The British Dental Association (BDA) has responded to news from the Dental Schools Council (DSC) that suggests that dental academic staffing levels appear to be recovering after a long period of decline. The BDA has welcomed the news, but called on the DSC to address the underlying factors driving the continuing national shortage of dental academics.
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The British Dental Association (BDA) has welcomed news that child tooth decay has fallen once again among children in poorer communities across Wales - and urged Whitehall to follow the Welsh Assembly Government’s example. BDA Chair Mick Armstrong said: “Wales is reaping the benefits of a dedicated strategy to drive down childhood decay. In England children have been offered little more than a few soundbites.”
A call for the terminology of dental appointments to be made more sensitive to the needs of children has been made by Jenny Harris, a member of the BSPD executive and the Society’s lead on child protection issues. She wants dentists to drop the acronym DNA, which stands for Did Not Attend, and change to WNB for Was Not Brought.
This week the Health Department took oral questions in the House of Commons, with Paula Sherriff asking about reducing childrens’ extractions and an intervention from dentist, Sir Paul Beresford. Questions were also asked about the costs of the recent cyber attack and sugar content of food and drink.
In a study published in the journal Environment & Behaviour, a team of researchers at the Universities of Plymouth, Exeter and Birmingham worked with Torrington Dental Practice in Devon to find out whether Virtual Reality experiences could improve the patient's experience during routine dental procedures, such as fillings and tooth extractions.
Read more: Visiting virtual beach improves patient dental experiences
Grooves have been found on 130,000-year-old Neanderthal teeth that appear to indicate the use of toothpicks, and impacted or rotated teeth got extra attention. Research in the Bulletin of the International Association for Paleodontology by David Frayer and Davorka Radovcic of four Neanderthal teeth showed signs of grooves consistent with the use of toothpicks, along with occlusal wear.
The BMA has said tougher action was needed on sweets and chocolate to scare children off sugar and help to fight tooth decay and obesity. The BMA also wants free toothbrushes for children under five, and for schools to teach children about brushing their teeth to help cut the “shocking” number who need surgery.
Questions resumed in the new Parliament with Yorkshire MPs asking on progress of the new dental contract and access to NHS dentistry in their area. There was also a speech in the House of Lords from a former Dean of the Royal College of Surgeons expressing concern about the high consumption of sugar and its effect on childrens’ teeth.
The new guidance looks at the scale of the problem, risk factors for tooth decay, how it can be prevented and effective interventions for improving children’s’ oral health. It also calls for action outlining how all partners across the health and care system can help prevent tooth decay in children under 5 as part of ensuring every child has the best start in life.
Read more: Public Health England publishes guidance on child oral health