Missed out on this week’s dental news? No problem, here’s what happened over the past seven days…
Below-inflation pay rise puts NHS dental services in doubt
The Welsh Government has said dentists and doctors will receive a 2% pay rise, which will also be backdated to April.
Welsh dentists currently earn 30% less than their colleagues in England.
The rise comes after the DDRB recommended an increase of 2% for all dentists and doctors in July.
Associations join forces to call for reform of the DDRB
The associations claim the DDRB’s role to offer independent recommendations on pay awards has been eroded.
Key principles that the associations are ask for include:
- Restitution of the DDRB’s independence and return to its original purpose
- Narrow the DDRB’s focus purely on pay uplifts rather than making recommendations on wider contractual matters.
- Clear timetables for submission of evidence and publications of the report, with an undertaking that government(s) must not fetter the parameters of the recommendations
- Re-establishment of the undertaking that government(s) will respect and implement the DDRB’s recommendations.
Dentistry degrees offer ‘best value for money’
A Yougov survey found that 62% of students believe the standard of education and wages graduates earn don’t warrant the cost of degrees.
However, undergraduates studying dentistry and medicine disagree with this, after 62% said their course offers the best value for money.
Veterinary sciences and agriculture (56%) is the second best value for money degree according to students.
Toothpaste manufacturer forced to apologise for ‘spit or swallow’ ad
Young woman is accepted to the University of Sussex and this is in her welcome bag. WTF @SussexUni Do you have any respect for women? This is sexual harassment. pic.twitter.com/IeKzvHX4KC
— Untameable Shrews (@untamableshrews) September 20, 2018
The advert appears on a beer mat included in a students welcome-to-university pack.
On the beer mat is an image of a woman with toothpaste drooling out of her mouth and on the back it says: ‘Whether you spit or swallow as part of your (twice…) daily oral regime, place your oral health on autopilot with Brushbox.’
Some yoghurts contain more sugar than cola
Some yoghurts contain more sugar per 100g than cola, a new study from Leeds University has shown.
Despite often advertised as a ‘healthy’ alternative, many yoghurts were full of sugar.
The only yoghurts described as as ‘low in sugar’ (below 5g of sugar per 100g) were natural and Greek-styled yoghurts.
Diets high in added sugars are linked to obesity and poor oral health, authors from the study say.
The research calls for changes to UK labelling laws, to better educate the public on sugars.
Is dentistry still a good profession to work in?
Why is the charity bike ride so popular?
This week, the UK dental world saw the completion of two high-profile cycling challenges.
The two events were the 15 day ‘Five go Forth’ Lands End to John O’Groats cycle ride, involving a number of my good friends, raising money for Cancer Research UK, Brushup UK, and Bridge2aid.
The other was the fifth Straumann UK Charity Bike Ride.
Dentists make the most of running at Simplyhealth’s Great North Run
The Simplyhealth Great North Run welcomed over 43,000 runners to complete the 13.1-mile course.
Famous athletes, celebrities, and members of the public all took part to raise money for charity or as training for future marathons.
Sir Mo Farah managed a record-breaking fifth victory by winning the elite’s men’s race in 59 minutes and 29 seconds.
Simplyhealth Professionals has been encouraging its dentists to sign up and had 55 members taking part in the Simplyhealth Great North run.
Make it easy for patients to complain, defence union says
Dental practices should make it easy for patients to complain about dental treatment, the DDU says.
Figures show there were 14,000 NHS dental treatment complaints in 2017/18.
The Dental Defence Union (DDU) has published a guide on dealing with dental complaints in its latest DDU journal.
