Sebastian Evans

A dental technician who tried an alternative tactic to sell his home and raise money for charity has had to offer a cash prize draw instead. Stephen Sickelmore, 49, and his wife, Caroline, were raffling their seaside home in the hope of raising the £490,000 it was originally on the market for. The couple also…

Three schools in deprived areas of Scotland will benefit from once-a-week visits from a mobile dental unit. The dental unit will offer check-ups to school pupils, as well as fluoride varnishing. Information will also be given to children on what food and drink is bad for teeth, as well as help to find their own…

The credit crunch is being blamed for almost half the population in Croydon not visiting the dentist in at least two years. An estimated 125,000 adults and 25,000 children in the borough have not even had a check up in that time, despite the fact that many dental practices in the area have the capacity…

A turf-cutting ceremony was recently held on the site for the new Portsmouth Dental Academy. This development will allow final year dental students from King’s College London Dental Institute the opportunity to work with dental hygiene and therapy students in the provision of primary dental care for the local population of Portsmouth and the surrounding…

Tom Lehner, professor of Basic and Applied Immunology from the Mucosal Immunology Unit at King’s College London Dental Institute, has been awarded an honorary fellowship of the Royal Society of Medicine. It’s in recognition of his huge – and sustained – contributions to the field of basic and applied immunology. The citation was given by…

Recording continuing professional development hours is getting easier thanks to a new section on the General Dental Council’s website. GDC registrants can use the online facility to track and record CPD hours over their five-year cycle. The site shows how many hours they have to complete, and re-calculates this when further hours are added. All…

A mum-of-two has invented a two-in-one timer that she hopes will improve kids’ oral and hand hygiene. Rachel Stephens, of Colnbrook in Berkshire, came up with the idea for the Wash & Brush Timer after battles with her own children in trying to encourage them to spend longer cleaning teeth and washing hands. Marketing and…

A dental expert has come up with an idea to extend the life of a tooth filling. The researcher at the US Medical College of Georgia is hoping that a new nanotechnology technique will extend the fillings’ longevity. Dr Franklin Tay, associate professor of endodontics in the MCG School of Dentistry, explains: ‘Dentin adhesives bond…

There is no shortage of significant paperwork to read on your summer holidays – if, indeed, you are taking any this year. Hard on the heels of HTM 01-05 comes the Review of NHS Dental Services in England, and I have taken a copy off my (extensive) reading pile to look through.There are certainly sensible…

Pity the poor Inland Revenue (IR). The recession has hurt the finances of millions of people and tens of thousands of organisations, but no one has seen their income shrink more than the IR; no one is so cash starved as the collectors of the tax levied on our shrinking incomes. Partnership and company profits…

In its early days, cosmetic dentistry was a dirty, heavy handed affair, but improving technology, refined techniques, public knowledge and ethical considerations have driven cosmetic procedures to become some of the most influential disciplines in the development of contemporary dentistry. Better results with less invasive techniques equal a ‘win-win’ for everyone who cares about the…

In its early days, cosmetic dentistry was a dirty, heavy handed affair, but improving technology, refined techniques, public knowledge and ethical considerations have driven cosmetic procedures to become some of the most influential disciplines in the development of contemporary dentistry. Better results with less invasive techniques equal a ‘win-win’ for everyone who cares about the…

‘Providers are getting more money for doing less, or perhaps for doing something different. In other words, despite the protestations of the profession, dentists are doing rather well overall.’These are not my words, let me make clear at the outset, but an extract from An Independent Review of NHS Dental Services in England, commissioned by…

I normally get started at 8.00am. Every day is different, but one thing I always do is brush my teeth for two minutes before getting dressed. I’m definitely a morning person and always wake up happy, knowing that I’m going to be out and about meeting people. I have an hour for lunch. I usually…

Everybody wants the Steele report recommendations to be piloted, especially Professor Jimmy himself. Speaking to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dentistry, he stressed the importance of openness and innovation in taking forward his team’s proposals and underlined the importance of proper piloting to effective reforms. Welcoming the report back in June, John Milne, who…

I have recently been thinking how much I value the team. I appreciate being able to send my patients out of the surgery to be looked after by capable, caring receptionists, who won’t be rude to them, and might even reinforce my advice. Years ago I remember listening to my patients concerns, making them feel…

This year’s British Dental Association (BDA) organised British Dental Conference and Exhibition, to use the full title was held in Glasgow, a beautiful city filled with some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. For a few days in June, this was the place to be on the dental calendar, and what a show it…