It’s just two months until BDIA Dental Showcase, the UK’s premier dental trade show, opens its doors for business, so make sure you have registered at www.dentalshowcase.com 

At the NEC in Birmingham between 22^nd and 24^th October, around 350 exhibitors, many launching new products and offering incredible show deals, will be on hand to demonstrate to you and your team the latest innovations in technology, products, techniques and services.  Whether it’s specialist manufacturers, dental suppliers, professional service providers or global brands, the most significant and innovative companies in the dental world see BDIA Dental Showcase as a must-attend event, providing an unparalleled opportunity to ‘See it, try it and buy it’. 

It’s also not just the latest products that you’ll find at BDIA Dental Showcase.  With a comprehensive programme of over 100 mini lectures, seminars and on-stand demonstrations, industry experts and thought-leaders will be sharing their knowledge.  Take a look at the lecture programme and discover the diverse range of subjects covered, from learning new techniques and procedures through to helpful and hands-on business advice that could bring you greater success.

In keeping with the BDIA’s pledge of ‘putting innovation into practice’, there is always something new at Dental Showcase.  For example, this year sees the inaugural Dietary Zone, sponsored by The Dairy Council, which reinforces the link between diet and oral health.

BDIA’s Executive Director Tony Reed said: “Every year BDIA Dental Showcase continues to deliver what attendees want – new products, good deals and an opportunity to broaden knowledge in the CPD verifiable mini lecture sessions.  Many of our visitors come back year after year and use BDIA Dental Showcase as a platform to see new products and learn about what’s new in dentistry.”

So why not join more than 10,000 dental professionals and come along to the dental event of the year!  Registration is simple, just go to: www.dentalshowcase.com, call 01494 782873 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Check out the website for a complete list of exhibitors and the updated lecture programme, you can also download the Showcase app to help you make the most of your visit.

The BDIA represents and supports manufacturers and suppliers of dental products, services and technologies, to the benefit of members, the dental profession and the public.

BDIA members gain access to a range of services designed to benefit them and promote the wellbeing of the industry as a whole and the profession gains the reassurance of dealing with like-minded individuals who are committed to providing a high quality standard of service.

BDIA is a non-profit organisation which means that we dedicate our funds solely for the purpose of developing dentistry for the benefit of our members, the profession and the public.

For further information on BDIA Dental Showcase, follow @dentalshowcase on Twitter or like our Facebook page, ‘BDIA Dental Showcase’.

Contact: Dianne Gettinby, Marketing Manager:

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

For more information on the BDIA, please call 01494 782873 or visit www.bdia.org.uk

Institutional Arrogance

Many of you will be reading this from the sneaky preview of your ‘mobile device’ while on holiday so I will keep my mumblings brief. Don’t want the present Partners or Spouses to my dear readers getting a holiday stress on!

Holidays are of course the time when you re bond with the family, and past troubles diminish in their significance such that when you return, the sun still shines and the daises are growing. Holidays allow a new focus on the real issues such as the performance of the many Premier League teams.

If you are single of course holidays can be a “fun” time, strangely challenging in some respects. The STO or Short Term One-nighter relationship can lead to some interesting morning conversations.  Matters of Validity of Consent can raise their head.

And so it is, in your professional area of work.  

I do, I do I do …

You will return from holiday to a focus on your note taking and records like never before. For some time this has been defensive, and a recent case [1] now confirms that it is not enough to record what treatment you undertook. You must now have a discussion with your patient about the risks or proposed treatment, and you must know your patient sufficiently well to apply context to those risks, and the end result will be that the patient should be able to agree to a course of action of their own free will.

GDC Standards for the Dental Team was of course ahead of the consent game by stating in 2013

3.1.2 You should document the discussions you have with patients in the process of gaining consent. Although a signature on a form is important in verifying that a patient has given consent, it is the discussions that take place with the patient that determine whether the consent is valid.

3.2.2 You must tailor the way you obtain consent to each patient’s needs. You should help them to make informed decisions about their care by giving them information in a format they can easily understand.

This of course all takes time. As busy GDPs in mixed practice, that is the one thing that most of you will lack. The threat of an FtP case against you however focusses your mind.

Welcome back to the Autumn of un-squareable circles, as the GDC in their lofty arrogance see no reason why you should have a problem, that body being out of touch with reality.

OK …  Talking of that body the GDC  …

If you have not heard, the problems have officially been fixed. Hurrah!

The Professional Standards Authority issued a report [2] being most unfair & critical of the GDC. The GDC Press release [3] in response was beautifully dismissive – a masterpiece in Institutional Arrogance. Taking arrogance to a new level. Real Premier League stuff

We have already instigated a significant programme of change within the GDC which will help us to support dental professionals to deliver high standards of care and maintain public confidence in the profession.  

You would never guess that the PSA were critical in the extreme, the GDC being a long way below the standards of other regulators. Someone has to come bottom of the class but the GDC take that ‘achievement’ to a new level. You hear the PSA sighing in frustration.

Constantly we hear the mantra from the Executive Suite in Wimpole Street that a new Parliamentary Section 60 order is needed. And yet we read in Fitness to Practice rules [4] as follows:

Initial consideration by the registrar.

The registrar shall consider a complaint or other information in relation to a registered dentist or a registered dental care professional, including a dentist or dental care professional whose registration is suspended, and shall determine whether a complaint or information amounts to an allegation

So the reality of the GDC’s crisis is that it is entirely in the hands of the Registrar to create a system to sort out the wheat from be chaff in letters of allegation received.  Instead of picking true FtP cases, the Registrar operates a set of rules in which it seems that any allegation is considered seriously.  Good grief, the Caseworkers are in some cases a contracted company. 

The GDC has descended to the role of a commercial Complaints Handling body.

Standards is being used as stick to beat the profession and not as a level of practice to which to aspire.

Fitness to Practice is not a Regulatory function in hands of Ms Gilvarry, it has become a commercial operation of immense cost, be that financial to the wider profession through the ARF, the financial cost to a dentist under investigation, or of course  the emotional cost to dentists.

The way that Ms Gilvarry operates demonstrates that she has mastered the delivery of Institutional Arrogance. In the Chairman, Dr Moyes,  she has a willing partner who has revoked his role of oversight.

Who will rid us of this rotten leadership? The summer may be over but the need remains.

Coalescence

It is time for the six registrant members of the GDC to seriously consider their positions. I assume even they were shocked at the GDC’s Press Release.  The BDA and FGDP, perhaps with DPL, & DDU, and perhaps with Denplan, Practice Plan et al, have a massive role here through the BDJs editor’s concept of Coalescence[5]. Action is needed to grab the attention of both the Minister and the Council.

Unless of course they have all caught the Institutional Arrogance disease

 [1]The Montgomery case - Montomery -v-  Lanarkshire health Board Scotland 2015

[2] PSA link

[3] http://www.gdc-uk.org/Newsandpublications/Pressreleases/Pages/General-Dental-Council-response-to-the-PSA%E2%80%99s-report-%E2%80%9CRethinking-Regulation%E2%80%9D.aspx

[4]  http://www.gdc-uk.org/Aboutus/Thecouncil/Meetings%202006/Items%208%20and%209%20FtP%20Rules.pdf

[5]  BDJ leader Vol 219  No 2 July 24^th  “Coalescence”  Stephen Hancocks OBE

Although dental implants have been used for around fifty to sixty years, it used to be that they were considered very much a last resort, and only really meant for those patients who really struggled with their dentures.  However, with recent advances in cosmetic dentistry, and the accessibility thereof, people are beginning to realise that there is a better, more comfortable and potentially more permanent way. Dental implants, whereby a biocompatible titanium screw, inserted into the jawbone, replaces the failed root of the tooth with a prosthetic tooth, crown or bridge are becoming more and more popular.  Whilst they’re still considered ‘cosmetic’ dentistry they bring far more benefits than just a lovely smile – they can improve speech which has been affected by tooth loss; improve eating and allow the patient to eat foods which may otherwise cause them a problem; prevent deterioration of the surrounding bone; have no negative impact on surrounding teeth and, due to their completely natural appearance and feel, dramatically improve confidence and self-esteem.

As with all cutting-edge techniques, people may have concerns about whether dental implants are for them, what problems may occur, and most commonly, how long will they last?  After all, a smile is possibly the most clear and instant form of non-verbal communication and if that’s compromised then life in general can be adversely affected.

The simple – and rather reassuring - answer is that, as dental implants actually fuse with the bone, they could quite literally last a lifetime (although, as with other surgical implant procedures, there is no lifetime guarantee) and cared for correctly, should certainly last many years.  This also makes them an economical solution in the longer term, as the initial treatment can cost little more than more conventional options.  However – and this is a big however – this very much depends on two important aspects:

1.      Expert Aftercare

This is why it is so crucial to ensure you use the very best specialist dental practice, one which has an exceptional reputation in dental implants and restorative dental treatment.  When researching which to use, you will need a comprehensive examination and consultation resulting in a distinct and individual treatment plan detailing exactly what treatment is proposed, the total cost of the procedure, what experience the dentist has in this work, and what the alternatives, if any, could be. 

They should provide clear guidance and instruction on how best to care for your implants along with regular maintenance appointments and ideally as much help and advice as you need, even long after treatment has finished.

2.      Ongoing Hygiene Care

Meticulous hygiene, inter-dental cleaning, perhaps an anti-bacterial mouthwash and regular check-ups are imperative whether teeth are natural or not and the general health of the rest of the mouth and gums is fundamental to the success of implants – as well as the longevity of natural teeth. 

Implants themselves do not decay but the build-up of plaque around the surrounding gum can cause inflammation which may even lead to peri-implantitis, a bacterial infection which causes gradual loss of the bone supporting the implant, and the ultimate failure of implants.  Inadequate oral hygiene is the number one cause of failed dental implants.

A healthy diet, avoiding sugary foods as much as possible is also vital to all dental health and thus the success of implanted teeth, as is the avoidance of smoking.

Observation of common sense dental care and overall good health, along with an expert practitioner will give the very best chance of your implants lasting for a very long time – and give you reason to smile for many years to come.

Article supplied by London City Smiles, specialists in dental implants and cosmetic dentistry procedures.

Foundation Dentists in the Yorkshire and Humber region will receive free sessions on essential finance and accountancy issues by experts from PFM Dental – the only Chartered Financial Planners offering financial advice exclusively to dentists in addition to a specialist dental accountancy service.

On 28 October at a Dental Foundation Training study day in Sheffield Jon Drysdale (dental independent financial adviser) and Jeff Williamson (dental accountant) will present 'Essential Finance for Dentists part one', providing delegates with everything they need to know about finance and accounting for dentists. Topics include: the NHS pension, income protection, obtaining a mortgage, tax and National Insurance and student loan repayments.

Jon Drysdale, an independent financial adviser for Chartered Financial Planners PFM Dental, says: "We have been speaking to Foundation Dentist groups for more than 10 years and are delighted to have been asked to do so again. In a new format, this time we shall present to multiple groups of delegates – as many at 60 – at the same venue."

‘Essential Finance for Dentists part two' is scheduled for April 2016 and will offer practical advice for Foundation Dentists approaching their first self-employed or salaried post.

PFM Dental will also present free CPD Mini-Lectures on finance matters for dentists at BDIA Showcase at the NEC Birmingham, 22-24 October 2015.

Jon Drysdale specialises in pension and wealth management advice exclusively for dentists. Jeff Williamson is a specialist dental accountant with PFM Townends.

For more information visit www.pfmdental.co.uk