It would appear that I have to make an unreserved and wholehearted apology to the entire profession. You might have read my blog of the 1^st April, and for those who didn’t realize it, this was an entirely tongue in cheek observation of the profession in general.

However, in my attempt to take a humorous look at dentistry and so e of the characters that inhabit it, it appears that I was closer to the truth than I thought. It appears someone has taken it a little too seriously as only a couple of days later the real life manifestation of ‘Speedy Smiles’ seemed to appear in the guise of http://straightteethdirect.com. I didn’t bother patenting the idea as I thought it was too far fetched, but obviously someone saw more potential in it than I did.

Now many of us felt that this was someone just perpetuating my joke a little longer, but alas, it seems that this is a real defacto business.

I am aghast. I must apologise unreservedly that my joke has become someone’s new business plan.

I’m all for innovation in dentistry and long been a supporter of it, but it has to be in the patients best interests and above all ethical and moral. There are some true innovators out there who combine aspirational patient care with inspirational treatment ideas, and the profession and our patients are all much richer for that. In fact, there has always been a trend for the true innovators in business do something totally ‘disruptive’ to the models that we know. Apple have built an entire lifestyle culture around their products and their innovative ideas of how we do things such as listen to music and purchase software. So much so, many of the old media systems are becoming defunct. And what about the rise of Uber? Having a disruptive view of the taxi service has lead to the inexorable rise of this new service provider, and certainly divided opinion in the sector. Whilst it can be argued that a new way of providing dental care to the masses is precisely one of these types of established market disruptions there is an enormous difference in our market over that of taxis and phones; that of patient safety and our ethical responsibilities.

I’ve long been arguing that we seem to be in a race to the bottom, and it appears to me that we are now plumbing some new depths that I even I thought our profession would never reach. For me to invent a company one week and then find my overactive and warped humour has actually been closer to the truth than I thought has been a shock to me. This new company has very little information on its website, so there are many questions that need answering. I have indeed tried to ask them, but lo and behold, the ‘contact us’ link doesn’t work. How better to avoid having to answer awkward questions than to have a dead link on your website?

A bit of digging reveals that this business venture is actually headed by a UK dental registrant. I can only assume that they have been in some form of suspended animation for the last couple of years whilst the GDC has trundled its way through the profession like a bulldozer in the Amazonian rainforest. Only someone who has been on a retreat to the deeper depths of another planet without any form of contact with the UK dental market could actually think this is sensible move.

This raises so many important questions that I’ve tried asking but had no reply. For instance:

• How on earth can an entirely remote system of diagnosis and treatment planning meet with any of the GDC standards?
• Where is the duty of care?
• Does a specialist diagnose the malocclusion?
• Are all the technicians GDC registered? (I am lead to understand it is a UK laboratory providing the service)
• Who will be stupid enough to provide IPR on a patient who you have no relationship with, not knowing the final treatment plan?
• When some dentists can barely take impressions, how do you expect patients to do this?
• Who is responsible when (not if) the treatment goes wrong or doesn’t meet expectations?
• How are the distance selling rules and cool off periods dealt with?
• How does the legal responsibility to determine the material risks to a patient we now have because of Lanarkshire v Montgomery square with this?
• Who are the ‘assigned dentists’ who oversee the cases? Are they orthodontists or graduates of the Academy of Seen One Done One Taught One?
• Is this actually a ploy to drive the patients to affiliated dental practices for the work?

I am sincerely hoping that the indemnifiers for once use their discretionary power to withdraw any support from this venture if it is as ill advised and crass as it appears.  Certainly I hope that none of my money will be used to defend such a venture, so one can only hope the person behind this has enough personal wealth to back it themselves if patients suffer, and not ‘Cameroned’ it all off into an offshore haven.

If I may give a medical analogy, would this company jump on the opportunity to allow one to buy a kidney on line and cut out the middle man? Is that ethical or even legal? Would they offer to deal in controlled medicines direct to the patients without proper prescription? Because this is in reality no different to what is being offered. A set of pictures and models looked at remotely are NO substitution for a full examination, and that should be from an experienced practitioner in the field. The provision of dental care is like any medical specialism and as such is governed by legislation in order to protect the patient. It is just like any other form of treatment, and whilst I’m in full support of marketing and the development of new initiatives to allow patients to seek treatment more easily (so I’m no dinosaur) this is a step into the black hole of dubious ethics and seems driven more by the financial gains than the desire to help patients. And on the subject of Dinosaurs, just because the technology probably exists to recreate one of those genetically, that wouldn’t make it right. Technology needs ethics and a moral compass to be used for patient care, and this venture doesn’t seem to have either from where I sit. I know many people that agree given the chatter on social media.

Whilst it sticks in the throat to admit it, one only has to look at the crass forms of marking that sometimes occurs in dentistry to have to sometimes agree with the GDC that its pursuit of the profession is justified, because there really are some people who should be ejected from our profession forthwith. When you have aggressive tag lines such as ‘Click Convert Sell’, (which is also something to do with the same registrant behind this venture), and things like ‘Best of the Best’ awards for ‘piratical’ dentists,  one only has to recall the mis-selling of PPI in the 90’s to think this is probably going to visit our profession very shortly with this sort of venture. We will all suffer then, but usually the main perpetrators of these things get away with it and it’s the rest of the profession that has to pay.

The Orthodontists and GDP’s have long been at loggerheads, and will probably remain so, but this really is something that they should now get their heads together over. It appears to me that most of the time they seem to argue about the evidence base for this that and the other, and rarely come to any conclusion other than the other side is wrong. But I think they both might be able to pull together on this one, and agree for once that there probably really isn’t much in the way of proper studies that show the success of a self administered orthodontic alignment system that would stand up to peer review of any kind.

Perhaps the BOS can therefore simultaneously build some bridges and produce a press release and advert this time that would be also supportive to GDP’s in their condemnation of what appears to be a dangerous venture. At least if a GDP goes on a weekend course for the latest fad system, the patient has recourse to a real indemnified person (the dentist), and there is a human input for the patient to discuss issues with. A duty of care has been established and the refined law of this land will recompense for any negligence that ensures. With an entirely digital system (and one that doesn’t seem to have the ability for you to contact easily) then where is the necessary communication that patients will need when things go wrong? Who is responsible? Will it all be down to a dodgy impression the patient sent? Will it therefore always be the patient’s fault?

I would like to formally invite the person behind this venture to enter into a public discussion on this forum as to the business plan, the problem solving modalities, the indemnities in place, and the ethics and morals backing this new venture. I’m more than happy to be proved wrong (as I’ve spent my entire marriage being wrong according to the wife!), and it might just be my ignorance that is making me have these concerns. Perhaps we can invite some of the indemnifiers and maybe even borrow one of the attack-dogs of the GDC (once they’ve sated their appetite on a single issue complaint of course) to referee the discussion and give us their input.

So come on. Lets discuss this professionally. Surely we haven’t reached the point where the profession has eaten itself?

Image Credit: Emily Davies

With it being Masters week, I thought it would be the perfect excuse to use a golf analogy for my current blog!

Little Red Golf Book by Harvey Penick is one of the most influential golf instruction books of all time. The book has a number of short and quick messages for the reader to understand and digest easily which are centred around Harvey’s learning and observations after a lifetime in the golf world. A chapter that I have always remembered can be found on P.45 titled “Take Dead Aim”. Harvey says he tells his students to take dead aim, “Shut out all thoughts other than picking out a target and take dead aim at it.” As an avid golfer, it is a great piece of instruction which is simple and works! I believe it can actually be applied to all walks of life.

In all areas of business we are given targets or we are looking to reach target audiences and we usually need to focus our thoughts or energies on these targets.

Reaching a target audience is now the cornerstone of all successful marketing whether we are using social media, the adverts during Coronation Street or a professional network to get a message across. Whatever area we are looking to reach, we want to reach our target audience and if we can take “dead aim” it works even better.

Reaching work targets also shares similarities, as long as the targets are realistic, you have to take dead aim and focus on reaching those goals. Focussing on the small targets then leads to the bigger prize in the end.

In life we also need to identify our target and then aim for it.  It is good to set specific goals and avoid the distractions. If we are distracted by too many goals or by short term projects and lesser opportunities, we will probably not achieve the important long-term goals that we should all set for ourselves

Are you taking dead aim?

Reach your target audience on GDPUK.com. Get in touch today - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

What else does Harvey do so well to get his message across in this book that has sold millions of copies…… he always shares a story in each chapter! This makes the audience relate to the chapter and remember the piece of wisdom in the book. This shows the immense power of telling a story. That thought can be discussed another day :)

Further reading on Harvey can be found here - 

http://www.golf.com/instruction/golf-teacher-hall-fame-harvey-penick

Welcome back. I think Easter if officially over, just watch the traffic next week!

Your regulator, the GDC, is trying make the news again.  Perhaps in that ironic respect, it is very successful.  I suggest the smell is not good.

However, perhaps not in in the way it might be hoped. The GDC is spinning the facts to serve its own interest. Again.

You remember the GDC?

It’s that organisation for whom you pay the best part of £900 per year as a work tax.  If your business also funds your staff registration, you will be paying well over £1000 per year. 

It’s that organisation, paid for by you, that squanders money on frippery and self-serving PR, accountancy consultation and £9M building expenditure.  Prudent management of other people’s money is not part of its remit, it would seem.  Your money is used in part for its role as a World Class Complaints Agency [remember all those outrageous FtP cases? …  they are still coming through!].

Seconds away … Round 4  -  Dentistry versus the GDC

It is the latest bleating of the Chairman that should catch your eye and stir your loins with a sense of disbelief and injustice. It certainly has for the BDA [ are you a member - £30 a month for the fighting fund, get on with it!] who have returned to the ring for another fight.  We can but hope that Big Mick is aiming to knock over Chairman Bill and obtain the final ‘fall’.

If you have not taken great interest so far, I am sorry to lean on you again, but please – without YOU taking a simple action, nothing will happen.

As a wet fingered GDP, you CAN make a difference.

The BDA alone cannot clean the stable on your behalf.  The smell and the excrement remain, and it “All hands to the brooms”

Why all the fuss?

You will, I hope, have noted the PSA Report before Christmas.

Finally some three months later Dr Moyes, Chairman of the GDC sticks his head over the parapet. Writing in his Blog, you could take a rosy view of the world in Wimpole Street. This Blog is seemingly the first of many. Boy, I look forward to those … the excitement is too great.

I suggest to you that these are the words of a professionally dying man.  If you read the minutes of the 3 March 2016 GDC Meeting, to which Dr Moyes makes reference, it is clear that the Executive Management Team [EMT] of the GDC have been explicitly humiliated so that the Council can remain in post.

What's the problem?  This is the problem:

• The Council of the GDC have completely washed their hands of any responsibility.
   
• There is no mention anywhere of the failed oversight of the Council
   
• The Council have abjectly failed and yet remain in complete denial.
   
• The Council have been explicitly criticised to an unprecedented level by external bodies from the PSA to Parliament, and yet they hold their heads in the air singing “La La La”.

The BDA are to be congratulated for shovelling more coal on the fire, but I think more is needed yet.

If you know a Council Member, ask them why they have not resigned? If you know of them, write to them and ask them the question.

What "Point of Principle" causes them to stay?

Dr Moyes may think he has got away with it but I think we must all prove him wrong. So very, very wrong.

Until this Council are forced to resign en-masse, nothing will change because it was Dr Moyes and his merry band of Members that oversaw the woeful actions of Ms Gilvarrie, and it is the GDC Council which will design the Job Spec for the new CEO.

If you mix your cake with a poisoned spoon, the cake will always be poisoned.

The GDC have fallen  - The political referees should end it now

The Council of the GDC should resign. The Chairman should already have gone. It is an amazing arrogance of unholy magnitude that he and they have not.

Whom should be first?

It is clear the Chairman has the skin of a rhino and so it is down to the Council to consider their positions based upon the principle of what is right.

Your profession needs your help. Support the BDA. Write to your MP. Write to the Registrant members of the Council. Phone people.

JUST DO SOMETHING

DO NOT BE SILENT.

There is a sense that the BDA have started the final round. You need to shout and holler’ your support.

May all of you have Spring in your steps.

https://www.bda.org/news-centre/press-releases/Pages/New-era-at-GDC-comes-with-0.5-million-cleaning-bill.aspx
BDA: ‘new era’ at GDC comes with £½ million cleaning bill

https://www.bda.org/news-centre/press-releases/Documents/Mick-Armstrong-Bill-Moyes-letter-01-Apr-16.pdf
Mick-Armstrong to Bill Moyes letter 01 Apr 16

https://www.bda.org/news-centre/press-releases/Documents/BDA-GDC-FOI-response-18-Mar-16.pdf
GDC response to BDA FOI request

http://www.gdc-uk.org/Newsandpublications/Pressreleases/Pages/Bill-Moyes'-Blog;-Learning-the-lessons-of-the-past.aspx
Bill Moyes' Blog; Learning the lessons of the past

http://www.gdc-uk.org/Aboutus/Thecouncil/Council%20meeting%20documents%202016/20160303%2005%20-%20PSA%20Investigation%20Report.pdf
GDC Council Meeting 3^rd March 2016 Discussion about the PSA

https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/docs/default-source/psa-library/investigation-report---general-dental-council.pdf?sfvrsn=6
A report on the investigation into the General Dental Council’s handling of a whistleblower’s disclosure about the Investigating Committee
21 December 2015

Technology continues to evolve bringing new challenges and opportunities to dental practices. The role of the practice manager in particular has changed considerably, and now requires candidates with increasing knowledge of IT systems[i].

Taking on younger candidates can be an ideal way to meet the changing demands of the job and usher in the sort of diversity that is required. Many companies welcome young employees, while others tend to avoid them, opting for more mature and experienced individuals[ii]. However, while there are advantages and disadvantages of recruiting from either age group, the changes dental practices are and will continue to face favours the younger generation who are more readily able to understand and apply technology into business.

Good dental practices operate on a hierarchical system with patients’ interests and the dentist at the top and other members of the team supporting them to enable the practice to run to its optimum capacity¹. The manager has to help deliver the most efficient service possible and contributes significantly to the smooth running of the business. With the increase in laws and regulations in recent years, there has also been a huge rise in administrative work, which the modern day practice manager must complete in a timely manner, along with their other duties. Implementing new IT systems and advanced technology can reduce time spent on mundane tasks, allowing the manager more time to provide support and direction to the team.

Having young employees can bring in fresh perspectives, providing new ideas and solutions to enhance workflow and meet the changing demands. They are often more adaptable, have an abundance of energy and a natural thirst for knowledge, which can inspire colleagues around them and invigorate the workplace. Hiring a young person can also give practices the opportunity to have a greater influence in the kind of employee they become².

Youngsters can provide an inexpensive way to grow the workforce, particularly when taking on an apprentice. In recent years there have been significant improvements made to the UK’s vocational education and training systems, as well as an increase in government funding for apprenticeships, especially in England[iii].

Through well-developed pathways, apprentices can learn the skills in the workforce that go beyond general employability. The schemes allow individuals to gain essential experience in the workplace by learning from real professionals and thus acquiring industry-specific knowledge. Senior staff will be able to work with the new recruit to encourage common values and good ethics from the outset, giving them a chance to truly understand the practice. Having learnt from current team members, the practice manager will be more able to deliver a high performance in line with the practice’s strategy, goals and values³.

Currently, practices can benefit from offering individuals the Apprenticeship in Dental Practice Management. Barnet and Southgate College is a lead provider of the scheme and offers intake for the programme periodically throughout the year, with the next start dates on: 4^th May, 6^th July and 14^th September 2016 with other dates to follow. Find out more today about this exciting scheme and start building your business for tomorrow.

For more information on the Apprenticeship in Dental Practice Management, please contact Barnet and Southgate College:
www.barnetsouthgate.ac.uk

0203 764 4333
employer@barnetsouthgate.ac.uk

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twitter @barnetsouthgate