Sebastian Evans

A new study shows that microscopic analysis of scratches on teeth can shed light on the past and has, in fact, shown that a species of dinosaur from the Cretaceous period chewed in a unique way. The study, led by the University of Leicester and working with researchers from the Natural History Museum, used a…

A senior lecturer in orthodontics has just become a senior fellow with the Higher Education Academy. Dr Ross Hobson, of Newcastle University, is a clinical academic and has been involved in dental education since he graduated in 1984, notably in curricula development. He has been influential at national and international levels. Senior fellowship recognises outstanding…

The Talking Points in Dentistry seminars, run each May by GlaxoSmithKlyne in various places in the UK, were especially relevant to Dental Hygienists this year. The first lecture was given by Graham Smart and Phillip Ower; both well known in the world of periodontics. Their philosophy is one I strongly endorse: to teach patients’ plaque…

Predictable biomechanical and aesthetic precision Basil MizrahiFriday 18 September 2009, London With the rise of cosmetic dentistry and the emphasis on quick fix solutions, there is the danger that immediate cosmetic success is achieved at the cost of long-term biomechanical success. Successful long-term dental treatment requires aesthetic and biomechanical precision. A high level of precision…

In 2007/08, the gross cost of general dental payments in Northern Ireland was £68.8 million, reveals the family practitioner services statistical report published by the Business Services Organisation. Of that £68.8 million, £53.3 million was for dental treatments, with patient contribution making up £15.9 million of that sum. The report also shows that, as of…

Dentists can enter a photographic competition and win a free trip to a FDI World Dental Congress. But hurry – the closing date is in two weeks. Enter the FDI World Dental Federation and Wrigley Oral Healthcare Programmes’ (WOHP) photographic competition for a chance to win a trip to the FDI World Dental Congress in…

Anti-fraud probes into professionals in the health services recouped almost £1.5 million in Northern Ireland in a single year – and, in addition, £3,000 from dental practitioners. The investigations were conducted in 2007/08 by the Counter Fraud Unit (CFU) of the Department of Health and included suspicions involving dentists, GP practices, opticians and pharmacists in…

A dental hygienist has scooped a staggering $41 million in the New York state lottery. Niamh Finnan, 44, heard the news while visiting family in Ireland and immeditaely flew back to her husband Donal, at their home in Yonkers, US. Niamh said: ‘I was in Ireland visiting family when Donal called with the news. I…

The General Dental Council (GDC) is welcoming a change in the law that regulates who can and who can’t request an emergency supply of a prescription-only medicine in the UK. The issue was highlighted in a ‘letter to the editor’ in the April edition of the British Dental Journal. A practising dentist was asked by…

Researchers at West Virginia University have found a clean mouth may help to preserve memory. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $1.3 million grant over four years to build on studies linking gum disease with mild to moderate memory loss. ‘Older people might want to know there’s more reason to keep their…

Jimmy Steele’s independent review into NHS dentistry is published today (Monday) and is recommending significant changes to the way it is organised. It includes the recommendation that a proportion of a dentist’s income should be linked to the number of NHS patients registered with them, not just the number of treatments they provide. It also…

More than 2,600 dental care professionals have created accounts on the General Dental Council’s site, eGDC, since its relaunch in April this year. This brings the total number of dental professionals who are using the site, first launched last November, to more than 5,200. The eGDC site is designed to make registration requirements easy to…

Straumann BoneCeramic is a fully synthetic bone substitute consisting of 60% hydroxyapatite (HA) and 40% tri-calcium phosphate (TCP) in a homogeneous mix. The morphology and composition of BoneCeramic were developed in order to enable progressive replacement by autologous bone. The TCP component confers a capacity for absorption while the hydroxyapatite prevents too rapid remodelling, thus…

US scientists have created a high-tech tool to kill tooth bacteria in the root canal. Researchers at the University of Southern California have come up with a plasma torch – an alternative treatment for infection of the root canal. Biofilms are particularly tough bacteria and are protected in a matrix that means they cannot be eliminated with…

World’s leading dental consultant Bobbi Anthony is speaking in London next month. Maximise your team to increase your profitability with Bobbi Anthony is being staged at The Royal College of Physicians on Friday 10 July 2009. Her practice management systems and strategies have been proven to increase revenue and profitability of a huge number of…

Bobbi Anthony is one of the world’s leading dental consultants, and her practice management systems and strategies have been proven to increase revenue and profitability of a huge number of practices across the UK and USA. Dentistry is changing, as is the world economy, and as a result, many dentists are looking to identify new…

A dentist is helping children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster by offering them free dentistry. Biju Krishnan, 39, from Edinburgh, Scotland, is offering dental care to 25 children from the town of Mogilev who are in Scotland for four weeks. The Friends of Chernobyl’s Children charity brought the children over for a month’s medical…