditions. We are working with our member dentists to make sure that they understand the new regulation, how it affects them and their patients, and has minimum disruption to day to day business.”
Simplyhealth Professionals offers patients dental emergency and injury cover that has the protection of a regulated product, with guaranteed pay-outs for valid claims and access to an independent appeals process.
Sandy Brown said: “Opting for insurance seems to me a very minimal monthly amount for absolute peace of mind. The main benefit of insurance is that patients have the legal protection to ensure that payments they are entitled to are paid out.”
About Simplyhealth Professionals:
Simplyhealth Professionals is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million patients registered to a Denplan product.
Simplyhealth Professionals also provide a wide range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme and Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme. Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.
Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 169 9962.
For patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402
For details of all of our products, visit www.simplyhealthprofessionals.co.uk
About Simplyhealth:
For 145 years we’ve been helping people to make the most of life through better everyday health. In 2017 Simplyhealth and Denplan united under one Simplyhealth brand and today we’re proud to be the UK’s leading provider of health cash plans, Denplan dental payment plans and pet health plans.
We help over three million people in the UK access the health and care products, services and support that they need, when they need them and at a price they can afford.
1m health cash plan customers
1.5m patients with a Denplan payment plan
6,500 member dentists
1,900 member vets
1 million animals covered
11,000 corporate clients
We’re proud to donate 10% of our pre-tax profits to health-related charitable activities every year, and this amounted to over £1 million in 2017. Our Simplyhealth Great Run Series partnership raised an additional £42.6 million for charity.
Simplyhealth is a trading name of Simplyhealth Access, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Window Shopping or Serious Shopping?
Dental Showcase takes place the first week of October and if you haven’t already registered, now’s the time to do so. If you went a couple of years ago and are concerned that not much will have changed, then think again. With no other UK event attracting such a wide range of dental suppliers under one roof, there will be plenty that’s new. Whether you want to check you’re taking advantage of the latest advances in technology or want marketing or financial advice, all the leading players will be at your service.
An Exhibition First
This year, for the first time, there will be a specific day dedicated to Foundation Dentists which is being sponsored by MyDentist. One of the keynote lecture theatres will be committed to the needs of trainee dentists. Topics will cover how to bridge the gap from DFT to Associate, organising your CPD, risk management, effective treatment planning and complaint handling. As well as formal lectures, there will be a specific Foundation Dentist Hub where you can get one-on-one career advice. The opportunities don’t cease when the exhibition hall closes, for there will also be a Foundation Dentists’ Ball on Thursday 4th October on the Sunborn super-yacht, which is conveniently moored alongside Excel London. Why not organise a reunion with your former students, where you can share your FD experiences?
Education….the Passport To Your Future?
If education is your driver, then there will be no shortage of opportunities. Whether you prefer the longer length lectures by keynote speakers in the Dental Update Theatre, or would rather ‘dip in and dip out’ of shorter sessions in the Innovation Theatre. There’s a lot of focus this year on the NHS, with its landmark birthday, so maybe you want to learn more about what the government is doing to support dentistry. Sarah Hurley, CDO for England, will be talking each morning about the development and provision of NHS dental services. There’s also a specific CDO Zone should you want to discuss matters with Sara or one of her representatives. Whatever you need to know, Showcase is the place to find answers!
It’s Good to Talk
Dental Showcase provides an invaluable opportunity to network. All key associations will be in attendance, so you can discuss matters pertinent to your community whether you’re a dentist, hygienist, nurse or practice manager. If perio is your passion, then talk to the BSP, or if ortho enthuses you, then the BOC will be on hand to support, listen and advise.
Fun Matters
Exhibitions are social events too and there’s plenty to do whilst you’re at Dental Showcase. A host of catering options will provide an opportunity for you to informally catch up during the day with colleagues or you could take the fun up a notch and attend the ‘Boat Bash’ being hosted by Dental Sky on the Sunborn on Friday 5th October, all profits of which go to the charity BrushUpUK. The evening will consist of two parts. The downstairs bar will have live music, canapés, a vintage photo booth, as well as charity events such as auctions and raffles. The second part of the evening will be in an exclusive bar at the top of the yacht, where there will be a casino night, complete with vodka luge!
To register, or for more information, visit dentalshowcase.com.
Ivoclar Vivadent UK & Ireland are pleased to announce their new generation of Intensive Seminars and Expert Symposiums. The first event is Mi Expert Symposium: Minimally Invasive Dentistry with Digital Technology, taking place on Saturday 13th October at The Lowry in Greater Manchester. The event will host five exceptional speakers who will educate dental professionals on how to achieve outstanding cosmetic results with techniques leaning on minimal intervention.
With increased education and an ageing population, patients are keeping their teeth for longer, therefore, preservation of sound tooth tissue alongside disease prevention is common practice. Advancement in materials and adhesive dentistry means aesthetic outcomes can now be achieved using minimally invasive techniques.
This full day event brings to you the expertise of five industry leading Dentists who follow this philosophy whilst creating aesthetic, functional, healthy smiles. Chris McConnell, Ash Parmar, Lance Knight, Adam Nulty and Quintus van Tonder will explore how using digital technology and minimally invasive techniques with a variety of materials can provide predictable, aesthetic and efficient treatment options for patients.
Mi Expert Symposium is Ivoclar Vivadent UK & Ireland’s first educational event led by Professional Services Business Manager, Leo James, speaking ahead of the event-launch Leo commented; “At Ivoclar Vivadent our passion to improve dentistry and outcomes for patients is a continuous priority. We strive to offer high quality materials and efficient processes to support everyday dentistry and we are committed to providing first-class education to dental professionals in the UK & Ireland to advance the skillset of the dental team.”
“Our exciting new series of educational events aims to bring interesting, inspiring and innovative concepts and techniques to our customers to help them achieve the best outcomes for their patients."
Tickets for the MI Expert Symposium are priced at an early bird rate of £149.00 + VAT up until the end of August, and can be purchased here. The lectures will provide delegates with 6 hours of verifiable CPD. For full details, including individual aims and objectives, please visit: www.ivoclarvivadent.co.uk/en-uk/clinical-courses/mi-expert-symposium
Before now, switching plan provider usually meant writing to patients to ask them to complete a new Direct Debit instruction. However, thanks to new rules introduced by the organisation that manages the Direct Debit scheme (Bacs) and the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), plan providers will soon have to utilise the ‘Bulk Change Process’ if a practice wishes to switch plan provider.
The Bulk Change Process allows for plan patients’ Direct Debits to be transferred automatically from one provider to another, making life simpler and more convenient for everyone involved:
The changes have been driven by the PSR – Its objectives include the promotion of fair competition amongst organisations processing payments.
In late 2017, the PSR investigated the operations of organisations processing third party Direct Debits, which, of course, includes plan providers in the dental industry. The PSR recognised that, in some instances, such organisations were not utilising the Bulk Change Process at the request of their client, e.g. a dental practice.
Subsequently, from January 2018, a new accreditation scheme was rolled out, requiring all organisations processing third party Direct Debits to agree to utilise the Bulk Change process, should the organisation for which they are processing Direct Debits wish to switch to an alternative provider.
Patient Plan Direct is proud to announce it is the first plan provider to obtain accreditation under Bacs new rules.
Simon Reynolds, Commercial Director at Patient Plan Direct, comments: “We have been crying out and lobbying for such change for many years. The Bulk Change Process is ideally suited for scenarios such as a dental practice wishing to switch the administration of its plan from one provider to another, without the hassle or inconvenience of patients having to sign a new Direct Debit instruction.”
Simon goes on to explain, “It’s important to understand that the Bulk Change Process has always been available as a facility under the Direct Debit scheme. However, before now, other major plan providers in the market have not agreed to utilise the Bulk Change Process as a proposed transfer method. Under Bacs new rules they will now have to do so, creating a competitively fair market and affording practices the freedom of choice when it comes to deciding which provider to work with, without being put off by a previously cumbersome switching process.”
“We are currently working closely with the PSR and Bacs to ensure all other dental plan providers are identified as organisations falling under these new rules, therefore undertaking the required accreditation process as quickly as possible.”
“Naturally, as a plan provider offering significantly lower administration fees versus other plan providers, Patient Plan Direct has already generated significant interest from practices interested in switching from their current provider via the Bulk Change Process to cut costs significantly via this simple process. We encourage practices interested in switching to register their interest at: www.patientplandirect.com/simpleswitch or call 03448486888.”
What could your practice save by switching to work with Patient Plan Direct?
For further information register your interest here:- www.patientplandirect.com/simpleswitch or call 03448486888.
This is an advertorial article supplied by Patient Plan Direct and published by GDPUK.com
‘Trust Experience. Discover Excellence’ was a fitting motto for the 2018 Ankylos Congress held in Berlin at the end of June. The event attracted more than 1000 dental professionals from over 50 countries, who gathered to learn more about the Ankylos implant system which has been used to successfully provide ‘front row smiles’ for 17,000 patients.
Ankylos is a system with 33 years of implant heritage and long-term proven success, but this Congress looked forwards and not backwards, giving the assembled delegates a new vision, of modern protocols including digital dentistry and new product innovations.
Fresh scientific findings in implant dentistry formed the event’s foundation, and this was perfectly blended with news of the industry’s latest and most relevant trends, all presented by 40 renowned international guest speakers.
Clinical content was themed around the importance of trusting experience, a particularly important element when choosing an implant system. The tone was set with an inspirational session entitled ‘Based on evidence, proven by experience – state-of-the-art implant design’. Speakers Barry Goldenburg (USA), Ye Lin (China), Valdir Muglia (Brazil) and Marco Degidi (Italy), reviewed the clinical evidence that makes Ankylos, with its TissueCare Concept, the most suitable implant for use in almost all indications and specifically advantageous to restore long term periodontal health in the anterior aesthetic zone. UK speakers included Antony Bendkowski on ‘How to make your implant practice successful’, Steven Campbell and Martin Wanendeya lectured on the Atlantis CustomBase® solution with Martin also discussing The Virtual Patient, in relation to patient-focused implant dentistry.
A diverse range of focus sessions, held on day 2, explored treatment options and enabled delegates to discover new techniques and hone their skills. Two-hour workshops, lectures and hands-on opportunities enabled clinicians and technicians to deepen their knowledge on topics relevant to their day-to-day work.
The Inspiration Hub One of the weekend’s highlights for many was exchanging experiences and networking with peers and friends in the ‘Inspiration Hub’, an exhibition covering the full range of comprehensive solutions for implant dentistry. Here, the latest Dentsply Sirona products were presented, along with innovative solutions and digital implant workflows that demonstrated the ease with which long-lasting individualised restorations can be created.
Bursting with opportunities for visitors to meet with global experts in the field, the Hub included a Speaker’s Corner that hosted short presentations and put delegates face-to-face with the experts. Whilst in the Science Hub, Dentsply Sirona’s clinical and evidence-based ethos was clear, as its science and research experts were available to discuss clinical solutions and emerging innovations and how they are backed by sound science.
A taste of the futureOf course, no implant congress would be complete without reference to the impact that digital dentistry is having on this treatment. ‘Why digital? Why now?’ was a short presentation by Mark Ludlow (USA), which brought the Congress to a close, and Mark reiterated the importance of lifelong learning in applying these new techniques to create faster, more predictable treatment.
The congress effectively managed to convey its central theme – how implant dentistry and a dedicated community with a focus on the digital future can create the best results for patients. Specifying the event’s take-away message, Group Vice President of Dentsply Sirona Implants Lars Henrikson said, “Clinical experience, professional skills and scientific evidence is the basis for the development of new treatment protocols and for overcoming challenges, ultimately leading to a long-term contribution to oral health.”
To find out more about the extensive range of implant solutions, materials and equipment, please visit dentsplysirona.com or call us on 01932 853 422. You can also access a range of education resources, video tutorials, courses and CPD webinars at dentsplysirona.com/ukeducation Earn Dentsply Sirona Rewards on all your implant solution purchases at dentsplysirona.com
Facebook: @dentsplysirona.uk
Twitter: @DENTSPLY_UK
Simplyhealth is pleased to announce it has signed a fifth 50/50 Dental Practice Partnership with Highgate Dental Practice in Beverley, East Yorkshire.
The new partnership between Simplyhealth and Highgate Dental Practice will enable the business to further develop, grow and continue to serve its local community.
Highgate Dental Practice [the team pictured below], which has been established since 1963, is a family based practice providing preventative, minimal intervention and cosmetic dentistry.
As part of an ongoing commitment to investment and innovation in the dental market, Simplyhealth’s partnership scheme offers dental practices the opportunity to enter into an equal partnership that plays to the strengths of both parties for their mutual benefit.
The partnership model ensures both partners have equal rights in the practice and enables dentists to retain day-to-day clinical management. Simplyhealth is well positioned to partner with member dentists due to its existing strong relationships with them and expertise in the dental marketplace.
The model is an appealing option for dentists looking to secure the right future for themselves, their practice and patients and Simplyhealth supports effective succession planning to ensure the same high standards of clinical care continue to meet customers’ needs.
Raman Sankaran, Chief Commercial Officer at Simplyhealth, said: “It’s great to see our dental partnerships grow as we continue to diversify our health and care solutions. We’re delighted to enter into a partnership with Highgate Dental Practice and working in partnership means we can help more patients make the most of life through better everyday health. We look forward to working closely with the team to continue providing an excellent service and develop new services into the future.”
Steve Burke, Principal Dentist at Highgate Dental Practice, said: “When choosing who to go into partnership with, trust is the most fundamental point and having had many fruitful and successful years with Simplyhealth Professionals and using Denplan products in our practice, we felt we had a strong and secure relationship to build on.”
“We converted fully from NHS to private dentistry in 2005 with the help of Simplyhealth Professionals who have been an integral and supportive part of our team ever since. I am happy knowing that when we finally retire, our practice will continue and our great and loyal staff will have a secure and prosperous future.”
About Simplyhealth
For 146 years we’ve been helping people to make the most of life through better everyday health. In 2017 Simplyhealth and Denplan united under one Simplyhealth brand and today we’re proud to be the UK’s leading provider of health cash plans, Denplan dental payment plans and pet health plans.
We help over three million people in the UK access the health and care products, services and support that they need, when they need them and at a price they can afford.
We’re proud to donate 10% of our pre-tax profits to health-related charitable activities every year, and this amounted to £1.13 million in 2017. Our Simplyhealth Great Run Series partnership raised an additional £42.6 million for charity.
We’ve worked with employers to develop Care for Life, a personalised solution that provides access to a range of trusted experts and local networks that support carers’ specialised needs. In addition, we’ve teamed up with technology company HealthUnlocked to develop an online freely-accessible peer-led forum so that those caring for elderly friends or relatives can share their concerns in a supportive environment. Visit https://healthunlocked.com/careforlife
Simplyhealth is a trading name of Simplyhealth Access, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Visit http://www.simplyhealth.co.uk for more information.
Have you been waiting for the chance to install an NSK electric micromotor into your practice? Or are you thinking of upgrading your entire treatment centre to one with an electric micromotor built in?
Now is your chance with the GO ELECTRIC prize draw offer from NSK, the manufacturer of high quality, precision dental equipment:
Electrically driven instruments deliver functional flexibility with less noise and fewer vibrations to provide a smooth and more precise cutting action and a more comfortable patient experience.
To enter the prize draw, simply register your purchase at www.nskgoelectric.co.uk
For more information on NSK’s micromotors and range of other equipment, visit www.nsk-uk.com or contact your preferred dental dealer.
Facebook: NSK UK LTD
Twitter: @NSK_UK
* An NSK NLX nano or NLX plus Electric Micromotor
Learning Through Engaging
Dental shows provide the ideal opportunity to learn what’s new from the dental trade – even if you’re only window shopping! It’s much easier to explore trade innovations under the convenience of a single roof, rather than visit many separate showrooms or try and squeeze in a rep demo between patients. There will be over 350 exhibitors at this year’s Show, many of them choosing to launch new products at the event. If you like to ‘try before you buy’, and be sure you’ve thoroughly researched all possibilities, this is your ideal opportunity. Our two headline sponsors, Oral-B and Colgate, both have news for you, and offer a plethora of resources and products to ensure your patients take care of their oral health between appointments.
Learning Through Listening
Dental Update Study Day – 4 October
For those wanting to polish up their clinical skills, then look no further than the Dental Update Theatre, which will again be hosting a Study Day. The theme this year is ‘Avoiding Risk in Dentistry’. High standards are a sine qua non for any lectures coming under the Dental Update umbrella. Profession Trevor Burke will be both chairing and presenting this year, his lecture aptly entitled ‘Minimising Failure with Direct Restorations and Crowns’. John Milne, Head of the CQC, will also present an engaging and potentially contentious session on regulatory matters. Tara Renton, will look at specific risks associated with oral surgery and the afternoon will be rounded off by a fascinating lecture by Steve Hawkins, the Chief Training Pilot for British Airways. As an industry keen to learn from its mistakes, his lecture ‘Lessons from the Cockpit’, will give all attendees plenty of food for thought. These lectures are free to attend, although priority will be given to Dental Update subscribers.
Dental Update Lecture Programme – 5-6 October
A full programme of lectures continues Friday and Saturday, with some equally engaging presentations, covering a wide range of topics. Louis MacKenzie will be giving practical advice on anterior composites. Paul Bachelor will explore the topic of dementia-friendly dentistry and Bob Cummings will explain some of the HMRC challenges associates face. There will also be some business-focused presentations. Frank Taylor & Associates will take delegates through the journey of a practice sale, including advice on finance.
Innovation Theatre
Those who’d rather attend shorter lectures, offering snapshots and practical advice, should visit the Innovation Theatre. The application of technology is core to these lectures and this year the event will utilise revolutionary new technology, introducing an interactive element to the live demonstrations taking place each morning. The afternoon sessions will allow you to peek into ‘tomorrow’s world’, with discussions and reviews of the latest technology accessible to dentistry. Pioneers and practitioners will talk you through its evolution and application.
Core CPD
There will be a specific learning opportunity for those wanting to meet their core CPD. The GDC recommends five core areas in which dentists and DCPs should carry out CPD. The Core CPD lectures will bring the whole dental team up to date on the latest developments in these key areas and ensure you are well on the way to satisfying the GDC’s requirements for verifiable CPD. New radiation regulations, medical emergencies and safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults will all be covered in this forum.
Learning Through Discussion
How many times have you wanted to “have your say” when it comes NHS dentistry? Well, Dental Showcase is delighted that the Office of the Chief Dental Officer (CDO) has chosen to use this event as a platform for you to do just that. Sara Hurley, CDO for England, will be talking each morning about the development and provision of dental services. The Thursday morning session will be available to dental societies only, but Friday and Saturday are open to all on a first come, first served basis. It is anticipated that these briefings will engender much debate which can be continued at the CDO Zone, where panel discussions will run throughout the three days. This is your opportunity to engage directly with the decision makers.
To register, or for more information, visit http://www.dentalshowcase.com/
Founded in 2010 by Dr Chet Trivedy, a dual-qualified dentist and doctor with an interest in emergency medicine and dental emergencies, Boundaries for Life offers free health checks at major cricket fixtures throughout the UK, and is supported by the European Health Stadia Network.
Currently the only free comprehensive health check initiative that includes an assessment for mouth cancer, Boundaries for Life aims to promote health awareness through high-profile cricket events. The health checks include blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar (diabetes), dental (mouth cancer), obesity and dementia advice.
Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Simplyhealth Professionals, said: “We’re delighted to support Boundaries for Life once again and help to promote the messages of good oral health and general health to thousands of spectators across the UK this summer – and potentially save lives. Our commitment to the programme has been further strengthened by the support of our member dentists, several of whom have volunteered to carry out mouth cancer checks as part of the Boundaries for Life team, as well as raising awareness of good dental health and the links to general health.”
With a health professionals team comprising of dentists, doctors, nurses, and medical students, the health checks take no more than 15 minutes and are offered to spectators and ground staff. Since its launch, Boundaries for Life has carried out over 3,500 free health checks and diagnosed several cases of suspected mouth cancer, or pre-cancer, and many other health concerns, and given thousands of cricket fans specialist advice on how to improve oral and general health.
Boundaries for Life is also an award-nominated initiative, and has received recognition after being shortlisted for Best National Smile Month Event at The Dental Awards 2018, taking place this May.
Dr Chet Trivedy said: “We’re looking forward to another cricket season and utilising the sport to reach as many people as possible. Cricket is an ideal vehicle to discuss health, particularly as our key demographic for health checks are men aged 45 years and over, and those who might not be regularly visiting a dentist or GP. This target audience are thought to be increasingly vulnerable to a range of health conditions, and our health checks offer the opportunity to identify people who might be at risk of future health problems at an early stage. The health checks are easily accessible and provide instant feedback to guide people on any next steps that they should take regarding their oral or general health.”
The current Boundaries for Life fixtures are:
For more information, visit http://boundariesforlife.co.uk/
The annual survey[i], conducted by YouGov on behalf of Simplyhealth Professionals, revealed shocking statistics including that only two thirds of adults brush twice a day (69%), and two percent admitting that they never brush.
Flossing is also frequently ignored, with one in three adults (37%) admitting they never take the time to floss, despite the fact that 63% know that it helps to avoid gum disease. When questioned why they don’t floss more regularly, 27% said they couldn’t be bothered or find it boring.
Furthermore, almost one in 10 (7%) are avoiding the dental chair and said they never visit the dentist.
Commenting on the figures, Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Simplyhealth Professionals, said: “With the busy lifestyles that people lead, it’s tempting to skip brushing or flossing, or delay visits to the dentist. A good oral health routine is an essential everyday activity that helps to protect against tooth decay and gum disease. Moreover, with studies increasingly finding links between poor oral health and conditions such as heart disease, strokes and diabetes, looking after your oral health is important for your general health too.”
Those adults avoiding the dentist could also be setting a bad example for the younger generation, with over a fifth[ii] (22%) of parents of children aged 18 or under saying their child only brushes their teeth once a day or less, and 2% saying their child never brushes.
Childhood tooth decay continues to be a huge issue in the UK, and remains the number one reason why children aged five to nine years old are admitted to hospital in England[iii]. 19% of parents surveyed said their child had at least one filling and, shockingly, 46% saying their child had their first filling when they were seven years old or younger.
Worryingly, the survey also revealed that 83% of adults said they never check their mouths for signs of mouth cancer. With recent figures[iv] showing that cases of mouth cancer are up by a third in the last decade, and with around 18 people being diagnosed with the disease every day in the UK, the implications of not self-checking could be serious.
“Regular visits to the dentist can help to spot the early signs of mouth cancer, but it’s important to be aware of the symptoms and any changes that you see or feel in your mouth between dental appointments,” explains Henry. “These can include unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth or head and neck area; ulcers that don’t heal within three weeks; and red and white patches in the mouth.”
[i] All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc, on behalf of Simplyhealth. Total sample size was 5,264 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th -19th February 2018. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
[ii] All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Parents of children aged 18 years old and under were surveyed; and if there was more than one child in the family, we asked parents to answer based on the child whose birthday fell next. Total sample size was 4,294 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken from 9th to 16th February 2018. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+)
[iii] The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, The state of children’s oral health in England report, January 2015.
[iv] Oral Health Foundation – www.mouthcancer.org
Simplyhealth Professionals is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million patients registered to a Denplan product.
Simplyhealth Professionals provides the following range of leading Denplan dental payment plans under the Denplan name:
Simplyhealth Professionals also provide a wide range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme and Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme. Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.
Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 169 9962.
For patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402
Oral-B’s campaign to support parents & help kids develop a lifetime of good oral care habits
Shocking research findings have revealed that 23% of 5-year-olds[1] and nearly half (46%) of 8-year-olds in the UK2 have obvious tooth decay in their primary teeth. Also, it was found that sadly, 35% of 12-year-old children are too embarrassed to smile or laugh6 due to the condition of their teeth. These issues are particularly prevalent in UK children due to many factors, including poor oral care habits and nutrition. Also, Oral-B knows that using the right products, at the right frequency, with good supervision can have an impact on the oral health of children.
Help through research & education: For parents – for children
Oral-B is on a mission to support UK parents / carers adopt appropriate home-based oral health behaviours and thereby reduce the number of children with toothache and dental problems – all through its #StrongTeethMakeStrongKids-campaign. The oral health experts from Oral-B and the University of Leeds, have launched a research and education programme to give dental professionals and parents the right support to prevent these dental health issues from now on. Peter Day, Associate Professor and Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Leeds, about the research: “Our research explored how dental teams can best support parents of young children to adopt appropriate oral health behaviours at home. We have examined the literature and undertaken qualitative interviews and focus groups to identify the challenges parents and dental teams face. These findings have provided the blueprint for Strong Teeth oral health intervention.”
Why a healthy mouth is so important for UK kids
Asked about the situation in the UK Peter Days adds: “In my clinic, I see far too many young children with dental decay. Unfortunately, many will have had toothache, sleepless nights, disturbed eating patterns and time off school and nursery. We know children with decay in their baby teeth are much more likely to develop decay in their permanent teeth. Establishing toothbrushing and healthy eating habits in early childhood is a strong predictor for oral health in adult life.” In response to this, Oral-B is on a mission to support UK parents adopt appropriate home-based oral health behaviours and thereby reduce the number of children with dental problems.
Oral-B launches #StrongTeethMakeStrongKids campaign
Oral-B’s “Strong Teeth Make Strong Kids” programme aims to educate and support parents on how they can help their children develop the right habits, as well as lay down a strong foundation for good oral health – for a healthy and confident smile for life. “We are working closely with the UK’s Dental Professionals by aiming to provide up to 20,000 dental professionals this year with simple and engaging educational materials for parents and their children during routine check-ups. Oral-B is committed to take on this challenge to sustainably improve the situation in the UK”, says Jane Kidson, Oral-B Professional Team Leader UK & Ireland.
Combined with the right dental care products, these positive oral health messages are designed to encourage parents to lead the way, so they can see that these oral health issues are mostly preventable with simple changes to their families’ daily oral care routine.
Here is a snapshot of the brand’s educational materials that dental professionals can use to support the conversations that they are having with parents / carers. Such materials include:
There’s more to good oral care than meets the eye:
Maintaining good oral health and establishing the right healthy habits early on will help children progress along the key ‘Strong Teeth’ milestones. They include their first dental visit, the arrival of their first tooth or teeth, and then the first time they use an electric power toothbrush (from age 3 onwards). Having a good oral health habits results in a healthy smile and that smile drives confidence, and that confidence is usually a key contributor to a better future for children.
About Oral-B
Oral-B® is the worldwide leader in the over $5 billion brushing market. Part of the Procter & Gamble Company, the brand includes manual and electric toothbrushes for children and adults, oral irrigators and interdental products, such as dental floss. Oral-B® manual toothbrushes are used by more dentists than any other brand in the U.S. and many international markets.
About Procter & Gamble
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.co.uk/# for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.
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About the University of Leeds Study
Oral-B wanted to understand the fundamental and systematic issues which brought about the UK’s child dental health situation, and funded an extensive study with the University of Leeds, analysing the how dental teams can best support parents of young children to adopt appropriate oral health behaviors. Leeds has a strong research expertise in the design and evaluation of complex oral health interventions (i-ii) . The findings from the Oral B funded study provided the blueprint for the Strong Teeth oral health intervention, including the creation of vital ready-to-use educational materials that Oral-B will provide to Dental Professionals across the country.
References for University of Leeds complex intervention studies:
(i). ESKYTE, I., GRAY-BURROWS, K., OWEN, J., SYKES-MUSKETT, B., ZOLTIE, T., GILL, S., SMITH, V., MCEACHAN, R., MARSHMAN, Z., WEST, R., PAVITT, S. & DAY, P. 2018. HABIT-an early phase study to explore an oral health intervention delivered by health visitors to parents with young children aged 9-12 months: study protocol. Pilot Feasibility
(ii). GRAY-BURROWS, K., DAY, P. F., MARSHMAN, Z., ALIAKBARI, E., PRADY, S. L. & MCEACHAN, R. R. C. 2016. Using intervention mapping to develop a home-based parental supervised toothbrushing intervention for young children. Implement Sci, 11, 61.
Five dental business consultants are taking on their ultimate challenge, cycling almost 1,000 miles in fifteen days to raise funds for three wonderful charities – Cancer Research, Bridge2Aid and BrushUpUK. Chris Barrow, Les Jones, Sheila Scott, Simon Tucker and Ashley Latter have set themselves an ambitious target; between them they’re hoping to raise £50,000. The team has been sponsored by four industry stalwarts – Practice Plan, Dental Sky, Wesleyan and Dental Focus.
Explaining why they chose these three charities, Ashley commented, “We will all be touched in some way by cancer in our lives, so supporting the work of Cancer Research is something everyone can get behind. We’ve also chosen two special charities within the dental sector. Bridge2Aid does amazing work in Africa training local medical officers to carry out basic dentistry and, as a result, helps thousands of people out of pain and suffering. BrushUpUK is a charity that believes that everyone should have the knowledge and skills to access and maintain a good standard of oral health and works with professionals within the sector to provide education and guidance to vulnerable groups in society”.
A fundraising page has been created for anyone who would like to support the challenge.
Additionally, you may like to challenge yourself and join the five for a leg or a day of the journey. Dust off your cleats, dab on your chamois cream and join the team! There are five places available for each day. For more information, or to make a donation, visit www.fivegoforth.co.uk.
On 27th and 28th April, digital advocates from all areas of dentistry gathered in London to talk technology and discuss the latest developments and trends in areas such as predictive treatment, diagnosis, management, treatment and prevention.
This year’s Keynote Speaker was the Medical Futurist Dr Bertalan Mesko, a self-confessed “geek physician” with a PhD in genomics and an acclaimed author, who challenged the audience with his predictions on the way in which digital heath technologies are set to impact on the future of health care.
Dr Mesko was joined by a first-class line-up of speakers including, Rune Fisker, Sinead McEnhill, Colin Campbell, Adam Nulty and Josef Kunkela, as well as renowned technicians Petr Hajny, Vicken Hatsakordzian, and many more. Topics were wide-ranging and included the importance of retaining the human element in digital dentistry, the rising influence of digital dentistry apps and how dentists can drive patient engagement through the use of digital technology.
Henry Schein ConnectDental was a pivotal part of the two-day event, showcasing a comprehensive range of digital solutions, which can help practitioners harness the efficiencies of digital workflows and benefit from the economic impact of offering single-visit dentistry. The pace of change in digital is already being felt by the profession and improvements in aesthetics, guided implant surgery and digital shade matching is quite breath taking, and the rise in 3D printing and digital dentures is now taking treatment options to a whole new level.
There was much interest in the many innovative digital solutions on show and five in particular caught the profession’s imagination:
The 3Shape TRIOS® MOVE
This mobile HD touch screen is the ultimate communication tool that enables dentists to involve and engage patients in their treatment. Compatible with all TRIOS 3 scanners, it has an adjustable arm and swivel screen enabling the clinician to position it exactly where needed and facilitating vastly improved patient engagement and treatment acceptance.
The 3M™ True Definition Scanner
Available in mobile or cart edition, this scanner offers excellent accuracy, ease of use and affordability for making fast, precise digital impressions. The 3D-in-motion video technology generates a true replica of the patient’s oral anatomy – improving visibility right from the start. The innovative design ensures fast, comfortable intraoral scanning for greater patient comfort.
The Dentsply Sirona Chairside Solution
The original chair side solution, CEREC makes it possible for dentists to offer patients genuine same-day dentistry – from fast and accurate digital scanning, to versatile and intuitive digital design to in-house milling, sintering and glazing. Catering for patients’ increasingly busy lifestyles CEREC maintains excellent quality and functionality, but with the speed and precision now so much in demand.
The 3Shape X1 4-in-1 CBCT scanner
This CBCT scanner offers low dose scanning and high image quality with its innovative motion compensation and dynamic field of view (FOV) technology. Its sleek design and no requirement for head fixation provides a comfortable scanning experience for the patient. Ease of operation and intuitive workflows, combined with full integration with 3Shape treatment modules for orthodontics and implant dentistry, makes this digital equipment extremely versatile.
Formlabs Form 2 3D printer
The Form 2 3D printer, which is now available from Henry Schein Laboratory, provides high-resolution 3D printing, featuring laser-sharp prints and stunning surface finish. It can deliver both large, solid parts, and small intricate detail and has a small desktop footprint. The Form 2 has wireless connectivity and touchscreen control and integrates seamlessly with 3Shape and other dental software systems.
The 2018 Henry Schein Digital Symposium did not disappoint, and delegates came away with their heads full of new ideas and genuine excitement about the possibilities that digital dentistry is opening up. As billed, it truly was “the ultimate digital experience”.
To find out more about all Henry Schein ConnectDental’s digital solutions, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit hsdconnectdental.co.uk.
henryschein.co.uk
Twitter: @HenryScheinUK
Facebook: HenryScheinUK
Ahead of the impending Soft Drinks Industry Levy on 6th April, one in five UK adults (21%) say that potentially paying a little bit extra won’t bother them if they want a sugary drink.
According to survey figures* released today by YouGov and Simplyhealth, the experts behind Denplan payment plans, just over half of the nation (59%) supports the new tax, but a significant number of people would not be deterred by potential price hikes of sugary beverages. In the same survey, 20% of adults admitted they are addicted to sugar.
Nicknamed the ‘sugar tax’, the Soft Drinks Industry Levy is a completely new measure that comes into force on 6th April 2018. Plans for the tax were announced in the Government’s 2016 budget in response to the nation’s alarming levels of obesity and poor oral health.
The tax primarily targets manufacturers and importers of sugary soft drinks and encourages them to adjust their recipes and reduce the levels of sugar in their drinks, thereby avoiding the tax or paying a lower level. However, consumers could also be affected and be forced to pay more for sugary drinks if manufacturers decide to not reformulate their recipes and pass on the tax to consumers.
Under the new levy, drinks with a sugar content over five but below eight grams per 100ml will see 18p added to the price of the drink per litre, and drinks containing over eight grams of sugar per 100ml will face an increase of 24p per litre.
“It’s encouraging to see that the majority of people support the new levy and understand the urgent need to address the alarming levels of obesity and poor oral health – particularly those of children - in the UK,” said Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Simplyhealth, the experts behind Denplan payment plans. “However it’s concerning that one in five people say they would not be deterred by potential price increases of sugary drinks, suggesting that sugary beverages are seen as a staple item in some people’s daily diets. Sugary drinks are a leading cause of tooth decay and acid erosion and offer little to no nutritional value.”
Encouragingly, 53% of respondents in the survey claimed they don’t drink sugary drinks, and 17% would consider choosing less sugary and potentially less expensive options, of which 10% didn’t like the thought of paying extra and 7% who definitely don’t want to pay extra.
“It will be interesting to observe consumer buying behaviour over the next year as well as seeing how many manufacturers have adjusted their recipes,” says Henry. “Reducing access to high sugar drinks options and encouraging people to choose less sugary options is likely to have a positive effect on the nation’s oral health, particularly in children and young adults. Sugary drinks should always be seen as an occasional treat and only drunk as part of a meal. Water and milk are far more tooth-friendly options.”
The survey also revealed that one in four adults (25%) admit to struggling to understand the sugar content on food and drink packaging labels, highlighting that many people may be unwittingly consuming much higher levels of sugar than they realise. Worryingly, amongst these, only 56% of 18-24 year olds knew that honey is a sugar, and only 41% of the same age group knew that molasses, fruit juice concentrates (44%) and maltose (50%) are also types of sugar.
“Confusion over food and drink labelling and a lack of awareness of the recommended daily limits almost certainly contribute to the nation’s high sugar consumption,” says Henry. “It’s important that manufacturers and retailers make it as easy as possible for consumers to know what they’re purchasing and are transparent with their ingredients and labelling. There is also a role for dental teams and other healthcare professionals to help patients understand the effects of a high sugar diet on their health and help them make more informed choices.”
*Online survey conducted YouGov on behalf of Simplyhealth. Total sample size was 5,264 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th -19th February 2018. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
About Simplyhealth:
For 145 years we’ve been helping people to make the most of life through better everyday health. In 2017, Simplyhealth and Denplan united under one Simplyhealth brand and today we’re proud to be the UK’s leading provider of health cash plans, Denplan dental payment plans and pet health plans.
We help over three million people in the UK access the health and care products, services and support that they need, when they need them and at a price they can afford.
We’re proud to donate 10% of our pre-tax profits to health-related charitable activities every year, and this amounted to over £1 million in 2017. Our Simplyhealth Great Run Series partnership raised an additional £42.6 million for charity.
Simplyhealth is a trading name of Simplyhealth Access, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Friday 20th April
FREE TO ATTEND (5 CPD Hrs)
Further details on the website.
To register for this free event, just fill out the form on the website
http://www.implantsandbeyond.org/
Carestream Dental is delighted to announce that it has been shortlisted in two categories for the National Sports Technology Awards 2018.
This is an internationally-recognised accreditation that celebrates technology-led innovation throughout the world of sport.
It is thrilled to be a finalist in the following groups:
Best Participation Technology
Most Innovative Sports Equipment or Apparel
In collaboration with the mouthwear suppliers and dental laboratories involved – Forcetech Mouthwear, Rhino Mouthwear, Fairbanks Dental Laboratory and Wessex Dental Laboratory – the company has also been shortlisted in the Most Innovative Sports Partnership category.
We look forward to the awards ceremony and are hopeful for a win!
For more information please contact Carestream Dental on
0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk
For all the latest news and updates, follow us on Twitter @CarestreamDentl and Facebook
Simplyhealth Professionals has produced a range of templates and draft policies to support its practices in preparation for meeting the enhanced data protection requirements, coming into force on Friday 25 May 2018. The company has also been providing detailed information and guidance on the implication for practices of the new data regulations with a three part blog written by Roger Matthews, Honorary Life President and former Chief Dental Officer (https://www.denplan.co.uk/dentists/blog).
Between now and Friday 25 May, the recommendations are that practices will need to:
Complete their data audit (as recommended by The Information Commissioner’s Office (www.ico.org.uk/gdpr)
Check where back-ups are stored (ask your software provider/s)
Consider how to present Privacy Notices to patients
Consider revising their Data Protection and Information Security policies
Update their Cookie policy if they have a website
Carry out and document a Legitimate Interest Assessment (in simple terms how you lawfully process personal data)
Draw up a Data Breach policy and procedure (if not already done)
Appoint a Data Protection Officer
To help with preparation, Simplyhealth Professionals has published several templates for members on their web portal in a GDPR toolkit. There are templates available for a Legitimate Interest Assessment, a Privacy Notice and a Data Breach. However, in each case it will be necessary for practices to consider how these templates should be adapted for their own particular circumstances and practice. Further resources will be published on the portal in the coming weeks in the form of a Cookie policy, a Data Retention policy, a Data Protection policy and an Information Security policy.
As the new law is still a Parliamentary ‘work in progress’ and subject to some further amendments, Simplyhealth Professionals intends to keep members fully updated on any further developments.
Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Simplyhealth Professionals, said: “We shouldn’t forget that confidentiality, consent and security of sensitive information – to name but three factors – have already been an integral part of dental practices for a long time. This is the embodiment of data protection in our professional lives, so much of this is not actually new.
“However, there is still some preparation required by practices and they will need to become familiar with some different language. Similar to the support we provided with regards to CQC inspections, we have again attempted to simplify the complex and make generic data protection requirements relevant to dental practices.”
About Simplyhealth Professionals:
In February 2017, Denplan rebranded as Simplyhealth Professionals.
Dental
Simplyhealth Professionals is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million patients registered to a Denplan product.
Simplyhealth Professionals provides the following range of leading Denplan dental payment plans under the Denplan name:
Denplan Care: all routine and restorative care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
Denplan Essentials: routine care only + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
Denplan for Children: routine and other agreed care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
Denplan Membership: registered with the dentist + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
Denplan Hygiene: A dental payment plan without dental insurance for all types of practice from NHS, mixed and private to support patients commit to a consistent hygiene programme.
Denplan Emergency Insurance: worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover only
Simplyhealth Professionals also provide a wide range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme and Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme. Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.
Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 169 9962.
For patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402
For details of all of our products, visit www.denplan.co.uk
Adam Christie the CEO of CALCIVIS was interviewed by BBC Scotland this week. He spoke comprehensively about the development of the CALCIVIS imaging system and told viewers how this innovative new dental device is helping to revolutionise preventative dentistry.
Filmed at a dental practice in Edinburgh, Adam showed how the CALCIVIS imaging system works and explained:
“Using a recombinant photoprotein, the CALCIVIS imaging system identifies free calcium ions released from actively demineralising tooth surfaces.”
Viewers saw how the CALCIVIS imaging system produces a very short, low-level flash of light that is detected by an integrated intraoral sensor and presented as a glowing, digital map at the chair side. It was agreed that CALCIVIS offers dental practitioners an early detection device to identify enamel demineralisation in the earliest, most reversible stages, which enables them to plan prompt management to prevent dental caries.
In addition, the non-invasive CALCIVIS system helps patients to understand their risk of dental caries more easily and motivates them to improve oral hygiene levels.
As Adam Christie explained to the BBC, “CALCIVIS is a first for British Dentistry. Never before has it been so easy to detect areas of active demineralisation so efficiently.”
If you would like to know more about this remarkable technology, contact the CALCIVIS team today.
To find out more about CALCIVIS visit www.CALCIVIS.com
or call 0131 658 5152
A recent Court of Appeal judgment has criticised the fairness and scope of the former Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s procedure for investigating clinical complaints against healthcare professionals. The GPs in the case were jointly represented by the MDU and another medical defence organisation but the judgment will also have positive implications for dental professionals.
The court considered exactly how the Ombudsman applied her discretion to investigate a complaint. It found an investigation should not begin where a complainant has another legal remedy open to them (other than complaining to the Ombudsman) unless the Ombudsman “is satisfied” that it was not reasonable to expect the complainant to use the alternative legal remedy. The Ombudsman must obtain and analyse information related to the complainant’s particular circumstances and not simply refer to general criteria.
The court also provided welcome clarity on the standard applied by the Ombudsman to determine whether or not the exercise of clinical judgement was reasonable.
The judge commented:
“The standard chosen by the Ombudsman is beguilingly simple but incoherent. It cannot provide clarity or consistency of application to the facts of different cases. There is no yardstick of reasonable or responsible practice, but rather a counsel of perfection that can be arbitrary. It runs the risk of being a lottery dependent on the professional opinion of the advisor that is chosen. It is unreasonable and irrational and accordingly, unlawful.”
John Makin, Head of the DDU said: “This judgment will have positive implications for dental professionals. When their clinical judgement is criticised, the Ombudsman can investigate what happened, reach conclusions and make recommendations if service failure is found. It is essential that the standards used by the Ombudsman to judge the clinical care provided to a patient are appropriate. Dental professionals should not be held to unreasonably high standards. It is also important that the Ombudsman stays within its legal powers and does not investigate exactly the same facts as a court would consider as this could present double jeopardy for dental professionals.
“Those facing an investigation into their clinical practice should have reassurance that the processes being followed by the Ombudsman are fair and just. This judgment is good for healthcare professionals, and will also benefit patients who can be assured that the investigation was properly and fairly carried out.”
The DDU, the specialist dental division of the MDU, is a not-for-profit organisation wholly dedicated to our members’ interests. Our team is led and staffed by dentists with real-life experience of the pressures and challenges faced in practice.
We offer our members expert guidance, personal support and robust defence in addressing dento-legal issues, complaints and claims. Our customised services range from legal assistance to indemnity to appropriate CPD.
Kirsty decided to use her £20 to help a gentleman who had battled and overcome his fight with alcoholism. He was honing his technology skills on a tablet with his social worker, but was devastated when it broke and he was unable to replace it.
The story inspired the whole team in the Carestream Dental Head Office, who decided to donate to the cause as well. The amazing £230 raised enabled Kirsty to buy the gentleman a brand new tablet, as well as a cover and other accessories, enabling him to continue working on his skills from his own home for the very first time.
This is just one example of how a little incentive like the £20 from Practice Plan can really make a difference to someone. Thank you to everyone who donated!
For more information please contact Carestream Dental on
0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk
For all the latest news and updates, follow us on Twitter @CarestreamDentl and Facebook
Southern Dental, the nation’s third largest chain of dentists, is now known as Colosseum Dental UK Ltd. The name change coincides with the first anniversary of Zurich-based Colosseum Dental's acquisition of Southern Dental, which made it not only Europe's fastest growing dental group, but also the only one with a network spanning the continent.
With a patient base in excess of 500,000, the majority of Colosseum's 80 practices in the UK will undergo an extensive refurbishment programme, introducing a new look and feel to waiting rooms with upgraded treatment areas and clinical facilities as part of a £5,000,000 investment in the company. Peter Keegans, CEO, explains, “Our new owners have a long-term, 20-year vision which is enabling us to invest in upgrading our clinics to be state-of-the-art practices offering the highest standards.” Colosseum Dental Group’s ambition is to be Europe’s leading dental provider within five years.
LOCAL PRACTICES SERVING THEIR COMMUNITY
One of the pillars of Colosseum’s recipe for success in the UK will be embedding each practice as a “good neighbour” in its local community. Peter continues, “We want to break with convention from other dental chains. Each of our 80 practices will be known by the local name patients have always referred to it. If, for example, ‘Hollybush Dental’ is how a practice has always been known colloquially, we've no intention of simply re-badging it as ‘Colosseum Dental’. In this way, each practice will retain its connection as an integral part of its community."
In addition to being a good neighbour, Colosseum has two other refreshingly simple cultural values; to be a provider of exceptional patient care and to be a great employer. As Peter explains, “Our name change marks a new era: a renewed energy and focus, an opportunity for cultural change and to align ourselves with the values of our European colleagues. Armed with a long-term vision, we can now invest in our practices and staff with confidence, knowing our patients will be the ultimate beneficiaries. Everyone wins.”
EUROPEAN SCOPE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PATIENT CARE
Being part of a European group means dentists have the chance to provide best practice based on the ability to observe long-term clinical outcomes in a huge, European-wide patient base. Treatment protocols, guidelines and KPIs are currently being developed across the group to provide highly informed patient care, and present the best possible treatment options to patients. Ravi Rattan, Clinical Director at Colosseum Dental UK, who joined in 2016, is excited to be part of these changes: “At Colosseum Dental, we’re committed to raising clinical standards and offering more advanced treatment options and procedures to our patients. Our new specialist referral centres in Kettering and Kingston offer private as well as NHS treatments such as orthodontics, implants and facial aesthetics. Patients there will benefit from 3D CBCT scanners to enable better, safer treatment planning. Having new investment means we can continue to set up such centres: Our European colleagues are highly experienced in managing large referral centres, and we are learning from their success.”
The group’s aim is for no differences to exist between treatments available at, say, a practice in Switzlerand, and those available at one in Southern England. Lars Armbäck is Chief Dentist at Colosseum Dental Group. Armed with 30 years’ general practice and a special interest in prosthetics, implants, quality and treatment strategy, his focus is on best practice, dentist development and quality assurance. He’s excited by the addition of the 80 English clinics, noting, “Patients everywhere should be able to benefit from digital technologies that enable them to make informed choices about their care. Hence, as a group, we recently chose to invest in intraoral scanners for all patients, and our size means we can negotiate to help keep diagnostic and treatment prices affordable.” He adds, “Dentists at our UK practices will benefit from committees we have set up to examine best practice in treatment planning and workflow. With time, we’ll be able to compare patient outcomes across Europe, and thereby identify best treatment strategies and best practice overall. It’s this type of sharing which sets us apart from any of our competitors.”
COMMITTED TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Career choices at various levels are being made more flexible, in line with changing lifestyle requirements such as increased female and part time dentists in post. Samaneh Nezamivand-Chegini, a dentist who practises in Central London, having joined in 2012, now sits on the Clinical Board. She says, “It’s great to see my suggestions have been noted, despite my being relatively newly qualified. Peter [Keegans] and his team have listened and acted, which is in turn inspiring my clinical colleagues. On a personal level, I’m being supported to further my career and income via training in implantology.”
Sharyn Wilson, HR Director at Colosseum Dental UK, notes, “Our improved ways of working and communicating are being appreciated by all our staff, from receptionists to dental specialists.” Career progression for non-clinical staff is also being strengthened. For example, the new Advanced Treatment Co-ordinator has progressed from earlier roles as nurse, Practice Manager, then Resourcer. As a sign of its commitment to professional development, Colosseum Dental UK will hold its first Annual Conference on 20th April, where keynote speakers will include Seema Sharma, an expert in transforming dental practices, Joe Bhat, a Fellow of the International Team for Implantology and Jas Gill, who was voted in at No.12 in the Top 50 most important people in UK Dentistry.
ABOUT COLOSSEUM DENTAL UK LIMITED
Colosseum Dental UK Limited is the third largest chain of dental practices in the UK, with 80 clinics spanning 19 counties. The company supplies high quality general dental care, as well as specialist services for NHS and private patients. It has more than 900 employees and Associates, including over 250 dental professionals, serving more than 500,000 patients. Its mission is to be the ‘best in class’ dental group in the South of England by providing modern, quality dentistry services for the benefit of patients, dentists, employees, shareholders and striving for continuous growth and excellence. www.colosseumdental.co.uk
We had two Budgets and three Financial Bills in 2017, which for many, was more than enough! The Spring Statement lasted a grand total of 25 minutes, and was essentially a review of the public finances. It was also an opportunity to publish consultations before any announcements in the Autumn Budget.
So, nothing headline grabbing, but here’s a glance over the Spring Statement and how it may relate to your business.
VAT
From April, the VAT threshold will remain at £85,000 for the next two years, as per a previous announcement. Mr Hammond said he would consult on whether growth could be incentivised by looking again at how VAT is structured.
Digital payments
Payments/settlements systems (including the Bank of England’s) are to be renewed in order to harness the power of the latest technologies. The government pledged its support to these changes, and it will be consulting on them.
On a related note, views will also be sought on how online platforms could help users comply with their tax obligations.
Entrepreneur’s relief
If an individual now owns less than 5 per cent interest in a company, because the company has issued trade to raise capital, they should be able to claim Entrepreneur’s relief, says the government.
Business rates
Views had previously been sought on this topic. It was announced that the first of more frequent, three-yearly revaluations for business properties would be in 2021.
Self-funded work-related training
Have you – or a colleague – undertaken this? Well, the government is going to look at how tax relief can be extended and how the system can be both simplified and protected from misuse.
Coming up in April…
No new tax measures were introduced, but some previously announced changes are coming into force in April. The personal allowance is rising to £11,850 (for basic rate, to £34,000 and higher rate, £46,350). This excludes Scotland, who will have five new tax bands for 2018/19. If you are on a higher rate in Scotland, this isn’t great news as the threshold is going to start at £2,920 below the rest of the UK. As previously announced, the dividend tax allowance will be reduced to £2,000.
The national insurance contributions (NICs) threshold is also increasing by 3 per cent and Class 2 NICs will now be phased out for 2019/20.
If you have a company car, tax will rise for all by the highest emission vehicles.
The residence nil rate band for Inheritance tax (IHT) will rise; the main rate band will remain unchanged. There could be changes afoot by the Autumn Budget, however, a review of IHT conducted by the Office of Tax Simplification is due to report around then.
As for pensions, the minimum contributions for workplace pensions under automatic enrolment will increase. The lifetime allowance will rise in line with inflation (it’s been on a downward path since 2012).
Finally, both income tax and NICs will apply on all payments in lieu of notice (PILONs) in 2018/9.
Other dental accountants also available. Nasdal.
Lansdell & Rose on 020 7376 9333,
Or visit www.lansdellrose.co.uk
The most effective means of eradicating infection is a combination of chemical and mechanical debridement, because when irrigation is introduced alongside instrumentation the chance of removing inflamed and necrotic pulp tissue, microbes and debris is significantly higher.
As it stands, there is little evidence to prove that certain irrigants are more effective than others, but research has shown that no single irrigant on its own holds all the required characteristics needed to effectively eradicate and prevent infection.[i] Only a combination of two or more solutions in the appropriate sequence can predictably obtain safe and effective irrigation.[ii]
Perhaps the most commonly used irrigant is sodium hypochlorite (NaOCI) in concentrations varying from 0.5 to 6.00%, as this can dissolve organic tissue and has a broad antimicrobial spectrum allowing it to effectively kill biofilms adherent to the root canal walls.[iii] For those who prefer to use sodium hypochlorite, it is worth bearing in mind that a high concentration NaOCI has demonstrated better results than 1% and 2% solutions. [iv] In cases where NaOCI has been used but has been ineffective, it may be that the strength of the formula – or lack of – has compromised the success of the outcome.
The downside of NaOCI is that it does not remove the smear layer. This can be overcome, however with subsequent irrigation with Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), as it can dissolve inorganic material, including hydroxyapatite. Importantly, EDTA is also biocompatible, able to condition dentine and has shown positive effects on the root canal seal.[v] Nevertheless, it is important to remember that EDTA must be used as a final rinse, not as an alternating rinse with NaOCI.
Another possible irrigant is chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX), which has good antimicrobial activity and is biocompatible. As it is incapable of dissolving organic tissue it cannot replace sodium hypochlorite. One could also opt for hydrogen peroxide, but again, this lacks antibacterial activity when used alone and cannot dissolve tissue.
Whichever combination is used, it is important to choose quality irrigation products from a trustworthy manufacturer of endodontic solutions. At COLTENE, all products are designed and produced using the latest materials and technology to guarantee optimal results. The range of solutions includes CanalPro NaOCI in 3% and 6% formula, CanalPro EDTA 17% and CanalPro CHX 2%, providing all the characteristics needed for effective irrigation. For best results, use alongside HyFlex EDM NiTi root canal files, also available from COLTENE.
The role of irrigation and its impact on the overall success rates of root canal treatment is clear, so be sure to consider your choice of irrigants.
To find out more visit www.coltene.com, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01444 235486
[i] Fedorowicz Z, Nasser M, Sequeira-Byron P, de Souza RF, Carter B, Heft M. Irrigants for non-surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012; 9: CD008948. Accessed online January 2018 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22972129
[ii] Haapasalo M, Shen Y, Qian W, Gao Y. Irrigation in endodontics. Dent Clin North Am. 2010; 54 (2): 291-312. Accessed online January 2018 at http://www.endoexperience.com/documents/IrrigationinEndodonticsHaapasalo2010.pdf
[iii] Zehnder M. Root canal irrigants. J Endod. 2006; 32 (5): 389-98. Accessed online January 2018 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16631834
[iv] Haapasalo M, Shen Y, Wang Z, Gao Y. Irrigation in endodontics. Br Dent J. 2014; 216 (6): 299-303. Accessed online January 2018 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24651335
[v] American Association of Endodontists. Root Canal Irrigants and Disinfectants. Chicago: American Association of Endodontists, 2011. Accessed online January 2018 at https://www.aae.org/specialty/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/07/rootcanalirrigantsdisinfectants.pdf
The new Flexible Payment Plans will make treatments more accessible and affordable for all patients as they can set the price and payment length with their dentist so it suits individual budgets. Patients can opt for treatments that they might have previously thought were unaffordable.
Dentists will agree with each patient how much they pay each month and how long their treatment will take. They can offer the patient an ongoing monthly plan for more regular treatments, or a choice of three to ten monthly payments for a one-off treatment, helping the patient to spread the cost of treatment and make it more affordable for them.
This is the first time that Simplyhealth Professionals has created a payment plan that can be tailored to support dentists providing an increasingly diverse mix of cosmetic dental and facial aesthetic treatments in their practices. Flexible Payment Plans will encourage patients to opt for new or higher cost treatments which they previously might not have considered due to the price.
The Simply Select portal contains a wide variety of templates, such as factsheets, posters and referral cards that can be personalised by members to help them promote individual Denplan payment plans and special offers. This will help to draw in new patients to the practice, or encourage existing patients to consider new or alternative treatments or plans. Marketing campaign material will also be added to the portal on a regular basis.
The templates are very simple to use with areas that practices can personalise with specific information that is relevant for them. There are templates for posters, referral cards, cost comparison posters and social media templates. Simplyhealth Professionals will continue to create new templates and add to the existing range throughout the year.
Sandy Brown, Director of Dentists at Simplyhealth Professionals, said: “We wanted to offer a really easy process for our member dentists to help them to market their individual Denplan payment plans and personalise each product to attract new patients and retain and grow existing ones. We have a dedicated in-house practice marketing team available for more complicated requests or special events, but often practices just want to be able to quickly print off a simple form or poster and do this themselves. Simply Select now means they have the best of both worlds.”
Simplyhealth Professionals also provide a wide range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme and Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme. Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.
Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 169 9962.
For patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402
For details of all of our products, visit www.denplan.co.uk
John Makin, head of the DDU, said:
“The announcement of a Civil Justice Council working group to examine excessive legal costs in clinical negligence claims is a delayed but still welcome first step. Proposals to make claimants’ lawyers costs more proportionate to the compensation their clients receive were first mooted back in 2015. We hope that things will move ahead faster now.
“Even with dental claims, which are generally lower in value than medical awards, the fees charged by claimant lawyers are still, on average, above the level of compensation awarded and that cannot be right. For example in one settled claim, the claimant’s costs were more than quadruple the settlement figure received by the patient.
“Patients who believe they have been negligently harmed must have access to justice, but fixed costs are fairer and will help to establish some much needed balance to the system.
“We will be happy to take part in the working party to represent our members’ views. However, disproportionately high costs charged by claimants’ lawyers are only part of the problem. The cost of litigation is becoming unaffordable for the dental profession and the NHS. The Government needs to take more decisive action. We urgently need more radical legal reform to restore balance to the system for clinical negligence claims.”
In response to a consultation by the Department of Health, it says it is not convinced that combining dental regulation with that of other professions could save money while retaining the required understanding of the dental professions, and that in the absence of evidence to the contrary, the interests of patients and the profession will best be served by the continued existence of a regulator dedicated solely to dentistry.
The Faculty says that decisions on the regulation of health professions should instead be guided by the risk of patient harm, and that as such there can be no optimum number of healthcare regulators. It also suggests that as the UK has over 70 regulators, “including four for social care, and six each for legal services, financial services and privatised utilities…nine regulators for healthcare, covering 1.5 million professionals in 32 occupations, does not appear excessive.”
FGDP(UK) also expresses concern over proposals to create a single adjudication body for fitness to practise, a single register of all health professionals, and a single set of standards in lieu of profession-specific ones, and rejects the suggested use of mediation in regulatory proceedings and proposals for employers to be represented on the General Dental Council (GDC).
However, FGDP(UK) agreed that the currently statutorily-regulated professions should be reassessed to determine the most appropriate level of oversight, and that the regulator should be accountable to the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Irish Assembly in addition to the UK Parliament.
Dr Mick Horton, Dean of FGDP(UK), said:
“While the GDC itself acknowledges that there are improvements to be made to the way in which it regulates, it has nonetheless developed specialist knowledge of dental patients and the professions that treat them, each of which exhibit characteristics and contextual factors which are not necessarily the same as those of other medical professions and their patients. In an amalgamated regulator, this sector-specific knowledge would either be maintained at additional cost, or, more likely, lost in a drive to harmonise procedures and cut costs. For these reasons, the onus is on the government to produce convincing evidence that its own stated objectives for regulation – public protection, performance management, and professional development and support - would not be all the harder to meet if dental regulation were to be amalgamated with that of other professions.”
The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) is the only professional membership body in the UK specifically for general dental practice. Based at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, it provides services to help those in general dental practice raise standards of patient care. It does this through standards setting, providing education courses and assessments, CPD, policy development, research and publications. Membership of FGDP(UK) is open to dentists and other registered dental professionals.
The Academy has also worked hard to meet the new requirements of the General Dental Council’s (GDC) CPD quality assurance. With the new changes to Enhanced CPD starting in January 2018 for dentists and August for dental care professionals, this will further reassure members of Simplyhealth Professionals, the providers of Denplan payment plans, that they are receiving the highest level of training support.
The GDC has introduced changes to CPD in 2018 now called Enhanced Continuing Professional Development (ECPD) and have stated that all providers of dental CPD need to have clear aims, objectives and anticipated outcomes that fit with their four development outcomes. CPD providers also have to offer quality assurance that their courses are fit for purpose.
Louis Mackenzie, Head of Clinical Training at Simplyhealth Professionals, said: “We have always employed the highest levels of quality assurance to ensure all of our courses satisfy the educational needs of dentists and their teams. The BDIA Code of Practice process has been an excellent opportunity to formalise our rules and reassure all our members that the entire range of Simplyhealth Professionals CPD activities will satisfy all of their statutory obligations for verifiable CPD.”
All courses run by Simplyhealth Professionals have quality controls in place, help members choose CPD products that match their individual requirements and fields of practice, and provide certificates that show that the registrant has met their aims and objectives. Members have nearly 60 modules that they can choose from.
Simplyhealth Professionals’ training team provide customised training days for member practice staff to help them stay up to date with industry knowledge, regulatory compliance, and techniques for dealing with all of their patients’ needs. The team are all qualified trainers who come from a range of backgrounds, from finance, health and social care, education, and dental care.
Jo Banks, Head of The Academy, said: “The Academy has always strived to provide the highest quality training for dentists in many subject areas. The BDIA Code of Practice and the meeting of the new ECPD standards for all our training can reassure dentists that in choosing Simplyhealth Professionals to deliver their training they are meeting all current requirements. We provide an outline of the aims, objectives and anticipated outcomes of all our courses with links to how they fit with the GDC’s four development outcomes. Our CPD certificates have been adapted to meet GDC requirements and will now display the relevant GDC Development Outcomes A, B, C and/or D.”
To find out more information about the range of CPD courses available from Simplyhealth Professionals visit http://www.denplan.co.uk/
Simplyhealth Professionals is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million patients registered to a Denplan product.
Simplyhealth Professionals provides the following range of leading Denplan dental payment plans under the Denplan name:
· Denplan Care: all routine and restorative care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
· Denplan Essentials: routine care only + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
· Denplan for Children: routine and other agreed care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
· Denplan Membership: registered with the dentist + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover
· Denplan Hygiene: A dental payment plan without dental insurance for all types of practice from NHS, mixed and private to support patients commit to a consistent hygiene programme.
· Denplan Emergency Insurance: worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover only
Simplyhealth Professionals also provide a wide range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme and Denplan Excel Accreditation Programme. Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.
Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 169 9962.
For patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402
For details of all of our products, visit www.denplan.co.uk
The Dental Industry Event of the Year is back! The Digital Symposium 2018 takes place on 27-28 April in London and this year it’s thinking big, it’s thinking holistically and it’s thinking differently.
Recognised as Dental Industry Event of the Year at the Dental Industry Awards 2017 held in association with the BDIA, the Digital Symposium is the ultimate digital experience for dental professionals. Driving innovative solutions in terms of predictive treatment, diagnosis, management, treatment and prevention, the Digital Symposium is an opportunity to witness the transformative power of these emerging technologies first hand and hear from some of the industry’s most influential educational and motivational speakers.
BREAKING NEWS: The Medical Futurist confirmed as Keynote speaker
A “geek physician” with a PhD in genomics and an Amazon Top 100 author, Dr Bertalan Mesko, the Medical Futurist, predicts the impact of digital health technologies on the future of healthcare, helping patients, clinicians, regulators and industry organisations make it a reality. He will talk to delegates about a range of digital health technologies, including artificial intelligence, health sensors, 3D printing and how social media can impact public awareness.
The Medical Futurist is joined by an impressive line-up of other speakers including Colin Campbell, Sinead McEnhill, Adam Nulty and Josef Kunkela. For a full list of speakers, visit hsddigitalsymposium.co.uk/speakers-2018
Book before the end of January 2018 to take advantage of our Early Bird and Previous Delegates’ offers.
To book at our discounted prices or to find out more about The Digital Symposium 2018, visit www.hsddigitalsymposium.co.uk/
To find out more about Henry Schein Dental’s range of digital solutions, contact Henry Schein ConnectDental on 0800 028 4870 or visit hsdconnectdental.co.uk.
Twitter: @HenryScheinUK
Facebook: HenryScheinUK
With more and more patients having access to smart phones and emails, iSmile can cater for a completely paper free experience. With your very own branded Patient Portal, you can give your patients the ability to fill in medical history forms on their desktops, tablets and mobile devices prior to their appointment. iSmile can automatically email medical history forms to your patients, which are filled out securely online and then transmitted back to iSmile and stored within the patient's file, significantly reducing workload at reception.
Getting client feedback and disseminating the data into easy-to-understand reports is an important part of any business. Patient Portal allows you to create a patient questionnaire in iSmile which is automatically emailed to patients after their appointment. Data collected back by iSmile can then be displayed in a range of reports which allows you to analyse trends over a series of time periods and see how your business is changing, allowing you to identify where improvements can be made.
Patient Portal is upgraded with features all the time and now includes mobile signatures - there's no need to purchase clunky digital signature equipment as Patient Portal works on any tablet and any mobile phone - both inside and outside of the practice!
What is Right Path 4?
Right Path 4 offer a system that covers everything you need for CQC Inspections and Visits.
Who makes up RP4?
RP4 is a small team of professionals who have a great deal of experience. We’re passionate about using this experience to help our colleagues to work within a team dedicated to providing the highest possible standards of health care.
What do you receive?
RP4 BLUEPRINT Modules on Clinical Risk Management, NHS Contract Management, PDP and Reflective writing and now ‘keeping your eye on the ball. All written by EXPERTS just for RP4 members.
RP4 are the EXPERTS by experience, there’s no joining fee and no ongoing contract tie in. We have the lowest fees and we have produced an RP4BLUEPRINT, the ‘go to’ people for more than 750 practices. Our Experts are all dentists with detailed experience of working with the Regulators and Indemnity Providers at the highest level.
Inspired by the CQC, Blueprint gives you the complete plan and Blueprint is only available to RP4 members
Below is video created by Keith, which explains the RP4 System.
If your practice would like to join RP4 today, there is a special offer for GDPUK Members (£59.95 a month for GDPUK Members), if you follow this link - https://pay.gocardless.com/AL00016VCPR74Z
For further information about RP4 and the team behind the system, please visit - https://www.rightpath4.com/blogs/
The 8th November marked just one year since dental partnership group, Dentex, secured its first dental practice, and what a year it’s been. The first twelve months of any business is meant to be the hardest, but in this time Dentex has accumulated 17 practices as part of the group, with a further 18 in due diligence; and secured £21m in funding. Not bad for an organisation that began with just six members of staff.
Since its inception, Dentex has almost taken on a life of its own. Driven by Barry Lanesman, CEO, Pat Langley as Chief Dental Officer and Rob Paxman as Director of Partnering, all of whom have long-term experience within the dentistry field, the organisation has sought – and succeeded – to fulfil a very great need in the dental industry: enabling dentists to share in the value created through a dental collective.
They differ from typical dental corporates by offering much better long-term wealth creation opportunities to their partners. Dentists are able to extract equity from their practice, but continue to stay involved and benefit from the growth whilst preserving their clinical independence. Dentex provides support to dentists as partners, enabling growth without removing a practice’s autonomy; so, dentists continue to run their practice, expanding and thriving, no longer having to constantly focus on cash flow and financials.
In a year that has seen the group awarded the ‘Highly Commended Award for Innovation of the Year’, as well as finalists for ‘Product Launch of the Year’ – Dentex has found success in a model that challenges the traditional dental corporate pattern. There is no management takeover, no rebranding, as happens when joining a corporate franchise; partners maintain their autonomy, gaining input and assistance only where they require it. This allows practices to retain their individuality, which is important for practitioners and patients alike. And with two partnership models – Regional and Practice – it’s possible for Dentex partners to either reduce their responsibilities or enhance them, either focusing on their core interests at a local level to ensure a premium patient experience is delivered, or building a portfolio of surgeries in order to broaden their potential remit. Once approved and passed through the stringent Dentex criteria for partner selection, the choice of how they wish to proceed is left to the individual member.
There is an acute focus on finding the right partners. Integrity, respect for each other and highest ethical standards are just a few of the values that make up Dentex’s foundations, and all members of the group are expected to share this ethos.
Dentex is not about running a business model that’s dictatorial, it’s about helping dentists work together. Dentists often face similar challenges, so partners are encouraged to build and grow in a collegiate way.
Barry Lanesman, Dentex CEO, comments:
‘With a five-year plan which aims to see the Group at 150 partnering practices by 2022, it’s still early days for Dentex, but so far, the company is very much on track, thanks to its unique offering. This time last year there was a gap in the market. Dentex have filled it admirably.
But while the organisation’s phenomenal growth is certainly worth marking, Dentex’s driving force is quality over quantity. Each Dentex partner wants to share growth and remain involved in the development of the practice, not exit at the earliest opportunity. They are genuinely enthused and motivated about clinical dentistry and use their partnership with Dentex to help overcome regulatory, compliance and administrative barriers.
The partnership allows them to focus on areas of dentistry they’re truly passionate about. Each one of the partners excels in their field with an unswerving commitment to deliver premium patient care, sharing best practice for the common good of the group – and ultimately the patient.’
Dentex has shown significant growth thanks to its unique offering. They have ambitious growth expectations and so far, are on track to hit their target of 150 practices by 2022.
Dentex Regional Partner, Bhavna Doshi of Perfect Smile dental studios, explains why she joined the group. ‘Dentex is a partner that has allowed us to preserve our ethos and way of business, and provide a collaboration of mastermind. We have been able to keep our business identity, leadership philosophy, quality of dentistry and exceptional patient care. At the same time, they have given us the financial and business support to grow our group of practices.’
Andrew Birrell, Executive Director of Universal Partners, Dentex’s largest investor said ‘The Dentex message continues to resonate with clinicians who wish to release equity whilst retaining upside, and continue to enjoy the clinical freedom to deliver for their patients before joining the group. The company is performing ahead of our expectations and we look forward to seeing it prosper in future”
Further information on Dentex here.
A week ago saw Sheffield host its third Dental Charity Ball, in support of Dentaid – a charity that supports people, both here in the UK and around the globe, to gain access to quality dental care.
The evening was attended by many dentists as well as those wanting to kick off the festive season whilst supporting a great cause. Mr John Elkins, Finance Director at Dentaid, gave a talk on their work before Dr Barry Oulton, from Haslemere Dental Centre, and Helen Everatt, from S4S Dental Laboratory, hosted games, pulled raffles and opened the dance floor. Organised by S4S Dental Laboratory, Smilelign clear aligners, 4Health, and John Holland prestige car dealership, the event raised over £2500 for the charity, and will be used to help equip, treat and educate where the need is the greatest.
Watch the video of the event here, generously donated by True Glass Film.
s4sdental.com/charityball2017/
The recently published ‘State of Child Health’ report revealed that 31-41% of 5-year-old children across the UK are affected by tooth decay and this is the single most common reason why children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital. This represents a significant, but avoidable challenge to our NHS.
To tackle this problem, it is up to all professionals that work with children to spot the signs of poor oral health and take the appropriate action. In turn, we believe this will drive improvements in child oral health, leading to less hospital referrals and less complications later in life.
But, we can only achieve this by working together, with dental professionals, like you.
‘Insights: Why Children’s Oral Health is Everybody’s Business’ is a new event from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health organised in partnership with the Office of the Chief Dental Officer and the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry. The event aims to bring together those who work with children including paediatricians and teachers, as well as dental professionals, to share best practice, compare experiences and hear insightful talks from leading voices.
Speakers confirmed for the main event will form a prestigious line-up, including Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE, Sara Hurley, Dr Jenny Godson and many more.
Here’s what Sara Hurley, Chief Dental Officer England, had to say about the summit:
“This event is a vital response to the call for multi-agency collaboration to tackle the complex interplay of factors that cause childhood diseases. A real opportunity to understand why childhood dental decay is everyone's business, the nature and extent of childhood oral health issues and how it impacts on general health and well-being. At the heart of the event is an opportunity to develop a progressive, collaborative approach and strengthen the links between the paediatric and the dental care communities to the benefit of our patients.”
Find out more about this event at www.rcpch.ac.uk/insights-oral
Children's Dental Health.........
NASDAL have taken a look at the Autumn budget from a dental perspective for GDPUK.com
Given the weakness of the Conservative Government as a result of the General Election and the tortuous negotiations with the EU over Brexit, it was perhaps no surprise that Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Autumn Budget should have avoided, if not evaded (!), making any major changes to the tax regime for the majority of businesses and individual taxpayers. However, Charles Linaker, a tax partner with UNW, which has a dedicated Dental Business Unit headed by NASDAL Media Officer, Alan Suggett, says that the Chancellor will still have to find ways of raising extra tax from somewhere and warns that dentists should be on their guard.
Those who are currently self-employed will recall that, in his Spring Budget earlier this year, Hammond announced increases to the rate of Class 4 NIC from 9% to 10% and then from 10% to 11%, which he then had to withdraw with indecent haste when it was pointed out that they breached a manifesto pledge made at the 2015 General Election. Had the Government been in a stronger position, those increases would surely have been reintroduced but the Chancellor confirmed that they will not now be implemented.
Similarly, dentists who operate via limited companies might have expected a possible reversal of the previously announced staged reduction in corporation tax rates, which many commentators thought could be implemented with relatively little controversy, not least because it would have been difficult for Labour to have opposed such a measure. But again, it was a case of no change as the Chancellor confirmed that 19% would remain as the rate for three years from 1 April 2017 and then fall to 17% from 1 April 2020.
On the personal tax side, Hammond could have decided to abandon, or at least delay, the previous proposals to increase the personal tax free allowance, but he confirmed that for 2018/19 this will increase from the current figure of £11,500 to £11,850 and that the basic rate band will increase for 2018/19 from the current figure of £33,500 to £34,500 (with the exception, it should be noted, of Scottish taxpayers).
Of course, it needs to be remembered that not everyone has the benefit of the full personal allowance. There is a reduction in the personal allowance for those with ‘adjusted net income’ over £100,000, which is £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000. So for 2017/18 there is no personal allowance where adjusted net income exceeds £123,000 and for 2018/19 there will be no personal allowance available where adjusted net income exceeds £123,700.
Capital Gains Tax was also left untouched in so far as the main rates of 10% and 20% remained unchanged and the annual exemption of £11,300 for 2017/18 was increased to £11,700 for 2018/19. Moreover, for any dentists contemplating retirement in the near future, not only did the 10% rate applicable for Entrepreneurs’ Relief remained unchanged, it was announced also that the Government will consult on how access to Entrepreneurs’ Relief might be given to those whose initial holding in their company is reduced below the normal 5% qualifying level of shareholding as a result of raising external investment for commercial purposes by means of issuing new shares.
An early major casualty post-Election and pre-Budget had been HMRC’s much vaunted Making Tax Digital (“MTD”) programme whose implementation for income tax is now postponed until 2020 at the earliest – and later in the case of corporation tax. Only MTD for VAT will adhere to the original timetable from April 2019, which typically does not affect dental practices. Nevertheless, dentists would be well advised to plan on the basis that ultimately the proposed MTD requirement to file quarterly returns of income and expenditure to HMRC will be implemented.
A key argument from HMRC for the introduction of quarterly reporting under MTD is that it will help them close “the Tax Gap”. While HMRC estimates that it loses more than £1.5bn a year in tax through avoidance schemes (in which at least some dentists will have participated), the Department reckons that it loses in excess of £5bn a year through the hidden economy (i.e. payments made cash in hand) and that SMEs pay a total of £15bn less tax a year than it estimates they should.
The statistical probability is that there will be some dentists in both of those categories and the Chancellor has allocated an extra £155 million in resources to HMRC in its continued war against evasion and avoidance. Given the Treasury’s need for increased revenue, an increase in HMRC enquiries over the next few years is on the cards and the dental sector can expect to bear its fair – or possibly even unfair - share of attention. You have been warned.
For further information on Nasdal (Specialists in dental business accounting and law), they can be found at - www.nasdal.org.uk.
The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) has awarded Fellowships to thirteen individuals in recognition of their exceptional contribution to the profession. Fellowship is the highest award offered by FGDP(UK), and is a pinnacle of achievement for the profession. Two people have been given Honorary Fellowship, seven Fellowship by Election and four Fellowship Ad Eundum. The awards will be conferred at the annual FGDP(UK) Diplomates Ceremony, which will take place on 12 March 2018.
Honorary Fellowship
Professor Keith Horner
Keith Horner qualified as a dentist in 1981 from Leeds University and held several hospital posts in Leeds and Sheffield. He has served on influential working parties and advised bodies such as the Health Protection Agency and the IAEA Radiation Protection of Patients Unit. He is also Co-Editor of the FGDP's Selection Criteria for Dental Radiography guidance.
Mrs Fiona Erasmus
Mrs Erasmus is a former Director of FGDP(UK) (2013-2016), and has been recognised for her leadership skills and distinguished service to FGDP(UK).
Fellowship by Election
Dr Graham Douglas Stokes
Dr Graham Stokes has been providing dental implants for over ten years, and obtained the FGDP(UK) Diploma in Implant Dentistry in 2009. Clinical Lead at a practice in Bromsgrove, where he has been based since 1991, Dr Stokes also lectures widely across the UK on implants, full dentures and treatment planning.
Mr William Paul Cushley
Mr Cushley has worked as a Vocational Training Adviser for NHS Education in Scotland for the last 16 years, and has been an examiner on the DGDP, MFGDP and latterly the MJDF for the Faculty.
Mr Bruce Hogan
Mr Hogan graduated from Glasgow University in 1987 gaining BDS with honours. Currently Chair of FGDP(UK)'s West of Scotland Division, he is also an examiner for the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the RCPS Glasgow, and serves on the Board of Dental Education, Training & Professional Development at the College. He regularly lectures to VDPs on the use of local anaesthetics.
Mr Tony Wyn Jones
In addition to practicing dentistry since 1982, Mr Jones has served in Afghanistan as an RAF Dental Officer. He was an examiner for the MFGDP and later the MJDF from 2003-2012, including examining in Hong Kong.
Dr Pearse Stinson
Dr Stinson obtained his dental degree in 1981, after which he commenced an associateship in General Practice. He opened his own practice in 1986 and has been active in the FGDP since its inception, serving as a Board member for twelve years.
Dr Derek Maguire
Dr Maguire qualified 30 years ago from Queen's University, Belfast. He has also been awarded Membership of the Faculty of Dental Trainers with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (MDTFEd).
Fellowship Ad Eundem
Mr Nicholas John Lewis
Dr Daniel Chi Kwok Ng
Mr Anish N Shah
Dr Kenny Siu Keung Tong
Spare a thought for those within the profession who are struggling with financial difficulties this Christmas. Circumstances can change suddenly for many reasons, leaving families feeling the pinch and less than cheery as the festivities get underway.
BDA Benevolent Fund offers additional financial support at this time of year to ensure that families don’t miss out.
If you, or a dentist you know, are facing financial difficulties, please contact BDA Benevolent Fund, in confidence, on 020 7486 4994, or visit www.bdabenevolentfund.org.uk for more information.
The charity relies on donations. To donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/bdabenevolentfund or send a cheque, payable to ‘BDA Benevolent Fund’, at BDA Benevolent Fund, 64 Wimpole Street London W1G 8YS. Every £1 donated goes directly to a dentist and their family in crisis so your help really does support someone in need.”
The BDA Benevolent Fund wishes you a fantastic festive season, and thanks everyone who has supported them throughout the year.
Dr Andrew Farr talks to The Revu about his recent experience of undertaking the ITI Foundation in Implant Dentistry (FID) course and why, along with the guidance of his mentor, he is now more than ready to place his first implants.
What first motivated you to attend the FID course?
We were already offering implant treatment at our practice, but I was keen to learn for myself how to place and restore implants. I qualified over 10 years ago and received no implant training at all at undergraduate level, so it was a question of looking at the introductory courses out there that could get me confidently started in implant dentistry and the FID course was definitely the one that suited me best.
How did you find the course content?
Because it’s a Foundation course it’s designed to give you a solid theoretical understanding of how and when to use implants and to guide you in implant selection. I believe that the theory is very important when you are starting out in implant dentistry and the FID course definitely gets you off on the right foot.
I was very impressed at the quality of the teaching from some of the most experienced implant dentists in the UK, including Dr Shakeel Shahdad, Prof Nikos Donos and Dr Nikos Mardas. Between them they have a vast amount of experience, and I found them to be very open and honest about real life situations in practice, both good, and occasionally not so good. It would be easy for the experts to just say how good they are at placing implants, but that’s not what the delegates need, nor what they did. It’s just as important to learn about the things that can go wrong as well as the vast majority of cases with highly successful outcomes.
The FID modular course is spread over six months and you successfully completed the course in September. What has been happening in that time?
The most significant thing I’ve done is to partner with my mentor, Michael Betteridge. Michael is a specialist oral surgeon who is very experienced in providing not just oral surgery care in the primary care environment, but also a highly-regarded dental implant service, and is therefore ideally suited to being a mentor.
Are you looking to now move on to an MSc course or similar in implant dentistry or is mentoring giving you everything you currently need?
For the time being, with the help of Michael, my plan is to first get the basics right in practice before considering moving onto further education and I’m already in the process of planning my first implant cases. It can be a bit daunting when you first start out, but it’s probably more a fear of the unknown and that’s why a mentor is such a good idea to guide you over those first hurdles until you find your feet.
How have you found the support from Straumann - do you plan to place Straumann implants?
Yes, that’s my plan. Straumann are market leaders and when you are starting out you want to place the implant that offers the best chance of long-term success and is backed by a huge amount of research.
The support they offer is terrific and our local Straumann representative Hayley has been a great help in terms of my surgery set-up and making sure I have everything I need to get me started. Everyone at Straumann really knows what they are doing and if I have any problems I know they are there to help. It’s about the whole support package - not just the implant.
What are your plans now going forward?
I want to be doing a lot more than just placing the occasional implant. My aim is to eventually place something in the region of 100 implants a year and be in a position to accept referrals from local colleagues.
Finally, would you recommend the FID course to other GDPs?
Yes, I would definitely recommend this course - it’s ideal for any clinician looking to get the best start in a career in implant dentistry.
In association with Straumann, the next ITI Foundation in Implant Dentistry course begins in February 2018. For further information or to reserve your place, please call the Straumann Education Department on +44 (0) 1293 651270 or visit iti.org/uk
Facebook: Straumann UK
Twitter: @StraumannUK
Broad Street Dental Surgery, Broadway House, 32-35 Broad Street, Hereford HR4 9AR
Andrew Farr BDS(Hons), MJDF RCS Eng
Andrew joined Broad Street Dental Surgery, Hereford in October 2014. Born and raised in Caerphilly, South Wales he studied dentistry at the University of Cardiff, graduating with honours. He completed his vocational training in Plymouth, then spent a year as a Maxillofacial Senior House Officer at Derriford Hospital where his duties included emergencies in A&E, head and neck surgery and wisdom tooth removal. He has developed an interest in orthodontics and is qualified to offer Quick Straight Teeth short-term orthodontics.
24th November 2017
The Mecure, St Pauls Hotel & Spa, Sheffield
Now in its third year, Sheffield’s 2017 Dental Charity Ball is nearly upon us!
With much fun to be had, including a magician, an obligatory photobooth, and games to be played, this year see’s the ball support a fantastic charity that promotes dental health both here in the UK, and across the globe. Working to provide access to safe and affordable dental care for those in the poorest communities, Dentaid provides equipment, volunteers and training. Every penny raised from the ball goes directly to Dentaid, who will also be attending to help educate those attending of the great works that they and their volunteers do.
A video from the 2016 ball below!
With tickets costing £45 per person, or just £400 for a table of ten, it is a great event for all to attend, whether as your Christmas party or simple as a festive, charitable knees up!
Set up and supported by S4S Dental Laboratory, 4Health, one80 Dental, and John Holland, you can book your tickets at s4sdental.com/charityball2017. For more information on the charity, visit dentaid.org.
The Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP(UK)) says further action is needed to tackle the nation’s sugar habit.
The Faculty is supporting Sugar Awareness Week (30th October – 3rd November 2017), organised by the Action on Sugar campaign group, which aims to build public pressure to persuade the government and the food and drink industry to implement stronger sugar reduction policies.
Action on Sugar also aims to raise public awareness of the adverse health effects of consuming too much sugar and the costs to the NHS of treating sugar-related illnesses. The campaign has produced two free, downloadable posters, highlighting the differing types and amounts of sugar in everyday foods and drinks.
Sugar Awareness Week runs from 30th October to 3rd November 2017, and the focus of the national campaign this year is on the large amounts of sugar available on price promotions. Local areas across the country are also running their own Sugar Awareness Week events.
Dr Mick Horton, Dean of FGDP(UK), says:
“This is an important campaign. Dentists and dental practice teams spend a lot of time educating patients about the importance of diet to oral health, but this can be quickly undone by the lure of discounts and adverts for sugary food and drinks. The average person in the UK eats three times the recommended maximum intake of sugar, and our bad habits start early. A quarter of primary school children, rising to a third in secondary school, have tooth decay, an almost entirely preventable disease, and action to further restrict marketing of high sugar items would help encourage people to make healthier choices.”
Jenny Rosborough, Registered Nutritionist and Campaign Manager at Action on Sugar says:
“We currently consume 2–3 times more free sugars than is recommended and the biggest source in the diets of children and teenagers are sugar-sweetened drinks. Excess consumption of free sugars (i.e. those that are found naturally in fruit juices, honey and syrups, plus sugars added to foods and drinks ) is associated with a greater risk of tooth decay and leads to increased energy intake (compared to other energy sources). What’s more, sugar-sweetened drinks are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Whilst we urge both the government and food manufacturers to act now, our message to dental practitioners is to help educate their patients about the impact of sugar consumption on their teeth.”
For more information on Sugar Awareness Week visit Action on Sugar online here.
Simplyhealth Professionals and the University of Birmingham spinout Oral Health Innovations Ltd have announced today that 100,000 assessments have been carried out by the highly regarded Denplan PreViser Patient Assessment oral health assessment tool (DEPPA).
DEPPA is an evidence-based online individual risk assessment tool which helps patients understand their current oral health and future disease risk. It assesses an individual patient's medical history, dental history, lifestyle and their clinical status and provides feedback on current health and future disease risk directly to patients via a personalised report.
In May 2017, Simplyhealth Professionals also announced the addition of Young DEPPA (YDEPPA) to bring the benefits of comprehensive online patient assessment to young patients and their parents or carers for the first time. The primary benefit of YDEPPA, like its adult counterpart, is to support communication with young patients about their oral health.
The system was developed for the UK by Oral Health Innovations Ltd to help patients understand their oral health needs and to support decision making by dental professionals.
The reports use a traffic light colour-code system of red, amber and green to indicate what is going well and what the patient needs to improve on with the help of their dental care provider.
Henry Clover, Director of Dental Policy at Simplyhealth Professionals said: “There is evidence to support that personalised biofeedback, delivered using reports such as DEPPA for patients, is more likely to trigger the emotional response required in order that behaviour change can occur than traditional methods. Improved oral health can only be achieved through a strong partnership between dentist and patient.”
Recent research has shown that patients who receive an individualised communication about risk as part of a routine dental consultation took advice on periodontal disease more seriously, and felt better able to follow it, than those who receiving a routine consultation alone (p<0.05). 1
Moreover, research presented earlier this year at the International Association for Dental Research conference showed that sharing the report with patients resulted in reduced levels of bacteria in their mouths and gum inflammation, and better daily oral hygiene routines.2
Iain Chapple, Professor of Periodontology and Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the University of Birmingham, commented: “As routine dental consultations incorporate risk assessments for future disease, it is vital that we understand how to communicate this risk to patients, so they can distinguish between generalised advice and individual risk.”
DEPPA and Young DEPPA are available free of charge to all Denplan Excel certified member dentists. Non-Excel certified member dentists can also benefit for just £100 per month (inc VAT) for up to two dentists in a practice or for £150 per month for three or four dentists. For more information visit www.simplyhealthprofessionals.
The British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) and Federation of the European Dental Industry (FIDE), as the trade associations representing the dental industry in the United Kingdom and Europe, have today issued a joint letter outlining their priorities for the ongoing Brexit negotiations.
The initiative, proposed by the BDIA, saw a letter addressed to the European Chief Negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier and the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis, highlighting the important economic and public health role played by the dental technology and devices sector, and calling for action to be taken to safeguard it.
BDIA Chief Executive, Edmund Proffitt, comments, “The measures outlined by our associations would ensure that our industry is able to continue to provide access to innovative dental technology in the UK and throughout the EU, to the benefit of patient oral health and the economy, beyond the UK’s exit from the EU in March 2019”.
Chief amongst these measures is a commitment to parity of UK and EU legislation after Brexit. The UK’s decision to leave the European Union came at a critical point for the dental industry, coinciding with the publication of the EU Medical Device Regulations (MDR), and future divergence in legislation would risk disadvantaging both patients and businesses across Europe.
Other priorities to ensure a successful outcome to the negotiations include the maintenance of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s involvement in ongoing discussions concerning medical device regulation, the continued adoption of the CE marking process for medical devices and allowing UK Notified Bodies to operate under the MDR.
Over 9,000 dental professionals attended BDIA Dental Showcase 2017, which took place at the NEC in Birmingham on the 19-21 October.
This year marked the first time in which this prestigious event has been organised by its new owners MA Exhibitions, in collaboration with George Warman Publications. The result of the partnership between a professional show organiser and the dental publisher has been a tremendous success, seeing an 11.29% rise in visitor numbers to 9,080.
From MA Exhibitions, event director Ed Wyre said “The response from the dental community has been incredible. Not only have visitor numbers seen a substantial increase, we’ve seen a significant increase in the percentage of dentists (41%, up from 33% in 2016) and practice managers (11%, up from 5.5% in 2016) attending. It’s fantastic to see so many decision makers leaving the practice to attend the show. Other dental groups also saw a rise in numbers, highlighting the event’s importance to the whole dental team”.
In addition to the bustling show floor of 300+ exhibitors, three brand new features were a major draw for visitors to this year’s event.
The impressive Dental Practice of the Future was the flagship feature at the show and gave visitors access to a fully functioning reception, patient lounge, surgery and decontamination room brimming with state-of-the-art equipment in a purpose-built practice setting. The surgery itself housed a 150-seat lecture theatre where packed out keynote presentations on topics such as medical emergencies, radiation protection and the future of dentistry took place.
The CDO Zone proved to be extremely popular, as it provided the unique opportunity for visitors to meet with the highest level of the dental profession. Chief Dental Officer England Sara Hurley and her team were on hand each day ready to discuss and answer any questions visitors had on NHS dentistry. This was a fantastic chance for GDP’s and DCP’s to engage face to face with the CDO and her team, who have never been so easily accessible to the profession.
Sara Hurley, chief dental officer England said “The show was a tremendous success for us. Having a platform in which we could directly engage with so many dental professionals face-to-face and facilitate discussion around our initiatives and their experiences in practice was invaluable. This is the perfect example of industry coming together for the good of oral health, and we’re delighted to be a part of it. We are already looking forward to 2018”.
The 150-seater Dental Update Theatre offered a balanced variety of clinical CPD and business orientated sessions led by leading experts, providing advice and guidance in each of their topics. On Thursday 19th October, the Dental Update Theatre hosted the annual Dental Update Study Day, organised by Professor Trevor Burke. Visitors also had another chance to increase their dental knowledge and top up their CPD in the Mini Lecture Theatre, which proved extremely popular over the three days.
Ed Tranter, managing director of MA Exhibitions said “We are delighted with the show. We always strive for quality in our events, and this was no exception. We had a significant rise in visitor numbers, and the quality of those visitors was outstanding – testament to the partnership with George Warman and the diverse range of exhibiting companies and CPD sessions. In addition, exhibitors put in a huge amount of effort into their stand builds all of which looked incredible. BDIA Dental Showcase is a show that has such a strong community of companies behind it and we look forward to being a part of that in the coming years and taking the show from strength to strength”.
Stuart Thompson, managing director of George Warman Publications and BDIA council member, said “The response has been encouraging. Feedback from exhibitors and sponsors has been very positive and we are pleased with how the show went. We are delighted to be taking the show to the level the association aspired to achieve and we’re looking forward to progressing it further in the years to come”.
BDIA Dental Showcase 2018 will take place at London ExCeL, 4-6 October 2018.
The show was opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony involving the show’s new owners and its headline sponsor, Oral-B. (L-R): Stuart Thompson, managing director, George Warman Publications; Jane Kidson, UK professional oral health country manager, Oral-B; Razi Hyder, professional oral health associate director, EMEA, Oral-B; Ed Tranter, managing director, MA Exhibitions; Ben Pegram, UK market strategy and planning manager, Oral-B; Mark Allen, chairman, Mark Allen Group. Pictured above.
Friday 3 November 2017
National Motorcycle Museum
To celebrate their 25th anniversary, the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners, in partnership with Simplyhealth Professionals, will host a conference, on Friday 3rd November, bringing together six of the UK’s leading oral health experts.
Designed for clinicians, the conference will provide an overview of the latest research that provides the foundation for the contemporary management of common dental diseases, insight into complex inter-relationships between oral diseases and general health of patients of all ages, and reveal evidence that demonstrates the long-term impact of traditional treatments on oral and general health.
The programme will provide dental professionals in general practice and other clinical settings with the knowledge to help them deliver extended oral health care. The lectures will also describe the skill-sets that will help delegates select biologically respectful, minimally invasive techniques and future-proof their practices by integrating general health care with everyday clinical dentistry.
Professor Nairn Wilson, one of the UK’s most International respected academics, and former Dean of Kings College London Dental Institute, will open the conference and introduce each of the presenters.
Finally, Chief dental officer Dr Sara Hurley will discuss the conference themes and join the lecture team in answering delegate questions on the exciting future for oral care and holistic dentistry in the UK.
The conference will be held from 9am-5.30pm at the National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull, West Midlands, B92 0EJ. Tickets are £205 for members and £290 for non-members.
To purchase your ticket, go to www.holisticdentistry.eventbrite.com
The Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP(UK)) held an anniversary dinner on Friday 13th October to commemorate 25 years since it was established. Hosted at Drapers Hall in London, the dinner included three very special awards to reflect the everyday commitment of General Dental Practitioners to their practice and their patients.
Dr Mick Horton, Dean of FGDP(UK), opened the evening by reflecting on the role of the Faculty now and into the future:
“Our anniversary celebration is a great occasion for us to look forward to our new future. We are now laying the foundations for forming a new chartered medical college after 25 successful years at RCS.
“It’s a bold step: one that we believe will inspire our members and open a gateway to new partnerships that promote professionalism in dentistry. For the public and for patients, a clearly identifiable, confident and active standard-setting body will help us to cultivate greater confidence in dentistry overall. We want to focus on developing the appeal of a modern medical college for new generations entering practice.
“We are delighted to award our Anniversary prizes to three extremely worthy winners. Their own personal achievements mirror the quality of standards and the diversity within the general dental profession, and we congratulate them on their awards.”
Award Winners
Foundation Dentist of the Year – Claire Culverwell
Claire works as a Dental Associate at Crook Log Dental Practice in South East London. Her career began as a Dental Nurse, before studying Dental Hygiene and Therapy at the University of Liverpool. She then decided to study Dental Surgery at King’s College London and was nominated by her Foundation trainer, Baber Khan.
Claire commented: “I went the long way around to my career in dentistry, but I am glad I did, because I’ve been in contact with patients from the very beginning, allowing me to develop a range of skills. This award means a lot to me, because getting to this point in my life has taken great effort and commitment. I wasn’t sure I would ever get there, but I know that all the effort has paid off. I’m surrounded by people who push me to be my best every day, and I’m loving every minute.”
Community Dentist of the Year – Jason Wong
This prize recognises GDPs and DCPs who have made a significant contribution to improving oral care in their local community, and was awarded through a process of open nomination by peers within the profession.
Jason commented: “I am honoured that a colleague had the thought and put in the effort to nominate me and delighted that the FGDP(UK) panel chose me for the award. I believe that we are all part of a great profession and that all of us who benefit from being part of it need to put something back in for the benefit of the whole profession.”
Dean’s Award – Dentaid
The Dean’s Award, sponsored by Simplyhealth, was presented to Dentaid for their support of the The Real Junk Tooth Project in the UK.
Andy Evans, CEO of Dentaid, said:
“Everyone at Dentaid is delighted and honoured to win the Dean’s Award. In recent years, we have become increasingly aware that many people in the UK struggle to access dental treatment for a wide variety of reasons and this has a negative impact on their general wellbeing. Thanks to an incredible team of volunteers, many vulnerable people and those who could not register with an NHS dentist in Dewsbury were able to visit a dental surgery in the evening, without an appointment, and receive pain relieving dental care. They only paid if they could afford to. Over seven months 150 people received emergency treatment thanks to the Real Junk Tooth Project. Dentaid’s next step was to purchase a mobile dental unit so we could bring a similar service to other parts of the country. This unit also went back to Dewsbury in September when we treated almost 200 people in two weeks at clinics held outside schools, community centres and public buildings. We are very grateful to all our volunteers and supporters for enabling this project to be such a success.”
As part of the 25-year celebration the FGDP(UK) will also host a conference on Holistic Dentistry on 3rd November in Solihull.
Sirona Connect has always stood for comfortable, digital intraoral impressions in the dental practice and the quick and secure transfer of data to the dental laboratory. And with growing success, up to 2016, more than a million dental restorations were made using Sirona Connect. Dentsply Sirona has now enhanced the no. 1 in digital lab connections with the latest Sirona Connect software 4.5 update. Additional software services and new portal functions offer advantages for dentists and dental technicians.
Bensheim/Salzburg, October 10, 2017. The number of digital intraoral impressions completed in dental practices is steadily growing. Sirona Connect is increasingly used in practices and labs for transferring the impression data to the dental lab, allowing dentists to provide their patients a modern practice concept, take impressions quickly and comfortably thanks to intraoral scanning, and ensure faster overall treatment. Sirona Connect benefits the dental lab with direct connection to the practice, and quick and secure transfer of digital impression and order data. In addition, Sirona Connect saves the practice and lab valuable time by enabling the immediate exchange of information during the patient's visit.
Sirona Connect SW 4.5 with enhanced features
With the new Shade Detection tool for the CEREC Omnicam, the latest Sirona Connect software analyzes the scan and indicates the tooth color as a VITA* Classic or VITA* 3D Master shade. This function supports dentists in selecting the suitable shade for the restoration.
For even more flexibility, digital intraoral impressions can be made for Dentsply Sirona or third party implant systems and different scan bodies can be used.
Sirona Connect SW 4.5 also allows the practice to make an open scan export of the model data in STL format for direct transfer to the lab's CAD software.
There is another interesting enhancement for Sirona Connect labs. For the first time, they can create a customized lab profile on the Sirona Connect portal and show offers for appointments, materials, degrees of refinement, special services, and much more for the individual lab. This gives Sirona Connect dentists an optimum, customer-friendly overview of the range of services and saves them time when ordering from a lab.
The new Sirona Connect SW 4.5 is available to Sirona Connect users with CEREC Omnicam, CEREC Bluecam, and APOLLO DI as a free auto-update or as a download at www.dentsplysirona.com.
Due to various certification and registration periods, not all products are immediately available in all countries.