Missed out on this week’s dental news? No problem, here’s what happened over the past seven days…
Around 40% of claims are for treatment started more than a decade ago
That’s according to Dental Protection, which says these claims are also for larger amounts of money, sometimes up to £100k.
Many of these claims involve allegations relating to the management of periodontal disease and caries.
Dental Protection believes the claims environment will continue to be challenging due to changing patient expectations.
It also points to claimant law firms actively targeting periodontal claims and long-term care.
This, it says, is due to an increased understanding of the importance of record keeping.
Faculty of Dental Surgery calls on schools to go sugar free
The Faculty of Dental Surgery is urging school dinners in England to go sugar free.
It hopes this will help combat high tooth decay rates amongst school children.
The faculty has produced 12 recommendations to reduce tooth decay prevalence including:
- All schools in England to introduce supervised teeth-brushing schemes before 2022
- All schools to become ‘sugar free’
- Extending the soft-drinks levy to include sugary dairy drinks
- Limiting advertising and promotions for high-sugar products
- Reducing the sugar content of commercial baby foods.
Government’s green paper and its potential impact on oral health
Michael Watson gives his thoughts on the recent launch of the government’s green paper.
Vitamin D during pregnancy could improve children’s oral health
Taking large doses of vitamin D during pregnancy could improve the oral health of children.
A clinical trial split 600 women into two groups, one taking vitamin D supplements and the other taking a placebo.
Six years later children of the women that took vitamin D experienced a 47% lower rate of enamel defects.
Defects in tooth enamel effects 38% of school-aged children, the research states.
The study stops short of linking vitamin D supplements with the prevalence of caries in children.
Wine tops the poll as the nation’s favourite drink
The survey found that 81% of people in the UK had consumed wine in the past 12 months.
Beer was the nation’s second favourite drink at 79%, closely followed by spirits also at 79%.
Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio were the nation’s favourite wines, closely followed by Malbec, Shiraz and prosecco.
McDonald’s receives opposition to opening new restaurant in Cardiff
A school head teacher is among the more than 90 people objecting to the new fast-food restaurant in Cardiff.
Concerns have been raised over unhealthy food and smells, as well as increased traffic in the local area.
In a statement to the council, McDonald’s said it was committed to supporting customers make healthy dietary choices.
It claims it is reducing the fats and sugars in its products and broadening its menu.
In June McDonald’s announced a ‘revamped’ salad and wrap range to offer a meal for under 400 or 600 calories.