Missed out on this week’s dental news? No problem, here’s what happened over the past seven days…
HPV vaccine to be extended to boys
Since 2008, the vaccination has only been given to teenage girls because HPV can cause cervical cancer.
However the Mail Online has reported that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will give the go-ahead for vaccines to be extended to boys on the NHS after it has been linked to 5% of all cancers worldwide.
BDA challenges Jeremy Hunt to invest in prevention
These calls come after spending per head on NHS dentistry dropped from £41 to £36 over the last five years.
The BDA claims that every £1 spent on prevention can generate £3 worth of savings.
In an open letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the association has called for clarity on investments made in primary care.
Amalgam fillings don’t need replacing, DDU warns
EU regulations that came into effect on the 1 July mean amalgam should now only be used for fillings when deemed ‘strictly necessary’.
The DDU has warned that dental professionals may now be approached by patients looking to remove their mercury fillings.
It says dentists need to consider whether replacing old fillings would be in the patient’s best interests.
The importance of cases like GDC and Pate
This latest move comes after much controversy in some sections of the profession, particularly in some social media circles.
One of the responses and a background to the case can be found here.
Most Brits dangerously underestimate sugar content in energy drinks
The poll found 63% of the public misjudge how much sugar can be found in their energy drinks.
Some of the more popular energy drinks contain:
- 27.5g of sugar in a 250ml can of Red Bull
- 17.1g of sugar in a 380ml bottle of Lucozade Energy
- 24g of sugar in a 500ml can of Rockstar
- 55g of sugar in a 500ml can of Monster Energy.
Children eating five times more sugar in summer months
The poll, carried out by Mydentist, found children were more likely to eat ice creams, lollies and soft drinks in the hot weather.
Almost a quarter (24.5%) of parents think they give their children twice as much sugar during summer months, with 11.5% saying it could be more than five times the amount.
The BDA has called on Ministers to force industry to change the way it formulates and markets these products.
The profession’s thoughts on the business side of dentistry
Exactly half of practice owners find it a challenge to access the funding they need to invest in their businesses.
Dental practices in the UK are best described as ‘cautiously optimistic’ about their prospects for the coming 12 months.
Achieving growth is the highest priority for 38% of the UK’s dental practices, which is the highest of all professions.
Over a quarter (27%) of dental practices say that Brexit makes them less confident about their future business prospects.
