Month: August 2020

Victoria Wilson and the Smile Revolution (S01 E03)

Fellow podcast host Victoria Wilson brings her Smile Revolution to The Probe Dental Podcast! Victoria is a Dental Hygienist & Dental Therapist, having qualified from the Eastman Dental Hospital UCLH. She has been working in Dentistry for over 15 years and is an innovator of Dental Health awareness on multiple platforms through a multi-disciplinary team approach.

In this episode, Victoria discusses her background, including the ten years she spent living in the UAE and how that affected her perspective upon returning to the UK. She tells us all about the highly successful Smile Revolution Podcast, as well as her yoga classes, which are aimed specifically at dental professionals, her audio book designed to get youngsters brushing their teeth, in addition to her latest venture, a 5-week business course on oral health promotion. 

Listen here or search wherever you get your podcasts. 


 

For more information, visit http://www.smile-revolution.net/

The Probe Dental Podcast is presented by The Dental Awards.

The Dental Awards is the original and most respected awards programme in British dentistry. 2021 marks the 22nd anniversary of the Dental Awards, and over the decades, this prestigious event has recognised the outstanding individuals and teams whose commitment and drive continue to raise standards throughout the profession.

The Dental Awards is attended by over 600 clinicians each year. Winning, or being a finalist, is a tremendous accolade and provides a massive publicity boost to the profile of your practice and your team. After all, who wouldn’t want to be treated by the Dentist or Dental Team of the Year?

The Dental Awards are sponsored by B.A. International, Carestream Dental, Colgate, Coltene, Dental Elite, Geistlich Biomaterials, Simplyhealth Professionals, Sparkle Dental Labs, and Water Pik. The Probe and The British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show are official partners.

For more information, please visit the-probe.co.uk/awards

For more from The Probe, visit the-probe.co.uk. Theme tune courtesy of Bensound.

 

NHS England updates Urgent Dental Care Guidance and Standard Operating Procedure

NHS England and NHS Improvement have issued updates to the Urgent dental care guidance and standard operating procedure and Dental standard operating procedure: Transition to recovery documents, along with a letter from Chief Dental Officer Sara Hurley.

“It is 12 weeks since dental practices in England were able to resume face to face dental care,” Sara Hurley begins in her latest communication. “Thank you for all your efforts in broadening access to dental care and supporting the collective NHS focus on a return to full operating capability across the whole of healthcare.”

To support practices as they continue to expand the range of treatments offered, the latest Covid-19 dental guidance update incorporates validated evidence and expert consensus. These publications serve as a framework for identifying and mitigating the risks to dental staff and patients.

“Updates include: Covid-19 screening questions to be asked in line with the case definition for possible Covid-19 and isolation requirements including quarantine advice for those entering or returning to the UK,” says Hurley.

To read Sara Hurley’s letter in full, click here.

The Urgent dental care guidance and standard operating procedure can be accessed here.

The Dental standard operating procedure: Transition to recovery document can be found here.

Focus needed on older adults

Former CDO, Barry Cockcroft, looks at current provisions within dentistry.

For over fifty years, a decennial survey of adult oral health has been carried out in England. This survey, viewed in conjunction with the child dental health survey which is also carried out on a decennial basis, has provided a good overall, evidence based picture of the changing nature of oral health in the country and should be used to inform local/national commissioning decisions, workforce planning and preventive initiatives.

The latest survey was published in June and, unsurprisingly, given little coverage amid COVID-19 was carried out in a different way from previous surveys and therefore the findings, as the authors clearly say, cannot be directly compared with previous surveys. For whatever reason, be it based on cost or capacity, this survey was carried out solely in dental practices and therefore represents findings from a self selecting group – but nevertheless these findings are indeed useful in predicting and addressing future needs for care.

Many of the findings will come as no surprise to members of the dental team; edentulousness seems to be almost totally absent in the under 65s and the prevalence of disease is clearly higher in the lower socio economic groups. The vast majority of the under 65s now have functioning natural dentitions and very few under 50s have missing anterior teeth. One of the most interesting correlations was that the over 75s had relatively high levels of decayed and untreated teeth but were very low on the table showing those reporting pain. Conversely, adults in the 25-44 age groups had similar numbers of carious and untreated teeth but higher levels of reported pain than the older cohort.

The data on the presence of restorations is probably the most significant; the vast majority of participants, and these start at the age of 16, showed a high presence of restorations. There is an interesting question to be asked here; why is this so when we know that a high proportion of young children are caries free?

The fact that there is a high level of restorations present suggests that despite the ever improving oral health of the youngest children there will be plenty of work for dentists in years to come.

Relatively low numbers of patients reported an urgent treatment need but, unsurprisingly, high numbers of the older groups reported difficulty in attending practices due to health or disability concerns (and this was among those who had made it!).

Perhaps one of the most interesting tables was that which showed that very low numbers of patients (admittedly those who were attending) had difficulty paying the £56 pound charge for a band 2 treatment but that when the same question was asked about the band 3 charge the answer was very different.

So what conclusions can we draw from this survey and data? Despite the ever improving overall oral health of children in this country, the number of adults with restored dentitions which will need to be monitored and maintained, will remain high.

The most worrying finding was the level of disease, both caries and periodontal disease, in the growing elderly dentate population who also find it most difficult to access routine dental care due to mobility issues and also don’t appear to suffer symptoms to the same extent as younger people.

This is not surprising given the massive increase in the dentate population as a result of better dental care and a more informed attitude to oral health in the vast majority of the population. When I went to dental school in 1969, around 40% of the adult population in this country was edentulous; in this survey that figure is less than 1%, though likely an under representation given the fact that this survey was carried out in practices.

Perhaps the most important thing now, beyond commissioning services flexible enough to reach these people, is to amend the ludicrous advice given by NHS England to Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) on prescribing high concentration fluoride toothpaste. This guidance produced a recommendation to CCGs not to prescribe these products. The guidance was produced following a consultation on the prescribing of over the counter (OTCs) products, which high concentration fluoride toothpaste is not. Many of these people cannot easily attend the dental practice so having healthcare workers who might well see these people away from the practice setting prescribing these products, as recommended in Delivering Better Oral Health, would go a long way to preventing progression from asymptomatic to urgent need.

I responded to the consultation pointing out the inappropriateness of even including these products in the consultation but was ignored; perhaps a good way start “to put the mouth back in the body” might be to revisit this guidance!

BDA: Data misses dramatic fall in access during Covid

The British Dental Association has warned the latest NHS Dental Statistics do not fully show the unprecedented fall in access driven by the Covid-19 pandemic.

While limited figures have been offered for the period up to 30 June 2020, data focuses on treatment delivered by high street NHS dentists in England in between 31 March 2019 and 31 March 2020. In this period only 58% of children had attended an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months, and 49.6% of adults in the last two years. 

Freedom of information requests by the BDA indicate access to the Urgent Dental Care Network – set up to treat emergencies during lockdown when face-to-face care was suspended in practice – amounted to little over 2% of normal levels of activity. Paperwork lodged by dentists with the NHS Business Services Authority indicate just 83,300 courses of treatment were delivered in May 2020, compared to an average of around 3.5 million per month in January to March. 

The BDA has warned that England has not yet turned the page on low levels of access. Recent BDA surveys indicate the overwhelming majority of practices are now operating at less than a quarter of their former capacity following the resumption of face-to-face care on 8 June. 

According to NHS data 38.4 million courses of treatment were delivered last year, an average of around 9.6 million per quarter. Low levels of capacity mean it will be a major challenge to deliver anything assembling those levels going forward. 

Practices are facing significant barriers to expanding capacity, including the need to leave surgeries fallow for 60 minutes after an aerosol generating procedure. Unless regulations evolve, the BDA has warned tens of millions of patients in England will effectively lose access to dental services.   

Dave Cottam, Chair of the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee, said: “This is data is from another era. Since March patient access has fallen off a cliff, and there is no certainty when or if it can be restored. Access was in bad place pre-pandemic. We should lament how few children and adults made it to an NHS dentist last year, but the real question now is how we can even bring the service back to these levels. We have practices struggling, and tens of millions of patients need somewhere to go. We need government to work with us to rebuild capacity.”

Scottish Dental Care Group to acquire two new practices

The Scottish Dental Care Group is set to acquire two new practices by October as part of its ambitious growth plans, after securing a £1.75 million funding package from Bank of Scotland.

Despite the recent pandemic forcing the temporary closure of each of its existing 11 practices, Scottish Dental Care Group acquired a new practice in the central belt during lockdown, with a further one in the final stages of completion. Its practices are currently located across Glasgow, Dumfries, Oban, Inverness, Bishopton and Cardonald.

The business sought support from Bank of Scotland to fund the new acquisitions as part of its wider growth plans to purchase a new practice each quarter throughout 2020 and 2021. The Group also has existing funding in place should any further changes be needed to ensure the practices comply with future government guidance in relation to Covid-19.

The planned acquisitions will bring an additional 23 members of staff to the Group, totalling 91 nursing and clerical staff, 44 dentists and hygienists. The new NHS and private practices will also welcome around 20,000 new patients, bringing the total number to almost 100,000 across Scotland.

Philip Friel, SDC Group’s clinical director, said: “We’ve been very specific in terms of our group structure and ambitions for growth. While no one foresaw the current global pandemic, that same robust structure and management regime stands us in good stead to progress with our growth plans across the country. This is only possible with the support of our extended teams who have demonstrated outstanding cohesion throughout. It’s an exciting time for us, and we hope to return to normal practice soon, and continue growing into 2021 and beyond.” 

Christopher Friel, director of SDC Group, added: “Last year we focused on consolidating our existing practices and processes, as well as refinancing the group with Bank of Scotland which meant that when Covid-19 hit, we were in a strong position. We use a single supplier for all of the practices, from using the same electricity provider to the same manufacturer of clinical materials, meaning that once we’ve acquired a new site, the logistics of bringing that practice into the group are very straightforward.  This process also allows us to focus our efforts on the needs of our new team members and patients.”

Mark Sim, relationship director at Bank of Scotland, also commented: “Parts of the healthcare sector, particularly pharmacies, have been extremely busy throughout the pandemic. However, it has been more damaging for dental practices that have been forced to close their doors to weather this challenging time. SDC Group is a great example of a business that already had strong foundations in place and now, with our support, is ready to continue normal operations quickly as soon as it is permitted. We will continue supporting the firm with its ambitious expansion plans over the next 24 months, and hopefully see SDC Group become one of the sector’s key players over the coming years.”

ADG: New figures show ‘dentists are deserting the NHS and poorest patients are paying the price’

The Association of Dental Groups has responded to the recent publication of the NHS Dental Statistics for England 2019-2020. The statistics reveal that overall, the number of dentists with NHS activity in England went up slightly – from 24,545 in 2018/19 to 24,684 in 2019/20.

But they also reveal significant regional disparities – with 65 NHS clinical commissioning groups seeing dentist numbers go down over the past year. At seven NHS clinical commissioning groups, dentist numbers declined by 20% or more from 2018-19 to 2019-2020.

Neil Carmichael, Chair of the ADG, said: “The figures are just the latest proof that the number of dentists working in the NHS is plummeting in many of the areas where they are most needed. In large parts of the country, dentists are deserting the NHS and it is the poorest patients who are often paying the price. That’s why we urgently need to increase the pipeline of new dentists here in the UK while also making it easier for overseas professionals to enter UK dentistry.”

 

The NHS Dental Statistics for England 2019-2020 can be accessed here: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statistics

Workforce figures are taken from Table B1 in Annex 2 – Geographical breakdown of dental data.

They show that NHS Fareham and Gosport CCG, NHS Isle of Wight CCG, NHS Portsmouth CCG, NHS South Eastern Hampshire CCG, Southampton CCG and NHS Bassetlaw CCG saw a percentage difference of 20% or more from 2018/19 to 2019/2020.

ADG members consist of group providers of NHS and private dentistry across England and Wales. Find more information about the ADG on their website here.

GDC appoints three new council members

The General Dental Council (GDC) has announced the appointment of three new members to its Council, following a competitive recruitment process earlier this year.

Donald Burden began his career as a general dental practitioner before moving into educational and clinical roles within Queens University Belfast and Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT). He now holds a combined role of Clinical Director for Dental Services in BHSCT and Director of Queen’s University Dental School.

Laura Simons is an experienced non-executive director with a background in consumer affairs, campaigning and professional regulation, and brings a wide range of skills and experience drawn from working in consumer organisations of varying sizes and complexity. She joins the Council as a lay member.

Mike Lewis is a professor of oral medicine at Cardiff University and a consultant in oral medicine at Cardiff University Health Board. He has previously held the role of Dean at the School of Dentistry, Cardiff University and was Director of the Clinical Board for Dentistry at CUHB.

The GDC has also confirmed the re-appointment of three existing Council members, Sheila Kumar, Crispin Passmore and Caroline Logan.

Announcing the new and re-appointments, GDC Chair Dr William Moyes, said: “I am delighted to welcome Donald, Laura and Mike, who bring with them a wealth of skills and knowledge. They replace Kristie Moons, Margaret Kellett and Geraldine Campbell, who have contributed greatly to the work of the GDC since their appointments in 2013, and to whom I extend my heartfelt thanks.

“Our new appointments, in addition to the re-appointments of Sheila, Crispin and Caroline, will ensure Council can continue with its important work with the benefit of strong expertise and experience, helping us to achieve our goals in what continues to be challenging and uncertain times.”

Council members serve for maximum terms of office which guarantees frequent opportunities for others to join the GDC. The regulator’s next round of Council recruitment will commence early next year, and in the lead up to that search the GDC will once again be actively encouraging applications from dental care professionals and those from BAME backgrounds.

To learn more about the work of Council, visit gdc-uk.org.

Special protection from acid erosion

Arm & Hammer™ has been a trusted brand for more than 170 years and is committed to helping your patients achieve better oral health with specially formulated low abrasive toothpastes.

Recommend Arm & Hammer™ Enamel Repair™ toothpaste repairs and strengthens the enamel surface in 5 days for healthier teeth. This clinically proven and advanced baking soda formula provides outstanding cleaning andremoves more plaque around the gumline than regular toothpastes.

The patented Arm & Hammer™ Liquid Calcium™ technology fills tooth crevices to restore tooth enamel and protect tooth surfaces from acid erosion.

For a toothpaste that cleans, restores and protects, contact Arm & Hammer™ for more details.

 

For more information about the carefully formulated Arm & Hammer™ toothpaste range, please visit http://www.armandhammer.co.uk/
or email: ukenquiries@churchdwight.com

Arm & Hammer™ oral healthcare products are available at Boots, Superdrug, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons throughout the UK.

Oral-B launches television ad campaign for iO

Oral-B pioneered both the electric toothbrush and connected brushing, and now has unveiled a new TVC to introduce a whole new generation of brushing technology, Oral-B’s new iO. The most advanced toothbrush on the market represents a new era of brushing technology, design and experience that delivers a professional clean feeling every single day.

Oral-B’s iO  transforms brushing from something very functional, into a high-tech focus of beauty and desire, representing a completely new approach to how Oral-B advertises its products. For a sneak peek at the new ad please see here.

This is something that has been replicated across the wider Oral-B product range, with the new brand Vis-ID using a deeper, more luxurious, colour palette and a series of revamped iconic assets that have been updated in line with the brand’s renewed emphasis on advanced technology.

Adam Parker, Brand Director at Oral-B UK & Ireland, says: “Oral-B is recognised as the #1 Dentist recommended brand worldwide and our product performance is appreciated every day by over 17 million British consumers that use our toothbrushes. With the launch of our new TV commercial, we wanted to communicate what makes Oral-B electric toothbrushes so unique: the WOW feeling of a Professional Clean.

“It’s incredibly exciting to air a new commercial that brings together the WOW users feel when they use our products, with superior technology and beautiful design. Despite being a new look and feel for the brand, the commercial delights viewers and Dental Professionals alike. With the new Oral-B TV commercial and the launch of Oral-B iO, the future of toothbrushing is here.”

The TV ad campaign, created by PG ONE New York and PG ONE London first airs on ITV, on Friday 31st August at 7.30PM, and on Channel 4 at 9PM.

Digital creation and innovation

Operating within the Straumann Group brand in the UK, Createch Medical offers an innovative direct-to-lab milling service. It enables laboratories to extend their existing digital capacity with cutting-edge technologies that facilitate creativity and innovation in dental implantology.

Createch Medical measures, designs and mills custom-made frameworks for implant-retained prostheses, using centralised production facilities to optimise the accuracy, predictability and quality of solutions. It also offers technical support, helping labs to optimise the precision of their scanners and make the most of the many benefits of a digital workflow.

Plus, Createch Additive delivers the latest range of frameworks involving SLM (Selected Laser Melting) technology to provide an efficient and economical option for labs to offer their clients.

Find out more today about how you could maximise your creativity and innovation for implant services by contacting the Straumann Group.

For more information on the Createch Medical direct-to-lab milling service from the Straumann Group here