Sebastian Evans

The Department of Health has announced it will unveil Mike Warburton’s access template agreement on Monday. The launch – which coincides with one of the biggest trade events on the dental calendar, this weekend’s BDTA Showcase – follows September’s controversy over the first draft contract posted out by some PCTs ahead of schedule as part…

Researchers have discovered that gum disease can affect the brain in elderly patients. This can happen by causing inflammation throughout the body, a risk factor for loss of mental function. The study, based on adults aged 60 and older found those with the highest levels of the gum disease-causing pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis were three times…

The Dental Defence Union (DDU) is teaming up with experts, FinalBDS, to help students maximise their performance with a weekend undergraduate dental revision course – the only one of its kind in the UK.   Topics covered on the course include clinical presenting, oral medicine, oral surgery, orthodontics, paediatrics and periodontics. There is also advice on…

Scientists are saying that people with bad oral health are increasingly likely to have anxious personalities. Researchers from the University of Otago, New Zealand, studied more than 1,000 participants between the ages of 15 and 32 and discovered around a quarter of them had dental anxiety. The participants were divided into groups: • people who…

A dental expert claims that dentists are leading the way in the fight against cardiovascular disease with a study designed to spot the early-warning signs of a heart attack. The study – published in this month’s Journal of the American Dental Association – followed 200 patients (101 women and 99 men) in private dental practices…

Buying a dental practice is easier said than done. However, this remains a firm aspiration for many associates who clearly see a value in owning their own business because of the long-term investment opportunities. A determined approach, with guidance from expert professional advisers, is essential to a successful purchase. Finding the right practice in the…

The right to NHS dentistry is among a package of promises in reforms proposed by health secretary Andy Burnham today (Tuesday 10 November). The new scheme is designed to give a legal right to quick health care for those patients needing dental treatment, as well as rights to medical treatment and rights to die at…

It’s showtime. The BDTA Showcase exhibition is upon us, and the annual litmus paper is dipped hopefully into the professional test tube. It is anybody’s guess what colour it will be by the time it emerges. Yet another Showcase has arrived just as the profession finds itself in uncertain times (there must surely be a…

With such a vast array of options to keep visitors occupied and entertained, it’s no surprise that many delegates like to stay on in Birmingham once they have seen all there is to see at Showcase. This year’s event is a little later in the year than usual, so in mid-November many visitors are likely…

A Colchester dentist has died from injuries sustained in a motorbike race. Roy Parbury, 54, was competing in a British Motorcycle Racing Club race, in Kent, when he was involved in the accident, www.essexcountystandard.co.uk reports. Mr Parbury owned the Art of Dentistry practice, in The Avenue, Colchester, and had worked in the town for more…

Bridge2Aid, the dental volunteer charity that works in East Africa, has now reached more than a million people through its dental volunteer programme. This programme has reached one million people in just five years since the charity started it, an achievement which Bridge2Aid are now accelerating,. B2A’s chief executive Ian Wilson explains: ‘With over four billion…

A dental advice DVD for schools has won health bosses recognition in its drive to improve oral health among children. Smile with Confidence proved a winner for NHS Lanarkshire, in Scotland, whose oral health team scooped the Patron’s Prize at the 2009 annual conference of the National Oral Health Promotion Group for their innovative film.…

Thieves have stolen a huge batch of dental implants worth thousands of pounds which experts believe may be sold on the black market. The implants were taken from an Adin Dental Implant Systems factory, based near the Israeli city of Afula. But the implants have not been sterilised and the company is urging dentists to…

Ordinary working chairs used in dental clinics cause sitting disorders and are one of the main reasons behind declining health, decrease in work efficiency and early incapacity. Most dentists are exposed to a physical load on a daily basis, and particularly the back, neck and shoulders are strained as a result of static muscular work.…

I have spoken to many dental professionals in Ireland who confirmed they have noticed that their appointment book is not as full as it once was. It seems that patients have been putting off their dental check-ups, with hygiene appointments being particularly badly affected, because of the recession. Over the course of two days in…

Saturday 26 September was notable for the loss of Bernard Dunne’s World title at the O2 arena in Dublin. Later that night I reminisced on the loss with hotel owner and erstwhile property mogul and developer Sean Dunne, who I happened to bump into, in the D4 hotel in Ballsbridge. We were waiting for Bernard…

Reflective practice can be achieved by the constant process of analysing, constructively criticising and evaluating not only your own performance as a dental nurse but also that of your dental team. It should include all areas of the normal work routine, especially decision making skills and interacting both with patients and other members of staff.…

I awake to the 6.30am alarm and Becky, my partner, bags the shower first as she commutes 45 minutes to E.On where she’s in SME and retail marketing. For me, it’s a 30-minute walk in the park with our Labrador; we got her from a rescue centre five years ago and, a bilateral THR (total…