Many New Years resolutions do not make it into February. Setting modest goals is one way to help a higher proportion survive, and the GDC have provided some helpful supporting material for registrants. In his blog, “A view from the Chair: the GDC’s priorities for early 2024” Lord Toby Harris provides some highlights from the Councils to do list.
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A new study by scientists at universities in the USA and Kuwait, published in PLOS One and reported in The Times (17th January 2024) has ’found evidence that microbes that live in the mouth are linked to tooth decay are much more likely to be passed down to an infant from its mother if her dental hygiene is poor’.
Read more: Mothers' Resistant Microbes Affect Their Children's Teeth
The dental profession has reacted with incredulity to an article by Daily Mail journalist Amanda Platell, whose January 19th column sought to blame mothers, and not government underfunding of NHS dentistry, for the admission of children to hospital for tooth extractions and clearances.
Read more: Dental Profession Hits Back At Mail Journalist Platell
If and when the much delayed dental recovery plan is published it may include the promotion of water fluoridation as part of a preventative strategy. For decades this has been recognised as a cost effective public health measure.
In what would make a plotline in “The thick of it” the UK’s dental regulator has had to clarify one of its own news stories - about clarity. This has occurred within days of the GDC publishing: ‘Seeking clarity on the interpretation of when immediate and substantive suspension orders commence and expire.’
From January 1st 2025, the use of dental amalgam will be forbidden across Europe following a vote by the EU Parliament to ban the material.
Readers may be aware that the GDC have begun work on an update of the Standards expected of registrants. They have been devoting a lot of time and effort to this, including a series of webinars which are open to stakeholders.
The progressive failure of the ringfence around NHS dental funding is getting worse, with more funds being lost. This includes money that practices were led to believe would be available to help provide much needed extra appointments. The Health Service Journal (HSJ) has found that there are now 12 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) looking to ignore the ringfence.
Read more: Twelve and Counting - ICBs Ignoring the Dental Funding Ringfence
The Times ran a story on the problems facing NHS dentistry the day before MP’s competed to offer their solutions, in the latest parliamentary debate. Reading it suggests that MP’s on both sides of the house are still in denial about what sort of service the NHS can provide.
Read more: Few Credible Solutions for NHS Dentistry - The Times