Sebastian Evans

The Times Online Good University Guide 2010, the definitive guide to choosing a university, has ranked the University of Glasgow Dental School as the number one dental school in the UK. Universities were ranked according to eight key performance areas:• Student satisfaction• Research quality• Entry standards• Student-staff patios• Services & Facilities Spend• Completion• Good Honours•…

The first purpose-built dental education facility in the UK for 30 years will be officially opened by Lord Colwyn. The Peninsula Dental School Dental Education Clinic, in Devonport, will be formally launched on 19 June. Lord Colwyn, deputy speaker of the House of Lords and vice chair of the House of Lords Dentistry Group, practised…

‘It was an unbelievable, indescribable feeling,’ says Mike Heads, practice principal at The Dental Healthcare Centre, when asked by Dentistry magazine to recall that fabulous evening last December. The practice scooped the Best Practice award for the highly competitive North East region during the event, held at Leicester’s Athena building. But the celebrating wasn’t over…

Dental payment plan provider Denplan unveiled its refreshed brand identity at this year’s BDA Conference and Exhibition in Glasgow earlier this month. The Denplan apple – familiar among dentists and patients alike –  remains with a new tagline ‘at the heart of dental care’. The company was a platinum sponsor at the BDA Conference and…

Dental treatment could help soothe the chronic aches and pains of rheumatoid arthritis, a new study reveals. Research published in the Journal of Periodontology added further weight to the body of evidence on systemic links between oral and overall health. News of studies linking treatment for gum disease with easing of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis…

The Steele report cast a long shadow over the British Dental Association’s Conference and Exhibition in Glasgow last week. Taking place less than a month before Professor Jimmy Steele’s eagerly anticipated review into NHS dentistry is expected to be released, the atmosphere at the event was one of a profession holding its breath. Susie Sanderson,…

The British Dental Association (BDA) has welcomed the appointment of Andy Burnham as the new Secretary of State for Health. Mr Burnham replaces Alan Johnson, who has accepted the role of Home Secretary. John Milne, chair of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee said: ‘The BDA offers its congratulations to Mr Burnham on his appointment…

Dental clinics in India are to act as counselling centres for tobacco users. As part of an anti-tobacco initiative by the Indian Dental Association (IDA), at least 5,000 dental clinics across India will double up as counselling and intervention centres for those addicted to tobacco. The initiative has been launched to catch patients at the…

As the ancient proverb says: ‘With money you can buy a house, but not a home’. HMRC does not distinguish between the two unfortunately, so whether you have a house or a home, it’s worth understanding how you may be taxed on its sale. Most people know that there is no tax on the sale…

My working week is divided between clinical work and writing and researching from home. I spend two days in a private practice in Primrose Hill, north London, and three days working from mycomputer at my house. On clinic days it’s an early 6.30am start. I live in Cambridgeshire so this means an 80-mile journey. I…

Jimmy Steele’s review seems to be going well at present. His team seems not only to understand the problems facing the government over the contract and the critical Health Select Committee report, but also take a genuine interest in dentists’ thoughts and concerns. I am sure when his report comes out in June it will…

The widespread anger at the revelations regarding the claiming of expenses by MPs was hardly surprising. With many sectors of the population feeling the anxiety and pain of the worst economic downturn in a century, the timing could hardly have been worse. But had the MPs not fought so hard, for so long, to prevent…

Health minister Ann Keen was forced to cancel two public engagements last week due to problems with her teeth. The MP for Brentford & Isleworth was scheduled to work at the Cancer Research UK shop in Chiswick, west London, as part of a ‘volunteers’ week. However, she failed to make the appointment following a dental…

Chief dental officer Barry Cockcroft has welcomed news that NHS dentists have increased the prescription of high concentration toothpaste in their surgeries by 400% since 2006. Official statistics were released by the NHS Information Centre last week. The figures also show that the prescription of antibiotics has fallen – particularly the Amoxil sachets and powders…

TV’s Secret Millionaire and highly successful businessman Charan Gill has admitted he’s scared of the dentist on the eve of his keynote speech at this year’s British Dental Association conference and exhibition. Scotland’s very own shipyard worker-turned-multi-millionaire restaurateur is opening the event and hopes to lend an entrepreneurial touch to Glasgow-based event. Dubbed Glasgow’s ‘curry…