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JUL
29
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It’s an Official First for Forward Thinking Team at UK Based Systems for Dentists

It’s an Official First for Forward Thinking Team at UK Based Systems for Dentists

 

 

Systems for Dentists, leading UK dental practice management software specialists are breaking new ground as the first dental practice management software company to gain accreditation in Scotland for use of their Wireless Signature Pad technology in Scotland as a replacement of the paper GP17pr form.

The enterprising company are delighted to offer the solution to their rapidly expanding client base.

The accreditation allows Systems for Dentists to release the product for live use to dental practices from today, the 28th of July 2016. That’s fantastic news for Dentists in Scotland who will now officially be able to use the technology to capture patient signatures electronically as acceptable evidence of a patient’s status for payment toward NHS treatment, willingness to have treatment and confirmation that they have received dental treatment under the NHS in Scotland.

Ryszard Jurowski Managing Director said today:

“We have been involved in this innovation from the very beginning, having assisted with the piloting of electronic signatures for this function. Many of our clients have been excited about finally being free of copious amount of paper, costly and time-consuming filing processes; which with our system, they can now replace with an efficient, robust and secure solution. I am delighted to be able to offer our clients this extra service, and look forward to hearing more success stories from our current and future clients.”

In addition to their Wireless Signature Pad, Systems for Dentists offer a fully featured and agile dental practice management system, which offers clients the benefits of reducing administration times, providing the perfect operational platform to assist accurate claiming of NHS Dental charges and increase dental practice productivity.

 

 

For further information contact:

Nathan Ross at Systems for Dentists

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Direct line; 0845 643 2828

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9325 Hits
JUL
28
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BDIA launches ‘Shaping the Future’ – The post-Brexit Dental Industry Manifesto

BDIA launches ‘Shaping the Future’ – The post-Brexit Dental Industry Manifesto

 

 

The British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) has produced a post-Brexit manifesto, ‘Shaping the Future,’ which sets out the industry’s views on how government should positively influence the future for oral health, dentistry and the dental industry.

BDIA Policy and Public Affairs Director, Edmund Proffitt, comments, “There is a window of opportunity for the dental industry to share its positive vision for the future with key politicians, civil servants and decision makers. If Government can build the right regulatory environment and provide targeted investment in oral health it can make a significant contribution to protecting the UK’s oral health for years to come”.

‘Shaping the Future’ concentrates on six key areas:

 

-          Creating a favourable business environment

-          Investment in the nation’s oral health

-          Protecting patients

-          Investment in the NHS

-          Building a better future

-          Championing innovation

 

‘Shaping the Future’ is being circulated to key opinion formers within Government, political parties and the Government departments, as well senior civil servants, the NHS and other key opinion formers.

The document can be viewed here

 

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6076 Hits
JUL
27
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What will happen to associates?

What will happen to associates?

Nils Bohr was a Danish hero who received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922. The national brewer, Carlsberg, built Bohr a house. The home was next door to the brewery and allegedly had a direct feed from it, he fathered six children thus providing an early inspiration for the Carlsberg “refreshing the parts” adverts.

He once said, “Prediction is very difficult especially when it’s about the future.” Difficult or not I’m going to look at the future for young dentists in (general) Dental Practice.

It would be wrong to stare into the crystal ball without a quick glance over my shoulder. A sage told me in 1988 that in the future in the UK, “There will be NHS clinics and Private Practices”. With hindsight I’m surprised it took so long to get to where we are now.

Post Brexit, one big hitter remaining in-post is the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. There is still no money. The UK doesn’t care what Europe thinks of it, I know, but sometimes you hear the truth. A medic on Irish radio this week said, “The Tories don't like the NHS and Jeremy Hunt is doing his best to dismantle the basic principles of it”. In dentistry many of those basic principles are long gone and the remaining ones are being eroded as we watch.

No more money for education either. University fees and associated living costs are on the rise. Without free movement across borders in the future, university incomes from overseas may fall and UK student fees must rise accordingly. Dentistry is one of the most expensive courses to run, why not make the fees reflect those costs? Dentistry may well become the domain of the privileged, whose parents can afford to subsidise their offspring or arrange the loans for them.

With the recent relaxation of University status perhaps “a large corporate” could create or take over one or more of the Dental Schools to provide cadetships. The armed services have done this for many years. Five undergraduate years in receipt of a bursary and the tuition fees paid. The opportunity for vacation work/internships getting experience of all sorts at flagship practices and the indoctrination / assimilation becomes complete. Post-qualification you commit to, say, 10 years of service or have to repay their investment.

It is possible with this model that corporate dentistry can provide the closest thing to a career structure in general practice, something that the NHS has failed to do and significantly prevented private practice from doing.

The status of NHS associates does not bear close examination. In England and Wales there are fixed targets. Countrywide, associates do not provide their own equipment, are not directly responsible for marketing, wages, materials and so on and by any stretch of the imagination cannot retain the privilege of being self employed for much longer.

A quick flick of the pen by someone senior at HMRC would convert the status of associates to salaried employees. This might be welcomed by many dentists, young and old, especially those who have responsibility for childcare or who have spouses or partners who are in reasonably rewarded jobs.

Time and attitudes have changed and full ownership or traditional partnerships aren’t for everyone. The baby boomers who qualified before compulsory VT/FD and are now the (predominantly) male/pale/stale retiring on the proceeds of the corporate cash which many once derided. They may well be the last of their species.

Many young dentists look at the price of practices, the bureaucracy and the day to day pressure of practice ownership and decide that is not for them. The NHS has evolved into “turn up, get your UDAs, keep your nose clean from the GDC & CQC and go home”. Sounds like a job to me - not a vocation. The millennials are, allegedly, not keen on being tied to one particular practice.

In 2015-16 the admission target, for English dental schools only, was 809, presuming a 10% drop out rate and excluding overseas students there will be another 700 new dentists joining the ranks of the profession year on year. Of these about two-thirds will be female. At present the profession’s mix is 50-50 but it’s a fact that women work less than men over the course of a career, men don’t have babies and predominantly childcare duties fall to mothers not fathers.

This trend started with medicine and has had a profound effect both in   general and hospital practice. Interestingly the sex-mix pendulum has swung back in some medical schools.

One reaction with medical GPs is the change in status in response to the difficulty in recruiting partners by expanding the number of salaried doctors.  The government sees this as easier to control and privatise. Those GPs in favour of becoming salaried has now reached nearly 30%, nowhere near a majority but significant numbers are beginning to think the unthinkable.

In my last piece for GDPUK I wrote, “Meanwhile many quiet, thoughtful young dentists are taking a long view and working at their skills.” They are realising that to escape the mire of the NHS demands a commitment to growing themselves and that the sacrifices don’t stop with a BDS. In fact the years of serious dedication are just starting.

So the future, NHS clinics run by a handful of large corporates with salaried dentists and therapists, and private practices where an M.Sc is the starting point for consideration.

Your choice.

  9456 Hits
9456 Hits
JUL
25
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The Art of Dentistry

The Art of Dentistry

  6770 Hits
6770 Hits
JUL
22
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Riding high for charity

Riding high for charity

BioHorizons is proud to announce that, Ken O’Brien, General Manager for the UK & Ireland, has raised over £3,200 by cycling from Malin Head ? Ireland’s most northerly point ? to Mizen Head in the south, in support of DKMS, an international charity dedicated to the fight against blood cancer.

Ken’s fiancée’s father sadly passed away from mantle cell non Hodgkin Lymphoma. His bravery spurred Ken on to raise awareness of blood cancer and to increase understanding of the need for stem cell donors On average, 72 people are diagnosed with blood cancer every day in the UK. What’s more, 2,000 people per year need a donor and only 50% of them will find a suitable match. If you can, please spread the message about stem cell donation among your colleagues, friends and families.

To make a donation, please go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Phelim-Shields. Ken, his fiancée Roisin Shields and DKMS would like to thank everyone for their kind support and donations. For further information, please visit www.dkms.org.uk or www.biohorizons.com

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3132 Hits
JUL
22
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Denplan encourages families to Brush-Up this summer

Denplan encourages families to Brush-Up this summer

Denplan encourages families to Brush-Up this summer

For a second year, Denplan is running ‘The Big Summer Brush-Up’ to encourage families to make the most of the summer holidays to visit the dentist and spend time practising brushing techniques with their children. The national PR campaign is running for two months throughout July and August and Denplan is encouraging member practices to take part. This year, the PR campaign also features the inspiring Katie Piper, who will act as the campaign’s celebrity Mum ambassador.

A survey of parents of children aged 1-11 from Denplan, has revealed that almost a third (30%) of parents think that it is acceptable for a child to have experienced tooth decay before they have reached their teenage years[1].

According to the survey many parents try a multitude of methods to help their children manage their oral health effectively. However, 30% of parents surveyed stated that they think it is acceptable for a child to develop tooth decay due to the difficulty in controlling how effectively they clean their teeth on a daily basis.

Difficulties regulating children’s sugar consumption was also cited as a reason why many parents now accept tooth decay. Over a quarter (26%) of parents surveyed admit this with a further 29% of parents surveyed believing that potentially painful oral health conditions, such as tooth decay, are pre-determined by a family history of oral health complaints and weak teeth.

Worryingly, more than 1 in 10 parents (14%) claim that they think that decay in children’s teeth is acceptable as all children will inevitably lose their milk teeth as they develop.

These statistics come as the government announced plans to introduce a sugar tax on the soft drinks industry, due to come into effect by 2018. Denplan’s research suggests that the tax could be warmly welcomed by parents with almost half (45%) of parents surveyed claiming that they believe that tooth decay can be prevented by limiting the amount of sugar in a child's diet. A further 40% of parents believe that tooth decay can be prevented by ensuring that children regularly see their dentist for a check-up. Despite this, when asked what actions they take to prevent their child developing decay just 1 in 5 (18%) of parents said that they take their child to see the dentist once a year as soon as their first tooth appears.

Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Denplan comments: “As the poor state of children’s oral health continues to dominate the headlines, and dental caries continues to be one of the most common chronic (but also largely preventable) diseases in UK children, Denplan will continue to champion improvements in children’s oral health. 

“Whilst parents have the best of intentions with their children’s dental health, the research shows that it can be hard for parents to keep up good habits amongst a backdrop of hidden sugars in our food and drinks and children’s reluctance to follow a good oral health routine. Denplan’s Big Summer Brush-Up campaign, along with the accompanying materials Denplan has produced has been created to help practices support and guide families on their oral healthcare.  Providing the right advice and encouragement from an early age or even from when a child’s first tooth appears, could make a lifetime of difference when it comes to their oral health.”

Denplan’s ‘Little Book of Healthy Smiles’ has been produced, containing handy advice from dentists and tips on how to enthuse unwilling children to brush up on cleaning teeth, written for parents by parents. For further information and downloadable content such as a brushing chart and the Little Book of Healthy Smiles visit www.bigsummerbrushup.co.uk.

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3076 Hits
JUL
18
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Politics

Politics

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7641 Hits
JUL
12
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Lessons to be Learnt from Recent Cases

Lessons to be Learnt from Recent Cases

In this blog we look at two recent cases, one before the Fitness to Practice Committee of the GDC and one before the Health, Education and Social Care first tier Tribunal (‘HESC Tribunal’), and consider what lessons dental practitioners can learn from them.

Darfoor –Fitness to Practice Hearing  

Dr Darfoor, a dentist, was before the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) on 18th January 2016. The allegations against him concerned the treatment of three patients during the period 2011 to 2014. The charges against Dr Darfoor ran over three pages of the judgment and included allegations of failing to adequately explain and/or record explaining to the patients the treatment they were to receive and thus failing to obtain consent.

The most serious allegation against Dr Darfoor was an allegation that he had failed to obtain consent and was dishonest in his failure to do so. It is this allegation we are going to focus on in this article.  

Dr Darfoor was carrying out treatment on Patient C for composite restorations and bone grafting. Dr Darfoor informed Patient C that the bone would be “synthetic”. In fact the bone was xenograft, which as you all know is bovine derived. Dr Darfoor had made the same assertion to Patient B, however, what made this allegation against Patient C more serious was the dishonesty element. Patient C had informed Dr Darfoor on a couple of occasions that he was a vegetarian and would not want animal products to be used on him.

Dr Darfoor denied knowing Patient C was a vegetarian but the Fitness to Practice Committee found that he did know this but went ahead with the procedure using xenograft in any event. The allegation of dishonestly failing to obtain consent was therefore found to be proven.

On 22nd April 2016 the Fitness to Practice Committee was reconvened to consider if Dr Darfoor’s fitness to practice was impaired as a result of his dishonesty. Dr Darfoor had previously been before the GDC before in relation to allegations of failing to obtain consent and this factor was taken into account. The Fitness to Practice Committee determined that Dr Darfoor’s fitness to practice was impaired and he was suspended for 12 months.

Every dentist knows the importance of obtaining consent from a patient. In Issue 5 of our Dental Bulletin we set out the legal issues surrounding consent.  Essentially, in order for consent to be valid it must be given voluntarily and freely, by an informed person and by a person who has capacity to give consent. In the recent case of Montgomery the court put a greater burden on dentists when obtaining consent in that it held a medical professional will need to look at what a reasonable person in the patient’s position would consider was a material risk and this places a duty on the medical professional to advise on that material risk. Therefore if the dentist has knowledge of a patient’s wishes or beliefs he must take this into account when providing information as to the procedure that is being undertaken.

Dr Darfoor had also failed to provide Patient C with other information about his treatment. However, it was the knowledge of Patient C’s vegetarianism and his failure to inform the patient he was using animal material that made his actions dishonest.

This case highlights the importance of ensuring you have an open and frank discussion with patients about the treatment you are providing. Make sure you listen to any concerns or queries raised by the patient, as this could affect the information you provide to them. Dr Darfoor also failed to keep adequate notes. Therefore, if a patient does raise an issue, make sure this is in your notes along with any advice you have provided in response and the patient’s final decision. 

If you would like to read the judgment in full you can find it here.

Mr Corney and Mrs Webb v CQC

This is an interesting case, in which the CQC’s decision to cancel registration was challenged at the HESC Tribunal. It highlights that the CQC’s decision is not final and can be reviewed by an independent body.

However, we would not recommend following the path of Mr Corney and Mrs Webb when deciding if you should challenge the findings of an inspection report.

The couple purchased a care home in 1994 and described their philosophy of care as being based on the ‘European Style’, which they say meant living in the home with the residents and caring for them as if they were their relatives.

The home registered with the CQC in October 2010. Between January 2013 and April 2015 there were six inspections carried out. Each recorded a finding of ‘inadequate.’ In fact on the last visit by the CQC the couple and staff refused to speak to the inspector or show him any documentation; his visit lasted 17 minutes! If only all inspections were that quick. In August 2015 the CQC issued a notice of proposal to cancel registration.

In addition to the action taken by the CQC, in November 2013 Dorset County Council ceased to commission the care home due to safeguarding concerns they had with the home.

Mr Corney gave evidence on behalf of the couple. He was adamant that the findings of the CQC were wrong but produced no additional or expert evidence to support his case. He maintained throughout that the CQC and the local council were working together to shut his business down. The couple failed to make any changes to their practices or procedures despite having clear recommendations from the CQC.

The HESC Tribunal found that the couple were unwilling to change and to keep up to date with current standards and regulation. They went so far as to say ‘Mr Corney also has an unmoveable conviction that he is right.’ The cancellation of registration was therefore upheld. The full judgment can be found here.

We consider this is a rare case; most providers when issued with an inadequate report will do all they can to improve standards. Not wait for a further five inspections to take place. However, what it does highlight is that if you can challenge the CQC’s findings, with say additional or expert evidence, you can pursue the matter via the HESC Tribunal.

It also shows the importance of accepting where errors may have been made and looking to improve on standards or change procedures. Mr Corney clearly did not like change and we consider this factor and his failure to work with the CQC played a part in the removal of the couple’s registration.

We would comment that with the new regime for inspection that came into force last year for dentists, there is less of a focus on a ‘tick box’ exercise.  Inspectors have five key questions to consider and should be taking into account all relevant factors when assessing if the regulations have been met. 

 

 

Image credit -Tori Rector under CC licence

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8083 Hits
JUL
11
0

Homeopathy

Homeopathy

  9079 Hits
9079 Hits
JUL
06
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The Year Implant Course – The Faculty

The Year Implant Course – The Faculty

 

The Campbell Academy Directors – Colin Campbell and Andrew Legg

 

The first two members of the faculty to introduce are myself Colin Campbell and Andrew Legg.

Andrew has worked with me at the practice for the past four and a half years and has been an inspiration and an exceptional clinician providing superb treatment for our patients. He has embarked on a teaching career previously with Tipton Training and other independent providers and is now my Co-Director at The Campbell Academy. He has placed and restored thousands of dental implants from the most straightforward cases to the most complex and has a gentle skill of teaching which I have seen rarely in anyone else.

For my own part, my practice is limited to surgical implant dentistry. I am a Specialist in Oral Surgery with considerable experience within the ITI and the Leadership of the ITI within the UK. I have placed in the region of 4,000 dental implants and have restored approximately 1,000. I have been teaching in implant dentistry since 2000.

I have been the architect and designer of many implant courses previously for other organisations and now The Campbell Academy takes a considerable amount of my time in providing implant and dental education the way I think it should be done.

Michael Bornstein

I have blogged about Michael Bornstein on many occasions and Michael already teaches on The Campbell Academy CBCT course where he has generally been fantastically accepted as he was when he provided an ITI Study Club and Master Class for us in 2014.

It is a delight that Michael has agreed to come back to discuss imaging in implant dentistry and medical conditions and he will provide an exceptional level of teaching for people entering into implant dentistry, the like of which they would only usually get at Congresses in implant dentistry.

Colin Burns

Colin Burns and I have known each other for a considerable period of time having grown up in the same town in Scotland and we went to the same school. We also went to the same dental school although Colin was a few years ahead of me and then our paths crossed again on a course on implant dentistry some years ago.

Colin and I sat together on the Leadership Team of the ITI UK & Ireland Section where Colin is still the Study Club Co-Ordinator and he has an MSc in Implant Dentistry from the University of Warwick specialising in surface technology.

Colin is a fantastic clinician and a compassionate provider whose teaching skills are second to none. He has the ability to pass on concepts and ideas in a non-threatening, caring way and is a huge asset to The Campbell Academy. It is a huge privilege for us to work with him over the coming years.

Neil Poyser

Neil Poyser is one of our clinicians at The Campbell Clinic. Neil is a Consultant Restorative Dentist who will be providing the vast majority of the restorative component of The Year Implant Course. He has been placing and restoring implants for well over a decade from straightforward cases to huge complex cases in his head and neck service at Queens Medical Centre.

Chris Barrow

We will not overlook the need to be able to source and secure patients within your practice environment and to this end we have brought in one of the best known names in marketing in dentistry, Chris Barrow.

Chris has been active as a consultant, trainer and coach to the UK dental profession for over 22 years. His main focus now is on 7connections, a privately-owned company that provides coaching and mentorship in independent dentistry and also provides Lifecycle Marketing training and support services to clients.

Beatriz Sanchez

Beatriz is one of our dentists at the practice who is soon to finish her MSc in implant dentistry at the University of Central Lancashire. We feel it adds a great balance and roundness to the course to have younger speakers and younger members of the faculty.

 

For more information please contact:

0115 9823 919

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.campbellacademy.co.uk

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11141 Hits
JUL
06
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The Campbell Academy Year Implant Course 2017 - Features and Benefits

The Campbell Academy Year Implant Course 2017 - Features and Benefits

 

In May we launched the 2017 Year Implant Course. I guess it’s interesting that we get the opportunity to talk about ‘features and benefits’ which is real sales talk in an Alec Baldwin style. I guess though, if you want a list of features and benefits they are here and if you want to talk to us then our details are below.

What the course is:

1. A high quality introduction to straightforward implant dentistry provided by people with a passion for education.

2. An interactive, fluid, movable programme which responds to the needs of individuals to let them reach their greatest potential after one year.

3. A course which encourages online collaboration and discussion between delegates in between course modules to learn as much as possible.

4. A course which is heaped full of hands on and practical elements to get you better at basic surgical skills and into implant placement as soon as possible.

5. A course which is inextricably linked to mentoring and has a long term view of the five years it takes to become a fifty implants per year practitioner.

6. A course which is linked into a programme of more advanced courses afterwards, a mentoring scheme and contact with a group of people who want you to be better at implant dentistry and want you to provide ethical, honest, high quality implant dentistry for your patients.

7. The course is 12 days of lectures, discussion, practicals, thought provoking interaction, live hands on surgery on patients prepared by you and us and demonstrations.

 

What the course isn’t:

1. It’s not quick.

2. It’s not cheap.

3. It doesn’t tell you that after one year you will be able to place as many implants as you want on as many people as you want safely without any difficulties.

4. It’s not stack ‘em high and price ‘em low – it’s restricted to twelve people.

5. It’s not one guy talking at you all the time; it’s a host of individual high quality lecturers with different perspectives.

6. It’s not multi system, it’s based around the Straumann Dental Implant System. We strongly believe that if we teach you more than one system it may confuse you and you may have difficulty picking things up.

7. It’s not in London.

 

 

 

For more information please contact:

0115 9823 919

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.campbellacademy.co.uk

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3771 Hits
JUL
06
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The Campbell Academy Year Implant Course 2017

The Campbell Academy Year Implant Course 2017

The Year Implant Course is our blue ribbon course that is the top of the tree for us (at the present time). Our aim is to take ethical and competent dental practitioners and guide them on a path of development in implant dentistry to safely and confidently place fifty implants per year, year on year.

There is a pathway required to get to this, both in academic study and practical application and we hope to be able to set people on the right path after one year but not lose them in the crown afterwards. We keep in touch though various courses, activities and events which will see the vast majority of attendees though to the goal listed above.

Ours is not a short term, intensive, quick fix to get you into implant dentistry. If you’re looking for that you can find it in hundreds of different places and spend your money there. Ours is a course for grown up people who are open to discussion and development, who are thirsty to learn and have their patients best interests at heart. People who ‘graduate’ from this course will do well in implant dentistry, both spiritually and economically in the years to come.

Ours is not a programme that is set in stone, it’s small group teaching and we take on board the individual requirements. Ours is course where you continually discuss and share cases and experiences on our online discussion forum. We have a Spotify play list for the course.

You will likely make friends on the course that you will stay in contact with for many years to come and share the implant journey going forwards, certainly we hope you’ll do the same with us at The Campbell Academy.

Incidentally we would like you to bring your existing friends too – if you book as a pair your get 10% off and if you book as a four you get 20% off. People who know each other on courses are much more relaxed and learn better.

To download our NEW digital The Year Implant brochure please visit our website and  share this with anyone who might fit the profile of someone who wants to learn and be part of the next generation of implant dentists in the UK.

 

For more information or to book a place please contact:

0115 9823919    

 

 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.           www.campbellacademy.co.uk 

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3609 Hits
JUL
05
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Make your views count via the NHS Confidence Monitor

Make your views count via the NHS Confidence Monitor

 

Now is the perfect time to take part in the NHS Confidence Monitor, organised by Practice Plan, offering all dental professionals the opportunity to communicate their views on the future of NHS dentistry.

 

Have you ever wondered what effect your responses to the survey may have on the future of dentistry? The truth is that the significance of having your say has never been plainer, with the GDC now taking notice of respondents’ confidence levels in NHS dentistry.

 

At a GDC meeting in June, it was duly noted on the agenda that, as a result of the Monitor’s results thus far, the GDC needs to consider the evidence of stress among dental professionals, the implications of this on morale among the profession and how the GDC should respond to these trends.*   

 

With this kind of proactive response from such a powerful governing body, it is more important than ever before that all dental team members – irrespective of whether they work in the NHS or private sector – have their say.

 

Commenting on the survey, dentist Judith Husband, a participant of Practice Plan’s Insights Panel, which meets to discuss each survey’s results, and a member of the BDA’s Principal Executive Committee, said: ‘As the first of its kind in the UK and leading the way in informing the dental team, it is wonderful that we are now in a position to use the data gathered to offer advice on a continuing basis, helping everyone working in dental practice to rise above any perceived challenges and improve the situation for professionals and patients alike.’

 

To take part in the latest NHS Confidence Monitor and share your thoughts, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PracticePlanNHSConfidenceMonitor4 before the closing date of 31st July 2016. The survey should take approximately three minutes of your time.

 

For detailed results from the last three surveys, visit www.nhsdentistryinsights.co.uk. Here you can also access the discussions from our previous Insights Panel, made up of key opinion leaders and experts from the dental profession who explore and debate the significance of the survey results and their implications for the future of the NHS.

* For full details visit http://bit.ly/29be2vS (see page 12, item 62).

 

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3694 Hits
JUL
04
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Implant Dentistry in the UK

Implant Dentistry in the UK

In 2015 the dental implant market slowed to an overall growth of around 4% across the four biggest implant companies. The market appears to be consolidating at present and there are several possible reasons for this:-

 

1.     The level of litigation and fitness to practice cases has risen exponentially over recent years resulting in many practitioners treading with increasing caution over the treatment they provide.

2.    The implant market is forever being diluted by the number of companies selling implants. 

3.    Delegates on implant courses are leaving courses and not continuing the journey into surgery in practice. Industry figures quote up to 90% of surgical course delegates not going any further in placing implants in practice.

The philosophy at The Campbell Academy is to set delegates on a 5 year pathway to competency in implant dentistry. We have set a target of 90% of our delegates continuing to place implants after they have left one of our courses. Whether it be the three day Live Skills introduction course or our Year Implant course we have the infrastructure to support delegates as they develop their implant careers.

We work with Straumann, one of the biggest and most researched implant manufacturers in the world. Incidentally they experienced 10%+ growth in 2015, outperforming the other big companies! They provide amazing support to both The Academy and our course delegates and are instrumental in getting new implant dentists set up in their own practices.

Alongside our implant partners, Straumann, we have been instrumental in the formation of The Straumann Clinical Mentoring scheme. All our delegates will automatically feed into this scheme and be linked with a local mentor who will continue the journey they start with The Campbell Academy.

The philosophy and infrastructure that we have in place at The Campbell Academy will mean that a slowdown in implant growth is less likely to affect delegates who have set off on the right track from the outset.

 

For more information or to book a place please contact:

0115 9823919

 

 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.           www.campbellacademy.co.uk

  3460 Hits
3460 Hits
JUL
03
0

The Mail

if the mail online produced your practice newsletters

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8892 Hits
JUL
03
0

Leave. What, now?

Leave. What, now?

So…
Two weeks after our vote, give or take and it has been an interesting period to put it mildly.
If you voted Leave, it has been quite hard to lean on the positive, but that is changing. The FTSE 100 is back up, the ‘250 is trailing but improving, and while the Pound has taken a hit, many would argue that has been a trend waiting to happen. Despite Mr Osborne using this week as an excuse to drop his 2020 Deficit promise, the fact is he was a million miles off the mark BEFORE the vote. And then there are the personalities and the power broking.

Non, je ne regrette rien
As a GDP who voted ‘Leave’, do I have regrets? No. Perhaps in future, politicians will take their people seriously instead of overriding our worries with their ‘we know best’ soft speak.
Viz, Mr Cameron, who failed to take Referendum matter seriously enough to have a plan in place, it appears. Similarly, I am surprised to say, the Leave leadership who I suspect were as surprised as the PM that the vote went 52%:48%
I did suggest that it would be a revolution and I do think that is exactly what has happened. About time too, many might suggest.

So what has changed?
Nothing, in the next two years and in reality some greater time than that actually changes. We remain in the EU bound by EU Treaties and Law, making our payments and presumably supplying our MEPs
Now call me cynical.
No sooner had the count been completed than the EU declared that Mr Cameron’s ‘EU Deal’ negotiated in February was declared invalid and was withdrawn! So much for the EU being on Mr Cameron’s side.
Is it me? The EU cannot wait to be shot of us anyway. They have been waiting for this to happen for years.
Where were the ‘Remain’ MEPs during the Referendum campaign? Where were the EU Officials, doing a Grand Tour to report what they the EU does do for us? Quite.
Of course, there has been a huge amount of posturing, and superior sounding comment made by all parties. But the dust is slowly starting to settle and realpolitik is starting to become the accepted wisdom.
The chase for the top job in the Tory party is underway; surely a Brexiteer has to take the job?

The outlook for Labour is unclear as I write this, it appearing that Mr Corbyn feels he does not need the Parliamentary Labour Party on board for him to have another go at winning the leadership.
Just when we need a strong Opposition, they decide to go to the beach!!

A mandate for change, or a vote for planning change?
Now there is a valid point that only 38% of the Electorate voted Leave. There is widespread concern about the Union, given Scotland’s quite specific vote to remain. There is the Irish matter of how to handle and nurture the peace, allied to the thinning border.
It is all very well to say ‘” We voted exit” but accepting that logic recognises that any way forwards has to take account of the 62% of the Electorate who did not vote or voted Remain, it has to take account of Scotland, and it has to take account of Ireland.

That is not a circle that needs squaring – that is a complex multi axis movement joint with a multitude of ways to be set, and this needs arranging BEFORE Article 50 can be invoked. An inclusive approach by the next PM will be critical.

It is my opinion that the result of the referendum, being notable but NOT a mandate, is only a start to such a process, and we are simply not there yet.

It is my opinion that Mr Cameron was mistaken not to create some strong ground rules for the Referendum, in particular to the nature of the need for a vote of in excess of 50% of the Electorate. In any other Committee the world over, that vote was inconclusive enough for the Chairman [ie Mr Cameron] to place his casting vote for the ante status quo.
Burt what is done has been done. What should not happen now is that there should be a rush to make more political mistakes.

Better preparation, and a proper mandate
Despite what has been suggested only today [Sunday 3rd] by Mrs May, there must surely be a General Election to restock Parliament with MPs based upon a final Leave or Remain campaign, before Article 50 can justifiably be invoked. I say that as someone who voted Leave.
The biggest challenge now is for a leader of quality to unite the country in its way forwards. If Mrs Theresa May is the bookies favourite, and given Tory party leadership campaign history of old, Mrs Andrea Leadsom is a likely bet.
These are by all measure the most extraordinary times in which we live.

Hi ho, Hi ho, it's off to work we go ...
And yet tomorrow, we all go off and drill, fill and bill. Nothing changes, except the mood and the strangely opaque vacuum that is the political parties we see around us.
If the past two weeks have been a Political revolution, we must be careful not to cause a Geographic revolution by poor leadership and ill thought out ways forwards.
The leadership elections various at least buy everyone some time, despite what our huffy and impatient EU Leaders might suggest.
The summer vacations could not come at a better time, to allow everyone to take a deep breath.
Leave? What, now? No, in about 3 years time - perhaps even at the 2020 Election time?

The Autumn is when the real work begins.


http://www.andrealeadsom.com/

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20160628IPR34006/MEPs-call-for-swift-Brexit-to-end-uncertainty-and-for-deep-EU-reform
MEPs call for swift Brexit to end uncertainty and for deep EU reform

http://audiovisual.europarl.europa.eu/Page.aspx?id=2885
MEPs call for swift Brexit
Top Story - 28-06-2016
Official visit of the President of the European Parliament in London. A general view of the EPIO London, Europe House on June 18, 2015 where the President of the European Parliament Martin SCHULZ today visited and gave interviews with selected journalists. UK-European Flags

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-2328_en.htm?locale=en
European Commission - Fact Sheet
UK Referendum on Membership of the European Union: Questions & Answers

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Staying innovative in a growing business

 

Dentisan [Quadralene] is delighted to announce that Managing Director Andy Corley, has been invited to take part in the CBI’s MSB (Medium Sized Business) Summit 2016, entitled ‘Meeting the Productivity Challenge’.

This prestigious event, being held on 7 July in Central London, will explore the challenges that medium-sized businesses face in raising productivity and highlight some of the practical steps that such businesses can take to increase output and unlock new growth.

Designed for CEOs and senior leaders of MSBs, the Summit will include keynote and panel sessions and Andy will participate in one of the key case studies ‘Staying innovative in a growing business’.

Whilst companies such as Dentisan [Quadralene] have a proud legacy of developing new and exciting technologies and innovations, the UK as a whole underperforms when investing in Research & Development. Addressing this issue is essential for international competitiveness and plays a crucial role in making the UK a place in which to invest and grow a business. During the session Andy will highlight the steps Dentisan [Quadralene] has taken to become an innovator within its market, and explain the important role that R&D has played in its success.

Andy commented, “I am delighted to be taking part in such an important event. Innovation is central to our business ethos, and we could not succeed without significant investment in R&D. It has been a lynchpin of our business, and concentrating on innovation has helped us to both attract new employees and release the latent potential within our existing team. I am very much looking forward to sharing our experiences with other like-minded business leaders.”

 

For more information, visit www.dentisan.co.uk

Twitter: @DentisanLtd

Facebook: Dentisan Ltd

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Denxit by @DentistGoneBadd

Denxit by @DentistGoneBadd

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Brexit – implications for buying a practice

Brexit – implications for buying a practice

 

The Brexit vote has had an immediate and dramatic effect on the UK’s credit rating and the value of Sterling. The UK is now seen as a less safe place to invest in and less secure to lend money to.

 

PFM Dental Director, Jon Drysdale, says: “The decision to leave the EU could affect your plans to purchase a dental practice and makes it even more vital to have a robust business plan. Lenders will undoubtedly pass on the increased costs of borrowing although against this it unlikely the Bank of England will impose an interest rate rise.”

 

The UK remains one of the world’s largest and strongest economies with good banking liquidity, relatively low unemployment and perhaps the potential for improved terms with global export markets. If you subscribe to this view, the cost of borrowing money will probably stabilise and remain at a reasonable rate.

 

All of this emphasises the need for buyers to examine their business plan and the cost of running a business. Are you being realistic about the interest rate you can achieve? Do your projections stress test for rise in the cost of borrowing?

 

For more information about PFM Dental services go to: http://pfmdental.co.uk

  11577 Hits
11577 Hits
JUN
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The Big Brexit

The Big Brexit

 

Richard Lishman from Money4Dentists shares his thoughts on Brexit and what it will mean for Dentists in the UK.

 

 

So it’s happened. Voters in this country have supported a split from the European Union and, for the first time in just over forty years, the UK will be heading out into the future without its Continental neighbours.

When the news broke on the 24th, there was a lot of panic and uncertainty. The FTSE 100 dropped approximately 8.7 per cent, the strength of the pound plummeted to levels unseen for almost 30 years and the Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced his plans to step down in October. A pall of hysteria seemed to envelop the country… but is it really that bad?

 

Well, the most important thing to remember is that nothing is going to happen over night. A lot of things are up in the air right now, but they will settle. The market has gone up and down for years but it has always normalised. If we look back to the Scottish referendum, the FTSE experienced similar turmoil, but it went back to normal quickly enough. The main thing is to stay calm and not be too hasty in despairing.

 

In some cases, there may even be a chance for people to make a little money. In terms of equities, some may stand to make money if they buy carefully whilst prices are down and wait patiently for when the market returns to normal. Indeed, by being careful and investing wisely there can be much to gain at the moment. Of course, many individuals may be tempted to sell rather than buy right now, but this is more a product of inexperience than financial foresight. People are anxious and when they start to see the risk, they can panic and make mistakes.

 

It would be far better to approach this change with consideration and patience. Once the market has settled and the smoke has cleared, people will almost certainly have forgotten about the day we Brexited.

 

For dentists, one of the most crucial things to remember is that people will always have teeth – whether they’re part of the EU or not. The population will not suddenly stop needing to go to the dentist. There may be an initial dip in attendance whilst uncertainty reigns, but this will more than likely return to normal in due course – dental pain, after all, is and likely always will be a constant.

 

One thing, however, that some dentists may need to consider, if they achieved their qualifications in the EU but now practise in Britain, is that these may not be valid once the UK become independent. Of course, this is an eventuality that is still a long way away from becoming a reality, but it is something that might be worth researching to cover your bases.

 

But on the other hand, there may even be a chance for the UK dental economy to flourish. UK dental laboratories could see an increase in business if practitioners no longer have the option to work with overseas laboratories due to quality and standards incompatibility. Similarly, dental tourism may begin to tail off if EU dental qualifications lose their value in the UK and flights abroad increase in price.  

 

There are a lot of negatives that could come out of Brexit, but there are also a lot of positives that can be found – and these are most certainly worth looking for. Of course, if you are ever uncertain or concerned about your financial situations in the days and weeks following Brexit, it is always worth contacting an Independent Financial Adviser for, if nothing else, a little reassurance.

 

For more information please call 0845 345 5060 or 0754DENTIST.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.money4dentists.com

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5204 Hits
JUN
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Calm down, calm down

Calm down, calm down

Calm Down, Calm Down, Calm Down

 

The words of Harry Enfield’s bubble permed Scouse's of the 1990’s are perhaps the most apt at the moment to describe how I feel about the outpouring of angst on the result of the EU Referendum.

Alternatively, to plagiarise somewhat Winston Churchill,

 

            "Never has so little sense been spoken by so many in so few hours"

 

I am probably about to join that increasing pile of rubbish, but thought rather than add fuel to what appears to be some as a bonfire of Liberalism and Tolerance I’d try to get a bit of perspective back. I’m certainly no political commentator, (and once you read this you’ll probably agree!!) but I do feel quite strongly how this has developed over the weekend. The sheer vitriol that has been produced in such a short time has been nothing short of shocking, but at least we now have got some real political debate and possibly change on our hands. However, we all need to calm down and stop falling out, because BOTH sides have valid points in my opinion and the only way to move forward now is if we calmly look at the big picture once again.

Because we haven’t actually left Europe. Not yet, and we will not in the next few weeks, months, or years. The referendum was a non-binding one, and merely the biggest opinion poll that has been run in this country for years, albeit with slightly more weight than most have. Unlike the Alternative Voting referendum in 2011, which had a legally binding result, there is no legal duty for a Government to act upon the result of Thursday’s result.

That’s right, Government has no obligation at all to actually heed the result.

It’s certainly monumental that the UK has voted in the way that it has, and there are a multitude of reasons why individuals will have done so. Many of them will have been misguided in other’s eyes, but all of them were personally valid ones to the person who was actually entitled to put their cross in the box. But we have seen the biggest turnout for years that has galvanised the electorate in way that I thought would never happen (now if only we could mobilise dentistry the same way…). This was always going to be a subject dear to the hearts and minds of the populous. It’s a shame that many of the most vocal of those who now feel betrayed by the decision were the ones with the lowest percentage turn out (the 18-24’s having less than 40% turnout). Perhaps there should have been a button on Facebook, or Text your Vote to allow that sector to vote? After all, many of them expect instant and easy solutions without having to actually physically get up and do something…. In addition, a democracy can keep continuing to vote and vote and vote until it gets the answer it wants.

Politically, I am of the opinion that David Cameron has played a political masterstroke. Unlike many, I was not shocked at all when I heard of his resignation. This is a man with an exceptionally astute political mind, and the outcome (although unexpected by many) will have been modelled by advisors. If we read into what he has said in the past, he had only alluded to the fact that a leave vote would result in the British public ‘expecting’ the process to leave the EU to be started straightaway.

An expectation by the public is not the same has an obligation by a politician though, and with his resignation, he has delivered what can only be described as a Hospital Pass to his successor as Prime Minister. For the formal process of leaving the EU to begin, Article 50 of the EU agreement relating to departure has to be formally invoked. Now, it is unclear if the invocation of this can be made by only the Prime Minister, or whether (more likely in my opinion) it has to have been voted on by Parliament in order to become formal. However, the result of the referendum, DID NOT invoke this process, and no matter what the EU Bureaucrats say, the UK is the only entity that can start this process.

So, a political hot potato has been deftly delivered by David Cameron as his last act in office. A new Tory Leader from the Leave side will have to either go against the referendum result, which will immediately destroy their personal credibility and therefore the faith of many people in their suitability to be Prime Minister, or they will have to activate Article 50, which then will probably have to go through parliament to be voted on. If they don’t do this immediately, then doubts about the suitability of the new leader to govern will set in as well. Is this not a most beautiful revenge on his once close allies Boris and Michael? In one fell swoop Cameron has called their bluff magnificently. ‘Leave’ now has to put up or shut up, and either enter into negotiations with the EU saying it was all a ploy to get further concessions, or activate the Article 50 clause, which might be their own political suicide if they don’t truly believe in what they have achieved.

I think we will then have the prospect of a snap General Election that could once again change the political face of the UK and re-establish a new political balance. One that might have Remaining in the EU as one of its fundamental promises. That’ll give the electorate who are currently appealing for a ‘best of 3’ approach to democracy to have another go at influencing the decision. However, quite as possibly with be a further endorsement of the desire to leave, but then there becomes a true mandate for a new Government to act upon. It’s like pressing the Reboot switch.

We have now heard that the Scottish MPs under Sturgeon will actively block the departure of the UK from the EU if this goes through parliament for a vote. So nothing at the moment is a given for the UK actually managing to leave the United States of Europe. The majority of the political commentators will know all this but cynically I’m of the opinion it serves the purpose of the media to keep all the froth and agitation going at the moment to confuse the populous even more and influence how they think whilst selling papers.

And the leaders of country with such political ability in the world didn’t see this outcome as possible?????

I suppose I should have a few opinions on what this means in Dentistry then. Well, for a start the GDC isn’t going to be affected by it at all. The Dentists Act 1984 is a piece of UK legislation and whilst it has EU aspects covered by such as the Human Rights Act and Data Protection Act, and has to be compatible with EU tenets of law, nothing within the day to day interpretation of the Act is likely to be affected by what happened last week. The same is true with the CQC. The UK is wonderful at developing infrastructure like this, and certainly doesn’t need the EU to make a business out of bureaucracy. There certainly won’t be a bonfire of the dental Quangos whether we stay in or out is my prediction.

There are a significant number of EU graduates working in the UK, and I don’t see any evidence that coachloads will be shipped back through the Channel Tunnel before it is bricked up overnight. What might actually happen though is that the corporates might find their supply of naïve EU dentists dries up due to the uncertainty of the future direction of the UK, and they might actually have to pay a competitive income to get people to work for them. This will no doubt affect their bottom line somewhat, and they might actually find they are now susceptible to the same pressures that normal practices are under and have to adapt the same way as we have all done. This can only be a good thing in order to restore the competitive balance in our profession.

What also might be beneficial to dentistry from leaving is the restoration of parity to our own graduates. Those who graduate from the UK have to complete foundation training before being allowed to work in the NHS, yet those from the EU don’t. Not only that, because the EU training is seen as equivalent to the UK, we cannot impose requirements like the ORE on them. Are all the EU Dental training courses the same quality? I think some of us might disagree that every single course is.  Surely this has benefitted those from the EU more than our homegrown graduates, and this potential discrimination can be possibly now be addressed in the future.

We still don’t really know what will happen with the prices of dental goods in the long term. Much of it is indeed made in the EU, but the USA and Asia are also vast markets, and not necessarily unified like the EU. China as an emerging market has already rocked the world of the dental technicians, and there is no reason why that cannot happen in the rest of dentistry. Admittedly controlling quality is going to be the issue, which worries me, but there are also some highly ethical businesses there that would work well within dentistry. There will be inevitably be some adjustments of prices because of the strength of the pound, but equally there is now an opportunity for entrepreneurs within the dental supply chain to start ‘disrupting’ the usual model.

The one thing we are unsure of is the overall effect on the general public and their incomes. Potentially this is huge, and the instability that is coming will affect them to an unknown degree. It is notable that the professional advice from the likes of the Bank Of England is to keep calm, whereas those who have a self interest, either towards the EU, or financially, in keeping the markets volatile is to Panic and Run Away. I know what I shall be doing. At times like this speculators usually manage to be the overall winners anyhow, so it’s in their interest to keep earning their money how they always have done.

But all this pre-assumes we will actually leave. I’m afraid I don’t believe the upper echelons of political power (and by that I don’t mean government but the high level civil servants who are in post despite what political flag is flying over Westminster) haven’t already worked out what their long game is and planned their chess moves accordingly.

So, we need to keep calm, because we haven’t actually left yet, and I personally don’t think we were ever going to….

Though the real question is can we trust any of them anymore?

 

Image credit - Muffinn under CC licence - not modified.

 

 

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Marketing your credit options correctly - Martin Gilbert Director of Chrysalis Finance

Marketing your credit options correctly - Martin Gilbert Director of Chrysalis Finance

Credit options are becoming increasingly important in UK dental practices. The increasing demand for elective dental treatments, combined with the ubiquitous search for cost-effectiveness, has made the provision of finance very attractive, and it can be an important USP for many practices.

However, even if a practice is offering credit options, it may be the case that they are not seeing the best return on this facility as possible.

This is simply due to the fact that many dental professionals lack the necessary marketing skills to properly promote the services they offer patients – and this could really be to their detriment. Indeed, opportunities missed through poor marketing can actually be the difference between a practice achieving and one that is excelling.

Your practice’s website is, perhaps, the most obvious place for you to start promoting your credit facilities. By making sure the information is easily accessible and easy to understand, any visitors to your website will immediately be informed of the options they have with you.

Similarly, maintaining a regular and consistent social media presence, in which patients are kept informed and included, can be a very efficient way of getting across a desired message. Posting information about credit options on your practice’s social media page is a sure-fire way of increasing your patients’ knowledge on how they can benefit from what you have to offer.

You could also include a message in your phone system’s ‘on hold’ message. Ideally, you don’t want your patients to be on hold for very long – but on the occasions where they do have to hold the line, it is good opportunity to promote your credit options (which will be far more useful to you, and less frustrating for your patients, than playing a tune like Greensleeves while they wait!).

Quite obviously, appreciating that these methods should and could be implemented and actually implementing them are two very different kettles of fish. Effective marketing takes time and considerable effort – two commodities that are too often in short supply for busy dental professionals. Therefore, it may be advantageous to recruit the services of an expert marketing team to help you come up with a consistent and appropriate strategy for your practice. Of course, it may present an upfront cost, but it is an investment that will almost certainly pay dividends in the future.

Of course, there is a very simple and effective solution: Chrysalis Finance, the UK’s only provider of simple, licence free credit options, also has the marketing savvy needed to help you and your practice get the very most out of their exceptional finance facility. Its services range from printable material, to assistance with your website, helping you ensure that your patients are up to date on the great finance options you can offer them.

 

For more information about Chrysalis Finance call us on 0333 32 32 230 or visit www.chrysalisfinance.com

 

 

  4353 Hits
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GDC Watch May 2016

GDC Watch May 2016

During May I spent some time reading the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearings list.  MPTS deliberated issues including inappropriate relationships with patients, physical altercations with patient family members and performing inappropriate intimate examinations of patients without chaperones.  Comparably, the FtP panels of the GDC were reconvened to consider the issues that NHS England probably ought to be dealing with.  Charge sheets were littered with allegation minutiae of the usual failures in record-keeping, and whether bouncing balls made of impression material in corridors might contribute to a finding of misconduct.  It’s not specified if the balls were alginate, addition or condensation-cured silicone, or Impregum, and they may or may not have been bounced in front of colleagues or patients and the date of the alleged bouncing was unknown. But those facts aside, I am sure it was fairly clear-cut!

If anyone is interested like I am in comparing the differences between the MPTS and GDC FtP charge sheets to see how MPTS put theirs into the public domain, let me give you an example:

 

MPTS announcement:
‘The tribunal will inquire (note the inquisitory tone) into the allegation that in April 2014, whilst working as a Specialty Trainee in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr X’s actions towards a patient were not clinically indicated and were sexually motivated’ (and then some further housekeeping information and notes for interested journalists).

 

GDC announcement:
‘Charge (note the accusatory tone) that……..(insert pages and pages of specific individual allegations painting a poor picture of the registrants practice and behaviour)......
And that, in relation to the facts alleged, your fitness to practise as a dentist IS IMPAIRED (note the suggestion that the outcome is already proven) by reason of your misconduct +/- deficient clinical performance’ (and if only deficient clinical performance then perhaps add some dishonesty for good measure).

I know which presentation of the forthcoming hearing sits better with Article 11 (presumption of innocence).   Furthermore, if the charges are not meant to be taken literally (as I am advised they should not be without knowing the relevant context of the case), then it begs the question whether they ought to be made public?   Dishonesty I will touch on later but I feel the GDC ought to be looking at how they present their charges of these public hearings and I believe that a new approach to how the charge is put into the public domain is needed.

But back to last month’s cases of interest of which there were a few:

Interim Orders acted extremely swiftly to curtail two attention-grabbing business ideas with potential to breach GDC standards, or encourage UK registrants to. One related to provision of orthodontic aligners direct to the public without a prior examination and the other was referral incentives for implant treatments referred to a clinic abroad.  Both registrants had conditions imposed clipping their entrepreneurial wings.  I later received an email from another company looking to ‘partner-up’ and offering me payment for helping with certain aspects of their ‘ortho-direct-to-patient’ business.  Possibly the best of both ‘GDC standard-breaching’ worlds in that email, but seemingly no UK-registrant behind it to take through an FtP.

The PSA failed in their appeal of a health-related case.  The PSA alleged that the case was under-prosecuted by the GDC, and that an unduly lenient sanction was given with insufficient reasons.  The registrant, who was placed on conditions by the Health Committee for what appears on reading the determination to be extremely cogent and reasonable reasons, had complied with all the conditions and made huge efforts at remediation.  He was extremely anxious about the prospect of the matter being remitted back for reconsideration and is obviously now very relieved.  He told me that the GDC have been a life-saver to him, and that his case shows how some good can come out of FtP procedures, although the time left in limbo has been tortuous.  Additionally, it is worth giving credit to the GDC for their handling of the appeal, as they described the conduct in broad terms and kept the health condition out of the public view.  The PSA did not however, and some very private material relating to this registrant has now been read out publically in court, which was awfully nice of them.

In the conduct arena, Mr Radeke ‘won’ an appeal in March 2015 against an incorrect PCC decision to erase him over dishonesty and the case was remitted for a new PCC to reconsider the appropriate sanction.  He remained suspended only until the end of May 2016 when the case was finally reheard.  When I say ‘won’ an appeal, this is really in a loose sense of the word.  The wins on appeal are often pyrrhic victories.  Registrants who have gone through FtP and appeals suffer enormously through stress, anguish, accusations (perhaps false), public humiliation, financial turmoil and can still find themselves unemployable after a ‘victory’ not to mention their families breaking down or having to go bankrupt in the meantime.  I do not wish for second that anyone who reads my blog on FtP thinks that any sarcasm or satire is an attempt to trivialise something that I take tremendously seriously and have had, at times, invading my own sleep.  Nonetheless, Mr Radeke’s case involves an unarguably disastrous patient death following treatment, but the original panel had attached incorrect significance to the ASA of the patient prior to treatment and ostensibly decided that the registrant had committed perjury to the coroner; which is a criminal offence.   This case, along with the Kirschner case, suggests to me that dishonesty is something that we need absolute confirmation from the GDC that their selected panel members are capable of handling appropriately, given that the GDC like to levy it at registrants at such a high rate (45% of conduct cases include a dishonesty charge if my memory serves me correctly on that FOI data).  If you are going to accuse, and then find someone guilty of dishonesty, you had better be sure you are getting it right, and that you properly understand the legal test.  Panel member names are redacted from final determinations, but in the interests of transparency ought not those who are the judge have their names kept in the public domain?  We do not see judiciary member names redacted in their judgments.  Perhaps someone in the know can comment on why this is the case?  For those interested in the Radeke appeal judgment to see what the problem was in the PCC decision-making, and it is worth reading just to compare the tone,  it can be found here:

In the ‘no misconduct’ case a registrant was reported to the GDC by the ‘GoodThinkingSociety’ (who profess to ‘encourage curious minds and promote rational enquiry’) for allegedly promoting the dangers of amalgam, misleading patients over the benefits of homeopathy and serving alcohol in the practice, and they are unrepentant about the outcome from the emails I have exchanged with them.  Why this case warranted a full hearing when we have false advertising attracting an unpublished warning in others is not obvious to me.  However, for reasons that evade us registrants who politely entertain patients with ‘alternative’ beliefs, a full hearing was considered justified.  The GDC scored the own goal this month by their appointed expert being shown evidence that changed his opinion at the last minute, and presenting a witness who maybe did not realise they were being engaged as a prosecution witness and seemingly blew the GDC case apart by being extremely supportive of the dentist at the centre of the hearing.  Aside from his obvious incredulity of being called as a witness (I think he may have written to the GDC to complain about the withdrawal of the 15cc of champagne on offer before an examination and then ended up being called) he told the panel that he could make his own mind up on what was good for him…….and if that was a small bottle of champagne before a check up, who are the GDC to say differently?  I am glad to hear that the residual champagne has now been consumed.  Cheers!

Finally, the statistics for May are:

Interim Orders held 17 new hearings and 8 review hearings resulting in:

  • 6 suspensions or suspension extensions;
  • 11 conditions orders or conditions orders extensions;
  • 5 no orders;
  • 2 adjournments/postponements (1 hearing was postponed due to the registrant having toothache);

1 outcome TBC at the time of publication.

Practice committees held 28 new hearings and 6 review hearings resulting in:

  • 1 erasure;
  • 5 new suspensions and 2 suspension extensions;
  • 3 new condition orders, 1 extension of conditions orders and 3 conditions orders being revoked;
  • 3 reprimands;
  • 2 postponements and 6 adjournments;
  • 3 no impairments;
  • 1 registration appeal (granted);
  • 1 restoration hearing (granted);
  • 2 health related hearings with one suspension and 1 set of conditions replaced with a suspension;
  • 1 case of no misconduct.

By registrant type, there were 46 dentists, 11 dental nurses and 2 dental technicians involved in hearings this month.  As far as I could see, only 5 registrants were not present and not represented this month.

  11123 Hits
11123 Hits
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Decision Day

Decision Day

The fog is burning off.  The focus is clear.  And so it should be for you.

On balance the case swings clearly.  We are part of Europe. We are European. And yet we should not be part of the political and fiscal force majeure that is the EU.

So I urge you to vote, and if you are open to simple argument, I urge you to vote Leave.

The time has come to lead Europe from outside the EU, not from within.

This Thursday is the most important in the political life of this nation to date. Please make use of your democratic right, to maintain those same rights.

 

 

  5449 Hits
5449 Hits
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Calm Down

Calm Down Dear

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8870 Hits
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Your ever increasing Dental plan provider fees

Your ever increasing Dental plan provider fees

Q. Would you like to reduce the cost of running your practices’ dental plans?

Q. Do you question the value of the fees your existing plan provider charges; Denplan, Practice Plan, DPAS, CODE, IndepenDent or another provider?

Q. Are you tired of admin fee increases applied by your exiting plan provider?

Q. Are you unsure of the exact fees you pay to your existing plan provider and would like help in completing a cost-benefit analysis?

 

If the answer is ‘Yes’ to any of above questions Patient Plan Direct would like to meet with you to explain and explore how they can help your practice achieve a successful plan provider transfer and save thousands in costs year on year thanks to a £1 per patient per month admin fee which includes: practice-branded solution, Worldwide Dental A&E cover, support from a dedicated client services team and business development manager, as well as plan promotional material and much more.

To contact Patient Plan Direct and book an exploratory meeting Call: 0844 848 6888 or Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Or to find out more visit www.patientplandirect.co.uk

No matter how many plan patients you currently have, Patient Plan Direct can help you make big cost savings.

Your practice could achieve the same benefits and results as the following sample of practices that have already transferred their dental plan administration to a practice-branded solution with Patient Plan Direct…

BV Owen Dental Practice, North Wales

  • Almost 1,000 Care plan patients.
  • Previously paid their plan provider nearly £2.50 per patient per month.
  • High patient retention when transferring.
  • Now saving over £15,000 per annum in plan admin fees.

“These cost savings have helped towards a practice refurbishment we had been keen to undertake for sometime. Patient Plan Direct deal with things quickly and proficiently and our plans run like clock work”

Read the full story HERE

 

High Street Dental Practice, West Sussex 

  • Previously paying fees for access to services they did not require.
  • Needed a provider that was flexible and low cost.
  • Transferred to Patient Plan Direct with a high retention rate.
  • Now saving thousands in costs.

“We found the transfer to be hassle free.  As proved by the loss of members in the transfer being less than 1%.  We have gained approximately 18% more members over the last 6 months. And it continues to grow”

Read the full story HERE

 

Farleigh Dental - North East Surrey

  • Principal questioned the value of their previous plan provider shortly after purchasing practice
  • Almost 1,500 plan patients.
  • Needed an approach to running the practices’ dental plans that included simple and secure administration, low running costs, a quality A&E cover for patients and access to expertise to help with all things plan related as and when required.
  • Transferred to Patient Plan Direct and significantly reduced plan administration costs by around 50% which represented huge operational cost savings.

“Did I lose lots of patients as a result of the transfer? No, we lost a handful of plan patients – no more than we would normally expect as a result of an annual price increase mailing to plan patients. Am I glad we took on the move? Absolutely”

Read the full story HERE

  4833 Hits
4833 Hits
JUN
20
0

Dental Elite Supports LDCs for 4th Year Running

Dental Elite Supports LDCs for 4th Year Running

To show its dedication to the industry, Dental Elite recently pledged its support to the Annual Conference of Local Dental Committees 2016 for the fourth consecutive year.

As Gold Sponsor of the event, the leading practice sales agency was proud to be able to offer its knowledge and services to dental professionals debating about the wider issues of dentistry, having already acted for a large number of the attending delegates successfully in the past.

If you missed Dental Elite at the conference, don't worry – the team will be exhibiting at various top calendar events and supporting more local LDC meetings and study groups throughout the next year.

If you are interested in receiving support for your event, contact the team today.

 

For more information contact Dental Elite. Visit www.dentalelite.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01788 545 900

  4566 Hits
4566 Hits
JUN
20
2

Please don't vote for dictatorship

Please don't vote for dictatorship

?

The EU is behaving like a dictatorship
 
Unelected officials devise rules, laws and regulations. They have a Foreign Office, they plan an army. They tried to control our currency. They even affect our vacuum cleaners and light bulbs. And what about terrorists we wish to eject, terrorists who care nought for the human rights of their victims. We are stopped from deporting them.
 
Britain has a long proud history of both democracy that leads the world, as well as an even longer, prouder history of standing up and fighting against dictators
 
This vote, this week, allows the people of Britain the chance to vote against this non democratic organisation with which we have become unwittingly embroiled.
 
Thankfully . . . . No war will be needed, no blood will be spilt, no lives will be lost.
 
It needs you to place a small amount of graphite from the voting booth pencil in the LEAVE box.
 
Please vote LEAVE.
 
 

Tony Jacobs BDS, dentist, publisher of GDPUK.com

 

Image credit -Fernando Butcher under CC licence - not modified.

  9614 Hits
Recent Comments
Keith Hayes

Please don't vote for dictator...

I whole heartedly agree Tony. I will vote with my heart and my head on Thursday and I'm backing Britain as part of the World, not ... Read More
Monday, 20 June 2016 14:00
Tim Coates

For the good of future generat...

I'm with you all the way Tony. The remain camp are focusing on the short term economic hiccoughs that will follow Brexit. They a... Read More
Monday, 20 June 2016 15:08
9614 Hits
JUN
16
0

Behind the smiles

Behind the smiles

 

 

The BDA Benevolent Fund bought a smile to people’s faces at this year’s BDA Conference. They came armed with a photo-booth full of fun props to spread the word about how their support changes lives. Dentists from every corner of the UK need to know that if disaster strikes, they will not be alone. By giving one-off and regular grants to help those in need, the BDA Benevolent Fund is often the only lifeline when there is nothing else to hold on to. It’s not only about financial aid either, but support, comfort and friendship.

(Pictured above having fun with the Benevolent Fund is GDPUK's very own Michael Watson)

The fact is none of us is immune to sudden misfortune or a dramatic change in circumstances; a curveball can get thrown at any time. Think about it: how would you and your family cope if you had to stop work for any reason? Who would you turn to for help? The Fund is showing that, as a profession, we look after our own and will be there for colleagues who are going through dark times.

 

Conference delegates who stopped by the stand had the opportunity to meet with some of the Trustees, and find out about the diverse range of cases the charity has helped. Chronic illness and injury can mean lengthy time off work, as can family problems like divorce or bereavement and issues around personal debt. Sudden redundancy can set off a dramatic chain of events if the dentist is the breadwinner, with a family to support.

 

Modern dentists face a challenging and unique mix of pressures that can affect their mental wellbeing, such as ever-changing targets and regulations, keeping up-to-date with technology and techniques and making a decent living in a competitive industry. In its 2015 Annual Report, the Fund notes that a significant number of applicants had experienced stress-related illnesses. Accepting help is needed is the first (and probably the hardest) step, but once a dentist has made the call, their case has been assessed and a decision made, they can be sure of a timely intervention.

 

The testimonials from dentists who have been helped by the Fund really do speak for themselves. Recent recipients have said: “The way the profession has responded has been overwhelming,” “No-one can appreciate how important your work is until they need your help” and “There is a big light at the end of the tunnel and now I am confident I will come out at the other side”. Comments like these are reasons why raising awareness at industry events is so vital. An independent charity, the BDA Benevolent Fund is supported by a committee of volunteer dentists and, with no assistance from the government, is reliant on the generosity of donations. Behind the wigs, feather boas and cheesy grins, the BDA Conference was all about the essential promotion of Fund’s vital work.

 

The BDA Benevolent Fund exists to shine a light in times of trouble and show that brighter days can be just around the corner. Support the Fund and you will not only be helping dentists who have found themselves in desperate need, but you will be laying the foundations of support for future generations too. Find out more, then spread the word. Regular donations mean the Fund can reach out to even more people and the easiest way to donate is online, via the secure Just Giving page. One day, it might be you who has to make that call.

 

The BDA Benevolent Fund relies on your help to continue its work,
so please contact us on 020 7486 4994 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,

or to give a donation today go to www.bdabenevolentfund.org.uk.

https://www.facebook.com/bdabenenevolentfund/
 

And if you are in need of help yourself, please contact us now.

All enquiries are considered in confidence.

 

Registered charity no. 208146

  3736 Hits
3736 Hits
JUN
16
1

Inexorable Mindfulness

Inexorable Mindfulness

As a GDP I am really struggling to focus on what my vote should be. So I have set myself the task of reading across the campaigns this weekend.

It’s a busy week, and you too need to do your final reading. If only this was vCPD eh? 

Well why not?    It’s clear that this affects your dental practice, so go reading, message me privately and I will send you a simple feedback document, and a certificate for vCPD. Allow 2 hours.

What is they say about a divorce? You must have a reason to go and a reason to leave.

 

Do we? Have we?

 

Here are your links for the Remain and Leave campaigns [also knon as the  “Innit” and  “Exit” !] and other information sources or repute.  If you read over these there will be lots of facts, and a degree of balance.  I have tried to avoid opinion.

 

https://leave.eu/

http://www.voteleavetakecontrol.org/campaign

http://www.strongerin.co.uk/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/eu_referendum

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/eu-referendum/

http://www.theguardian.com/politics

 

EXIT  If at the end of this, you vote for the UK to exit, you will be lighting the fuse for the first cannon shot in a bloodless revolution.

No less, no more.  The aftermath will be a change in the political landscape of the UK not seen for centuries. Make no mistake, in the past, civil conflinct started over less.

REMAIN  If we vote to stay in, we will have the same group of leading politicians weakened by the arguments in the campaign, but a stronger case for lead influence in Brussels.  Perhaps a vote to remain is a vote for change we do not expect?

 

Polls

http://whatukthinks.org/eu/opinion-polls/poll-of-polls/

But if the polls are to be believed there is a groubndswell of decided opinion forming. Watch out - the UK electorate has a habit of suprising the pollsters.

 

If we do indeed vote to exit the political treaty that is the EU two things have to happen.

Firstly, the present political leadership must go.

Secondly, therefore, by any logic,  there must be a snap General Election.

And there begins 5 years hard work to re align our political and trading arrangement with the EU and the world, under new elected leadership.

 

And, guess what happens if we vote to remain?  Exactly the same.  UK politics will never be the same for this generation.

 

This is  a big job and on Thursday when you vote, you are not voting for no change.

You are voting for how you want the change to occur and when.

Should we lead from outside the EU and try and lead from within?

 

Whatever you do, Vote

 

Whatever you do, respect your neighbour and his or her opinions.

That right to vote is something we have taken for granted these last hundred years.

It’s a new privilege and a new right in many of our Eastern European neighbours home states

 

And good luck, friends and colleagues.

This really is a momentous event, in which you are free to both witness and partake.

 

Go use your your freedoms, as wisely as you can, and we will met on the other side.

 

  6361 Hits
Recent comment in this post
David Chong Kwan

Worth a listen

https://www.facebook.com/UniversityofLiverpool/videos/1293361974024537/ Vote with your head... Read More
Saturday, 18 June 2016 23:13
6361 Hits
JUN
15
0

Its no secret I'm . . .

Its no secret I'm . . .

It’s no secret that I’m firmly in the Remain camp.

Until recently, the EU was a largely irrelevant part of my life; something that is there, that I don’t need to worry about, that was barely noticed in the background. But the claims by those wishing to leave have turned passing indifference into passionate support.

I am strongly pro-free market, I believe in personal liberty, and in economic liberalism, but with fairness for all, meaning the removal of artificial barriers and monopoly trading. The EU has delivered this in spades; we know that if we buy Romanian pork, it is made (or rather should be) to the same standards as pork produced in the UK; we know that if we travel abroad, we will be treated according to over-arching laws.

The EU provides regulatory framework; it makes sense that where trans-national trade is concerned, the rules are arrived at through trans-national organisations. But we must also place human rights into the fray – it is not right that a company in one country can produce an item using labour that is forced to work 60 hours a week whereas another country can only allow 35 hours. Trade is increasingly globalised and our companies compete with companies from all over the world. What the EU promotes is a level playing field for all companies, allowing survival of the fittest, while ensuring that competitive advantage is not derived by transferring the costs from company to workers. If we all play by the same rules, only the strongest company will survive. If the rules are different, then one country can make their workers’ pay for the success of their businesses.

We also have harmonisation of regulations. This means that our companies have access to other countries’ internal markets that could otherwise be blocked through unnecessary or discriminatory legislation – perhaps the best example being the German purity laws, which created an artificial barrier for non-German beer to be sold in Germany. The EU forced Germany to remove these barriers for imports, and as a result, you can buy a can of Tennent’s Super in a supermarket in Bremen, should your fortunes be so unkind.

Britain has always been a trading nation, from the tea clippers in the days of empire, to the financial trading of the 80s and the digital marketplace of the naughties. We must remain relevant. We must modernise as life changes around us. We are better placed to trade as part of the EU, we are stronger in the EU and we share a bright future trading with our European brethren.

I have already voted to stay in the EU, not because of what I fear we will lose if we leave, but because of what we stand to gain by remaining part of the EU.  

 

Duncan Scorgie is a dentist practising in Midlothian

 

Image credit -Abi Begum under CC licence - not modified.

  5663 Hits
5663 Hits
JUN
15
0

Last refuge of a scoundrel?

Last refuge of a scoundrel?

“Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel,” stated Samuel Johnson.

We have seen England football fans with their aggressive displays of false patriotism, Nigel Farage with his “blokey” 1950s English image, both suggesting that the past was some sort of rosy era that we can head back to. The whole Brexit campaign smacks of a distasteful arrogance that the British are better than the continentals.

I am a Special Care dentist, and I remember being startled and gratified in equal measure to find that a profoundly autistic non verbal man presents exactly the same dental treatment challenges in Ireland as in France as in Greece.

Your non verbal autistic man has no concept of Brexit and Patriotism, but maybe he can teach us how shallow, ignorant and superficial our debate and thinking has become on this issue. 

I have many friends as dentists whose origin is from countries such as Bangladesh, India, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Greece. We have far more in common being dentists than our national and cultural differences divide us.

My late father landed in Normandy on D-day plus six, and often told me he never wanted to experience war again. The EU has many failings, but has kept the major players in Europe from warring with each other. That is why I would vote to stay in.

 

Neil Martin is a Special Care Dentist in Northamptonshire.

 

Image credit -Abi Begum under CC licence - not modified.

  5922 Hits
5922 Hits
JUN
14
0

We must stay IN!

We must stay IN!

We must stay in!
We are the civilised and ancient democracy!
We must strive to exert change from within.
Our mistake was not joining at the beginning and before you start I know it was personal politics De Gaulle etc!

The whole argument has horrified me because...there are NO Facts just subjection!!!

I feel we are in a smaller world with more connections..why do I want to leave and become smaller??
I like my European family and think they have so much to teach US!!
We should be paying MORE because we are so lucky!
We should be caring for the less fortunate!
In fact I think that we should STAY BECAUSE IT IS RIGHT!!

 

Dr Alisdair McKendrick is a GDP in Northamptonshire.

 

Image credit -Abi Begum under CC licence - not modified.

  5364 Hits
5364 Hits
JUN
13
0

Stay connected with Europe - you fought for it

Stay connected with Europe - you fought for it
 
 

Regardless of the outcome on this very important choice presented to the British public, it is unlikely that a seismic shift will happen. The UK will not collapse if it leaves the EU or decides to stay within. I fear a large amount of campaigning already underway and yet to come, is riddled with slick speeches oiled with dubious premises and unsubstantiated claims. Exaggeration and obfuscation are rife and even an alert and politically savvy observer will struggle to separate the wheat from the chaff.  

It would be difficult for me to delve into projections, bureaucratic details, legal technicalities and number crunching as that is above my pay grade. To be fair, I feel many are probably in the same position - maybe even those in charge!
 
I do worry how an United Kingdom outside of an EU, instead of being leaders within it, would lose opportunities. I worry science and technology research and development would lose out, by not sharing knowledge, policies, objectives, infrastructure and freedom of movement being curtailed. Being out of EU would give us full control of our front door, however I worry that we would be less safe when knowing much less of what’s happening in the rest of the neighbourhood, let alone count on their help. I worry the British economic clout may be diminished when on its own, as well as more volatile. 
 
I abhor and despair with how the EU has become too complex and burdened with red tape, excessive running costs and obnoxious agendas some try to push. I don’t think Europe is ready for a true federalist solution. However, I believe the futures of the UK and Europe are inexorably linked, wether you like it or not. I would much rather see the UK leading from within, pushing for a 'leaner and meaner EU’, than staying aside without a say in it. You may say they’ve tried and failed, concomitantly it has not helped that anti-EU British MEPs keep getting voted in large numbers, when they only boycott and undermine proceedings whilst still taking advantage of their EU perks they claim to protest against. 
 
Finally, the eligible voter will decide. I hope whatever the result, things will go well for the country which I have made my own for over 10 years now and intend to continue contributing to. I would feel better if the UK stayed and fought for a prosperous and safe Europe from a position of influence, after all Brits having been doing that for quite a while. At times, let us not forget, with great human cost. Would be a shame to turn our backs now. 
 
 
Eurico Martins is a GDP, who qualified in his home country of Portugal, he has been working as an associate in the south of England for the last 10 years.
 
Image credit -Abi Begum under CC licence - not modified.
  5753 Hits
5753 Hits
JUN
13
0

Surviving

General Dental practice - The Survival Rules

  8322 Hits
8322 Hits
JUN
09
2

The Great Dental Bubble

The Great Dental Bubble

Once upon a time someone started to blow a bubble.

All Pixar films have a simple story structure which can be summed up as:

“…Once Upon a Time…

Every Day…

One Day…

Because of that…

Because of that…

Until Finally….”

So if Pixar did the story of recent Dentistry, here’s the movie storyline.

Once upon a time nearly every new dentist went and worked as an associate in General Dental Practice with an NHS contract.

Every day, 5 days a week, they worked for 8 hours and had an hour for lunch. Some of them were better than others and some were worse. Some were faster than others and some were slower. The faster they worked the more they earned. Every month encouragement came from the practice owners, “get your backside in the air and get your gross up”. Every dentist in every practice did the same thing - they repaired broken and diseased teeth. Some liked to spend half a day a week making dentures or braces or using a scalpel - but that was just a diversion from drill’n’fill.

At the end of the month the owner let the associates keep half of what they had earned. This was often a lot of money for a young, newly qualified person. Their friends from university who had studied medicine, accountancy and the law couldn’t understand how dentists could justify the amounts they earned when they were so young and inexperienced and were envious. Secretly many young (and old) dentists agreed, but they couldn’t bring themselves to suggest a change. These were the golden years, there was lots of disease, plenty of patients and the Prime Minister’s purse was bottomless. In fact there were too many patients so in some places people queued to have their teeth out or tried to do it themselves, or so the TV said.

One Day the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, an ex-lawyer, said, “This is not good enough, something must be done”, and he decided that market forces must be applied. But firstly he made the NHS the National Religion and everybody must be an acolyte, for to speak against the NHS was sacrilege. Then he applied the rule of supply and demand, so he opened up lots of new dental schools where intelligent young people could become noviciate monks and nuns of the NHS. Although the words “private” and “dentistry” were considered blasphemy “private” and “university” were compulsory so the novice dentists were made to pay for the privilege of half a decade of confrontation and humiliation. Saint Tony also sent messengers out to all corners of Europe welcoming dentists to England and Wales where the NHS was the envy of the world and the dental streets were paved with gold.

Next his Grand Vizier, HenHouse and his Lord High Chancellor, Broon, said that the purse was closed, there would be no more money, each dentist must make do with what they had last year and the year before that.

Because of that even the fastest of new dentists were not able to get their backsides in the air and the slow ones earned the same as the fast ones. The practice bosses saw that where there had been queues of patients there were now queues of new dentists who had to repay their loans and were competing to work in the NHS churches. Some of these bosses saw this as an opportunity and competed to see who could pay the least. Some were allowed to keep a quarter or a third of what they earned. In his retirement villa St Laurence de Lando looked down, smiled broadly and said, “I told you so”.

Because of that lots of young dentists said, “We must buy our own businesses. We shall become dental entrepreneurs, what ever that is.” So they hocked the family silver, mortgaged their future earnings and sold their soul to the NHS (praise be its name), and in the subsequent sales frenzy this let St Laurence’s contemporaries buy much bigger villas on golf courses than they had ever dreamed possible. “We are the bosses now” trumpeted the new owners, “we shall buy lots of practices and screw down those associates who were not clever dental entrepreneurs like us. Then we shall sell out at the top of the market and make a shedload of cash.”

Meanwhile many quiet, thoughtful young dentists took a long view and worked at their skills. They saw that in the long term the religion would be exposed for the sham that it was and patients would choose between private practices with personal service and Nash clinics where they chose a number and waited their turn for the announcement, “dental cubicle number thirteen please.”

Until finally, one day the bubble burst, NHS dentistry was handed over, lock stock and barrel, to Tesco and many churches became empty shells, a testament to a great failed experiment.

 

 

Image credit - Isabelle Acatauassú Alves Almeida  under CC licence - not modified.

  10766 Hits
Recent Comments
Keith Hayes

What about the wicked Witch?

I like the fairy story Alun, but please can we have a happy ending where dental professionals are able to put patients first and s... Read More
Thursday, 09 June 2016 09:50
Alun Rees

What about the wicked Witch?

Well the witch is dead, but that doesn't mean the threat has gone. It's only a fairy story Keith - real life is not like that at... Read More
Thursday, 09 June 2016 10:25
10766 Hits
JUN
08
0

Are Your Business Interests Protected?

Are Your Business Interests Protected?

Every dental practice knows that it can take years to build up a loyal patient following but a matter of days for this to be destroyed by an ex-associate. Normally, a practice seeks to protect its goodwill by adding restrictive covenants into an associate, or even an employee, contract.

However, will your covenants stand up in court if you need to enforce them further down the line?

Most practice owners are under the impression that if a covenant is in the contract and the ex-associate breaches that covenant then they will be able to enforce the agreement. However, this is simply not the case.

Enforceability 

In order for a restrictive covenant to be enforceable you must show that:

  1. You have a legitimate business interest that needs protecting; and
  2. The protection is no more than necessary in all the circumstances.

A patient base is more than likely to be a legitimate business interest, as it provides the main income for any dental practice. However, you must remember patients are free to choose who treats them and so you cannot completely restrict an associate from treating those patients.

When determining if a covenant is necessary a court will consider the reasonableness of it taking into account factors such as; the duration; the geographical area covered; the patients it refers to and the seniority of the person who is subject to it. This is not an exhaustive list. Given that the courts will consider each case on its own merit, it is difficult to provide specific advice in this article on each of these points.

The courts are very wary when it comes to enforcing restrictive covenants, as they do not want to restrain trade and prevent a person from being able to earn a living. Therefore, if a clause is drafted too widely, without consideration for the business interest you are seeking to protect, it is unlikely that it will be enforceable.  

It should be noted that a court will not amend a clause to make it more reasonable and therefore enforceable; they will simply reject it altogether, leaving you totally unprotected.

You therefore need to carefully consider which covenants are required to protect your business interest, and that the scope of those covenants are neither too wide nor too narrow. 


Types of Covenants

The main types of restrictive covenants are:

Non-solicitation. This prevents a positive act by the associate of contacting former patients of the practice, or making an initial approach, with a view to obtaining their business. Merely informing a patient that they are leaving, and even providing their new address, is unlikely to be seen as solicitation.

Non-compete. This prevents an associate working for a direct competitor. Such clauses are harder to enforce than non-solicitation clauses, given the courts reluctance to restrain trade. However, one must bear in mind the skills of a dentist and the time it takes to build up the goodwill of a practice. We would therefore recommend adding such a clause to a contract, providing it is well drafted.

Non-dealing. This prevents an employee dealing with any customer or potential customer of a business. Given that a patient is free to choose who treats them such a clause is likely to be unenforceable in an associate contract.

Non-poaching. This prevents an associate from taking staff with them to a new practice. The idea behind this covenant is to ensure a stable workforce. In the dental industry, a practice will want to ensure that Specialist Dentists are not enticed to a new practice by a member of staff who is leaving.

You can use just one restriction or you can use a combination, depending on the business interest you are trying to protect.


Practical Tips
The most important piece of advice we can give you is not to use standard clauses for all staff members no matter what their position and situation; this is giving no consideration to the test ‘necessary in all the circumstances’.

You can create standard clauses for each level of staff, but you also must ensure that when you offer a new contract to a new employee or associate you consider whether the covenants are reasonable in their circumstances. For example, if you know an employee cannot drive and you live in a small town with no public transport, stating that this employee cannot work in that town is unlikely to be reasonable; especially if a non-solicitation clause could be used in the alternative.

You need to be able to explain why the covenants are for a certain period, cover a specific geographical area or are in relation to a set of patients. It is also worth periodically reviewing the covenants to ensure they are still fit for purpose (although see below in relation to seeking to amend a contract whilst it is still in force).

Normally, restrictive covenants will be contained within the contract. This means an associate has to agree to them in order to secure work. Consider instead having a separate document containing the covenants and paying for the associate to obtain legal advice on them. If an associate has been advised as to the effect of the clauses and signs to confirm their agreement, this is likely to make them more enforceable. However, you will still need to bear in mind the above tests and ensure the covenants are necessary; this will not give you carte blanche to insert anything into the contract.

If you seek to change the covenants part way through employment, recent case law has confirmed that unless you give some consideration to the other party for signing the new covenants, such as a pay rise, the covenants may not be enforceable even if signed.

No article can ever replace legal advice, and this is even more true in the case of restrictive covenants, which are highly specific to the facts and circumstances at hand. If you are considering using restrictive covenants, we strongly recommend that you seek legal advice.  As the text above demonstrates, merely having them in place will not necessarily protect you.

  5954 Hits
5954 Hits
JUN
08
0

Recommend Poligrip® fixatives to your patients with dentures to help them eat, speak and smile with confidence

Recommend Poligrip® fixatives to your patients with dentures to help them eat, speak and smile with confidence

 

Up to 86% of patients are affected by food becoming trapped under their dentures.¹ This can lead to discomfort and can cause bad breath.

Results have shown that Poligrip® denture fixatives have the ability to seal out food particles helping to reduce gum irritation² and lead to increased levels of confidence, comfort and chewing efficiency.³

 

The Poligrip® range of fixatives include:

 

  • Poligrip® Flavour Free Fixative Cream

  • Poligrip® Ultra Denture Cream  

 

For further information on Poligrip® and dentures, why not complete the Poligrip® distance learner module and earn up to 1.5 hours of CPD. Simply visit            www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk today!

 

-ENDS-

References: 1. Data on file, GSK, Canadian Quality of Life Study, 2005. 2. GSK Data on File. Murphy et al, 2012. 3. GSK Data on File. Durocher et al, 2008

 

Trade Marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.

CHGBI/CHPOLG/0018/16









 

 

 

 

 

  13842 Hits
13842 Hits
JUN
08
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Free online tooth wear CPD module from Pronamel®

Free online tooth wear CPD module from Pronamel®

 

ESCARCEL, a recent pan-European study, amongst 3,187 subjects aged 18-35, concluded that 1 in 3 young adults suffer from tooth wear.¹ In a survey of 200 dental professionals completed in 2013, 84% said they see signs of erosive tooth wear on a weekly basis and 86% felt the condition is on the rise.² This emphasises how common erosive tooth wear is throughout the population.

To help raise awareness of the risk factors for tooth wear associated with eating and drinking acidic foods and drinks found in today’s diet, Pronamel® are offering dental professionals access to a specially developed online module. Topics include identifying signs of tooth wear, condition management advice, the use of the Basic Erosive Wear Examination tool (BEWE) and the role of Pronamel® in protection from the effects of acidic diets.

The Pronamel® online CPD module is available in an easy to use format which is free of charge. Available 24 hours a day, you can access this module whenever is convenient. Completion of the module can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD.

In addition, it provides information on the Pronamel® range and how it can help protect patients from the effects of erosive tooth wear.

Visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk/pronamelcpd1 to complete the module now!

 

 

 

References:

 

  1. Bartlett DW et al. J Dent 2013; 41: 1007-1013

  2. GSK Data on File, 2013


Trade marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies

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Free Corsodyl® CPD opportunity* on the topic of gum disease

Free Corsodyl® CPD opportunity* on the topic of gum disease

 

GSK, manufacturers of Corsodyl® have launched a new distance learner for dental professionals on the topic of gum disease.

According to the Delivering Better Oral Health toolkit, maintaining periodontal health and preventing periodontitis should be based on;¹ detecting periodontitis early using the Basic Periodontitis Examination (BPE) and managing the factors that expose patients to a greater risk of the disease, e.g. smoking, diabetes and medications.

The 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey found that only 17% of dentate adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland had very healthy periodontal tissue and no periodontal disease.² This confirms a need for continued patient education regarding gum health.

The Corsodyl® distance learner module provides training on periodontal disease, the BPE, and patient management to treat and prevent the condition. It is suitable for the whole dental team to use and is available 24 hours a day. On top of this, there is no time limit to complete this module and completion of the module can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD.

Visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk to complete the module now!

*which can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD

 

References:

  1. Delivering Better Oral Health. An evidence-based toolkit for prevention. 3rd edition. The Department of Health, 2009

  2. Executive summary: Adult Dental Health Survey 2009. The Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2011 (Ed I O’Sullivan)

Trade marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.


Product Information

Corsodyl Mint Mouthwash, Corsodyl Original Mouthwash, Corsodyl 0.2% Mouthwash (Alcohol Free)

Active Ingredient: Chlorhexidine digluconate Indications: Plaque inhibition; gingivitis; maintenance of oral hygiene; post periodontal surgery or treatment; aphthous ulceration; oral candida.  Legal category: GSL. Licence Holder: GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Brentford, TW8 9GS, U.K.

Information about this product, including adverse reactions, precautions, contra-indications and method of use can be found at:

 

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/21648

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/21647

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/23034

  13286 Hits
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No Waffle

Sorry. The waffles are off.

  8143 Hits
8143 Hits
JUN
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Sparkle Dental Labs Recognises Outstanding Commitment

Sparkle Dental Labs Recognises Outstanding Commitment

 

Sparkle Dental Labs always strives to deliver an outstanding service to all its collaborating dentists, utilising the extensive skill and experience of its staff to produce predictably precise restorations and appliances.

During the recent Genix and Sparkle Annual Awards 2016, the company was keen to distinguish those members of staff who really go above and beyond the call of duty.

As such, the following very deserving runners up and winners were announced amid a glittering Awards ceremony:

 

  • Sparkle Dental Labs Technician of the Year – Runner up – Abdol Ahmadi
  • Sparkle Team Member of the Year – Runner up – Saffa Hussain
  • Sparkle Dental Labs Technician of the Year – Winner – Edgars Martins
  • Sparkle Team Member of the Year – Winner – Tracey Lawson

 

Congratulations to all!

 

 

For any additional information please call 0800 138 6255 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit:

www.sparkledentallabs.com

  4555 Hits
4555 Hits
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Flagship system solution proves a hit at British Dental Conference.

Flagship system solution proves a hit at British Dental Conference.

 

For Dentists looking to review their practice management system options at the British Dental Conference this year, it will have been refreshing to meet with a team who were at hand to demonstrate exactly why their flagship system software could make a real and sustainable long term difference to the Practice bottom line.

And it’s no surprise that given their personal, helpful approach and backed by such solid industry knowledge and expertise, founded by a dentist in the 1980’s, that the trained specialists on their stand created a buzz of excitement at the 3 day show.

Driven by a clear and deep understanding of what Dental Practices need from a leading edge intuitive practice management system, their development insight, achieved over nearly thirty years proved a winning hit with visitor interest from far and wide.

Developed on an iterative cycle of research, build, test, launch and review and predicated against totally listening to what Dentists need from the support of a robust and innovative dental practice management system, V6 Dental Practice Management Software presented those interested with a truly integrated and agile solution.

Featuring cutting edge modules, functionality and systems benefits that ranged from go paperless solutions to 24/7 real time online appointment booking, up to the minute management information, and data integrity and security and on-line system back up,  V6 offered everything needed to succeed operationally and streamline practice management.

And it was the company’s aim at the conference that their valued clients and those visitors interested in their system should not only benefit from information on the very latest in leading edge software developments and unparalleled systems support. Not only that, but they were also given the opportunity to gain valuable hands on experience with the very latest available in practise management innovations and technology advances.

And the beckon of a truly unique and supported user and customer experience  wasn’t the only reason why increasing numbers of visitors to the conference chose to take a closer look at Systems for Dentists; The appeal of their Dental Practice Management software was made more attractive by the offer of a fully integrated package of features included within the price, coupled with time, money and efficiency savings end even the option to go paperless, making paper signatures almost a thing of the past with the companies introduction to their peripherals range of Wireless Signature Pads.

As a credible and trusted brand, and with almost thirty years’ experience in systems software development and a profound knowledge of the UK dental software market, dentists looking to make a positive change to their practice management in 2016 could be confident that Systems for Dentists could provide what they needed.

And beyond their exciting range of software solutions and feature rich product options, visitors also discovered an unparalleled level of customer service second to none, ensuring exceptional levels of client support and making the process of transferring to a new system if required both effortless and operationally seamless.

Systems for Dentists offered a warm welcome to visitors who dropped on to their stand at the British Dental Conference, 26-28 May 2016.

 

For further information contact:

Nathan Ross at Systems for Dentists on

Direct line: 0845 643 2828

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  3574 Hits
3574 Hits
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Refreshingly reliable

Refreshingly reliable

 

 

A dental chair is the focal point of any surgery: the central cog in a machine that allows for the provision of exceptional treatment. These products see almost constant use throughout the day and the average practitioner can expect to spend almost 27,000 hours with each chair over the course of their career. As such, it is vitally important for practitioners to choose wisely when selecting a new chair, to ensure that they are making a wise investment for the future.

 

The first consideration is reliability. Any savings made on a cheaper model will likely be lost if constant and expensive repairs are needed to maintain a chair’s ability to perform at its best, let alone the lost business caused by chair down-time. Investing in a dental chair that has renowned reliability will eliminate these unnecessary overheads. It will also provide essential peace of mind; indeed, being able to trust in the reliability of such an important piece of equipment is a factor that simply cannot be overstated.

 

It’s also important to invest in a chair that can stand the test of time – that’s future proof. Dentistry nowadays is advancing at an astronomical rate, with new innovations appearing on the market on an increasingly regular basis. This makes it very easy for some products to depreciate in value incredibly quickly. Therefore, a chair that can easily be adapted or updated to suit the rapidly changing needs of modern dentistry is a must.

 

On this basis, it is hard to beat an A-dec dental chair. With a longstanding reputation of unsurpassable quality, A-dec chairs are also easy to refresh and upgrade. They have both the durability to last for years and the flexibility to change when needed. This is something that Dr Wayne Williams, principal of Smile20 in Wokingham recently discovered. He says:

 

“I’ve had my A-dec 500 for 12 years. In fact, I think it was one of the first of this model to be installed in the UK. It’s an incredibly reliable chair – in over the decade I’ve worked with it, I’ve never felt the need to change it. Recently, however, I did make a small change: I had one of the new A-dec LED lights fitted.

 

“The upgrade process was very easy and it took less than an hour for our A-dec authorised dealer, Marz Dental Equipment Ltd., to come and do the installation. We’re so impressed that we are likely to do the same refreshing upgrade for our other chairs too – and I envisage being able to continue to use them for many years more!”

 

A-dec focusses on providing the equipment that dentists need to deliver first rate dentistry. Since modern dentists need the ability to be able to adapt to new technologies, techniques and materials, A-dec has worked hard to ensure that they have the products that allows them to do so.

 

With equipment solutions that allow for easy and innovative upgrades, A-dec has future proofed its chairs, allowing practitioners to change the individual aspects of their chairs to suit their individual needs, across many years of use.

 

And, indeed, Dr Williams’s example is simply the tip of the iceberg; A-dec chairs are extremely versatile, allowing practitioners to choose precisely the options that compliment their clinical preferences. For instance, another dentist, Dr Patricia Seyf from Seyf Dental in Barnes, has recently purchased an A-dec 500 without a cuspidor. She says: “Having no spittoon makes for a far more hygienic treatment centre. I can autoclave my funnels between each appointment and be completely assured that my surgery is cross-contamination compliant. It also allows me to have a direct, face-to-face conversation with the patient – something which I think is very important for putting them at ease and encouraging a strong patient-practitioner relationship.”

 

This level of customisation is indispensable. Practitioners can quite literally purchase the dental chair they need at the time – without having to worry about what is coming around the corner, since they also have the option to refresh and upgrade at a later date.

 

Investing in an A-dec chair is investing in your future in the dental profession. No matter what challenges or changes come about in the years to come, A-dec will continue to provide relevant and applicable options to those dentists aspiring to offer the very best dentistry.

 

For more information about A-dec Dental UK Ltd, visit

www.a-dec.co.uk or call on 0800 2332 85

 

 

 

  4110 Hits
4110 Hits
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Genius by name, Genius by nature

Genius by name, Genius by nature

 

Last week saw the launch of the latest Oral-B toothbrush at the BDA Conference and I am pleased to see that they have gone even further down the path of the “internet of things” and improved their technology even further with the latest Genius brush.

Previously I wrote a blog in 2014 entitled “Dentistry embraces the Internet of Things”, when Oral-B launched their first brush connected to an app.

So 2 years on, the boffins at Oral-B have taken all the best features of the Bluetooth brush and made a number of considerable improvements.

  • The brush still works alongside the App. The app now tracks brushing habits and shows the user how to brush all zones in the mouth equally and evenly, which is a real game changer. No longer do you have an excuse of missing an area of your mouth.

  • The app has gamification, the user gets challenges to improve brushing habits.

  • Each users can partner with their dental professional through the Professional Guidance feature that provides customised care and a user can share data with their dental professional.

  • The app, also contains in-app entertainment, the app provides news, weather and oral care tips.

  • The brush comes with a stylish case, as well as a smartphone holder that fits to the user's bathroom mirror and lets the user know how they are doing via the app. The app is therefore straight ahead of the user’s eyeline.  

  • The lithium battery offers longer battery life and a lighter toothbrush!

  • The Triple Pressure Sensor technology protects gums from over aggressive brushing.

  • The brushes are now customisable with 12 colours available, except red which is used when the user applies too much pressure.

  • The user tells the app which hand you use to brush your teeth because they will then analyse the data accordingly and the app will understand why certain areas are missed.

 

All these clever features are an exciting way for you to help your patients improve their oral care and with some of the features you can even check what they are doing and which areas are being missed!

Further information about the brush can be found here - http://oralb.com/en-us/GENIUS

It is very exciting to see that dentistry has continued to embrace the internet of things and that toothbrushes are part of the connected home that we will see more and more over the next few years. This new brush is not only easy to use and lighter to hold, it also has a number of benefits that help improve our oral health…. Which is always a good thing.

The brush really is “Genius by name, Genius by nature”.

The Oral-B Genius will be available to the public from July.

  6609 Hits
6609 Hits
JUN
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GDC Bull in an FtP China Shop

GDC Bull in an FtP China Shop

 

Is the GDC a sort of Beaurocratic Supertanker, steering a steady, slow path to its chosen destination, slow to change direction and similarly hard to stop?

Or is it akin to a Bull in a China Shop? – breaking everything it touches in an out of control display of unnecessary strength?

 

You decide.

 

There have been a number of recent high profile GDC cases which have caught the eye of any casual observer.

By far the highest profile, in terms of reflective blogging and reporting, is that of Dr Colin Campbell, a colleague who has a practice and training facility which offers implants as a special interest and is generally regarded as being state of the art and second to none. As good as you can get. If you have not read his reflections on his experience at the receiving end of the GDC systems, I have linked them below. It makes painful, perhaps stimulating reading.

You will I am sure be left with one driving question.

 

Why?

 

Why does one case drive such a vindictive, damaging process?

There was another case which was even more worrying: This case of a colleague in the south west went all the way to an FtP hearing before the Panel finally nailed it with ‘No Misconduct Found’.   In this case there was NO patient complaint – it was the Charity, the “Good Thinking Society”, founded and led by journalist Simon Singh, who contacted the GDC based upon a web trawl. Having discovered concerns with some web site material, the Charity chose NOT to contact the practice at all.

But then again, neither did the GDC who took it all the way to a Hearing… at a cost of about £200,000 all in [Registrants costs, GDC costs  etc].  The case revolved around some web site wording which was changed before the process truly got under way, after a request from the GDC!!

You will I am sure be left with one driving question.

 

Why?

How can some contentious wording on a web site, which can be changed overnight, where NO patient has been involved, and where NO attempt at local and direct resolution has been attempted, possibly justify a full hearing?

What is in it for the GDC ? Justification of their work and justification of their ARF Fee?

These are not cases which need ‘the law changing’ to avoid being taken so far. S60 orders have nothing to do with this fiasco.

This is pure vindictive incompetence. 

It is a regime of Regulation by Fear. At a team level, the GDC do engage, and apparently learn, and we must be grateful that the PR teams of the GDC do come out and meet and greet.

But despite all that hard work, we continue hear the dulcet tones of the limp rag of leadership that is Dr Moyes, and still the Bull rages in the FtP China Shop. Still we see NO evidence of proper oversight by the Council. Still we see the Registrant members of the Council taking their expenses.

 

Why?

 

It’s perhaps a reflection perhaps of the mind-set of the GDC in the past, and their reluctance to act in any way which might be regarded as agile or rapidly adaptive, that still we have no specialisation for implantology.

We continue to see quite extraordinary cases heading out to an FtP hearing based on dubious investigative methods and a sense that the charges are trumped up come what may to try and make some mud up, let alone make it stick. There is a sub-genre of course of expert witnesses who have questions to answer in this respect.

The case of a retired Orthodontist and a single patient, with his long spat with the 'establishment'  has become so embroiled that the 5 days of the initial hearing proved insufficient, and an adjournment was taken. For what possible benefit?

But most important you will I am sure be left with one driving question. Why?

 

Dr Colin Campbell of course took an unwittng starring role in Manchester last week

 

It’s a [Conference] Wrap

If you are a member of the BDA you may well have heard from the dentists present at the recent Manchester Conference that Dr Campbell’s presentation pretty much stole the show. It is also fair to suggest that Alistair Burt MP, the Health Minister certainly spoke eloquently the necessary words in respect of the scandal that is Infant Dental Prevention, and the scandal that is GA Admissions.  Finally, of course the FGDP are coming of age, and in particular engaging down in the mud with us wet fingered souls, and re-publishing their guidance on Record Keeping, which will be Open Source. That is a very welcome move, Sirs.  The GDC of course is off limits for a Minister.

 

Which will happen first? NHS Change or GDC change?

 

If one has to speculate, I reckon we will still be talking in 6 years [when the ‘Newish Prototype Contract Version x ’ emerges] about child dental treatment & prevention as funded by the Government because there is no more money to deal with these matters.

Whereas, I suspect that the passionate and motivated colleagues in self-funded dental practice who are feeling the cold hand of the GDC will be effective in their lobbying for significant change.

The GDC will change.  How and when is to be decided.

No one objects to the idea of a regulator for the industry that is dentistry. It is the quite surreal high cost, psychologically, professionally, financially, and in time terms of the blunt instrument that is FtP, allied an unaccountable Interim Orders Committee that is objectionable. 

It is the idea that the GDC are a first line Complaints Handling Agency. 

It is the idea that all dentists are out to harm their patients and lessons must be public, humiliating and disproportionate.

The salt on the professional wounds is, in case after case, Dr Campbell’s being but one, and our colleague in the Southwest who fell victim to the dubious Charity The “Good Thinking Society” being another, where the GDC blankly refuse, or have wilfully chosen not to, force any complainant to seek local resolution first. 

 

That is a choice the GDC make.  Why?

 

Do they do that because they truly believe a £200,000 process cost is a better and more efficient form of justice? Or they do that because they are incompetent and simply have no idea how to be frugal with the resources placed at their disposal by Dentists and DCPs in the form of the ARF?

 

The New Team

 

So… it’s the end of the season, and there is new management in place.  It’s not just in the national game that management is brutally changed!

Mr Brack’s first job as substantive CEO at the GDC is clear – stop feeding the monster. Sedate the Bull.  Perhaps after the events of a US Zoo at the weekend, shoot the beast dead.

 

Perhaps … stop FtP until it is reconfigured?

 

Stop the Bull wrecking the china shop.

So as we head for the ARF setting for 2017, what has changed? We have a new Chief Executive in Mr Brack.  And a new Director of FtP in Mr Green.  And old hand in the shape of Dr Moyes.  These three have the future of dental regulation in their hands. Dr Moyes having proved reluctant to grasp the mettle with his Council team, so it must be Mr Brack, in partnership with Mr Green.

 

That’s it.

 

So no pressure gentlemen. The survival of your organisation and Dental Regulation as we know it depends on you calming this raging beast that is FtP, and it looks doubtful that your Council will be much help.

 

The clock is ticking and many professional eyes are on you.  Indeed, some are still weeping from the whipping that presently is FtP

 

 

 

 

FGDP(UK) The Open Standards Initiative (OSI) 

?BDA: Government still lacking ambition in fight against decay

Dr Colin Campbell My GDC case and more important matters… part 1 – Friday night

Dr Colin Campbell My GDC case and more important matters… part 2

Dr Colin Campbell My GDC case and more important matters… part 3

Dr Colin Campbell My GDC case and more important matters… part 4

Simon Singh’s “Good Thinking Society”

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7513 Hits
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A tiny glimmer of Hope…

A tiny glimmer of Hope…

I’ve been at the BDA conference in Manchester last week, and as usual have thoroughly enjoyed the networking that this event always brings. I’ve finally met people who have been virtual friends for some time and caught up with those who I’ve known for years. However for me there were two distinct highlights to the whole event.

Firstly, there were two people who I really did not expect to bump into, let alone have a conversation with. We have for so long been under the thumb of an unapproachable and unrealistic regulator that it took me by complete surprise to see that both the new CEO of the GDC Ian Brack, and the Head of Fitness to Practice Jonathan Green were not only present, but actually in the bar of the Hotel where I was staying. Given the previous CEO’s somewhat adversarial attitude towards us lowly insects trying our best despite the ever increasing pressures on us, and her distinct lack of engagement with the profession, to actually see the new CEO of the GDC present at the conference was a positive revelation.

Obviously me being the shrinking violet that I am (and fuelled a little bit by the generous BDA Drinks reception), I felt I had to speak to him. Now, I’m sure many of you would expect me to have launched full tilt with a somewhat barbed attack at the legion failings of the GDC management structure over the past years, but I’m afraid I have to disappoint you all.

I actually thanked him.

I thanked him for taking a step in the right direction and showing his face at the conference, because this is a step that was NEVER been taken by his predecessor (and also not by Moyes to my knowledge) and in my opinion showed that he might just possibly be aware of the damage that has been created by the culture so apparent over the last years.

Its early days I know, (and the jury will be out for some time yet) and I had only a few brief words with him, but in that short conversation I was left with the overriding impression that this might be someone who is prepared to work WITH the profession instead of against it. Since the care of patients is a joint responsibility of both the profession and the regulator, he agreed with the sentiment that therefore we are effectively ‘in it together’. Not only that, but there was an approachability and an authenticity that came across very swiftly in a short time.

Now, before you all start thinking that I’ve been somehow subsumed by the GDC into changing my tune completely, I can categorically assure you I have not. In the week that a FTP over homeopathic dentistry was thrown out after 2 years of stress for the practitioner, when it could have been dealt with by a swift letter saying you’ve got a month to remove your claims, then it shows things still are far from right. But we have a huge backlog of cases some of which are only now surfacing. Like a supertanker, the GDC isn’t going to turn round quickly, and I think there is still more that can be done publically by them to build some bridges. For instance, where was Chairman Moyes? Shouldn’t he do something to try to learn about the profession he regulates, or was he busy learning about washing machines and other consumer products since he thinks dentistry is so closely related?

Perhaps we are approaching the time when the GDC changes from a reactive organisation to one that is proactive (like the GMC). Where does it say that the GDC can’t give us advice in a positive and supportive manner? Rather than building their remit as Bill’s complaints handling super empire, why not give some more vocal and obvious guidance on how we can avoid the wrath of the regulator? Being proactive to prevent problems will be surely less expensive than reactive and shutting the stable door once the horse has bolted? It should also cost us far less in both the ARF and Indemnity. After all, this is what patient safety is all about, and that is their remit as set down in law.

I think that the growth of the FTP Division of the GDC was (and maybe still is albeit more slowly) growing at such a rate that it would be unsustainable within the next 5 years. There would have to be an ARF of such a huge amount that it would result in it being almost as ridiculous as some of the indemnity figures out there (another sore point) and there would be none of us left allowed to practice if we didn’t pay. I suspect there are people at the GDC who know this, and that there might now hopefully be a concerted effort to get back on track. Perhaps a raising of the bar where misconduct is concerned would be a start.

But getting it back on track will need the concerted effort of many people. This brings me to the absolute highlight (for me and I know many others) of the entire weekend. The presentation by Colin Campbell regarding his fitness to practice experience with the GDC.

Such a passionate, humble, ego-less, and at times emotional presentation has not been witnessed at conference for many years, if indeed ever. But it was not a dig and a rant at the GDC. Far from it. It was a clarion call for the profession to unite to change the status quo we find ourselves in. A call to develop a working discourse with the GDC (and NOT behind closed doors or behind the scenes). A suggestion to develop standards of dental care that can be defined in the literature that we can all follow, including the Expert Witnesses, some of whom still seem unaware of their duty of impartiality, and the correct standards to apply. A request for a meeting of the minds of the profession to leave their societies, their egos, and their self-interest behind and to unite for one cause.

To Protect the Patient.

Never has a focus on what is the singular most important thing in our profession been so starkly and beautifully pointed out to an audience.

Using data from a survey of almost 1500 dentists that had been offered to (and declined by) the BDA previously (and correctly statistically analysed so it was robust), in conjunction with live voting from the audience using the latest app technology, it confirmed not only that 90% or so of us felt the GDC wasn’t helping patient safety, but that the majority of dentists practice defensive dentistry. What was probably more embarrassing for the BDA was the fact that the majority of the audience, who were all members of the BDA, felt their trade union was not doing enough.

This blog is too brief to describe the entire lecture. However, the electric atmosphere in the largest hall of the conference must be mentioned, when at the end of what must have been an emotionally draining time for Colin, the entire audience stood and gave a standing ovation. Never in all the years of attending conference have I ever witnessed such a phenomenon. Such was the power of the presentation and how hard it hit home. Never has an audience been so united by one person so humble and considered in what he said.

So the message is simple. We can begin to elicit change now. The smouldering match has been lit, and the kindling has been placed. All that is now needed is for the entire profession (and in this I include those at the GDC who have an appetite for doing the right thing) to unite and fan the flames. Any egos will extinguish the fire, and so will the draft from the closing doors to rooms where traditionally the discussions have taken place. The positions of those straw men and women of the General Dental Council who have been nothing more than puppets to the Guy Fawkes will not survive the gathering heat.

This tiny glimmer of hope can become an inferno of change.

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Risk Assessing your Dental Nurse

Risk Assessment

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Dental Research

Dental Research

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4 reasons why working with an Online Community should compliment your social media strategy.

4 reasons why working with an Online Community should compliment your social media strategy.

 

Social media is now part of all businesses marketing efforts but below you will find 4 reasons why using an online community as part of your marketing plan can also be extremely valuable.

 

Likes don’t automatically translate to more sales, so when using social media for your business you need to start measuring engagement - how often your audience is interacting with posted content and of course each other through your channel.

With Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin you are faced with a number of challenges, how do you get more visits to your page? Once they do visit, will users engage with a status update, or discuss content you have posted.

Online communities on the other hand, don't have an identity problem. Online communities are organised around clear defined goals and values. Imagine what an established online niche community offers to the business trying to reach a clearly defined audience. By engaging with a targeted community you are filtering out all the white noise and interacting directly.

So why can an online community be a valuable marketing tool for a business?

 

  1. You are marketing your business to your actual target audience. Unlike social media, you know that the audience has interest in the content or message you are trying to get across.

  2. When users use a community site, they are doing it for a particular reason, they are interested in the subject and want to learn or share information. There is no distraction of their favourite comedian or band also shouting for their attention. Reaching your audience in a targeted environment, means you can catch them when they are receptive to receiving your message.

  3. Engaging on an online community can be risky but if you are seen to offer good service and advice, it will win you plenty of fans and impress the whole community. Communities dislike being sold to but they like being given good customer service and expertise.

  4. Being seen to interact with a community that contains your potential customers is extremely important, online communities are a form of social media so marketing your business within a community needs to be a part of your marketing strategy. Anywhere your potential customers engage, has to be seen as a potential medium to increase sales.

 

Thanks for reading, please let me know your thoughts or get in touch to discuss things further.

 

Jonny Jacobs

Digital Dentistry Blog on GDPUK.

  5013 Hits
5013 Hits
MAY
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Having an Option in the Digital Publishing Era

Having an Option in the Digital Publishing Era

Over the years, I have mentioned that online advertising has a number of advantages. You can read those articles here and here.

 

In 2016, we started using DFP, which is a Google programme that serves ads for our clients on to our main site.

One of the exciting features of this software is the ability to serve more than one ad at a time for our clients, to more than one URL. This is a great way of advertising a number of your services or products at once via one booking of a slot. It also has the added advantage of keeping the ads fresh and distinctive for the audience, who may not have interest in one product but an advert for something else from the same company may catch the eye. So a win/win for both the advertiser and the audience.

Yes it can mean more banner designs are needed but the advantages far outweigh this extra work for your design team.

So as you can see this is an amazing advantage compared to traditional advertising, not only is your advert seen thousands of times a month but when compared to print, you can display more than one advert in one position. Another example of modern technology improving the experience for all.

For further information about working with GDPUK and how we can help you reach thousands of dentists, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We will be glad to help.

GDPUK will also be visiting next week's BDA Conference and Exhibition in our home city of Manchester. Get in touch if you would This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Cheers

 

Jonny

Digital Dentistry Blog on GDPUK

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4457 Hits
MAY
19
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Genix Annual Conference and Awards – a day to remember

Genix Annual Conference and Awards – a day to remember

The Genix 2016 Annual Conference was a huge success with enthusiastic dental colleagues from up and down the country enjoying their time together as part of the Genix Healthcare family.

With around 250 attendees from the UK, US and Asia, delegates had the chance to hear from key speakers and later take part in team building activities. Visitors later changed into their finest for the evening ceremony to recognise and celebrate the hard work and commitment of outstanding members who have truly gone above and beyond their call of duty.

Esteemed guests attending the day included Baroness Nosheen Shaheen Mobarik CBE; Andrea Jenkins MP for Moreley and Outwood; Jack Lopresti MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke; and Professor George E Holmes, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Bolton.

The action-packed event took place at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on Saturday the 14th of May and opened with a warm welcome from Managing Director, Mustafa Mohammed. Mustafa praised his team for their dedication and continuing contribution to the success of Genix Healthcare, before handing over to Professor Stephen Dunne – Clinical Director at Genix Healthcare and Professor of Primary Dental Care and Advanced General Dental Practice? at King's College London.

Professor Dunne did an excellent job of introducing the outstanding speakers who shared their infinite knowledge and expertise with the audience. Key speakers included Krishan Joshi – CEO of Dental Focus, who spoke on the advantages of social media and how to go about achieving the most out of this vast platform of opportunity, in a presentation entitled: “Winning on social media, dos and don’ts”. Next up was Dr Subir Banerji – Private Practice (London), Programme Director MSc Aesthetic Dentistry at King's College London Dental Institute and Board Member Academy of Dental Excellence. Dr Banerji gave an inspiring talk to Genix Healthcare members on presenting yourself confidently in a speech called: “It’s not what you wear – it’s the way you wear it”.

Amit Patel BDS, MSc, MClinDent, FDS, RCSEd, MRD, RCSEng, Specialist in Periodontics and Implant Dentist, followed with a fascinating presentation on “Periodontitis – a clinically effective treatment approach”, which outlined the latest advances and understanding of periodontal treatment.

Following a quick coffee break, attendees had the opportunity to listen to Hassnain Hamid, Clinical Lead at Genix Healthcare, discussing “NHS claims – avoiding the pitfalls”. Then, Dr Banerji gave his second talk of the day on his personal experience of 25 years in private dental practice. Sandy Brown, Sales & Marketing Director of Denplan, concluded the talks with a brilliant discussion on “Supporting private growth via Denplan’s patient-centred plans”.

Delegates then enjoyed a buffet lunch and during the afternoon were split into teams to engage in a fun-packed array of team building activities. Leading dental suppliers and manufacturers who sponsored the event, including Wright Cottrell, Cougar, PerioChip, BlueFin, Ivoclar Vivadent, Cannon and John Winters & Co, were also on hand throughout the day to show delegates the latest innovations in dentistry.

The fabulous awards ceremony was held in the evening with reception drinks, a three-course meal, entertainment and, of course, the long awaited awards with dancing into the night.

The candidates for this year’s awards met exceptionally high standards and the judges had a difficult job deciding. However, with an experienced judging panel, led by Professor Dunne and joined by esteemed professionals from both within the Genix Healthcare group and outside, the following winners were announced:

 

Practice Manager of the Year, North ­­– Kay Thomson, Edinburgh

Practice Manager of the Year, South – Danielle Stead, Market Weighton / Hull

Dental Nurse of the Year, North – Danni Kerry, Garforth

Dental Nurse of the Year, South – Lauren Curtis, Havant

Dentist of the Year, North – Rana Alsalem, Huddersfield

Dentist of the Year, South – Bart Goralczyk, Kiveton

Apprentice of the Year, North – Olivia Pawlett, Marske

Apprentice of the Year, South – Bipina Thapa, Coinsborough

Receptionist of the Year – Pauline Gowthorpe, Market Weighton

Practice of the Year – Edinburgh

Team of the Year – Whitley Bay

Sparkle – Dental Lab Technician of the Year – Edgars Martins

Sparkle – Team Member of the Year – Tracey Lawson

Head Office Team Member of the Year – Nick Turner, IT

Pictured above: Team of the Year – Whitley Bay

 

All that is left to say is many congratulations to all our winners! With some truly inspiring stories and demonstrations of outstanding commitment to the profession and to our patients, these awards proved why we are so proud of all those involved with Genix Healthcare!

 

For additional information please call 0845 838 1122, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or visit www.genixhealthcare.com

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9127 Hits
MAY
17
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Wrights’ Scottish Dental Show Success

Wrights’ Scottish Dental Show Success

 

With its competitive prices and unbeatable customer service, Wrights proved popular with delegates at The Scottish Dental Show 2016.

In addition to showcasing its exclusive partnerships with top companies such as Planmeca and Bien Air, Wrights was pleased to display products from its very own Essential Range.

Delegates also enjoyed the deals that were available on stand, not to mention the limited seasonal flyers that were on offer to all who attended the show.

For those that didn't get a chance to visit the distributor with a difference in Scotland, make sure you visit the website today to discover the latest promotions and prices available.

Wrights also regularly offer website only offers, so for ultimate value for money, contact this sterling supplier today.

 

For more information contact Wrights on 0800 66 88 99 or visit the easy to navigate website www.wright-cottrell.co.uk

  9372 Hits
9372 Hits
MAY
17
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Upcoming IAS Inman Aligner Courses

Upcoming IAS Inman Aligner Courses

 

The IAS Academy is dedicated to providing a guided learning pathway that combines an ethical, supportive and educational approach with the use of effective, safe and minimally invasive appliances.

For general dental practitioners (GDPs) looking to make the move into anterior alignment orthodontics, the IAS Academy has a number of upcoming IAS Inman Aligner hands-on certification courses across the UK including:

  • 3rd June 2016 – The Ibis Hotel in Birmingham
  • 4th June 2016 - Cranmore Dental & Implant Clinic in Belfast
  • 22nd July 2016 – Windsor Dental in Manchester
  • 23rd September 2016 – British Dental Association in London
  • 18th November 2016 – British Dental Association in London

Once all GDPs have completed the course, online support is available 24/7 from IAS Academy mentors that are readily available to offer advice when and where it is needed.

“The online support has been invaluable for communication links with the trainers and has provided me with access to past examples of the implementation of the appliance,” said Dr. Yolande Mbappe, a certified IAS Inman Aligner user.

To book your place on one of the upcoming courses, contact IAS Academy today – don't miss out!

 

For more information on upcoming IAS Academy training courses, including the IAS Inman Aligner,

please visit www.iasortho.com or call 0845 366 5477

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4350 Hits
MAY
17
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Calling all budding implantologists!

Calling all budding implantologists!

 

 

If you are interested in providing your patients with high-quality dental implant treatment, then be sure you don’t miss out on the Implants Year Course from Step Education.

 

Focussing not only on training dentists to become clinically adept at diagnosing, placing and maintaining dental implants, this exciting course is designed to educate the entire dental team on the benefits of dental implantology.

 

That means, alongside the exceptional mentoring, live surgery and implant restoration elements of this course, there will also be team-specific modules that will help your business finance and market your new treatment option.

 

Led by three ITI Fellows, James Hamill, Robert Oretti and Anthony Summerwill – who have acquired over 55 years of combined implant experience – the Step Education Implants Year Course is ideal for young professionals thinking about moving into implantology.

 

What’s more, as a multi-system course, the skills you learn across the 10 month period will be applicable to whichever implant system you prefer to work with.

 

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity – book yourself and your team onto the Step Education Implants Year Course before it’s too late! Spaces are going fast!

 

To express your interest, please email us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.stepeducational.com to find out more.

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3498 Hits
MAY
16
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Calling all dental professionals – have your voice heard in the latest NHS Confidence Monitor

The fourth NHS Confidence Monitor survey is now live, offering all dental professionals – whether in NHS or private practice – the opportunity to share their views on the future of NHS dentistry.

Since its launch in December 2014, the aim of the survey has been to gain insight into all team members’ confidence levels in the future of NHS dentistry.

Commenting on the survey, Judith Husband, who sits on the BDA’s Principal Executive Committee, said: ‘The last NHS Confidence Monitor carried out was the most extensive so far, having grown in popularity partly because all team members want to have their say on the potential for change.

‘As the first of its kind in the UK and leading the way in informing the dental team, it is wonderful that we are now in a position to use the data gathered to offer advice on a continuing basis, helping everyone working in dental practice to rise above any perceived challenges and improve the situation for professionals and patients alike.’

To aid understanding for everyone involved in the delivery of dentistry, a number of new questions have been added to this survey, including one on whether NHS dental professionals feel that an improvement in their confidence could be derived from something other than a change in the NHS contract. The answers to this may go some way to supporting the profession in turning the current, low-confidence situation around, so your opinion really does count.

As previously, the survey will also monitor the profession’s confidence in:

•                The future of NHS dentistry as a whole

•                Future career prospects

•                Remuneration levels

•                Getting the balance of treatment versus prevention within the NHS right

•                The ability of the team to work effectively within the NHS

•                Whether patients will be happy with level of care provided.

Eddie Crouch, Vice Chair of the British Dental Association Principal Executive Committee, had this to say about the forthcoming roll-out of the survey: ‘With three sets of data behind us, there is no denying the value of the results gathered to date. As well as helping to enlighten the profession, the information gathered can be used as a springboard to support dental teams in planning for a better future.   

‘The more information we can gather, the better the advice experts in the field will be able to offer. So, for instance, the concern shown in the survey about the dental team’s ability to work effectively within the NHS has led us to look into how a principal might improve the skill mix within the practice to deliver the best possible results.

‘As the picture of the future of NHS dentistry builds, more and more dentists and their teams will be able to benefit from the Monitor results, to enable effective future planning for all dental practices, whatever the future may hold for NHS dentistry.’

To take part in the latest NHS Confidence Monitor and share your thoughts, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PracticePlanNHSConfidenceMonitor4 before the closing date of 31st July 2016. The survey should take approximately three minutes of your time.

For detailed results from the last three surveys, visit www.nhsdentistryinsights.co.uk. Here you can also access the discussions from our previous Insights Panel, made up of key opinion leaders and experts from the dental profession who explore and debate the significance of the survey results and their implications for the future of NHS.

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9540 Hits
MAY
16
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Great Expectations

Great Expectations

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7834 Hits
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The inequality of children’s oral health demonstrates the need for greater effort to engender more preventative strategies, says Denplan

The inequality of children’s oral health demonstrates the need for greater effort to engender more preventative strategies, says Denplan

 

The current state of children’s oral health in the UK has once again been making the headlines this week.  Whilst Denplan welcomes the news from Public Health England that the number of five year olds with tooth decay has dropped to its lowest level in almost a decade, there is still much greater effort needed to install better prevention strategies in order to eradicate this entirely preventable dental disease in the child population.

Commenting on the PHE survey results, Henry Clover, Chief Dental Officer at Denplan said: “Although the figures show that the number of five year olds with tooth decay has dropped from 31% in 2008 down to less than 25%, this still represents a quarter of the country’s five years olds suffering from an entirely preventable disease. Focusing on comparing data to previous years is not that helpful and the government, working with the profession, must not shy away from seeking to tackle this problem head on. 

“The current NHS contract makes it more difficult for dentists to care for children with the worst dental health, a key factor in the need to reform the system introduced in 2006. Any new contract, must put prevention strategies at the forefront and recognise that good dental health in childhood is vital, not only for lifelong oral wellbeing, but for good overall health.

“Denplan believes that a dental health assessment should happen by the age of one to prevent early onset of disease. Denplan’s research conducted with YouGov revealed that only one in five parents of children aged 18 or under (19%) said they first took their child to the dentist before 12 months of age1.”

The PHE statistics also revealed that in some areas, such as the North West, a third of five year olds (33.4%) are suffering from tooth decay, compared to only a fifth (20.1%) in the South East.

“This inequality in children’s oral health demonstrates there is still a huge regional variation, with areas of higher levels of deprivation tending to have higher levels of tooth decay.  Investment must continue to be targeted to areas where access to dental services is low to improve provision and inequalities. The development of more multi-skilled dental teams could also help provide more effective and economical outcomes in helping treat children with more extensive oral health needs. Therapists, hygienists and dental nurses could also play a crucial role in this.”

Last but not least, Denplan believes there is still a lot of work to be done to engender more preventative behaviours amongst the public as a further report this week2 revealed that four in ten people fail to brush their teeth at least once a day.

Henry Clover concluded: “Dentists and their practice teams can also play their part by taking responsibility for improving oral health in their own communities by engaging with local authorities, schools, early years and other health services and helping to raise awareness of the links between oral health and overall health. The training of other health and care professionals such as midwives, school nurses, social workers and care home workers will also help ensure oral health messages are more widely disseminated, thereby helping to engender more preventive behaviours amongst the public.”

 

Sources:

Denplan/YouGov Survey. Total sample size was 5,152 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th-20th January 2016. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

http://www.which.co.uk/news/2016/05/40-dont-use-a-toothbrush-at-least-once-a-day-441471/ (Accessed on the 11th May 2016)

 

 

 

About Denplan

Denplan Limited is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist owned by Simplyhealth; with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million customers. Established in 1986 by two dentists who pioneered the concept of dental payment plans, Denplan has been at the heart of dental care for nearly 30 years. Today, Denplan has a wide range of dental plans for adults and children, enabling patients to spread the cost of their private dental care through a fixed monthly fee. Denplan supports regular attendance and preventive care, reducing the need for clinical intervention and helping patients to maintain healthy teeth and gums for life. Patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402   Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 328 3223         www.denplan.co.uk

·         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

·         Plans for Children: routine and other agreed care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Membership Plan: registered with the dentist + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Denplan Emergency: worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover only

·         Corporate Dental Plans: company funded, voluntary and flexible benefit schemes

Denplan also provides a range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme, Denplan Excel Certification Programme and Denplan Training.  Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.

For more information about Denplan:

Rebecca Hutton

Denplan Press Office

Tel: 01962 829 179

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Follow us @denplandentists on Twitter and at linkedin.com/company/denplan-for-dentists

  16118 Hits
16118 Hits
MAY
12
4

GDC Watch April 2016

GDC Watch April 2016

April was a busy month in Fitness to Practise.  Unlike March where there was something for everyone, April saw mainly dentists and dental nurses on the proverbial naughty step.  Of these 21 had their favourite things taken away from them, 29 were put into time out, and 2 were sent to their rooms indefinitely.  Drilling down into the outcomes further, the final statistics for April were as follows:

Interim Orders held 20 new hearings and 15 review hearings resulting in:

  • 18 suspensions or suspension extensions;
  • 12 conditions orders or conditions orders extensions;
  • 4 no orders and;
  • 1 adjournment.

14 registrants were not present +/- not represented at their IOC hearing, and were mostly suspended with a couple kept on conditions.


Practice committees held 29 new hearings and 9 review hearings resulting in:

  • 2 erasures;
  • 6 new suspensions, 1 suspension extension and 1 suspension being revoked;
  • 8 new condition orders, 1 extension of conditions orders and 3 conditions orders being revoked;
  • 1 reprimand;
  • 3 postponements and 2 adjournments;
  • 1 case concluded (the incident was historic and there was no current impairment);
  • 1 no impairment;
  • 2 registration appeals (1 granted, 1 refused);
  • 1 restoration hearing (refused);
  • 4 health related hearings with all registrants kept on suspensions and;
  • 1 no case to answer

By registrant type, dentists were the clear sinners with 57, followed by 15 dental nurses and a single dental technician.

Cases of interest in April

The restoration hearing heard in April was refused for the second time due to a lack of insight by the registrant into why note tampering is serious misconduct rather than a silly mistake.  The GDC request to indefinitely suspend any further applications due to the costs involved, was not upheld by the panel who, like a Buddhist monk in meditation, felt that insight might be obtained at some point, and directed the erased registrant towards obtaining representation and taking relevant courses into ethics and personal responsibility before making any future applications.  Said registrant will no doubt benefit from such wisdom and gain mindfulness as a result of the teaching!

Not long after, a dental nurse who was not engaging in her on-going hearing relating to failures in decontamination procedures, was kept on suspension by the panel.   She had not turned up again; perhaps having realised that she could earn as much if not more as a domestic cleaner given the average wage of a dental nurse, with the added bonus of not having to be answerable to a regulator.  I need to do some further reading into whether the Fitness to Practise Rules have any mechanism to bring an on-going cycle of hearings for the above scenario to an end.  Let us not forget there is no statutory limit to the amount of money that can be collected from registrants to be spent on Fitness to Practise hearings.

Interim Orders met to discuss keeping a registrant who was in prison for fraud and false accounting on a suspension.  If this is not a waste of everyone’s time and money I am not sure what is, unless there is scope for him to be employed as a prison dentist without an interim sanction.

My other conundrum this month with Interim Orders is in their role of risk assessment and the concept of innocent until proven guilty.  By putting the allegations against a dental nurse as a statement of fact (‘misappropriation of funds’ into a personal account including the practice name, the exact amount of money and number of patients involved) into the public domain is she going to be able to have a fair hearing?  It rather reads like the IOC have accepted her guilt, yet there is no mention of any admission or criminal conviction for this alleged theft in the public determination.

Experts were on good form throughout April.  When we thought we’d seen the last of them after Dental Protection’s reassurance that there is no legal or regulatory requirement for it, the dreaded failure to record LA batch numbers were back, making it into a charge sheet via GDC expert witness Conor Mulcahy.  Perhaps someone can point him in the direction of this useful position statement for any future cases:  http://www.dentalprotection.org/uk/publications-resources/updates/briefing-documents/2015/11/09/local-anaesthetic-batch-numbers

Aside from the batch numbers of local anaesthetics, sadly there were no other particularly curious or intriguing charges put forward this month.  There were however, some thought-provoking conditions in one case which restricted the registrant from sending abusive or offensive communications.   One of the erased registrants was in jail having been convicted of fraud and deception, and the other was voluntarily not present but faced a raft of serious clinical deficiencies which were found proved, including using a block of bone that had dropped on the floor on a patient.

In the ‘No case to answer’ case, expert witness Robert Bland scored an own goal and had his evidence set aside by providing superficial evidence, changing his mind at a late stage on fundamental matters relating to the case, and most importantly exhibiting a ‘lack of impartiality’ by failing to include ‘evidence that was potentially exculpatory’ to the registrant.  This registrant and his wife are seriously considering leaving the profession despite the no case to answer verdict; this is exactly why the GDC must be taken to task for the style and method of its prosecution of cases over many years, and for the failings in its expert witnesses.  I’d also like to make the point here that pathologist Alan Williams who failed to disclose potentially exculpatory evidence in the Sally Clarke cot deaths case, was later found guilty of serious professional misconduct and banned from court work for 3 years.  The past 12 months have now seen 3 cases slung out because the experts appointed by the GDC have shown a lack of impartiality.  Experts also need to remember they are not immune from a civil lawsuit, and frankly it is probably only a matter of time until one is sued, or sanctioned.

Whilst I am on the subject of bias, it also isn’t appropriate for experts to advertise themselves in a manner that suggests they are employed by, or otherwise working as an expert witness purely on behalf of the GDC.  You cannot be impartial if you only do work for one side and I am amazed that this has not yet been picked up on and challenged by any registrants’ legal teams.

  11982 Hits
Recent Comments
Bill Inness

Comment

Vikki I can only thank you for the time and effort you have put into this blog. It is very revealing.
Thursday, 12 May 2016 09:15
Vimal Hathiramani

well done

superb
Thursday, 12 May 2016 11:13
Paul Cole

Comment

"Interim Orders met to discuss keeping a registrant who was in prison for fraud and false accounting on a suspension. If this is ... Read More
Thursday, 12 May 2016 12:48
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11
0

“Definitely Recommend”

“Definitely Recommend”

 

Emma Watkins was recently placed into Portman Healthcare in Faringdon, Oxfordshire as a Dental Receptionist.

Although her use of a recruitment agency was entirely accidental, she had nothing but positive words when asked about her experience. She said:

“While it did come as a bit of a surprise that I had inadvertently used a recruiter, I did find it very useful having someone I could discuss the position with –especially post-interview when I was keen to find out how it had gone.

“What’s more, I enjoyed the fact that I was able to distance myself from the process of arranging the interview and so on with the practice manager.

“Having now used Dental Elite, I wouldn't rule out using a recruitment agency if I was looking to step up the ladder.”

Emma also reflected on whether she would recommend an agency to other professions:

“When you’re working full time, job hunting can be a job in itself. Using a recruiter allows you to find a position without having to apply for separate jobs and without having to do any of the work. For that reason, I would definitely recommend an agency to other professionals.”

To find out more about Emma’s experience with Dental Elite, visit the website today.

 

For more information contact Dental Elite. Visit www.dentalelite.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01788 545 900

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15616 Hits
MAY
11
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How The Smile Unites The World

How The Smile Unites The World

 

The Humble Smile Foundation joins government funded and charitable organisations worldwide to address poor oral health – training and educating on preventative oral hygiene techniques and distributing Humble Brushes.

Just one example is the collaboration with Project TEN – a voluntary organisation, which offers assistance to vulnerable communities predominantly in Israel, Ethiopia, Ghana and Mexico.

The Humble Smile Foundation joined Project TEN volunteers at a government-sponsored site for the blind in Gondar, Ethiopia. Here, accommodation comprises of mud huts, no bathrooms and tough living conditions. Project TEN interacts with the blind Amhari children after school, helping with homework and other activities. Simply the fact that anyone has travelled to such a remote area makes these children smile. They were delighted to meet dentists and receive toothbrushes and toothpaste for the first time. The children were each given a Humble Brush personalised with their own name in braille.

One toothbrush or equivalent oral health adjunct is donated to a person in need when a Humble Brush is sold in the UK – contact the team today to discover how your toothbrush of choice can help the world.

 

 

For more information about the Humble Brush visit www.humblebrush.co.uk or to find out more about the Humble Smile Foundation’s work visit www.humblesmile.org

Follow us on Facebook, HumblebrushUK

and Twitter

@HumbleBrush

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3232 Hits
MAY
11
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Works of art with outstanding value

Works of art with outstanding value

 

Quintess Denta is delighted to introduce MEDESY to its expanding range of pioneering dental products.

MEDESY enjoys an exceptional worldwide reputation incorporating many centuries of experience in making surgical ‘works of art’ and is renowned for precision and value.

The MEDESY range is the embodiment of quality, offering beautifully designed, practical instruments to all areas of dentistry including: surgical, diagnostic, periodontal, restorative, implantology, orthodontics, laboratory and accessories.

The MEDESY range is priced to appreciate top quality craftsmanship while respecting good value for money. Not only that, MEDESY is so confident in its products that all instruments are backed by an amazing 600-year guarantee.

Quintess Denta constantly strives to offer the best all round service to the dental profession with innovative instruments and products to enable the provision of first-rate dental care.

If you would like to bring MEDESY’s high quality Italian instruments to your practice, contact the exclusive distributor Quintess Denta today.

 

For more information visit www.quintessdenta.com, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 028 6862 8966

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3616 Hits
MAY
11
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Gateway to Effective Tissue Regeneration and Implant Success

Gateway to Effective Tissue Regeneration and Implant Success

 

 

‘Guided bone and tissue regeneration’ is defined by the American Academy of Periodontology as ‘procedures attempting to regenerate lost periodontal structures through differential tissue responses... typically referring to ridge augmentation or bone regenerative procedure.’ Regeneration of periodontal attachment, and barrier techniques are employed to exclude epithelium and the gingival corium from the root or existing bone surface so that they do not interfere with regeneration.

 

In the early 1980s, the focus within the development of the technique was placed on the barrier membrane, which needed to exclude cells, maintain space and stabilise clots effectively. Both unresorbable and resorbable membranes were developed, and since then materials and products have come a long way.

 

It is estimated that half of all modern dental implant cases require a regenerative procedure.[1] In order that these procedures enable achievement of the best possible results, clinicians need the appropriate skills and reliable tools. As any degree of movement can disrupt the formation of new bone or tissue, it is essential that the graft is placed accurately and securely to facilitate effective healing.

 

With a 40-year heritage of scientific research and innovation, Nobel Biocare offers an array of cutting-edge solutions to streamline your workflow and enhance clinical results. Their latest solution for use in guided bone and tissue regeneration procedures is the creosTM xenoprotect, composed of a network of highly purified porcine collagen and elastin fibres, interwoven to form a dense mesh.

 

Unique handling and ease of use

This biodegradable non-crosslinked collagen membrane has excellent handling properties. Compared to competor products,[2] creos xenoprotect can be cut or pre-shaped when dry according to the size of the individual defect. Its hydrophilic nature ensures that the hydration process takes only seconds,[3] and with no functionally preferred side, the membrane can be placed on either side to facilitate ease of use.

 

Due to a minimal increase in size when moist, you do not have to make allowances for expansion – what you cut off is what you use, making it very cost-effective. The membrane is also easy to unfold and reposition even when hydrated, enabling you to consistently achieve excellent results while saving you time and money. With three different size membranes – 15x20mm (small), 25x30mm (medium) and 30x40mm (large) – available, wastage is reduced.

 

Enabling you to make better use of your time and enhancing the patient experience, the membrane is resorbable requiring no further surgery for its removal. Designed to resorb safely over a prolonged degradation time,3 the aesthetic outcome is improved, providing convenience for you and your patient.

 

Reliability and strength

 

Croes xenoprotect membrane acts as an impenetrable barrier against unwanted cells, paving the way for vital in-growth of osteogenic cells and blood vessel penetration. Key to its reliable success is its high mechanical strength and degradation resistance for prolonged stability and long-lasting protection of the graft material.[4] It is also highly tear resistant and its elastin fibres create a flexible material that can be easily stretched over the defect4 and sutured without tearing.

 

 

Gateway to effective tissue regeneration

 

Created without any chemical cross-linking, the tissue integration and vascularisation properties of creos xenoprotect are not compromised3 and the ideal conditions for regeneration are achieved. Histology clearly shows the rapid formation of new blood vessels, leading to a faster and much more predictable tissue healing process.

 

Dr. Paul Worskett from Amblecote Dental Care, West Midlands, has experienced the benefits of creos xenoprotect first hand. He says:

 

"I recently used the creos membrane for the first time and I have to say it was very easy to use. It has an almost paper thin consistency which means it is easy to cut, shape and manipulate. Placement and handling was a lot easier than some membranes I have used in the past and complete flap closure was possible without relieving the periosteum. At suture removal follow up a week later, I found the tissues to be in excellent condition and the patient was very happy. I will certainly use this product again and look forward to further success in the future."

 

Periodontist at Burlington Dental Clinic in Dublin, Paul O’Reilly, adds:

 

I have found the membrane very easy to use. It maintains its shape for easy trimming to the size required, it hydrates well, doesn't concertina on itself when hydrated, doesn't tear and is easy to drape over the grafted defect. Importantly it offers extended resorption time, which means it maintains its barrier function for longer.

 

“I think creos xenoprotect is a welcome addition to our regenerative armamentarium and I would certainly recommend it to a colleague – in fact I have done so already.

 

 

To arrange for a FREE demo or for more information on creos xenoprotect from Nobel Biocare, please call 0208 756 3300 or visit www.nobelbiocare.com.

 

 

 



[1] Buser, D. 20 Years of Guided Bone Regeneration. Quintessence Publishing 2010. p. 15

[2] Data on file, Nobel Biocare, Statistically significant lower size increase compared to standard cross-linked collagen membranes on the market.

[3] Data on file, Matricel GmbH

[4] 1 Bozkurt et al. Clin Oral Impl Res. Epub 2013 Oct 23. Bozkurt A, Apel C, Sellhaus B, van Neerven S, Wessing B, Hilgers R-D, Pallua N. Differences in degradation behavior of two non-cross-linked collagen barrier membranes: an in vitro and in vivo study. Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 00, 2013, 1-9 doi: 10.1111/clr.12284 [Epub ahead of print - The non-cross-linked membrane "Remaix" is distributed by Nobel Biocare under the trade name "creos xenoprotect".]

 

 

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Free CPD opportunity*: Caring for your patients with dentures

Free CPD opportunity*: Caring for your patients with dentures

Free CPD opportunity*: Caring for your patients with dentures

 

By 2050 our global population of those aged 60 years or older is expected to more than double to two billion people.¹ Statistics reveal the older you are the more likely you are to be edentulous.²

 

Research shows that denture patients are using a mix of up to 14 different methods to clean their dentures ranging from soap and water to bleach.³ In one study only 12% of subjects had clean dentures.?

 

To provide further insight for dental professionals GSK, manufacturers of Poligrip®, have launched a distance learner module. The module content examines the impact of an ageing population, the effects of tooth loss and dentures for patients and the role of denture fixatives and cleansers.

 

The module is available online for access at the convenience of the dental team member and is free to complete. Completion can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards verifiable CPD.

 

Visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk to complete the module now! 

 

*which can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD

 

References:

 

  1. UNFPA & HelpAge International, 2012
  2. Oral health and function – a report from the Adult Dental Health Survey 2009. The Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2011 (Ed. I O’Sullivan).
  3. GSK Data on File, 2014. Multinational diary study denture cleaning
  4. Dikbas I et al. Int J Prosthodont 2006; 19 (3): 194-298

 

Trade marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.

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PFM Dental adds legal firm to speed up practice sales

PFM Dental adds legal firm to speed up practice sales

 

 

PFM Dental group announces the addition of PFM Dental Legal to its comprehensive range of specialist services for dentists. The new legal services firm, headed by dental sector specialist solicitor, Stephen Knowles, brings the whole sales and purchases process under one roof.

 

PFM Dental’s Practice Sales director, Martyn Bradshaw, says: “We are delighted to be able to offer in-house legal services to our clients and expect PFM Dental Legal to reduce significantly the time it takes to transact the sale and purchase of a dental practice.”

 

PFM Dental, one of the leading specialist services providers exclusively for dentists includes practice sales and valuations, Chartered Accountancy, Chartered Financial Planning (such as pensions and wealth management) and now legal services.

 

Stephen Knowles, who has more than 10 years’ experience in the dental sector, says: “Developing a law firm with one of the UK’s leading practice sales agents is a fantastic opportunity. We expect to work closely with the practice sales team at PFM Dental to ensure transaction times are reduced and clients get great value as well as unmatched technical expertise.”

 

PFM Dental’s popular, ‘Retirement Planning and Buying a Practice seminars' which begin a countrywide tour in Leeds on 18 May, will feature the new legal team in addition to presentations on topics such as practice valuations and Lifetime Allowance pension issues.

 

For more information about PFM Dental services and to book seminar places go to: http://pfmdental.co.uk

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Halitosis

Halitosis - Its not to be sniffed at.

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Sonicare for Kids Connected is a hit with the ‘Singing Dentist’

 

Interview with Dr Milad Shadrooh “The Singing Dentist” featured on the TV show Good Morning Britain after developing methods to encourage children to brush their teeth more effectively. Dr Shadrooh has his own YouTube channel where he posts new songs aimed at young children but which parody contemporay hits with which the kids and their parents are familiar. We asked his opinion of the new Sonicare for Kids Connected – a new sonictoothbrush with features Bluetooth® wireless technology and an interactive app* which are designed to help motivate children to brush more effectively and independently.

 

  • What are the current issues surrounding children’s dental health which need addressing?

The current issues include a lack of awareness of correct brushing habits and lack of awareness of dietary aspects which both lead to tooth decay

 

  • What do parents tell you are their greatest struggles getting their children to brush their teeth?

Actually getting the kids in to the bathroom to do their teeth, and if they do, getting them to clean for long enough and brushing properly.

 

  • How can we encourage kids to brush effectively and for long enough?

We have to try to make brushing fun… as much as it can be! Rewarding kids can be a good way, having a cool toothbrush would help and to ensure they clean for the right amount of time, you could use timers, sing songs, play tunes or use a visual aid which is entertaining for them to watch, whilst helping them adopt the correct brushing techniques. 

 

  • What do you think of Sonicare for Kids Connected?

I like the concept, it ticks a lot of the boxes... it’s a nice and cool sonic brush so I'm sure kids would like it, having an associated app is great as most kids have access to smart phones or tablets and the videos make the brushing experience more fun for them.

 

  • How do you think kids will react to Sparkly the app character?

I think it will be nice for the younger kids, having a catchy name like ‘Sparkly’ helps, as parents can use that to encourage the kids to brush so they "help Sparkly".  This turns the experience of brushing into more of a game or fun-time process as opposed to a chore.  If that can help establish the brushing habit early on, then hopefully that habit will stay with them for their adult life.

 

  • Do you think kids will be excited and motivated by the connectivity and gamification aspects of the new product?

Kids love games and visuals, especially tablets and phones so I think the connectivity is a great idea, anything to get them excited about brushing is a good thing and it's all about getting that habit instilled into them from an early age.

 

  • What do you think parents’ reactions will be to the new brush?

I think parents will like the brush, it looks nice and is bright and is something for the kids to get excited about. Add to that the app side and the connectivity of it and I think parents will see the advantages and the potential for it to excite their kids so that they brush better.  Also, most adults have electric brushes nowadays and our children always want to copy us so having their own special sonic brush has got to improve kids with their brushing compliance. 

 

  • As a dentist why do you think using a sonic toothbrush will be more effective than a manual brush?

I recommend electric brushes because of their ease of use and improved plaque removal when used correctly. I prefer the sonic technology because of the feeling of the brush and the way it leaves the teeth feeling clean and polished. Also, it is much quieter and sleeker to use. Using a manual brush correctly is difficult for those with dexterity issues, whether it is due to age or other factors, so anything that makes that process easier and more effective has to be recommended.

 

  • Would you like your children to use Sonicare for Kids?  What does your daughter think of the product?

My daughter likes the app as she is crazy about anything bubbly and colourful on the smart phone. The app has the feel of the other apps aimed at children's learning so it fits in well. My wife and I both use the Sonicare and my daughter likes to copy us with hers but being only 2 years old, she finds the sonic vibrations a little tickly and she giggles all the way through brushing at the moment, but it has made brushing fun and she sometimes reminds me it’s time to "brush teethies"... Sonicare for Kids is something I will definitely continue to use and recommend to patients.

 

Dr Milad Shadrooh makes his next appearance on This Morning on Friday 6th May 2016. His YouTube channel can be found here

 

For more information about Sonicare for Kids Connected please visit www.philips-tsp.co.uk or call 0800 0567 222.

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Five Star rating for the new NSK iClave mini

Five Star rating for the new NSK iClave mini

 

In a recent ‘in practice’ product trial the new NSK iClave mini autoclave was awarded 5 stars by over 90% of users for the speed of its cycle - the iClave mini delivers up to 12 ‘dry’ handpieces in less that 12 minutes! Additionally over 95% of practices awarded the NSK iClave mini 5 stars for build quality and overall size, as it fits in to a space approximately the size of an A4 piece of paper.

Jason Greenwood, BDS The Stafford Dental Practice, comments, “The NSK iClave mini is easy, quick and offers efficiency savings for handpiece processing”.

The NSK iClave mini is the perfect autoclave to keep handpieces in excellent working order as it complies with Europe’s Class S sterilisation standard and sterilises even the invisible parts of handpieces using direct-heating technology. This quick and effcient autoclave is the perfect solution for a busy practice.

For more information on NSK’s care and maintenance range contact Mark Beckwith on 07900 246529, contact NSK on 0800 634 1909 or visit www.myNSKdecontamination.co.uk

 

www.nsk-uk.com

Facebook – NSK UK LTD

Twitter @NSK_UK

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Dealing with Requests for Dental Records

Dealing with Requests for Dental Records

In recent years, Dental Practices have noted a rise in the number of requests for patient records being received, especially from legal services. It is probably no coincidence that this rise has corresponded with an increase in adverts for ‘no win no fee’ solicitors encouraging patients to come forward if they have received what they perceive to be poor dental treatment.

In this blog I set out the legal framework in relation to keeping and disclosing dental records and provide some practical tips on how to respond to requests for the same.

Record Keeping

As you all know, whether you work in a private or NHS practice, the Standards for the Dental Team, Standard 4.1 applies.  It states:

‘You must make and keep contemporaneous, complete and accurate patient records’.

Furthermore, various pieces of legislation also require dentists to keep records, including Regulation 20 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, which is monitored by the CQC.

Those who work in an NHS practice will know that the NHS contract has a contractual requirement for dentists to keep patient records.

However, there is no hard and fast rule for how long you should keep the records before destroying them.

The NHS contract only requires you to keep patient records for two years. Given that a claim for clinical negligence can be issued within three years of the date of knowledge of the injury, a claim for breach of contract within six years of the breach and a claim for defective products within ten years of the defect, two years will be insufficient should you need to rely on such documents to defend a potential claim. The dental records may be the only evidence of what was discussed during a consultation and what consent was provided by the patient; they are therefore crucial in helping you to prepare a defence.  

The Department of Health’s ‘Record Management’ code recommends community records are kept for a minimum of 11 years after the date of the last entry. For children, it is 11 years or up to their 25th birthday, which ever period is longer. For hospital records the recommendation is a minimum of eight years. The maximum recommended length for retention is 30 years, unless otherwise required by law or some other circumstance.

If you have received any complaints or there has been an adverse incident with a patient, we would recommend keeping the records indefinitely, even if the complaint was resolved satisfactorily. Whilst there are time limits for bringing claims, the courts have the power to extend those limits. This does leave a dark cloud hanging over you; never knowing what might come through the post. However, being prepared with ‘contemporaneous, complete and accurate’ records will help ease the stress of dealing with any complaint or claim.

Please note that if a patient has a disability as a result of an ‘unsound mind’ the normal time limits for record retention do not apply. In these cases, the records should be held indefinitely.

On top of your professional duties, dental practices will also be covered by the Data Protection Act 1998. This requires anyone who holds sensitive personal data about an individual to ensure that the data is accurately created and carefully and securely maintained. Ensuring records are kept securely includes keeping them confidential. The Data Protection Act also states that data should be retained for no longer than necessary. You can find further guidance about your duties under the Data Protection Act in this helpful guide for businesses produced by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Disclosing Records

Both the Data Protection Act and Access to Health Records Act provide patients with the right to see their dental records.

If you receive a written request from a patient for their dental records, this must be dealt with as quickly as possible but in any event within 40 days. We have set out below under ‘practical tips’ the fees you can charge for providing the documents and what to do if the request is from a third party.

The request must be to the person who controls the data, and it must contain information such that the data controller can be satisfied as to the identity of the person making the request and provide information as to the data sought.

You cannot refuse a patient access to their records unless one of the following applies:

1.       Disclosure would be likely to cause serious harm to mental or physical health of the patient or any other person;

2.    Disclosure would require you to provide information about a third party (other than the dental team providing the treatment) unless the third party consent’s to the disclosure. (Please note that if you can easily redact such information you should do so, rather than refusing the request.)

Once you have received a request you must provide the patient with a copy of all the information you hold about that patient.

If you have destroyed records and a patient subsequently asks to see their record, under the Data Protection Act it is reasonable to say that it was destroyed because it was no longer necessary to be kept.

Breaches of data protection laws can result in criminal as well as civil liability (not to mention adverse publicity, which is increasingly the likely result of non-compliance) so it is not advisable to ignore requests for personal data.

Practical Tips

Identity. You must ensure that the identity of the patient is correct and that you are sending them their patient records. If you are in any doubt ask the patient for more information to help identify them. If you send the wrong records you will be in breach of the Data Protection Act and, as stated above, this could result in criminal or civil action against you.

Consent. If the request is from a solicitor, ensure that the patient has consented to the records being sent to the solicitor and that they understand why the records are being sought. Most solicitors will use a standard form, because it sets out all the relevant information, but there is no requirement to do so.

Fees. The fees that can be charges for copying records are as follows:

Dental Records held electronically

£10

Dental Records held manually

Max. £50

Dental records held electronically and manually

Max. £50

Photocopying charges

You cannot charge an additional amount

Postage charges

You cannot charge an additional amount

X-rays or scans

Should come within £50 unless the patient has a large number. In that case you may be able to justify copying charges onto film.

 

Please note that the fees are the maximum you can charge and you should be able to justify them. They are meant to cover your costs for reproducing the records. For example if the patient only has around 10 pages held manually, charging £50 for administration and copying charges is unlikely to be deemed reasonable.

X-rays and scans can be transferred onto a CD and then disclosed rather than copying them onto film.

Opinions. A legal representative may also seek your opinion on the patient’s treatment and prognosis. Unless you are being asked to provide an expert witness report for court purposes (which you would only be able to do if you had never treated the patient in question) we would recommend that you avoid providing any comments. Any comments could later be used against you in respect of a claim.

If you do provide an opinion, you can seek a separate fee for this, as this is a report and therefore not covered by the Data Protection Act.

Potential Claims. If you receive a request from a legal representative, we would not recommend seeking clarification as to the reasons for the request, simply respond to the request and notify your indemnity insurer or defence union, so they are on notice should anything arise in the future. Providing the medical records may be enough to show there is no claim and nothing further may come of it.

 

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Meeting the demand - Martin Gilbert

Meeting the demand - Martin Gilbert

There can be no denying that the face of dentistry is changing. Over the last two years it has been well documented how cosmetic treatments have truly come to the fore – with the public demanding access to procedures such as tooth whitening and dental veneers as standard.

A number of different causal factors have been attributed to this trend, ranging from an increased understanding of available procedures and possibilities, to a more stable economy – some experts even consider the growing ‘selfie culture’ to be responsible for society’s drive for a better smile.

Whatever the reason, dental professionals must be prepared to take advantage of this growing demand. Those who do not take adequate steps to align their services with the demands of the public will ultimately find themselves losing out to those who have.

Of course, the first step is to gain the appropriate qualifications in order to offer such procedures. In the UK there are many exceptional learning programmes that impart the clinical skills necessary to offer the most desirable treatments. However, clinical ability is only one small part of the larger equation. Practitioners must also be aware of the different aspects of the growing cosmetic dentistry market.

For example, professionals must understand that their patients’ desire to improve their smile through elective treatments will always be tempered with their mindfulness of cost. It would be remiss to suggest that cosmetic treatments are inexpensive; by their very nature, along with the time and professional expertise required to perform them predictably and safely, they can be relatively costly.

It is no good to simply lower the cost of treatment, since remuneration for these treatments must be worth the cost of training, equipment and materials, and in many cases, the cost of outsourcing work to laboratories. Nevertheless, practitioners must be mindful that patients who are desperate to achieve a more aesthetic smile for less may resort to unlicensed providers or DIY treatments.

An effective solution to this conundrum would be to offer patients credit.

Those practices that provide patient finance benefit in a number of ways. Firstly, from a business sense, they can increase the uptake of their high-value procedures by making them more accessible to a public that wants them. From an ethical point of view, it enables practitioners to offer a safer option than DIY dentistry. It also becomes a USP for a practice – and can be used to attract more patients and revenue over time. For patients, it enables them to attain the treatments they want in a more affordable way.

Yet offering credit to patients has recently become far more complicated than it has ever been before. Before 2014, the provision of consumer credit licences was governed entirely by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and, by all accounts, the process of acquiring one was simple. However, as a direct result of the credit crunch in 2008, the Government transferred management of consumer credit to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Unlike the OFT, the FCA requires detailed reports on a quarterly and annual basis as well as numerous fees and duties which equate to a significant amount of management and expense simply to maintain compliance. Many practitioners simply do not have the time to do this – after all, their primary remit is the safe and effective provision of dental treatment: not fiddling around with bureaucratic applications and reports.

As such, a plethora of different companies have emerged offering to manage FCA authorisations on behalf of a practice. For a fee, these services will ensure a practice remains FCA compliant and will support customers with all the necessary reporting and maintenance. However, while this type of service can certainly help practitioners cope with the administrative burden of an FCA authorisation it still represents a significant monetary investment that could potentially negate the financial benefits of offering credit in the first place.  

Chrysalis Finance offers an alternative solution, however. Rather than directly managing a practice’s own authorisation, it allows practices to become an Appointed Representative – essentially enabling it to offer credit without being directly authorised. All regulatory matters and FCA reporting are dealt with by the expert team at Chrysalis Dental, in exchange for a nominal monthly fee. What’s more, the team will be on hand to offer marketing advice and promotional material to ensure that patients are fully aware of the available finance options. 

To meet the demand of modern dentistry, practices need to be able to offer their patients more options. Extending credit for high-value procedures is an effective way of increasing uptake and building a positive reputation for your service. Do so easily and securely as an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance.

 

For more information about Chrysalis Finance call us on 0333 32 32 230 or visit www.chrysalisfinance.com

 

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Spring Motivation?

Spring Motivation?

 

Motivation is funny old thing. What is that makes you get up and go to work? In amongst the demands of family life, most of us have to insert some productive hours to generate income to fund the lifestyle of our choice. So be it. But dark winters, both meteorologically and professional with persistent bad news, take their toll.

So as the days lengthen, the earth continuing to tilt on its axis, and the temperatures rise, notwithstanding the unusual nature of May snow !]  you feel the burdens of winter lifting. So let the sun warm your face and raise your spirits. It makes a change from rust and frostbite!

May and its adjacent months are the period of Dental Shows, and Conferences. The Dentistry Show in Birmingham, an acclaimed success, despite the fact that only 5% of the registrant population attend. Then the BDA Conference in Manchester takes place at the end of May and the LDC Conference 2 weeks later, in Manchester too. The Scots LDC Conference took place at the end of April.

These events are a chance to catch up, network with colleagues, and begin to feel good about your profession.  Feel the draw of the latest technologies and equipment, dream, perhaps plan, the next big step in your professional life.

It’s not too late to drop into the BDA Conference and call your Representatives to account. 130 Sessions over 3 days. The link is below.  Manchester in May? Blazing sunshine, darling.  If you have not been, give it some thought. Motivate yourself.

 

Forgiveness is motivating ?

Motivation in its widest sense might mean, for example, that past misdemeanours of our lead regulator fade into a forgiving memory. Sadly recent events mean I cannot avoid mention our old muckers, the "Wimpole Street Stasi".

Spare a thought for the situation of our colleague Dr David Lee, whose wellbeing and reputation have been unnecessarily tested to breaking point by an FtP Hearing at the GDC which was not just thrown out, but was found so wanting that there was NO CASE TO ANSWER. In other words the GDC simply drove an FtP case on a spurious basis.  I urge you to read the hearing while you can, and gasp in anger and sympathy that such events can even be commenced, let alone taken to this £1/4M expensive debacle.

The GDC Chairman, Dr William Moyes, has only last week had the gall to stand up at the Scottish LDCs meeting [linked here to a GDPUK thread] and state that  he is not resigning because, in essence he is part of “The Solution”.  So much for accountability for his Councils distinct lack of proper oversight.

Dr Moyes may be part of some perverse Final Solution but I am not sure that is part of what he has in mind.

For me and my colleagues such as Dr Keith Hayes it is a motivating feeling to think that Dr Moyes is still in post and still does not get it.   Time for a Spring clean? 

So does motivation really increases your capacity to forgive or does it merely allow you to feel justified in moving on in respect of matters about which, in truth, you can do little?

“Whatever, no worries” becomes your daily Gallic shrug.  It’s sunny and the days are long, do I care?

Good job really if you are NHS funded.... Read on ...

 

 

Lost you way? You’re not the only ones…

 

The perils of the all new, singing and dancing Government computerised support in the form of Compass is just ‘one of those things’. Oh for a paper FP17 – oh wait they have changed them, slotted in some extra data collection but failed to print them in time. Online advice on their filling-in is there – but no FP17 other than a sample version!  So use the old ones for now – which Compass of course cannot process properly!

 

The stories of struggles with Compass are now becoming more than irritating – it is beginning to feel like the software has not been properly specified and it may, if the present shambles is anything to go be, be at least one financial year before all the errors and omissions are corrected. Indeed, Compass and its pointed failures  have been a feature a long thread on GDP UK recently if you have not read it.

Meanwhile, if you are spinning your Compass to see which way it points, Good Luck!   You are not alone…  This was a Government Spring Clean which does not appear to have worked well.

 

CQC – Motivating better regulation

On the other hand, compliance is never an easy activity. Let’s face it we are all dragged to the altar screaming. The CQC, in particular now they have Dr John Milne in a leading role, barely a year after his Chair of the BDAs GDPC ceased, are actually evolving fast and well and now leading the future of Regulation in the wider sense.

Not only are their processes actually evolving fast and being targeted where needed, but they are dragging all the regulatory participants to the table to sort out who does what.

They are to be congratulated for their initiative, “The Future of Dental Service Regulation”  a punchy, pleasantly  brief document that has great potential to change dentistry for the better. Read it here.

You can take part – so go to the links and get your say in. It will make you feel better.  The CQC are looking increasingly like an effective strategic ally of the Dental Profession, with scope to act where the Professional Services Authority [PSA] lack the teeth.

Now that feels better!!

 

The weather? Yeah, motivating, isn’t it?

Good job everything else in life is a motivating force for good.

It seems that some of the leading agencies upon which we depend could do with a Spring Clean.

Where shall we start?

Have great one.

 

 

LINKS IN DETAIL

SPRING MEETINGS

Dentistry Show http://www.thedentistryshow.co.uk/

BDA Conference https://www.bda.org/conference

LDC Conference http://www.ldcuk.org/

GDC

GDC Case – Dr David Lee https://www.gdc-uk.org/Membersofpublic/Hearings/Determinations%202016/LEE%20PCC%20Determination%20-%20April%202016.pdf

LDC Scotland Moyes encounter https://www.gdpuk.com/forum/gdpuk-forum/thoughts-on-an-encounter-with-dr-moyes-22119

Dr Keith Hayes  http://www.rightpath4.com

COMPASS LINKS

GDPUK Compass thread https://www.gdpuk.com/forum/gdpuk-forum/compass-21660

FP17 R9 Guidance http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Documents/DentalServices/Completion_of_form_guidance_-_FP17_-_England_(V5)_-_11_2015.pdf

FP17 R9  sample form http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Documents/DentalServices/20160216_FP17_Proof_Sample.pdf

CQC

Consultation on Regulation: http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/future-dental-service-regulation

The Document http://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/20151207_future_dental_service_regulation.pdf

 

 

 

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Dentists are Pussycats

Dentists are Pussycats

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Support your denture patients

Support your denture patients

 

When patients hear the news that they need dentures, everything else you tell them is often unheard.¹ At least 32% of patients don’t know what questions to ask their dentist when getting their new denture fitted.²*

To help support your patients on their denture journey, we have created the Poligrip® Partner Programme in conjunction with dental professionals.

Ask your GSK representative today for further information on the Poligrip® range and Partner Programme.

 

The Poligrip® range

The Poligrip® range includes:

-          Poligrip® Overnight Whitening Daily Cleanser

-          Poligrip® 3 Minute Daily Cleanser

-          Poligrip® Ultra Fixative Cream

-          Poligrip® Flavour Free Fixative Cream

 

Recommend the Poligrip® range to help your patients with dentures eat, speak and smile with confidence.

For additional support GSK have developed a distance learner module on the topic of “Caring for Patients with Dentures”. The module has been designed to provide you with an insight into the patient experience of dentures as well as supporting you when providing practical advice.

For further information on the Poligrip® range and to complete the distance learner module visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk. What’s more, completion of the module can contribute up to 1.5 hours towards your verifiable CPD!

                  

 

 

Trade Marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies

 

References:

  1. Kessels RPC. J R Soc Med 2003;96:219-222
  2. Data on file, GSK. RH02678, December 2014

 

*Based on a survey of 1748 denture wearers in four countries

CHGBI/CHPOLG/0017/16

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Visit the GSK stand at BDA – stand B03

Visit the GSK stand at BDA – stand B03

 

                             

This year the GSK Consumer Healthcare team will be visiting the BDA conference to showcase Sensodyne® and Pronamel®.

New Sensodyne® Repair & Protect – now with stronger repair+, offers sensitivity sufferers the benefit of both advanced NovaMin® technology with sodium fluoride in a single formulation. The immediate availability of sodium fluoride when brushing allows for greater* fluoride uptake into the hydroxyapatite-like layer formed by NovaMin®, over exposed dentine.¹ 

Pronamel® toothpaste has an optimised fluoride formulation to help minerals penetrate deep into the tooth surface, actively strengthening and re-hardening acid-weakened enamel.2-5 Pronamel® toothpaste delivers more fluoride deeper into enamel than other fluoride toothpaste² helping to protect patients enamel from the effects of erosive tooth wear.

Visit stand B03 to try Sensodyne® Repair & Protect and Pronamel® toothpaste for yourself in our tasting station. The stand will also feature an interactive lecture revealing the truth about patients with dentine hypersensitivity and erosive tooth wear.

 

GSK are pleased to be sponsoring two presentations at BDA

“Burden of Oral Diseases in Ageing Populations and links with General Health” - Georgios Tsakos

Thursday 26th May, 14:30 – 15:30

The presentation will review the epidemiological evidence on the burden of older adults and highlight the issues around the impact on quality of life.

“How to Manage and Prevent Patient Tooth Wear Caused by Dietary Acids” – Rupert Austin

Friday 27th May, 11:45 – 12:45

The presentation will cover the clinical signs and symptoms of erosive tooth wear and dentine hypersensitivity as well as revealing the latest science on prevention and diagnosis of tooth wear and hypersensitivity.

 

 

 

Reference: 1. GSK Data on File, 142234. 2. Edwards MI et al. Correlation of Enamel Surface Rehardening and Fluoride Uptake – DSIMS imaging. Presented at IADR, September 2006. 3. Fowler C et al. J Clin Dent. 2006; 17(4): 100-105. 4. Hara AT et al. Caries Res 2009; 43: 57-63. 5. Barlow AP et al. J Clin Dent. 2009; 20(6): 192-198.

+Vs. previous formulation. Forms a protective layer over the sensitive areas of the teeth. Brush twice a day for lasting sensitivity protection.

*Compared to previous formula with sodium monofluorophosphate

 

Trade Marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.

CHGBI/CHSENO/0048/16b

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Have you reserved your place for GSK Talking Points in Dentistry 2016?

Have you reserved your place for GSK Talking Points in Dentistry 2016?

 

The 4 venues for Talking Points in Dentistry 2016 are booking up fast so make sure you reserve your free place now!

Open to all members of the practice team, Talking Points in Dentistry takes place in 4 venues across the UK during May. Attending this event can contribute up to 2.5 hours of verifiable CPD and you will be awarded a certificate following the lecture.

Book now – visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk

 

 

This year there will be 2 lecture sessions, delivered by industry experts, with content tailored for specific practice roles.

For dentists, hygienists and therapists – “The personal and social impact of dentine hypersensitivity”.

For dental nurses, practice managers and other team members – “Dealing with nervous patients”

 

Places are allocated on a first come first served basis so make sure you book up now! Visit www.gsk-dentalprofessionals.co.uk

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Do you need the penetration test?

Do you need the penetration test?

Do you need the penetration test?

 

Don’t worry, I’m not about to delve into the wet fingers stuff – this is a different penetration test (no smirking at the back). The idea came to me after hearing a radio programme about cyber crime. They interviewed someone who had been employed as a Penetration Tester. A penetration test (a.k.a. pentest, intrusion detection and red teaming) is, it seems, a well-known and recognised process in the worlds of cyber security and IT governance. Essentially, it is an evaluation of the security of IT systems by trying to exploit vulnerabilities before hackers and criminals can. It goes beyond looking at operating systems and software to include improper configurations and risky operator or end-user actions.

 

A dentest?

My idea is that dental practices should evaluate their governance vulnerabilities by what I’m calling a ‘dentest’. In other words, before CQC inspectors mark you down, the GDC writes a disapproving letter or a patient uses your complaints procedure you should check whether your systems or staff can be faulted. There might be several ways to do this. In the wider world reformed hackers and fraudsters are often employed for such tasks. However, I don’t recommend scouring the GDC’s list of erased dentists. Much more sensible to keep it in-practice.

This is where that irritating team member who is always finding fault and asking endless questions comes into their own. Divide activities in the practice into manageable chunks and set them the task of ‘penetrating’ them one at a time. In theory, they need expertise in an area to be able to exploit any vulnerabilities. Otherwise, how will they know whether, for example, decontamination procedures are being followed correctly?

 

A journalistic trick

Fortunately, such in-depth knowledge is not required. How do you think Jeremy Paxman managed to get politicians to squirm night after night? How does the team on Channel Four News report on a variety of different topics with apparent authority? The answer lies in what journalists and reporters learn on their first day at university – the ‘5 W’s’ – Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? (yes, I know there’s also an ‘H’). Ask these questions persistently enough and you’re bound to get the answers (or not) on virtually every topic.

 

 

For example

Take decontamination procedures. Your ‘dentester’ needs to be given half an hour during which they ask the 5 W (and 1 H) questions of, initially, virtually anyone in the practice. Anyone? Yes, because they might start by asking the practice manager: “Who is responsible for decontamination?” With that answer, they could ask the person or persons named: “What is the decontamination procedure?” Then follow up with: “Where is it done? Why? How?”

Any “I don’t know”, “I’m not sure”, “I’d have to ask”, “I can’t remember”, replies suggest a vulnerability.

If they began with a receptionist, they might get the answer: “I don’t know”, which they can follow up by asking: “Who will know?”. If the receptionist says the practice manager, the dentester is off and running. If the receptionist doesn’t know, that suggests a vulnerability – each member of the team should know what roles and responsibilities other members, especially senior staff, have.

 

Another example

Now the dentester, or another member of staff with an equally enquiring mind, could play at being a patient. They could ask any team member: “How do I make an appointment?”, “How do I make a complaint?”, “When is the hygienist available?”, “Where is the nearest car park”, “How much do implants cost?” Depending on whether they questioned the part-time Associate or a receptionist, they should be given either the name of the person who will know or the actual answer. The dentester proceeds to ask more questions, as before.

 

The learning points

The dentester’s work is, of course, wasted unless you ensure the vulnerabilities he or she uncovers are shared with the team and corrections discussed and implemented. Also, a dentest is neither a one-off exercise or a standalone one. With new compliance requirements coming on stream all the time, new systems being introduced and new staff joining the team, vulnerabilities may surface again – so regular dentesting is required.

Also, you may wish to enlist a ‘secret shopper’ to check for vulnerabilities. Obviously it needs to be a person your can trust and who will respect confidentiality. Perhaps someone from your plan provider or the dental lab you use or, better still, your favourite dental business management consultant…

 

 

Image credit -Andy Maguire under CC licence -  modified.

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Euro Dental Depot launches at Dentistry Show

Euro Dental Depot launches at Dentistry Show

 

Dentistry show saw the launch of Euro Dental Depot with great success. (www.EuroDentalDepot.euEuro Dental Depot is a new concept in supply and communication within the UK Dental market.

It is a “members only” Ecommerce company supported by numerous Dental manufacturing companies and their product lines. The traditional method of realising a profit has been turned on its head allowing reduced pricing of products available on the site. The website also has a platform whereby members can communicate with colleagues, share clinical experiences, review courses, promote courses, share material experiences or even post job vacancies you have available. Registration is free using your GDC number and members must be registered to have access to the benefits the site has to offer.

The Dentistry show was used as a platform to register members. The stock of products along with details of participating companies will be introduced to the site when material stocks arrive in the UK early May, to ensure prompt delivery.

The Euro Dental Depot ecommerce company is also shortly launching into a further five European countries. So support Euro Dental Depot and join the site today.

www.EuroDentalDepot.eu

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Think Positive

Think Positive

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GDC Watch March 2016

GDC Watch March 2016

 

I have been keeping an eye on the cases emerging from the Fitness to Practice and other committees of the General Dental Council [GDC] for some time, I am sure other GDPUK readers will be interested to know what goes on each month. So, the aim will be to write summary monthly, in what we hope is a short lived blog.

Monthly breakdown of case types and outcomes

The month of March saw 59 hearings scheduled after one was moved back to start in April.  There was 1 registration appeal which was granted.  Of the remaining cases, 18 were new Practice Committee hearings, 6 were Practice Committee review hearings and 2 were health cases.  Interim Orders held 14 new hearings and 18 review hearings.  Broken down by registrant type, there were 48 dentists, 4 dental nurses, 4 dental technicians, 2 hygienists and 1 clinical dental technician involved in hearings.

Interim Orders handed out 8 new suspensions and 8 continuation of suspensions, placed 1 registrant on conditions and kept 7 on conditions.  One suspension was revoked, 1 suspension was downgraded to conditions and 5 cases had no order.  Of the new suspensions 6 of the 8 registrants were not represented and not present.

The Health Committee suspended 1 registrant and placed another on conditions. The Practice Committee erased 1 registrant, issued 2 suspensions, 2 extensions of suspension, and placed 2 registrants on conditions whilst 2 had their conditions extended.  Four suspension orders were revoked, 3 reprimands were given, 3 cases were adjourned, 3 registrants were found not impaired, 1 case was referred back to the Investigating Committee, and in 1 case no misconduct was found. 

March’s cases of interest

The erased registrant was neither present nor represented, but the case mainly related to failing to take appropriate radiographs, failures in treatment planning and record-keeping, lacking indemnity cover whilst treating patients on 4 days, and a failure to cooperate with the GDC.

In the ‘No Misconduct’ case the registrant essentially faced charges which related to not providing an estimate of costs for root canal treatment (although he did not actually invoice the patient for any of the treatment provided), not informing the patient of the risks of the proposed treatment and therefore failing to obtain informed consent. In fact, the registrant had only provided emergency treatment to try to relieve pain and infection.  This was ultimately not successful and the tooth was removed by another dentist. The patient/witness actually complained to the GDC about something else, but this was not worthy of any charges so how this case actually came about is not clear from the determination.  Despite having a confused recollection at times, the patient was still described to be a credible witness. Another matter which is not clear in the determination is why there were 3 experts involved - 1 for each party and a joint expert statement.   The registrant admitted all the charges, but the panel found some aspects not proved and despite both the GDC and defence counsel accepting misconduct and impairment, the panel found neither on the basis that the treatment was emergency in nature rather than a definitive RCT procedure, and the failings not so serious as to be considered deplorable.  A happy outcome here with the lesson of not assuming that because you have not charged a patient they won’t complain about you.   

The case referred back to the Investigating Committee involved fissure sealants on a single patient, which the GDC-appointed expert Professor Deery (who is a paediatric dentistry consultant and Dean of Sheffield School of Clinical Dentistry) had concluded were appropriate after he had examined the patient, and that wear on the patient’s teeth was due to erosion rather than damage caused by the registrant.  It was submitted that this evidence would change the view of the IC and that no realistic prospect of a finding of misconduct existed, begging the question did one exist in the first place?  How the case came about, and on what the basis of the patient complained is not explicit in the determination but it is implied that the registrant may have perhaps been accused of creating damage in which to place fissure sealants or otherwise creating unneeded work for themselves.  This case highlights the inherent issues with the lack of a clinical examination until a late stage, (if at all) in the FtP process and how assessors and experts creating charges purely on clinical records is a flawed concept.  This case will have involved a significant waste of registrants’ money in reaching a Practice Committee that could have perhaps have been avoided with an earlier examination of the patient. Hopefully with the recruitment of dentally-qualified caseworkers cases like this can be avoided in future.

Mr N, who was neither present nor represented, was suspended following his hearing which included 73 individual heads of charge, many of which had several sub-headings.  The GDC-instructed barrister may have missed Jonathan Green’s presentation at the Dental Protection Study Day last October where he stated that no over-drafting of allegations would take place following the embarrassment of the Kirschner case.  In the determination the GDC-appointed expert, Professor Morganstein seems to advise that linings ought to be placed under amalgam restorations.  With no representation there is no means of contesting such a view even though many GDPs would now not line amalgams, nor is there any conclusive evidence that they need to be.  Professor Morganstein is apparently the Dean of the dental school at the University of Buckingham (I know what you are thinking…. and I’ve not heard of it either).  I feel this case nicely highlights the problem with the GDC using experts who are focused on academia or in specialist practice opining on GDPs, and is directly contributing to the stealthy moving of standards in an upwards direction.

 

Finally, the long-running Carew case which I have been watching with interest due to the charge of:

·         you failed to adequately record the clinical reason why a try-in was required……

has left me somewhat disappointed as this charge was withdrawn on day 1 of the hearing. It looks like we will never get to find out why this element of record-keeping was considered to have been essential.  

 

 

 

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Recent Comments
Anthony Kilcoyne

GDC cases monthly comment & an...

This is a great initiative Vicky and actually, in the public interest, I believe the GDC should welcome it too, if it's serious ab... Read More
Wednesday, 20 April 2016 09:41
Victoria Holden

Thank you

Thank you for the positive feedback Tony. I hope the blog is well-received by all parties as I believe there is a lot we can all ... Read More
Wednesday, 20 April 2016 10:47
Ruth Dening

GDC watch blog

Thank you for this, you must have spent a lot of time on it. It is really interesting to see what's happening.
Wednesday, 20 April 2016 17:37
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The Full Marketing Experience

The Full Marketing Experience

 

Our site is free for members of the dental profession to join. Established since 1997, we are proud to have nearly close to 10,000 members of our online community.

Revenue for the site is generated by companies from the dental industry advertising on the site.

Advertising on the site is done in the form of banner ads. These work well on the platform because they are reaching an audience who are interested in what services or products are available and you are offering something the audience is interested in.

We also offer advertising on our daily digest emails, which get sent 3 times a day and on average get opened over 100,000 times a month. These are opened on a frequent basis because they the content changes as the forum posts change.

As part of this advertising experience, we feel we can offer you more than traditional advertising mediums. GDPUK offers a value added experience.

 

  • Exposure on the site or daily digest for a full month or as long as you want. Pricing is on a per month basis. This generates a large number of impressions of your message.

  • Opportunity to post PR or blogs onto the site to accompany your campaign, these are then shared with our thousands of followers on social media. So as well as reaching our community audience, you are reaching another audience through social media.

  • By posting content and information to our blog pages, you can be seen as an opinion leader in your sector.

  • Our ad serving software can display more than one ad at a time, instead of having all your impressions on one message, you can split the exposure between as many messages as you want. This works well for a dental business that has a number of product or service offerings eg. a business that does dental repairs and sells equipment, can advertise both services at once. This is a fabulous way to test what works and experiment with which ads gain the best response.

  • Click throughs can be to a dedicated landing page on our website, where you can collect data or provide further information to the audience.

  • Advert can appear on our front page and our news / blog pages, which get viewed thousands of times in a month.

  • Option to run a forum review of your product or service for a small extra fee.

  • Option to have a sponsored post on the forum for a small extra fee.


So as you can see, we offer banner ads but we also offer a number of extras that we include in the package that makes it a great marketing opportunity. If you would like further information and are interested in reaching your target audience, please get in touch today. Pricing starts from £299 + vat.

 

Email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel - 07786571547

We will be attending the Dentistry Show, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to meet up.

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3 reasons you must visit Patient Plan Direct at the Dentistry Show this week

3 reasons you must visit Patient Plan Direct at the Dentistry Show this week

 

This year Patient Plan Direct (PPD) is exhibiting for the first time at the Dentistry Show. Now working with over 300 practices across the UK, PPD business development manager  – Janice Charlton, outlines 3 reasons why you should visit stand B75 and the PPD team if you’re attending the Show at the NEC this Friday 22nd or Saturday 23rd April.

Janice explains: “Whether your practice already offers a dental plan via another plan provider, or you’re considering how you can create less reliance on the NHS and take steps to plan ahead of changes in the future, or you simply want to explore launching a dental plan to offer patients greater choice and nurture patient loyalty, PPD can help.

“Just take a look at how other practices have benefited from taking advantage of our efficient, low cost approach to helping your practice run, develop and grow a practice-branded dental plan thanks to our admin fee of just £1 per patient per month.”

Reason 1: Consider transferring from another plan provider: Read how High Street Dental significantly cut their plan administration fees and saved thousands in costs, spending savings to further develop their practice CLICK HERE

Reason 2: Consider creating less reliance on the NHS: Read how and why Causeway Dental Practice have successful created less reliance on the NHS and grown private revenue streams in working with PPD CLICK HERE

Reason 3: Consider launching a plan for the first time: Read why Holly Dental felt it was essential to introduce a private dental plan and why they opted to work with PPD  CLICK HERE

 

If you’re not going to the show, but you would like to discover how PPD can help your practice please contact us to arrange an exploratory meeting at your practice:

 

Call: 08448486888

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Web: www.patientplandirect.co.uk

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NHSexit

Should I stay or should I go now?

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Chas Lister

Brexit or Brinnit

Brilliant
Wednesday, 20 April 2016 06:20
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Yes Minister, No Dentistry

Yes Minister, No Dentistry

The new Minister was being briefed by the new Permanent secretary, Lady Arabella Sternchin.

 

“Good morning Minister.”

“Good morning Arabella - it is OK for me to call you Arabella I hope? “

 

“Quite acceptable Minister.”

“Good I didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot. I heard that old Humphrey could be a stickler for protocol.”

 

“I never worked directly with him, Minister, so I was never more than ‘my dear girl’.”

“Well that’s all clear then. Now as we’re both new boys, what are we going to do to get rid of the dentists Arabella?”

 

“Ah yes, I have done some research.”

“Splendid. Burning the midnight oil what?”

 

“No Minister. Burning out interns. It seems that one your predecessors thought they had things sorted out a decade ago.”

“What was the intention?”

 

“Well they imposed a new contract that was so ridiculous, so half baked and so poor for all parties that no-one with any common sense would sign it.”

“What happened?”

 

“The dentists signed it. They ignored advice and signed in their droves. Now the doctors, as Mr Hunt is finding, love a fight, the BMA is a nasty opponent and of course people like doctors. We presumed that as it was so obvious the dentists would lose their clinical freedom and wouldn’t be able to do clever work they would say no and head for private practice. But no such luck.”

“That was 10 years ago though Arabella, haven’t we tried anything since?”

 

“We got this chap Cockcroft to tell everybody that everything was wonderful.”

“Oh yes I met him once - the shifty one who can’t look you in the eye?”

 

“That’s him. Well in spite of the fact that nobody ever believed a word he said, indeed quite the opposite, they all opted for to jam today instead of no bread tomorrow.”

“Didn’t we try anything else?”

 

“Yes we opted for ‘death by acronyms’, the civil servants’ foolproof fallback.”

“What did we use?”

 

“First there was something called HTM01 oh something, it was all to do with cross infection. We put it about that dental practices were death traps and full of all sorts of bugs. We backed it up with lecture tours by a couple of burned out bug counters and some research work by the manufacturers of some extraordinary things called washer disinfectors. They were really souped up dishwashers but had the lifespan of a mayfly. Did no end of good for our German chums who sold them and made the fang farriers pay for servicing. Fact finding trips to the Black Forest all round!”

“I remember that. What else?”

 

“Then we thought we would trial the CQC on them - totally inappropriate for their industry of course but it helped us prepare for the real targets, the GPs. We made them pay for our mistakes too - what a naive bunch these are.”

“Didn’t they smell a rat?”

 

“Sadly not at all, in fact they kept coming back for more. A bit like dental Oliver Twists, “give us more UDAs”, they said.” Then a stroke of genius, they sent Bill Moyes to the GDC.”

“What madman Moyes? He’s not still at large is he?”

 

“Oh yes indeed Minister and he’s on our side now.”

“So let me get this straight, the original plan was to freeze them out of the NHS, into the good old private sector. How would we placate the voters, you know the Daily Mail reading “we support the NHS” brigade? They vote for us you know.”

 

“Privatisation minister.”

“Shhhh! Keep your voice down. How?”

 

“You remember the Carlyle group?”

“What the chaps who sell guns and ammo? They’re so bad even the Yanks don’t like them. How did that work?”

 

“We arranged for lots of little practices to be bought by Carlyle.”

“Goodness that’s cunning - what did the dentists do?”

 

“Some of them especially those growing long in the tooth - if you’ll excuse the pun - hated these “corporates” with a vengeance, but they hated the CQC, GDC and so on even more.”

“That doesn’t sound too good.”

 

“Bear with me Minister.”

“Chance would be a fine thing.”

 

“Cheeky. It seemed that once these upright, responsible members of the profession saw the colour of Carlyle’s cash they couldn’t wait to trouser the money, roll over, mutter “what principles?" and head for the golf course to blow their lump sums on Rory McIlroy clubs and Audi estates”.

“Gosh - I wondered where old Keith the teeth went. He was my constituency’s BDA rep and a right royal pain in the posterior.

So where are we now?”

 

“It has proved such a success that the first thing on your desk - once we get rid of this Brexit thing of course - is to consider the idea that we let the Carlyle conglomerate have the whole dental, err, shooting match. It will stop us having to pretend to deal with that dreadful Armstrong man from the BDA, apparently everyone preferred Martin as he knew how to make a decent G&T but this fellow just drinks pints of real ale and keeps nipping out for fag breaks and, by the look of him, the odd pie or two.”

“Isn’t that a bit drastic?”

 

“Not at all if the Mancs can manage health care, then Dentistry is just nickel and dime stuff as the cousins would say.”

“Just like that?”

 

“Indeed, Brexit may be a fly in the ointment, however.”

“How so?”

 

“Keeping these dental sweat shops, sorry surgeries, manned depends upon foreigners who can’t find work in their own lands. At the moment they can get work here easier than our own graduates.”

“Is that fair?”

 

“What’s fair got to with it? When was a dentist ever fair with you?”

“Sorry Arabella, do continue.”

 

“Our graduates are so in debt, what with £45k of tuition fees and much the same in beer loans that they are starting to undercut Johnny dental foreigner.”

“Maggie would be proud.”

 

“Indeed Minister. But it doesn’t stop there. We have plans for the private dentists too.”

“What now?”

 

“The Dutch control the fees that these cruel b****** can charge so we plan to do that and also to introduce a compulsory insurance plan to match the fees. We started talking to Wesleyan and Simply Health a couple of years ago and they have been very active and are readying themselves.”

“Goodness you have been busy.”

 

“That’s just the start minister. Your next meeting this morning is with Nigel my colleague from education. We intend to liberate the dental schools from University control. It’s something that we have been working on for a decade - it was Blair who originally got the ball rolling.”

“You know Tony was a good man really, a shame he pretended to be a red and a bit too keen to press the button. But ethically one of us.”

 

“Instead of teaching the new dental apprentices in ivory towers they will go to urban silos or, as Peter Mandelson christened them, “outreach centres”. These will be run by Carlyle, using their new branding of “ToothSkool”, and the apprentices will learn on volunteer patients for the new three year course. The volunteers will get rewarded with beer vouchers and the children a sticky bun. We have no end of great people coming on board to sponsor these places. Coca-Cola, Tate & Lyle, Kraft Food, Tesco.”

“What fun….good lord Arabella there’s a seat in the Lords waiting for you if this works out.”

 

Yes Minister.

 

 

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VIP Treatment at The Dentistry Show 2016

VIP Treatment at The Dentistry Show 2016

American Express and Henry Schein Dental will be co-hosts of the Business Lounge at The Dentistry Show 2016.

Access to the Shows’ Business Lounge is complimentary for all VIP delegates and is one of the benefits of the full VIP experience which includes fast tracked entry to the event, a free lunch and front row seats in the Aesthetic Dentist Theatre, for qualifying delegates.

From rewarding business spending through the Membership Rewards programme, to assisting with cash flow management, American Express representatives will be inviting delegates to find out how the American Express Gold Business Card for Henry Schein customers can assist their business.

The highly experienced team from Henry Schein Dental will also be on hand to demonstrate the wide variety of industry-leading products and technologies designed to help your practice thrive.

To make the most of all the learning opportunities, world-class speakers and cutting-edge innovations available at The Dentistry Show, and to do so in style, find out more about the VIP experience and Business Lounge today!

For more details about the exclusive welcome offer for Henry Schein customers please visit americanexpress.co.uk/henryschein.

 

 

The Dentistry Show and DTS 2016 – Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd April –

NEC in Birmingham.

 

For further details visit www.thedentistryshow.co.uk call 020 7348 5270 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Kerr all set to launch Maxcem Elite™ Chroma cement

Kerr all set to launch Maxcem Elite™ Chroma cement

 

The Kerr team is delighted to be exhibiting at this year’s Dentistry Show and excited to be launching Maxcem Elite Chroma resin cement into the UK market.

 

Maxcem Elite Chroma is the first self-etch/self-adhesive resin cement offering a colour clean-up indicator, dispensing as a pink colour before fading at the gel state, letting clinicians know the optimal time to clean up any excess.

 

In celebration of this unique characteristic, we are inviting visitors to the stand to take the Maxcem Elite Chroma challenge. Participants will be asked to try Maxcem Elite Chroma; when it is time to clean up they will be able to reach their own conclusions regarding how easy it is to remove the excess from each cemented tooth.  

 

Other features and benefits of Maxcem Elite Chroma include:

• Dual-cure

• Enhanced bond strength

• Radiopacity

• Dual-barrel automix delivery system

• One-Peel™ clean-up

• Easy storage without refrigeration

• Compatibility with all indirect restorations.

 

Also on show will be other standard-setting products that make up Kerr’s rich portfolio, including the sonically activated bulk-fill SonicFill 2 system, the elementsfree obturation system, and the TF Adaptive file system with Adaptive Motion.

 

For further details on the products available from Kerr Restoratives, Endodontics and Prevention, please visit stand G10. 

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IAS Academy Announces Next Course Dates

IAS Academy Announces Next Course Dates

 

Providing an educational pathway that guides GDPs through a recommended sequence of courses but also affords flexibility with multiple entry points for dentists with prior educational and clinical experience. IAS Academy is pleased to announce the next course dates.

 

IAS Inman Aligner Hands-on Course:

  • Birmingham – 3rd June 2016
  • Belfast – 4th June 2016
  • Manchester – 22nd July 2016
  • London – 23rd September 2016
  • London – 18th November 2016

 

IAS Clear Aligner Hands-on Course:

 

  • London – 20th May 2016
  • London – 19th August 2016

 

IAS Fixed Introductory Hands-On Course:

 

  • London – 17th-18th June 2016
  • London – 11th-12th November 2016

 

IAS Fixed Conversion Course:

 

  • Manchester – 24th June 2016
  • London – 4th November 2016

 

IAS Photography Hands-on Course:

 

  • London – 24th September 2016

 

IAS Advanced Ortho-Restorative Course:

 

  • London – 15th July 2016

 

IAS Advanced Programme:

 

  • London – November 2016 – November 2017

 

Overseen by Clinical Director Professor Ross Hobson and taught by globally renowned dental professionals, IAS trainers share their extensive knowledge and expertise.

 

All training and follow-up support is designed to ensure professionals develop the competency and confidence to deliver safe and effective treatment to a wide range of patients.

 

To discover how IAS Academy could help you grow your practice, book your place on one of the above courses or for more information, contact the team today.

 

For more information on upcoming IAS Academy training courses,

please visit www.iasortho.com or call 0845 366 5477

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Denplan launches Hygiene Plan nationally

Denplan launches Hygiene Plan nationally

 

 

Denplan has announced that it will be rolling out its new hygiene payment plan nationwide from today. This follows a successful trial that has been running in Scotland since January 2015. Hygiene Plan is a simple non-insurance based payment plan that can be used in mixed, private or NHS practices. Denplan’s Hygiene Plan will support dental practices that would like to increase their income from private hygiene treatment. It’s also an easy way for patients to spread the cost of their dental hygiene treatments with a hygienist at a practice.

Chris Mackenzie, customer and product strategy manager at Denplan commented: “By using hygiene plan, practices can eliminate unwanted white space from the diary, generate additional income and fully utilise experienced hygienists, therapists and treatment co-ordinators to create and deliver hygiene programmes for patients.

“Hygiene Plan will help patients enjoy that ‘just cleaned’ feeling without having to worry about the cost, and includes the provision of preventive dental advice.  Practices can enjoy the benefit of a more regular private hygiene income with patients that are likely to attend more regularly*.”

The plan is priced for practices with a patient administration fee of £1 per patient per month and can be used to:

 

·         Attract new patients to a practice with an attractively priced entry level plan

 

·         Provide NHS patients with additional hygiene treatment at their request when not currently available on the NHS

 

·         Provide patients who would like additional hygiene treatments with a cost effective programme to improve the appearance of their teeth and smile

 

·         Support patients undergoing periodontal treatment

 

·         Provide patients with a full hygiene maintenance programme following implant therapy

 

 

·         Create a regular oral cancer screening programme in practice, which could be further supported with Oral Health Advice and underpinned with an evidence-based risk screening using a DEPPA assessment (Denplan PreViser Patient Assessment tool)

 

·         Support patients who are trying to give up smoking to improve their oral health. In fact BDA research in 2015 showed private practices are supporting more smoking cessation activities than their NHS colleagues. This is in part due to private practices being able to budget time, staff training and meet the significant expected demand practices think they will face**

Denplan has also set up a dedicated customer service telephone number for Hygiene Plan patients.

Further information about Hygiene Plan is available at www.denplan.co.uk/dentists/hygiene

 

Sources:

* Payment plan patients are the most likely to visit their dentist at least every six months (92%) compared to

private patients who pay as they go (50%). Source: Denplan/YouGov Survey, January 2016. Online survey

of 5,152 UK adults. All respondents who are regular attenders that pay privately, who have a dental payment

plan or pay fee per-item: 822.

** https://www.bda.org/dentists/education/sgh/Documents/Smoking%20cessation%20in%20NHS%20

dentistry%20V2.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Denplan

 

Denplan Limited is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist owned by Simplyhealth; with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 2 million customers. Established in 1986 by two dentists who pioneered the concept of dental payment plans, Denplan has been at the heart of dental care for nearly 30 years. Today, Denplan has a wide range of dental plans for adults and children, enabling patients to spread the cost of their private dental care through a fixed monthly fee. Denplan supports regular attendance and preventive care, reducing the need for clinical intervention and helping patients to maintain healthy teeth and gums for life. Patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402   Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 328 3223

www.denplan.co.uk

 

·         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

·         Plans for Children: routine and other agreed care + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Membership Plan: registered with the dentist + worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover

·         Denplan Emergency: worldwide dental injury and dental emergency cover only

·         Corporate Dental Plans: company funded, voluntary and flexible benefit schemes

 

Denplan also provides a range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme, Denplan Excel Certification Programme and Denplan Training.  Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.

 

For more information about Denplan: