Sebastian Evans

First of all, you may remember the Harvard quantitative methods online course I had to do? Well, I passed! Small victory for me (as I punch the air). With every degree I have done, there has always been a ‘why?’ moment. This is usually before the exams, sitting in my study longingly looking out of…

Simon Reynolds, commercial director of Patient Plan Direct, explains: ‘We have teamed up with Tracy Stuart of NBS Training, one the leading dental trainers in the UK, to offer practices a transfer offer that is focused on business support and plan success for the long term. ‘The offer we have put together does not require…

Over the past few years Mark Ray, partner of Ravat & Ray Dental Care, has undertaken a number of bike riding challenges for many worthwhile local causes. This year, Mark is aiming to cycle 150 miles in just one day. He will complete the cycling element of the Ironman challenge, plus more, around the outskirts…

In order to provide the best possible orthodontic service to all your patients, it is important that you have the best team of professionals behind you. From your dental nurse or assistant to your laboratory, close collaboration and effective communication is often key to treatment success. As such, when it comes to choosing a lab…

I am sure many of my peers would agree that the current pressures on the junior dentist are substantial. After five years of blood, sweat and tears, we are rewarded by graduating with a heavy student debt. A survey by the BDA (British Dental Association) found that the average total debt among final-year undergraduate dental…

The Counterfeit and Substandard Instruments and Devices Initiative (CSIDI), an industry wide activity to: Promote awareness of the dangers of poor quality, counterfeit and illegal dental instruments and devices Provide a quick and simple method of reporting these to the relevant bodies Promote purchasing only from reputable manufacturers and suppliers such as BDIA (British Dental Industry…

The two-day symposium, held on 3 and 4 July in London, provided dental team members with the opportunity to hear leading speakers discuss restorative dentistry, endodontics and new equipment that has transformed the way modern dentistry is practised. Among those speaking on the Thursday was Dr Chris Orr, one of the UK’s most prominent cosmetic dentists. His…

Figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that for the year beginning April 2013 more than 25,000 children aged between five and nine admitted to hospital for dental treatments. The next most frequent condition for the hospitalisation of children in this age group was tonsillitis at more than 11,000. Many reasons have…

Hyperventilation (panic attack) is breathing at an abnormally rapid rate while at rest. When we breathe in, there is only a trace of carbon dioxide in the air. When we breathe out, we breathe out 4% carbon dioxide. Hyperventilating results in low levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, which causes the signs and symptoms…

When I first became secretary of Birmingham LDC (local dental committee) in 2005, one of my first responsibilities was to attend a service committee hearing for one of our colleagues. Concern had been raised by the Dental Practice Board (DPB) over a treatment plan by the colleague, and in front of a panel of his…

The blame game rarely leads to solutions. The ARF (annual retention fee) hike shows that the GDC (General Dental Council) has not addressed the root causes of the multiple issues it faces. The issues will only go away if value is created for both the public and the profession. We are interested in keeping our registration…

Today's dental oxymoron is 'ethics and law'. It was refreshing to hear dentists yesterday talk about ethics in such a passionate way. To paraphrase they said, 'treat patients fairly and right and you will have a good life and a great practice.' These days, the cost of family life and running the business of a…

Being aware of the dangers and knowing how to cope with cardiac arrest could save someone’s life. Subject to common preconceptions, cardiac arrest can affect anyone regardless of their health or age. Unfortunately, up to 16 young people die each week due to sudden cardiac arrest (Malhotra and Rakhit, 2013). Like many other life-threatening conditions,…

The ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (Curia, 2014) found that search engine operators are data controllers and that individuals have the right to ask them to remove certain search results on privacy grounds. These include results that appear to be inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant, or excessive. The recent European court ruling means…