BDA
AGREES SEVEN POINT POLICY ON NHS AND PRIVATE DENTAL CARE |
The
British Dental Association has produced a seven point policy
on NHS and private dentistry. The policy has been produced
to address the problems of those dentists who remain fully
committed to the NHS such as those in salaried services, whilst
recognising the problems that exist within the General Dental
Services (GDS) and the wish of many to move into the private
sector.
The
BDA remains committed to preventing oral diseases and promoting
oral health for the whole population. We also support the
principles of the NHS as a publicly funded health service,
available to all. Despite this, however, the BDA has reservations
about its current funding and structure.
Until
working conditions in the GDS improve significantly, the BDA
cannot support the NHS as the only source of funding for a
dental practice. This may mean members looking for alternative
sources of funding for their practices. If it is a move wholly
or partly into the private sector, the BDA will continue to
provide substantial support for members.
Dr
John Renshaw, Chair of the Executive Board, said: "The BDA
has produced its new policy to ensure that dentists, the wider
healthcare sector, the media and parliamentarians are clear
about where we stand on NHS and private dentistry. During
the coming year we will redouble our effort to improve the
terms and conditions of service for those members who continue
to deliver care in the NHS so that they have the support they
need and patients receive the high quality care they deserve."
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BDA
Press and Parliamentary Head seconded to major NHS body |
Kate
Cinamon, Head of Press and Parliamentary Affairs at the British
Dental Association for the past six years, has been offered
the post of Director of Communications at the National Clinical
Assessment Authority (NCAA) on secondment from 1 April for
six months.
Kate
has been instrumental in raising the profile of the Association
and dentistry in the media and in Parliament. Her proactive
media stories have produced thousands of positive references
to the BDA and hundreds of interviews with BDA spokespeople.
As a result, the Association has had considerable success
in setting the agenda on a number of dental issues in the
national media and dental press. Kate's expertise has also
been responsible for limiting the damage from many of the
negative issues which have often been associated with dentistry.
The
NCAA, which was set up following recommendations made in the
Chief Medical Officer's report, Supporting Doctors, Protecting
Patients, published in February 2000, is a new, national body
to provide a fast response to concerns about a doctor's performance.
It will begin work on 1 April.
The
NCAA will provide a central point of contact for the NHS where
concerns about performance arise and will give training and
support to doctors where necessary. The Authority is likely
to include dentists in its remit in the future, although this
will not happen at once.
Commenting
on her appointment, Kate Cinamon, said: "I am very much looking
forward to the challenge of working for a high profile body
whose role is to ensure the public have the highest possible
trust in the medical profession. It will also be exciting
to be involved with the Authority from its first day of operation
and to play an integral role in the way it communicates to
the NHS, the professions and the public."
Ian
Wylie, Chief Executive of the BDA, said: "Kate's skills and
expertise have been invaluable to the BDA and will be very
useful in her new job. We wish her well."
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British
Dental Journal - latest research |
Attitudes
to dentistry improving 'Dental attitudes and behaviours in
1998 and implications for the future' G Bradnock, Birmingham
University; D A White, Birmingham University; N Nuttall, Dundee
Dental School; A J Morris, Birmingham University; E Treasure,
University of Wales College of Medicine; C Pine, Dundee Dental
School.
The
UK's adult dental health survey has revealed that:
Attitudes
towards dental health are more positive than in the past.
Basic oral health messages are now well embedded in the folklore
of the UK population.
Patients with greater oral health needs and those from more
deprived households are still lagging behind in terms of their
oral health attitudes
Adult oral health continues to be a measure of social exclusion.
Almost two-thirds of adults in the UK, with no experience
of dentures, worry that they might have to use them. Sixty-one
per cent of respondents said that they were very upset at
the idea of wearing dentures.
Teenagers'
oral health suffers with increased dependence on soft drinks
and acidic foods 'Dental erosion in a group of British 14-year-old
school children - influence of dietary intake' Y Al-Dlaigan,
Birmingham University; L Shaw, Birmingham University; A Smith,
Birmingham University.
A
study of a random sample of 418 14-year-old Birmingham school
children investigated the dietary intake of acidic foods and
drinks and also to determine the relationship between dental
erosion and acidic dietary consumption. It has revealed the
following results:
Consumption
of soft drinks was high amongst those surveyed.
There was a highly significant correlation between dental
erosion and the frequency of consumption of cola drinks, other
carbonated drinks, apple juice, sport drinks and beer.
Children who consistently took vitamin C tablets also had
significantly more erosion.
Other acidic dietary components such as pickles and ketchups
as well as a vegetarian diet were also linked to dental erosion.
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Boost
for patient safety in denturism case |
Public
safety as well as professional dental standards received a
boost this week after a landmark ruling by the Advertising
Standards Authority upholding a complaint about an advert
by Whitefield Dental Laboratory, in Bury, Greater Manchester,
for a 'qualified clinical dental technician'. The complaint,
brought forward by Manchester based dentist, Anthony Kravitz,
was made on the grounds that there was no such title as a
qualified clinical dental technician.
The
advert therefore became a source of confusion for the public
who were at risk of thinking that the advertiser could offer
dental services which can only be carried out by dentists.
Only
dentists are legally entitled to design and fit dentures because
only they are trained to examine patients, check their overall
oral health and prescribe and provide appropriate treatment.
Untrained personnel might miss serious conditions such as
oral cancer and suggest inappropriate treatment which does
not take account of overall oral health. Unregistered personnel
could also put the public at further risk because, unlike
dentists - who are regulated by the General Dental Council
and can be struck off the register for serious professional
misconduct - they are not regulated. This also means there
is no check on whether they follow infection control procedures.
In addition, if anything goes wrong, patients have no redress
apart from the courts.
Commenting
on the ruling, Dr Kravitz said: "This is a great ruling for
the public. Patients will no longer be at the mercy of misleading
adverts by organisations implying that they offer clinical
dental services. The British Dental Association's advice to
patients on the issue is that in the interests of your health,
have your mouth checked and your dentures fitted by a dentist.
Members of the public who wish to have dentures fitted are
advised to ask if the person they will be seeing is a dentist".
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