The British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) has said that Dental Showcase did brisk business and networking at Birmingham’s NEC from 22 to 24 October. The BDIA said that although overall footfall at the exhibition was a little lower than in previous years, it was clear from visitor and exhibitor feedback that the exhibition ‘was a great success.’
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The General Dental Council has announced that its Chief Executive and Registrar, Evlynne Gilvarry, is to step down in January 2016. The GDC will then appoint an interim Chief Executive to lead the organisation following Evlynne’s departure, whilst steps are taken to find a permanent replacement. She said that after five years in post: “It is now the right time for me to hand over to a new chief executive to lead the GDC going forward.”
A study published in The BMJ claims that exposure to secondhand smoke at 4 months of age is associated with an increased risk of tooth decay at age 3 years. The research indicates that smoke may directly affect teeth and microorganisms in a number of ways, including inflammation of the oral membrane, damage to the salivary gland function and a decrease in serum vitamin C levels, as well as immune dysfunction.
Read more: Secondhand smoke leads to tooth decay in children
Dr Robin Mills, a Paediatric Dentistry specialist at the Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Bath, has taken up office as President of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry at their annual conference recently held in Bath. He will now start his year of office with a lecture tour of branches around the country.
The regulator is the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which has issued a consultation paper in relation to fees in 2016/17 and beyond. For many providers, including GPs, this means large increases to achieve ‘full chargeable cost recovery’. For dentists, however, this is likely to mean no increase in 2016/17 and a reduction to in 2017/18.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has accused the General Dental Council (GDC) of hoarding reserves, and has told the regulator that it can and should set a fee level for dentists of no more than £500 for 2016/17. Mick Armstrong, Chair of the British Dental Association, said: “Sadly the regulator has served up another fees consultation with a familiar line in disinformation and predetermined results.”
Professional footballers have terrible teeth, according to a new study by Professor Ian Needleman of University College London and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. This may be affecting their game. Too many sugary energy drinks and snacks have been blamed for the finding that almost four out of ten players have cavities and almost eight in ten have periodontal disease.
The General Dental Council (GDC), has launched a consultation on a draft policy to ensure dental professionals have the necessary knowledge of the English language. Under new powers granted by the government, the GDC can now ask for evidence of a dental professional's language skills prior to registration. It can do this if there are concerns they don't have the necessary knowledge of English to practise.
Read more: GDC consults on English language checks for dentists
The British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT) has voiced its concern in light of news that the EU is phasing out protections that have, until now, kept commodity prices high and prevented foreign imports. They say that the UK’s dental health will pay a heavy price if experts writing in the BMJ are correct in their prediction that new agricultural policy in Europe will see the cost of sugar plummet – and consumption rocket.
Read more: Cut-price sugar will come at a cost for dental health say therapists