Taking place in the historical city of Edinburgh, the next BACD Annual Conference promises to be bigger and better than ever! This highlight of the dental calendar is already offering an outstanding speaker line-up.

Delegates can look forward to thought-provoking lectures, seminars and hands-on workshops presented by Elizabeth Bateman, Miguel Stanley, Amanda Seay, Gurvinder Bhirth, Andrew Chandrapal, Ian Buckle, Ashley Byrne, Irene Sailer, Vincent Fehmer, Mark Bowes, Howie Gluckman, Christopher Orr, Stephen Reinhardt and Daniel Edelhoff. 

Don’t miss out on this highly anticipated 2020 event – save the dates in your diary today!

The BACD Seventeenth Annual Conference 2020

‘Seeing is Believing’

12^th – 14^th November 2020

The EICC, The Exchange

Edinburgh

 For further enquiries about the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, visit www.bacd.com

Curasept ADS Implant contains PVP-VA and hyaluronic acid to aid soft tissue healing after surgery and create a barrier over the implant, teeth and gums, thereby preventing bacterial infiltration. Being alcohol-free, it also reduces pain, mucosal dehydration and irritation for enhanced patient comfort.

The Curasept ADS range of mouthwashes is renowned for its ability to manage plaque while drastically reducing the risk of staining associated with other chlorhexidine products. Patients can take advantage of Curasept ADS Implant from J&S Davis to optimise dental implant outcomes.

For more information on the industry-leading products available from J&S Davis, visit www.js-davis.co.uk, call 01438 747 344 or email jsdsales@js-davis.co.uk

Next to providing a high standard of dental care, protecting patients and staff against dangerous pathogens is a top priority in dentistry. To ensure everyone’s safety is achieved, infection control is absolutely essential, as is an up to date knowledge of the potential risks that pose a threat to the dental practice setting – of which there are many. The difficulty is that a number of microorganisms are still largely misunderstood by experts in the field, which can make eradicating them tricky.

One such pathogen is the relatively newly discovered Candida auris – a type of yeast that lives on the skin and causes infections in humans. Though discovered back in 2009 in the ear canal of a Japanese patient in Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding Candida auris, particularly in regards to its origins. Indeed, even now after a decade of study, experts are unsure why the fungus seemed to appear out of nowhere in several places around the globe at a similar time or why cases occur when they do. It’s no doubt why it has been ranked as the second most urgent threat in the 2019 AR Threats Report.[i] What we do know, however, is that Candida auris is usually reported in nursing care or hospital settings where a person’s health is already compromised. Patients who have had a central venous catheter, lines or tubes entering their body or who have recently received antibiotics or antifungal medications are thought to be most at risk.[ii] Conversely, it is rarely thought to affect someone who is considered to be in good health.[iii]

 How it spreads

 As for how it is spread, it is believed that person-to-person transmission could be the primary source, though surface contamination may also play a part.ⁱⁱⁱ Again, further research will be required to determine more about the behaviour of Candida auris, but for now it is safe to say that the utmost care must be taken to prevent cross contamination from occurring moving forward.

Threat to the UK and to dentistry

 As it stands, there is no evidence to suggest that there have been any outbreaks of Candida auris in dental practices, but that’s not to say that it won’t happen in the future. After all, when you consider that any patient who has a diagnosis of a severe underlying disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or immunosuppression is at increased risk of contracting the infection, it is perfectly within the realms of possibility to suggest that dental patients could be at risk.[iv]

Certainly, there are already a number of people that have been affected in the UK, with a news story from earlier on in the year claiming that Candida auris had been reported in 25 separate NHS hospitals at the time of writing. The report went on to claim that a total of 226 cases had been recorded, with eight Britons who had passed away in British hospitals found to be infected.[v] While Candida auris has not been determined as the cause of death (the patients were already seriously ill when they became infected), there can be no denying that this mysterious super fungus poses a real threat to humankind.

Prevention is key

That’s why infection control must continue to be implemented to a high standard. To help with this, Public Health England have published some guidance for laboratories, community healthcare settings, and hospital patients and visitors, outlining a number of key steps that should be taken.[vi] Unfortunately, there are no specific guidelines for dental settings but the main points are relevant to all healthcare professionals, so practices can stand to benefit. Otherwise, the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 provides all the information that practitioners require to ensure decontamination is properly implemented – including advice on best practice – and there are a number of recent studies available to help protect against cross contamination.

There have been a number of reports, for instance, that suggest the use of chlorine-based products are effective for environmental cleaning,[vii]^,[viii] while those containing sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid have been proven to be less effective against Candida auris.[ix] In light of this evidence, it may be time for some dental practices to review the decontamination products they currently use.

Comprised of Didecyldimethylammonium chloride, Benzalkonium chloride and Polyhexamethylene biguanide and proven to have a 99.9999% kill rate, the Steri-7 Xtra range from Initial Medical is an ideal option for any practice looking to protect against Candida auris and other dangerous pathogens. There are a range of products available, including a high-level surface disinfectant cleaner, biocidal wipes and ready to use spray, ensuring that all bases are covered. All products feature a unique reactive barrier technology for ultimate protection.

Be prepared

 There can be no doubt that Candida auris, like other pathogens, is a potential threat for dentistry. However, if practices stay abreast of the latest evidence and continue to implement effective infection control protocols, the risk of cross contamination should be kept at bay.

For further information please visit www.initial.co.uk/medical or Tel: 0870 850 4045

-Ends-

About Initial Medical Waste Experts

Initial Medical is an expert in healthcare waste management, providing a complete collection, disposal and recycling service for hazardous and non-hazardous waste and offensive waste produced by businesses and organisations within the UK.

The safe management of healthcare waste is vital to ensure your activities are not a risk to human health.  Initial Medical’s healthcare waste services ensure that all of your waste is stringently handled in compliance with legislation and in accordance with Safe Management of Healthcare Waste best practice guidelines, providing you with the peace of mind that you are adhering to current legislation.

For further information please visit www.initial.co.uk/medical or Tel: 0870 850 4045

Media enquiries:

For more information, please contact:

erica@ekcommunications.net

01227 265700

References

[i] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States 2019. Accessed online 27 November 2019 at https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/threats-report/2019-ar-threats-report-508.pdf

[ii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. General Information about Candida auris. Accessed online 27 November 2019 at https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/candida-auris/candida-auris-qanda.html

[iii] Public Health England. Candida auris – a guide for patients and visitors. Published August 2017. Accessed online 27 November 2019 at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/637101/Candida_auris_-_a_guide_for_patients_and_visitors.pdf

[iv] Lone SA, Ahmad A. Candida auris – the growing menace to global health. Mycoses 2019; 62 (8). Accessed online 28 November 2019 at https://doi.org/10.1111/myc.12904

[v] Evening Standard. Candida auris: Eight Britons who dies in UK hospitals were infected with Japanese super-fungus. Published 29 April 2019. Accessed online 28 November 2019 at https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/eight-britons-who-died-in-hospital-were-infected-with-japanese-superfungus-a4128901.html

[vi] Public Health England. Candida auris within the United Kingdom: updated guidance published. Updated 11 August 2017. Accessed online 28 November 2019 at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/candida-auris-emergence-in-england/candida-auris-within-the-united-kingdom-updated-guidance-published

[vii] Schelenz S, Hagen F, Rhodes JL, et al. First hospital outbreak of the globally emerging Candida auris in a European hospital. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2016;5:35. Accessed online 28 November 2019 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27777756?dopt=Abstract

[viii] Biswal M, Rudramurthy SM, Jain N, et al. Controlling a possible outbreak of Candida auris infection: lessons learnt from multiple interventions. J Hosp Infect. 2017;97:363‐370. Accessed online 28 November 2019 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28939316?dopt=Abstract

[ix] Kean R, Sherry L, Townsend E, et al. Surface disinfection challenges for Candida auris: an in‐vitro study. J Hosp Infect. 2018;98:433‐436. Accessed online 28 November 2019 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29203448?dopt=Abstract

Gemma Hales is a multi-site practice manager with Colosseum Dental, overseeing the Sheerness and Maidstone clinics. She was one of the many practice managers in the group to present an open day recently for local patients in Maidstone, which was a huge success. She says:

“We organised an open day in order to reflect the community spirit within the area and educate our neighbours in Maidstone about oral health. We also wanted to raise awareness of our practice and build our reputation. 

“Caroline (Receptionist) has experience in arranging open days, so I was ecstatic to be able to use her knowledge and the many great ideas that worked exceptionally well from everybody within the team. We structured our open day with different activities, which included oral health talks, a drawing competition with prizes, role playing, tours of the practice and discussions about treatments on offer. We wanted both the practice and our patients to get the very most from it.

“We welcomed a total of 65 children and 25 adults to our open day, including the Deputy Mayor and previous Mayor of Maidstone. Those who attended couldn’t have been more complimentary about the event and everybody said they would recommend our practice to friends and family. The Deputy Mayor also commented what a fantastic opportunity we offered for our community by bringing education to our local schools.

“Overall we have adopted the community spirit and we cannot wait to get started on the next project to share education and offer some great seasonal promotions at affordable rates for all our patients to benefit from!”

Demonstrating the exceptional engagement achieved with the Maidstone Dental Clinic open day, feedback from visitors has been fantastic.

Colosseum Dental remains dedicated to supporting all its practice teams and helping them to deliver the very best patient care. Part of this involves engaging with the local community to improve awareness and access to high quality dental services. Open days not only provide an opportunity to do just this, but to also show off the newly refurbished clinics that now offer state-of-the-art facilities. The recent Maidstone Dental Clinic open day was therefore a huge success and we’d like to thank Gemma and the team for all their hard work!

For more information about Colosseum Dental, please visit www.colosseumdental.co.uk

The British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2020 will present an array of educational opportunities for all members of the dental team. Tailored specifically to dental nurses, the Dental Nurses Forum will offer a two-day lecture programme covering a variety of relevant and inspirational topics. Presented in collaboration with the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN), the Forum will offer something for all professionals in the role.

Among the impressive speaker line-up will be Debra Worthington, who brings with her more than 30 years of experience in dentistry. She has worked as a dental nurse in various different roles, gaining postgraduate qualifications in oral health, radiography and conscious sedation. She is President of the Orthodontic National Group and a member of the Dental Care Professionals Advisory Board at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh. In addition, Debra is currently the Maxillofacial Unit Manager at Salford Royal Hospital, leading a team of community dental nurses, maxillofacial and orthodontic nurses, orthodontic therapists and dental therapists.

She will be sharing her wealth of expertise on the nation-wide Mouth Care Matters programme within the Dental Nurses Forum. Speaking about the scheme, Debra says:

“Oral health is an important part of general health and wellbeing. It allows people to eat, speak and socialise without discomfort or embarrassment. Research shows that oral care is often lacking in hospital and community care settings, especially among patients who may be unable to carry out their own personal care and rely on others for support. Mouth Care Matters seeks to address this.

“The Mouth Care Matters programme aims to create a healthcare team that is more responsive and personalised for patients. It aims to deliver better clinical outcomes, increasing awareness of the importance of good mouth care and how it impacts general health and quality of life. The initiative is relevant for anyone who provides personal care to patients, be that in an acute, care home or community setting. Furthermore, the Mouth Care Matters programme aims to reduce Healthcare Acquired Pneumonia, thus decreasing prescriptions and clostridium difficile infections.”

The benefits of such an initiative for the population are clear, but it’s important that professionals support the programme for it to help more people. Debra goes on to explain why dental nurses are well-positioned to get involved.

“Dental nurses – especially those with an oral hygiene postgraduate qualification – are best placed to provide appropriate training to care providers,” she says. “Dental nurses have the background training in identifying oral conditions, as well as up-to-date knowledge on the products available.”

During her session in the Dental Nurses Forum, Debra will be discussing how Salford Royal Hospital has implemented the project and what training it provides to oral care champions. She adds:

“I will also cover the development and implementation of oral care assessment and care plans, as well as the importance of submitting a bid for a Mouth Care Matters Lead. In addition, I will be able to share the data collected so far regarding the number of professionals trained and any cost savings identified.

“I hope to empower colleagues to implement the project in their own Trusts and organisations.”

Debra’s session will be just one of many interesting presentations for dental nurses at the 2020 conference. Delegates will have the opportunity to gain hours of enhanced CPD in a range of core and additional topics, while also networking with friends and colleagues who share a passion for clinical excellence. Furthermore, the extensive trade show will host more than 450 dental manufacturers and suppliers, with new product launches and live demonstrations available for all to make the most of. Whether you’re looking for new materials, technologies or training opportunities, there is sure to be something suitable for you.

When asked about the event, Debra added:

“I think the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show is the main conference for dental professionals in general dentistry. The lecture programme is expanding year on year – colleagues can obtain valuable CPD from this conference and I would encourage all dental nurses to attend.”

Make sure you don’t miss out and save the dates for the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2020 today!

The British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2020 will be held on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th May at the Birmingham NEC, co-located with DTS.

For all the latest information, please visit www.thedentistryshow.co.uk, call 020 7348 5270 or email dentistry@closerstillmedia.com

Have you ever wanted to offer your NHS patients a more aesthetic restorative material?

Now you can, with Monolith Full-Contour Zirconia from CosTech Dental Laboratory.

Made possible due to the falling prices of zirconia, this restoration is priced at just £29.95 per unit, including free delivery to and from the laboratory.

Furthermore, the material has been developed to work on all crown prep designs and is available in all VITA shades A-D, helping you to give more patients an aesthetic alternative that will blend with their smile.

Find out more today.

For more information about CosTech Dental Laboratory, please visit www.costech.co.uk or call 01474 320076

Muhammad Jasat, dentist and FD trainer at Northfield Dental Practice, talks about how Rodericks Dental facilitates career progression and why he feels genuinely cared about as a clinician.

“I have had much opportunity and encouragement to progress my career within Rodericks,” he says. “The group facilitates a portfolio career to help you fulfil your potential. For example, after getting involved with recruitment and mentoring, I was able to move into FD training.

“I’m not entirely sure how it’s achieved, but even as Rodericks grows, it maintains the personal touch. All the Directors somehow know you, your practice and your career aspirations. They proactively help you to reach new heights. They really seem to care about you and what you want to achieve. I never really feel alone, which is very important.”

For more information on the career opportunities available at Rodericks, please visit www.rodericksdentalcareers.co.uk,

or contact Ashley Lillyman at  recruitment@rodericksdental.co.uk or on

01604 970988 (option 1)

#wearerodericks

The International Digital Dentistry Academy (IDDA) is dedicated to promoting and developing the benefits of digital workflows within the dental environment. Its members include dentists, technicians and auxiliaries, who work together to improve collaboration, innovation and support for colleagues utilising state-of-the-art technologies.

Supported by headline sponsor Carestream Dental, the 3^rd IDDA Conference took place in November 2019, when hundreds of like-minded professionals gathered to hear from some of the most prominent names in the field right now.

Despite a small game of rugby being played, delegates were keen to make the most of the full educational programme on offer. The morning session was dedicated to ‘Celebrating Women in Digital Dentistry’, with intriguing lectures presented by female professionals at the top of their game. These included Eimear O’Connell, Federica Antonelli and Sylwia Arizpe.

Vinnie Thandi brought the initial programme to a close by highlighting the vast array of indications for digital technologies and encouraging delegates to use as much or as little as they were comfortable with. In Vinnie’s session, and indeed throughout the morning’s programme, the many benefits of digital workflows were discussed, covering increased patient comfort, shortened turnaround times, improved accuracy and reduced margin for error.

After lunch, it was the gentlemen’s turn as Michael Toptygin, Carl Fenwick, Craig Parker, Hossa Dawa and Wally Renne took to the stage to share their insights and experiences. A wealth of practical tips and guidance was offered to delegates, who remained highly engaged. Pawel Paskiewicz also provided a live demonstration of his astounding photography skills, as he showed delegates how to capture beautiful images of his glamorous assistant to aid in treatment acceptance and patient satisfaction.

Break out hands-on sessions were also available throughout the day, enabling professionals to improve their skills in everything from guided surgery software to digital restorative techniques and intraoral scanning. In addition, the various companies supporting the event featured their latest and greatest digital products, which delegates had the chance to try for themselves. Carestream Dental displayed the intuitive CS 3700 intraoral scanner, as well as the brand new Care Management Platform designed to revolutionise practice and patient management.

The event was brought to a tremendous close with this year’s Gala Dinner, which many professionals attended in high spirits while enjoying the unique Peaky Blinders theme. The DDA Awards were presented during the evening too, recognising individuals and teams in their efforts to achieve excellence in digital dentistry. Congratulations to all the winners:

Best Digital Practice – Paul Reaney
Digital Rookie of the Year – Filipe Amante
Best Digital Team Member – Dimitris Liolios
Best Digital Technician – Dimitris Liolios
Best Digital Restorative Case – Sylwis Arizpe and Liam McGrath
Best Digital Implant Case – David Veige
Best Digital Denture – Gillian Egan
Best Digital Single Tooth – Jason Smithson and Paul Butterwick
Best Digital Training Scheme – Synergy Dental Clinic and Zuber Bagasi
Best Digital Dentist – Wally Renne

A take home message of the day was that digital is the present and future of dentistry. With the right training, guidance and technologies in the field, both clinicians and patients stand to benefit.

For more information, contact Carestream Dental on 0800 169 9692 or

visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

For the latest news and updates, follow us on Twitter @CarestreamDentl

and Facebook

For two decades, the Dental Awards have strived to ensure that outstanding individuals and teams receive the recognition they deserve for their hard work and commitment to patients and the profession. Purple Media Solutions is pleased to announce that the Awards will be turning 21 in 2020!

“We are proud to have offered a platform for professionals to shine over the past 21 years,” comments Ed Hunt, Director of Purple Media Solutions. “This year will be no exception and we are thrilled to once again be hosting the Dental Awards alongside the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show.”

Taking place on Friday 15^th May 2020 at the NEC Metropole Hotel during the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show, the Dental Awards are set to be better than ever before, thanks to the standard of talent the profession has to offer.

“Given that every year we see a higher level of talent enter the competition, we are expecting big things for 2020,” continues Ed. “There will definitely be names to watch. On behalf of everyone at Purple Media Solutions, I would also like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all sponsors of the Dental Awards 2020. The event would not be possible without your support.”

As ever, the Dental Awards are free to enter and open to all practices and individuals. To be in for a chance to win, all you need to do is nominate either yourself, a team member or your practice and submit an application by post or email that includes all the relevant information (guidelines can be found online at the-probe.co.uk). Whatever the outcome, the Dental Awards provide a fantastic opportunity to praise deserving colleagues, or – if you’re nominating yourself – to give yourself a pat on the back for your hard-earned achievements. It’s not always the case that credit is given where credit is due, so if there’s an opportunity for excellence to be rewarded the chance should be grabbed firmly with both hands.

If you’re shortlisted to be a finalist, or better yet, win the category, you can expect a tremendous boost to the profile of your practice and your team – patients love a success story after all! Plus, when you consider that the Dental Awards are regarded by many within the profession to be the original and most respected programme in UK dentistry, there can be no end to the benefits that winning such an accolade can have on your reputation. So, what are the categories for 2020?

• Best National Smile Month Event
• Dentist of the Year
• Young Dentist of the Year
• Dental Therapist of the Year
• Dental Hygienist of the Year
• Website and Digital Campaign of the Year
• Dental Nurse of the Year
• Best Outreach or Charity Initiative
• Practice of the Year
• Practice Manager of the Year
• Dental Practice Team of the Year
• Practice Design and Interior
• Dental Receptionist of the Year

All entries must be submitted by 6^th December 2019 for the chance of winning, so don’t delay! Candidates will then be judged by a panel of leading dental experts and key opinion leaders from a wide range of disciplines and dental associations to determine who will be 2020’s champions of dentistry. All finalists will be invited to the prestigious black-tie Gala dinner where they can delight in a night of fine food, entertainment and scintillating conversation with colleagues and peers, before discovering who will be this year’s winners. All in all, it’s set to be a wonderful evening for all in attendance, and is an event not to be missed!

So, what are you waiting for? Make a start on an application today for a chance to become one of the Dental Awards’ shining stars of 2020. Or if you have someone in mind whose talents you think should be celebrated, be sure to place a nomination on their behalf.

The Dental Awards 2020 will take place at The Hilton Metropole N.E.C. alongside the leading UK dental trade exhibition and conference: The Dentistry Show. To purchase tickets contact Linda Aitken on 01732 371570, or email linda.aitken@purplems.com

 The British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2020 – 15^th and 16^th May –Birmingham NEC, co-located with DTS.

For all the latest information, visit www.thedentistryshow.co.uk, call 020 7348 5270 or email dentistry@closerstillmedia.com

Winter illnesses can be easily spread in populated areas such as waiting rooms in your practice.

Make sure that you keep patients safe from infection by using cleaning products that work, such as the Steri-7 Xtra range of disinfectants from Initial Medical.

Available in a selection of surface cleaners, hand washes and hand rubs, these innovative products deactivate 99.9999% of all pathogens, including those responsible for the majority of winter illnesses.

Furthermore, these products have Reactive Barrier Technology which forms a protective layer on surfaces that lasts for up to 72 hours. This means pathogens cannot recolonise in these areas during that time.

Protect your practice by contacting Initial Medical for more information today.

For further information please visit www.initial.co.uk/medical or Tel: 0870 850 4045

-Ends-

About Initial Medical Waste Experts

Initial Medical is an expert in healthcare waste management, providing a complete collection, disposal and recycling service for hazardous and non-hazardous waste and offensive waste produced by businesses and organisations within the UK.

The safe management of healthcare waste is vital to ensure your activities are not a risk to human health.  Initial Medical’s healthcare waste services ensure that all of your waste is stringently handled in compliance with legislation and in accordance with Safe Management of Healthcare Waste best practice guidelines, providing you with the peace of mind that you are adhering to current legislation.

For further information please visit www.initial.co.uk/medical or Tel: 0870 850 4045

Media enquiries:

For more information, please contact:

erica@ekcommunications.net