Croydon has a brand new dental centre after vital changes were made to a department in desperate need of an upgrade. This fulfils the dream of oral surgeon, Graham Gilmour, who fought for years to secure the vital improvements but did not live to see it realised. His widow opened the new facility recently.
No comments
The British Dental Association (BDA) has initiated legal proceedings against NHS England for setting up potentially impossible barriers to smaller contractors in tenders for over £1/2 billion of orthodontic services. It has argued that the tendering process, covering orthodontic services in the South of England, is in breach of Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition (PCCC) regulations by failing to treat providers equally.
Researchers have discovered the world's most ancient dental fillings in northern Italy. The fillings were spotted inside a pair of 13,000-year-old front teeth and they were made of bitumen, a semi-solid form of petroleum. This is the earliest example of dentistry known to date. “It is quite unusual, not something you see in normal teeth,” said Stephano Benazzi an archaeologist at the University of Bologna.
This week saw the results of the latest NASDAL (The National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers) goodwill survey announced and they seem to show a market that is a little less bullish and perhaps more uncertain than it has been in recent times. Alan Suggett, specialist dental accountant, who compiles the goodwill survey, explains.
Dr Sissy Frank, a medico-legal adviser at the MDU, has been advising GPs what they should do if a patient presents with dental problems. Research suggests that 600,000 patients a year see their GPs with dental problems instead of a dental professional. She writes: “If a patient asks you for help with a dental problem, there are some medico-legal issues to bear in mind.”
Last month mydentist announced that it would be closing its Tewkesbury practice but it has now been confirmed that Oasis is about to take it over. In a statement, NHS England said: "Oasis Dental Care is committed to providing quality oral care to patients, and patients will start to see some changes to the practice over the coming weeks."
The BDA says there is confusion over patients’ exemptions from charges keeping children and vulnerable patients from receiving support with treatment. A poll found that just 74% of parents thought routine dental check-ups are free for children and over 50,000 fines are being issued a year for misclaiming free dentistry.
Read more: BDA wants to end confusion over patients’ charges
A patient claims he has been refused dental treatment after being told his weight could break a reclining chair - despite slimming to 24 stone. Andy Chaplin can only get treatment at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital because he is a haemophiliac. But he claims the hospital has refused to treat him - until he can slim down to 21st.
Matthew Hopcraft, an Australian dentist who is not only a clinical associate professor at the Melbourne Dental School, he is also "Matt, the cooking dad", who reached No.6 in the 2015 season of their MasterChef. He is using his fame to attack the ‘often-pernicious’ effects of famous people who are paid large amounts of money to promote the tastiness and desirability of junk food and sugary drinks.
Read more: Australian dentist-chef fights for healthier eating