Mr Sebastian Evans

Nearly half the drinking water in England could have fluoride added to it under a ‘secret’ Government plan, according to The Daily Mail. Dental health chiefs want to add the chemical to 40 per cent of England’s water supply to combat high levels of tooth decay. But critics said the ‘mass medication’ of water without…

Dental services are to be improved across Scotland through a £75m government investment. Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the money would give Scotland a ‘dental service to be proud of’ by modernising facilities. The funding – £35m for 2009/10 and £40m for 2010/11 – represents an increase of more than 17% over the two years.…

The British Dental Association (BDA) has joined an ongoing legal battle with the Department of Health (DoH) over the new NHS dental contract. It has formally lodged papers with the Court of Appeal to fight the DoH’s challenge of Eddie Crouch’s legal victory earlier this year. The Birmingham orthodontist won a judicial review judgment in…

A new survey has shown that one in four dentists intend to quit the NHS. The survey, carried out by the Dental Practitioners’ Association (DPA) in May 2008, of dentists’ attitudes to the new NHS dental contract shows that one in four intends to quit the NHS, confirming anecdotal evidence of high levels of dissatisfaction…

Six years ago Wendy Houvenaghel was enjoying life as a successful dentist in Cornwall, today she is on the cusp of becoming an Olympic gold medallist. Houvenaghel, from Maghera in Derry, will be part of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team bidding for Team Pursuit gold as well as going for the individual title.…

A dental robotic testing simulator has been invented to replicate human chewing in order to test dental materials. Dr Kazem Alemzadeh in the bio-engineering research group of Bristol University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering has invented the Dental Robotic Testing Simulator, called ‘Dento-Munch’. The design inspiration behind Dento-Munch was based on a human skull (structure), a…

Have you ever had patients complain to you, or your boss, that they felt you were speaking to them as if they were children? It’s a common complaint against hygienists, sadly. Sometimes it is true but quite often I have found people have had this experience in the past and come expecting it to happen…

The General Dental Council introduces compulsory continuing professional development (CPD) for all dental care professionals in August. Its aim is to ensure that team members maintain professional knowledge and competence to give patients the best possible treatment and care. From August, all team members must prove on a regular basis that they are fit to…

Nearly half of all five-year-olds in Stoke-on-Trent have fillings or teeth missing because of decay, health officials have said. The city’s dental health is in the bottom third of the national league table, the primary care trust said. It said it would spend money to bring in more NHS dentists and improve dental hygiene education,…

Irish people are being exposed to higher levels of radiation than previously estimated, according to a new report. The findings have shown that the most recent estimate of the radiation dose received by the Irish population shows a 9% increase over previous estimates. The report, Radiation Doses Received by the Irish Population, published by the…

Gummy bear sweets that contain some sugar alcohols could be an effective means of providing xylitol to children, according to a new clinical trial in the US. The study evaluated the impact of incorporating xylitol, already linked to fighting the harmful mutans streptococci (MS) bacteria, in the traditional confectionery product. Head researcher Kiet Ly of…

The GDC is consulting on the draft standards to ensure that all dentists, dental technicians and clinical dental technicians understand and are responsible for the decisions they make when commissioning or manufacturing dental appliances. What responsibilities do registrants have when making dental appliances? Who is accountable for dental appliances made outside the European Union? These…

In a move to strengthen patient protection, registration with the GDC is now compulsory for all members of the dental team\. Dental nurses and dental technicians must ensure they are registered by 30 July 2008. The GDC urges dental nurses and dental technicians who haven’t yet registered with the GDC to do so now. The…

Four dairies in Ireland are to research how the natural properties of milk can be used to deliver health benefits for consumers. It has received €20 million in funding from Enterprise Ireland to meet this end. The National Functional Foods Research Centre plans to look at enhancing infant formula, dairy spreads, yoghurts and cheese to…

Yet another star name has joined the party at the 2008 Dentistry Awards, firmly setting it up as the dental event of the year. Athlete-turned-television-personality Kriss Akabusi will take the stage on 12 December to compere the event, adding his exuberant personality and brand of infectious laughter to proceedings. The World Championship gold medallist will…

Following a lengthy break, last month saw the VDPs return to St James in Dublin for a day release seminar, where Dr Garry Heavey spoke to us on the topic of Dentistry – the business end. During our undergraduate training we were educated in many aspects of dentistry but somehow the fact that working as…

Over the past three years, several reports have been published on the possibility of mandibular osteonecrosis being associated with the administration of bisphosphonates. Bisphosphonates are highly active inhibitors of osteoclasts, preventing bone breakdown. They are analogs of a naturally occurring compound, pyrophosphate, that regulates calcium activity. Bisphosphonates have been known to chemists since the middle…