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Having consultations sends out important messages. It suggests that an organization is open to a full range of opinions. It might even lead some to expect that it might act on the opinions that it receives, or at least have them influence its decision making to some degree.
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It is not often that there is much in the Lancet of direct interest to GDP‘s. Founded in 1823, amongst other content, it publishes letters in its weekly editions. A recent letter cut to the very core of the current challenges in maintaining access to NHS dentistry.
This is the shocking finding of a new survey of over 5000 adults commissioned by Denplan, whose Oral Health Survey 2024 also reveals that many children brush less than twice per day and in some cases, not at all.
The search for a preventive dental silver bullet continues. Water fluoridation seems very unlikely to be made available to more of the population any time soon. The enthusiasm for having dental nurses applying fluoride varnish to children out in the community has died down, and further roll out of sugar taxes or restrictions on cariogenic food and drink, seems unlikely. Which leaves tooth brushing programmes. A recent major trial has failed to add to the evidence base for them.
Read more: Toothbrushing Programmes Advocated for Older Students
Playground bullies have always been with us. From Flashman at Rugby to Gripper Stebson at Grange Hill, any child who stands out from the pack risks attracting unwelcome attention. And teeth, it seems, are often implicated.
Read more: Children Are Bullied 'Because Their Teeth Stick Out'
According to the media, much of the UK is covered in dental deserts, occupied by desperate would be patients unable to obtain appointments, many of whom then resort to DIY dentistry in desperation.
Major inconsistencies in commissioning across the 42 ICB‘s in England confirm that the NHS is anything but a national service when it comes to its approach to dentistry.
The prevalence of fluoride in toothpastes means that the benefits of adding fluoride to the domestic water supply may have been diluted.
Read more: New Study Reviews Effectiveness Of Water Fluoridation
The British Dental Association (BDA) has expressed alarm at a batch of new statistics which show that 97% of ‘new patients‘ seeking an NHS dentist are unable to secure an appointment.
Read more: Eddie Crouch: NHS Dentistry Has "Effectively Ceased To Exist" For New Patients