Month: January 2023

Dental Protection introduces Company Protection

Dental Protection has introduced a new product, Company Protection, which allows incorporated companies to request assistance in the event they are alleged to be vicariously liable for the acts or omissions of a clinician working for the corporate and/or where the corporate is found to owe a non-delegable duty of care for the patients treated on its premises.  

This product sits separately and in addition to any individual practice principal membership with Dental Protection. In 2021, the defence organisation confirmed that it had extended the member benefits for practice principals with three or fewer un-incorporated practices to include additional protection against vicarious liability and/or non-delegable duty of care claims relating to treatment provided by dental practitioners and dental care professionals. Individual membership does not however extend to include assistance for an incorporated business, which requires its own protection.

Any incorporated dental company with employees and a gross annual turnover of less than £1.7m can apply for Company Protection. Subscriptions are based on the individual circumstances of the company; for example, the number of dentists and dental care professionals working within the company, the number of Dental Protection members, and the period of retroactive protection required. 

Company Protection benefits include redirection and defence of vicarious liability and non-delegable duty of care claims. If these claims cannot be redirected or defended, Company Protection also will pay compensatory damages. Company Protection includes a claims indemnity limit of £1m for each claim and in the aggregate, and up to 10 years retroactive protection. The product also includes access to expert dentolegal and media advice and support.

Yvonne Shaw, Deputy Dental Director at Dental Protection, said: “With recent legal challenges relating to claims arising from alleged vicarious liability and non-delegable duty of care, dental companies may now find themselves at greater risk of being the subject of a claim relating to the actions of employees or contractors. Many practice owners may not have considered that an incorporated practice is at risk of being the subject of a claim in its own right.

“Our new product Company Protection is a membership for the entity itself that allows directors/corporate officers to request assistance should a legal challenge be brought against the company/entity. This will offer some peace of mind for incorporated companies, providing the unrivalled defence, advice and support you can rely on from Dental Protection.”

Practices that are non-incorporated should visit Dental Protection’s Vicarious Liability hub for guidance on separate support with claims relating to vicarious liability or non-delegable duty of care. Those with a mixture of incorporated and non-incorporated practices, can view our FAQs. For companies with turnover >£1.7M please see: Healthcare Protection

For further information, or to join, visit: Company Protection (dentalprotection.org)

Optident hosts “Confident Smile Makeover Masterclasses” on orthodontic restorative treatments aimed at general dental practitioners

The goal of the two-day course is to give dentists the confidence to offer a complete renew, reveal, and revitalise solution to their patients

Optident, a Henry Schein company, will present a two-day face-to-face education event in partnership with the International Alignment Science Academy (IAS), a global community of world-class teachers and colleagues with the goal to empower dentists to confidently treat their patients with the best and most ethical treatment options available, and Dr. Tif Qureshifounder and a clinical director of IAS Academy, and a past President of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

By the end of these “Confident Smile Makeover Masterclasses”, dentists will be able to handle simple to moderate alignment cases as well as everything needed to finish post-orthodontics treatments. The courses will also help to ensure long-term stability and function. On day one, Dr. Tif Qureshi’s masterclass will be on Removable Appliances, such as the Reveal Clear Aligners. On the second day, the course will focus on Orthodontic Restorative, covering the use of White Dental Beauty gels and White Dental Beauty CompoSite.

“We are excited to present this series of masterclasses with Dr. Qureshi to dentists. It will provide with the knowledge to confidently treat the patient and offer an affordable and high-quality result confident smile makeover,” Rebecca Haworth-Johnson, Senior Marketing and Education Manager, Optident.

The two-day “Confident Smile Makeover Masterclass” will take place at four different dates and locations throughout the year:

In addition to these courses with Dr. Qureshi, there will be a “Confident Smile Makeover Masterclass” in Newcastle presented by Dr. Andrew Wallace, active Member of the Irish Academy of Aesthetic Orthodontics and regional representative of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and Dr. Kelly Toft, IAS trainer and mentor.

Included in the Masterclass courses is the access to the mentoring platform that allows clinicians who attended the course to post their first three cases for Suitability Checks, Treatment Plan Discussions, and Full Case Support.

About Optident

For more than 35 years, Optident Ltd. provides innovative dental products and related high-quality education to enhance clinical excellence. The company partners with Key Opinion Leaders and renowned scientists to constantly evolve and execute new clinical developments. It is based in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, UK. Optident is an affiliate to Henry Schein. 

DDU survey reveals Dental professionals turn to coping mechanisms to deal with intense workplace pressures

More than eight in 10 (86%) dental professionals say that workplace pressures have increased in the past two to three years, a new Dental Defence Union (DDU) survey has revealed. Dental professionals are turning to coping mechanisms like mindfulness, breathing exercises and breaks in the fresh air to cope.

The DDU survey of 495 dental professionals also found nearly four in 10 (39%) said they were likely to retire or leave practice in the next five years. Half (52%) said they had reduced their hours to cope with workplace pressures.

John Makin, head of the DDU, said: “Our members are a resilient bunch. They’re used to dealing with the extreme demands of their roles. However, you can only stretch a piece of elastic so far. Pressures are intensifying, caused by a number of issues outside of dental professionals’ control. These include an increase in treatment needs caused by the pandemic, rising patient expectations and treatment and referral delays.  

“We are calling on the government to put the necessary resources and support in place to reduce delays and meet treatment demand. This will help to reduce the stress being experienced by dental professionals. It will also help them to treat patients safely and to a good standard.”

Other findings from the research were:

  • Three in 10 respondents (31%) said they used mindfulness and breathing exercises as a coping strategy, while six in 10 (65%) said they took a break by exercising in the fresh air.
  • Six in 10 dental professionals (60%) said relationships with patients and colleagues had become more strained over the past two or three years.
  • Nine in 10 (91%) said they felt worn out at the end of a working day and eight in 10 (84%) said they felt burned out.
  • A fifth (20%) had experienced a patient complaint or safety incident and a similar proportion had been abused or threatened (19%).
  • Despite this, nearly all respondents (93%) said patients and colleagues treated them with respect.

What dental professionals said:

  1. “Workplace pressures should never be a factor in whether we can treat patients safely, yet these pressures are increasingly placing barriers in the day-to-day work of dentists around the country” – dental professional
  2. “As we couldn’t see patients for routine appointments [during the pandemic] they’ve gone from having stable teeth pre pandemic to having multiple problems needing treatment or extraction. Understandably some patients are shocked and upset about this and blame us for it. It means that patients who previously were stable now need lots of treatments further adding to the backlog.” – dental professional
  3. “I use mindfulness in everyday situations to help me be fully aware of where I am and what I’m doing without becoming overwhelmed or overreacting to stressful situations. I use breathing techniques and mindfulness apps. The techniques help me to avoid worrying about things that may or may not happen.” –  Catherine Hemingway, dentist
  4. “I try to ensure I give myself breaks during the day and avoid the temptation to book patients during lunch breaks or after work. I aim to take a break every couple of hours, take some deep breaths and have a stroll. As clinicians, we can find it difficult to turn off, but I try to do something totally different when I’m not working.” – Andrew Chandrapal, a dental practice principal and DDU council member.
  5. “One of Covid’s legacies is my willingness to diversify my working practices to cope with pressures. I now work part time as a DDU dento-legal adviser alongside my clinical and training roles. I think it’s important to allow yourself time to decompress after a stressful working day. I get plenty of fresh air and exercise through coaching an under 16s rugby team in my spare time.” – James Kingham a general dental practitioner and training programme director for Health Education England.
  6. “I like to get out of at lunch time for a 20min walk. That change in air and space combined with a brisk walk (and sometimes a podcast) powers me up for the afternoon. In summer, I enjoy an evening walk to relieve the day’s stresses. Having an informal chat to colleagues helps. My colleagues are a friendly, sociable group with lots of positive ideas and sensible suggestions. Getting a good night’s sleep fires me up for another day.” – Tom Norfolk, a general dental practitioner and DDU vice chairman.

Wellbeing resources are available for DDU members signposting them of where they can get help.

The DDU surveyed a sample of dental professionals (495) in December 2022 and received a 6% response rate. Respondents included: GDPs (55%), dental hygienist/therapists (21%), newly qualified dentists (6%), community dentists (6%), hospital dentists (6%) and dental nurses (5%).

Mick Horton to be next Chair of CGDent

Dr Mick Horton FCGDent, former Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP), has been appointed as the next Chair of the College’s Trustee Board.

Dr Horton qualified from Manchester University in 1986, initially working in Fleetwood, Lancashire. In 1992, he purchased a mixed NHS/private practice in Caergwrle, North Wales, where he worked for the next thirty years.

In 2015, he became the ninth Dean of the FGDP, and the first non-Fellow to have been elected to the post. Under his Deanship, the Faculty initiated the process of separating from the Royal College of Surgeons of England to create an independent college for general dental professionals. He has served as a Trustee of the resulting College of General Dentistry, into which the FGDP transferred in 2021, since completing his three year term as FGDP Dean in 2018.

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Horton chaired the joint FGDP-CGDent working group which developed Implications of Covid-19 for the safe management of general dental practice, guidance which the organisations published a week ahead of the re-opening of dental practices in England, at a time when no official guidance for re-opening was available, and which was downloaded over 50,000 times in that week alone. In 2020 he was elected to the Fellowship of FGDP in recognition of his exceptional career record and active support of the Faculty and its mission.

Dr Horton’s experience also encompasses 22 years as Chair of his Local Dental Committee, ten years as Vice Chair of his local Health Board, 20 years as a postgraduate CPD tutor, working as a dental nurse examiner and being a member of the Welsh Dental Committee as well as Managed Clinical Networks. His professional interests include patient safety, human factors, risk management, mentoring and quality improvement, and he continues to serve on national policy groups in these areas.

In 2021, he was Guest Editor of the first issue of the Primary Dental Journal published by the College, on the theme of leadership and professionalism, and he has since chaired College webinars on leadership and professionalism and delivered one on preventing wrong tooth extraction, and earlier this month was a speaker at its event on creating a positive patient safety culture in dentistry.

In taking up post as Chair in April 2023, he will succeed Dr Janet Clarke MBE, former Deputy Chief Dental Officer for England, who joined the Board of Trustees in 2019 and became Chair in 2020. During her tenure, the College has formally launched, successfully incorporated the membership and intellectual assets of the FGDP, opened up Full Membership and Fellowship to all suitably qualified registered dental professionals, opened its ‘by experience’ route to Fellowship, created the new grade of Associate Fellowship, published its Professional Framework for career pathways in dentistry and launched its Certified Membership scheme.

Outgoing Chair, Janet Clarke, said: “It has been a great privilege to lead the College of General Dentistry over the last few years, during which it has been established and, building on the legacy of the FGDP, begun its vital work of creating an independent organisation built by, and specifically for, general dental professionals. I am proud to be handing over the reins to Mick, who is a highly experienced, respected and forward-thinking general dental practitioner with an unsurpassed knowledge of, and dedication to, the College and its mission.“

Commenting on his appointment, Dr Horton said: “Having been passionate about the College of General Dentistry since its inception, it is a joy to look back and see that such considerable progress has been made, in a short period of time, in establishing the College and pursuing its mission. It has been a great pleasure to work with Janet on the Trustee Board, and I would like to thank her for her leadership and commitment in driving our progress, and congratulate her on all that has been achieved. I am honoured to have now been given the responsibility of steering the College through its next phase, as we develop and implement new ways of supporting the profession to enjoy fulfilling careers in general dentistry, with structured progression. We can only do this with the support of the profession, so I call on all colleagues to play their part at this historic moment by joining us in membership.”

Level up your skillset!

The ability to provide exceptional anterior and posterior composite restorations is a straightforward way to level up your clinical skillset.

Learn how to take your restorations to the next level with the Anterior & Posterior Composite course from IAS Academy. Clinicians who sign up to the course will be taught by award-winning dentist Dr Shiraz Khan over two days, gaining the skills they need to effectively diagnose, plan, and perform exceptional composite restorations that mimic the patient’s natural anatomy.

This course is suitable for professionals of all skill levels and is taught in-person so that clinicians can receive in-depth, hands-on training that they can instantly implement in their own practices.

To find out more, please contact IAS Academy today.

 

29For more information on upcoming IAS Academy training courses, please visit www.iasortho.com or call 01932 336470 (Press 1)

Outsourcing at its finest

The Smile in a Box™ digital treatment planning and manufacturing service from Straumann® is ideal for convenience and flexibility.

For clinicians who don’t want to invest in additional hardware/software, Smile in a Box™ facilitates practice efficiency through reducing chair-time with immediate treatment protocols. Through this outsourcing service, Straumann® grants clinicians the freedom to choose what they outsource and what they fabricate in-house, ensuring they only receive exactly what they’ve paid for.

With a guided-surgery workflow, clinicians are able to make treatment planning far simpler and much more predictable. The result? Outstanding treatment outcomes and happy, satisfied patients.

Find out more today by visiting the website.

 

For more information, visit http://www.smileinabox.com/

Talking point: should I hand back my NHS contract?

A huge talking point in recent months has been whether dental practices should hand back their NHS contracts.

The news has been littered with tales about how patients cannot access NHS dentistry, as their dental practice is either not accepting new NHS patients, or their dentists are reducing their NHS commitments. So, in light of this, what should dental professionals do? It’s worth bearing in mind that moving away from NHS work won’t be such a simple process for many principles, especially if they’re thinking of growing their practice and/or selling in the near future.

Is it all doom and gloom for NHS practices? 

While there has been a softening in NHS earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) multiples, this certainly doesn’t spell the end for the NHS market. As we explored in our most recent Interim Goodwill Report, which covered sales completed between 1st April 2022 and 30th September 2022, smaller practices with space for private growth are favourable in the independent market, while those with larger contracts and less desirable conditions for private growth may consider holding for the time being. However, I would go so far as to say that the market for NHS practices remains where they can be a private upside. Remember, the bank still loves NHS income and, as far as we can tell, will continue to do so. Despite the softening, there are still some big players out there.

If you’re looking to sell your practice, the main question you may be asking yourself is whether now is the right time to do so. Timing is an important factor, alongside your motivations. If you are wanting to sell an NHS practice, you should consider the ways that the business’ run rate can be built upon and the practice’s value increased. Bear in mind that the market is a cycle, and knowing where you currently sit on that cycle is impossible to predict. Therefore, predictions must be made based on the information that is currently at hand.

Patient membership plans – supporting the transition   

So, handing back contracts. Before doing so, it’s vital to ascertain where you are in your career and whether handing back contracts would be a viable option at this time – are the associates within the practice well-established? This may impact patient loyalty. Also, you must be self-critical of your own business, and consider whether there are competitors offering similar private services in your vicinity. It’s also paramount to ensure that your dental practice can generate sufficient private income. Helping your staff see the benefit of going private is also important. This includes everyone from the associates, dental hygienists, dental nurses to the receptionists, who must be able to appreciate the advantages of a private conversion so they can communicate these to patients. Some patients may have concerns that the team will need to tackle, which means having a united front is paramount.

Once you’ve handed back your NHS contract, what would happen if that contract was purchased by a principal who then opened a practice close by? You may experience patients switching practices with a preference for NHS – however, you may also find that patients, unable to get an appointment in a reasonable timeframe, will drift back to your business. You won’t be able to predict what the outcome will be so it’s a commercial gamble, but you do need to know your numbers beforehand so you know what you need to achieve to maintain your business value – for example, how much private gross do you need to replace the profit (not necessarily income) from 5,000 UDAs?

How can you help to ease the transition to private, if you’ve decided it’s the right time? Your practice may have already utilised patient membership plans – but, if not, it may be worth considering whether this could support the move to more private work. Leading patient membership plan providers may be able to help you plan more effectively for a private transition, offering analyses while determining your motivations and feasibility. Once the value of the NHS contract being handed back has been determined, they will help you supplement the contract value with recurring plan payments. The remaining income will then have to be made up by private income. A leading provider will take into consideration your available clinical hours and how that private income will be delivered in those hours. Additionally, they’ll take into account what’s going on in your local area, in terms of competition and other options for patients.

Are such methods of private conversion suitable for every practice? For businesses with a transitory patient base, or that are largely referral-based, plan memberships may not be entirely appropriate. However, for the majority of businesses, employing a membership plan scheme could help to make the switch to private more seamless.

Your choice

Ultimately, we’ve been hearing a lot about the NHS market, and it’s not all been good news. But, despite seeing a softening in the market, it’s certainly not over for NHS businesses. So, personally, I wouldn’t recommend handing back the entirety of your NHS contract in a hurry. Rather, plan and prepare so you, your staff and patients are ready for a potential switch in the future. As always, we shall have to see what changes unfold in the market over the coming months, especially following the recent announcements in the Autumn Statement. 

For more information contact Dental Elite. Visit www.dentalelite.co.uk, email info@dentalelite.co.uk or call 01788 545 900

 

Author:

Luke Moore is one of the Founders and Directors of Dental Elite and has overseen well in excess of 750 practice sales and valuations. With over 19 years working in the dental industry, Luke has extensive knowledge in both dental practice transfers and recruitment and understands the complexities of NHS and Private practices.

A marvel of modern dentistry

The Axano treatment centre, delivered proudly by Clark Dental, provides you with everything you need for your day-to-day work.

Expertly manufactured by Dentsply Sirona, the Axano dental chair allows you to individualise the way that you work – with the endodontic, dental implant and face treatment function, you can simplify your workflow and improve clinical safety.

During treatment, all steps are presented clearly on the Smart-Touch user interface, which lets you operate all essential functions with ease. Also, you can also access, edit and control media without having to switch to another computer.

To improve patient comfort, the headrest can be easily adjusted, controlled by the Smart-Touch function or via the foot control.

There’s plenty more to discover with the incredible Axano treatment centre. For more information, visit the website or get in touch with the team today.

 

If you’d like to find out more about Clark Dental’s solutions, call the team on 01268 733 146, email info@clarkdental.co.uk or visit www.clarkdental.co.uk.

 

Re-claim your working day with Kiroku

Are you finding it difficult to balance comprehensive note taking and spending time with your patients? Kiroku, the digital note taking platform, can help.

Kiroku is the innovative solution for clinical note taking, allowing you to spend more time with your patients and less time on administrative tasks, while keeping complete and accurate clinical notes for all of your patients. Use dynamic templates with Kiroku, which make it easier to include all the relevant information – customisable for your needs.

On average, dentists spend 25% of their day writing notes – time which could be better spent elsewhere. With Kiroku, you can expect to take comprehensive notes 60% faster, with the security that nothing has been missed out.

If you’re ready to re-claim your working day, and create accurate and complete notes in no time, try Kiroku.

 

To find out more about Kiroku, or to start your free trial, please visit trykiroku.com

Enhanced communication for patient engagement

Patient Bridge is the cloud-based software update for existing R4+ practice management users. This innovative software Carestream Dental allows your practice to communicate and engage effectively with your patients. This enables you to optimise patient satisfaction, build a loyal patient base and, in turn, generate more revenue.

Patient Bridge integrates seamlessly with R4+ practice management software, allowing you to better maintain high-quality patient experiences, encouraging continued engagement.

Customise your approach to each patient in terms of GDPR, contact methods, and pre-visit forms. Build marketing campaigns easily, optimise contact with patients, and allow patients access to the virtual waiting room to complete pre-appointment forms. You are even able to minimise missed appointments with the FTA manager, with automated messages for patients who repeatedly miss appointments.

Upgrade your R4+ practice management software with Patient Bridge and help your practice run more smoothly.

Get in touch today to find out more.28

 

For more information on Carestream Dental visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @carestreamdental.uk