Wakefield (West Yorkshire) Council has been advised to consider water fluoridation after research showed 40 per cent of five-year-olds and one in five three-year-olds had decayed teeth. These rates of tooth decay are above average, and the problem is more likely to affect people from deprived backgrounds.
No comments
A recent report reveals that children’s tooth decay is a postcard lottery, dental therapists are calling for a health summit to address the crisis. Fiona Sandom, president of the British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT) said ‘we now need some joined-up thinking to address the associated health issues – including tooth decay – for which our children and the NHS are paying a heavy price.’
New NHS Dental statistics for England from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) highlight that NHS dentists are carrying out more preventative treatments than ever and continue to work hard to prevent dental disease. It is, however, clear that there is still more that can be done to improve the oral health of children and adults across the country. FGDP(UK) Dean Dr Mick Horton said: “This report highlights the excellent work NHS dentists are doing in preventing dental disease and promoting good oral health.”
Figures releases by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (www.hscic.gov.uk) for NHS complaints in 2014-15 show that fewer than 4% of the total were dental. Within primary care only 9% of the 84,500 written complaints received were about dentists. Only 37.5% of complaints in primary care were upheld.
Read more: NHS dentistry receives lowest number of complaints
The Health and Social Care Information Centre has published figures for Dental Earnings and Expenses in 2013/14. They show little change over the past year but massive falls inreal terms net income since 2008/09. In England and Wales the figure for net earnings of contract holders was £115,200 in 2013/14 compared to £145,800 in 2008/09, a 21.0% decrease. For associates there was a 19.6% drop from £75,400 to £60,600.
Read more: New figures show massive falls in dentists’ real-terms earnings
Ancient Egyptians were likely to lose some of their front teeth before they could become mummies, says a new research debated at the International Congress of Egyptologists in Florence. Taking place after excerebration (brain removal) and evisceration (body organ removal) and before final wrapping, the procedure would force open the mouths of the deceased with a knife and iron chisel, breaking and dislocating teeth in the process.
Read more: Ancient Egyptians forced open mouths during mummification
The new Chief Dental Officer (CDO) for England, Sara Hurley, is to join her predecessor, Barry Cockcroft, in a ‘past, present and future’ look at NHS dentistry. The pair will be discussing ‘What now?’ when they address delegates at the annual conference of the British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT) in Birmingham on Friday 25 September, the first day of the two-day event.
A new study carried out by by researchers from Public Health England (PHE) has concluded that water fluoridation is a ‘safe and effective’ way of preventing tooth decay in children. Although the beneficial effects of the measure are well established, the study showed no adverse effects such as various cancers, kidney stones, hip fractures of Down’s syndrome births.
Read more: Water fluoridation: ‘a safe way of stopping tooth decay’
After challenging NHS Area Teams’ refusal to reimburse business (non-domestic) rates to practices who paid in instalments, the BDA has now received confirmation from NHS England that it agrees with the Association’s interpretation of the legislation and many of these practices are, in fact, entitled to reimbursement.