Sebastian Evans

The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry is to be divided between two universities as Plymouth and Exeter Universities call a halt to a 10-year partnership. Plymouth will retain all 64 dentistry students, and Exeter will get the bigger share of medical students, with a split of 125 to 75. The Plymouth University Peninsula Schools…

Dentistry is failing elderly patients and not enough priority is being given to turning around the fortunes of their oral health. That’s according to a new report published today (10 January). The quality and availability of oral healthcare for older adults remains an issue, and insufficient priority is being given to making improvements, the British…

Chief dental officer Barry Cockcroft and a senior representative from the  Office of Fair Trading are set to discuss dentistry in a seminar in thr summer. The Westminster Health Forum is staging another keynote seminar, Dentistry 2012 – quality, access and regulation. Joining them will be deputy Susie Sanderson, chair of the BDA’s executive board,…

Employees can be the key factor in determining whether or not a practice sustains profitability throughout this economic downturn. As a result, having motivated, engaged staff is incredibly important and vital to uphold. A healthy balance of four key areas of the daily work routine can help to improve employee engagement. These are: • Leadership –…

Dentists are being warned to keep their communication with patients simple. This is in the light of a new UK report which reveals that more than five million adults have a reading level below that expected of an 11-year old – which could potentially harm their oral health. The 2011 Skills for Life Survey, published…

A dental public health expert has been recognised for his expertise in global oral health. Professor David Conway, clinical senior lecturer in dental public health at the University of Glasgow’s dental school, was recently awarded a Union of International Cancer Control (UICC) Fellowship – the Yamagiwa-Yoshida Memorial International Cancer study grant and a Visiting Scientist…

There is no denying that the process of buying and selling a dental practice involves a significant amount of paperwork and you should be wary of being caught out by the small things. A specialist dental solicitor will guide you through the process, which will involve everything from checking associate agreements to reviewing X-ray test…

A radio programme will investigate the workings of the General Dental Council (GDC) next week. Radio 4’s Face the Facts series – which looks at UK consumer and social stories – puts the spotlight on the dental regulatory body in an edition called Fitness to Practise. The pre-publicity says: ‘The organisation we count on to…

Dental students at the University of Dundee have become the first in the UK to be trained to carry out surgical dental treatment on specially embalmed bodies. The Thiel method of embalming which has been adopted by the university leaves cadavers with more life-like properties than those embalmed in the standard way. Bodies are donated…

My first exposure to the idea that my time had to be managed was back in 1978 when I heard about a book called The Time Trap, written by Alec Mackenzie and regarded by many as the first classic work on 20th-century overwhelm – and what to do about it. I was running the admin…

Pit and fissure sealant has been used both as primary and secondary preventive measures against occlusal caries. After nearly four decades of clinical use, the pit and fissure sealant is now recognised as one of the more effective and compliance independent methods for preventing occlusal caries in children. Epidemiological data suggests that dental caries of…

Your votes for Private Dentistry’s Elite 20 have been counted and verified and the results of this poll have been revealed in the January issue of Private Dentistry. Private Dentistry’s Elite 20 for 2012:1. James Russell2. Zaki Kanaan3. Tif Qureshi4. David Dunlop5. Paul Tipton6. Anoop Maini7. Bob Khanna8. Darren Hills9. Ian Needleman10. Ashok Sethi11. Bruce Mayhew12.…

A Devon-based, ‘cosmetologist’ has been successfully prosecuted for offering tooth whitening treatment and ordered to pay a total of £1,872.  Last month, Carl Espano, from Torquay, Devon, pleaded guilty at West London Magistrates’ Court to practising dentistry when not registered with the GDC, contrary to section 38 (1) and (2) of the Dentists’ Act 1984. He…

Scientists have pinpointed two substances in liquorice that kill the major bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. In a study in ACS’ Journal of Natural Products, the team says these substances may have a role in treating and preventing tooth decay and gum disease. Stefan Gafner and his colleagues explain that the dried…

Firms of professional advisors new to dentistry are encroaching on the dental market. That’s according to Nick Ledingham, chairman of the National Association of Dental Accountants and Lawyers (NASDAL). He is advising dentists to be wary about handing over their affairs to anyone without extensive experience of working with the dental profession. The impact of the…