Mr Sebastian Evans

Support groups have welcomed the five-year plan from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to improve access to health services among foreign nationals and ethnic minorities. Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney TD, and CEO of the HSE, Professor Brendan Drumm, launched the National Intercultural Health Strategy at the Mansion House in Dublin on Thursday…

The seventh annual Lollipop Day took place over the last weekend in February, with the aim of increasing awareness of oesophageal cancer and to raise money for research and patient treatment. The Oesophageal Cancer Fund hopes that the use of lollipops will have made people conscious of swallowing, as dysphagia is one of the more…

The lack of NHS practices in the North West is forcing dental patients to take out loans to pay for treatment, according to a city councillor. Sinn Fein’s Billy Page says people are being forced to go private due to a lack of NHS dentists in the city and its surrounding areas. In the North…

Nearly a third of Britons have not gone to the dentist during the past two years because they claim they cannot afford to, a survey shows. Around 30% of people aged between 16 and 64 have not had a regular check-up for at least two years. This is despite one in seven people admitting their…

The General Dental Council (GDC) has signalled it would be willing to relax its tough stance on who should carry out tooth whitening, allowing other members of the dental team to carry out the treatment as well as dentists. Consulting on draft guidance on the scope of practice of all members of the dental team,…

Dentists can calm their most stressed-out of patients with something special to focus on apart from their fear – or the cost of their treatment! Distraction comes in the form of lightweight, compact video eyewear that allows the patient an audiovisual cinema experience. Although video eyewear has been around for several years, models have improved…

England’s Chief Dental Officer has assured the people of Cornwall that everyone who wants an NHS dentist will get one. The county has been identified as one of the worst for access to dental care. Dr Barry Cockcroft made his comments in Plymouth where he was visiting the city’s new Peninsula Dental School. He said…

Birmingham orthodontist Eddie Crouch is hoping for a High Court judgment in his favour following yesterday’s hearing on whether he can challenge his NHS contract. The judge is expected to give a formal judgment this week but gave Mr Crouch hope when he described the rules and regulations dentists have to negotiate as ‘rubbish’. Lawyers…

Birmingham orthodontist Eddie Crouch is hoping for a High Court judgment in his favour following yesterday’s hearing on whether he can challenge his NHS contract. The judge is expected to give a formal judgment this week but gave Mr Crouch hope when he described the rules and regulations dentists have to negotiate as ‘rubbish’. Lawyers…

Men with bad teeth might do well to invest in some cosmetic dental work if an online survey of women is anything to go by. In a survey on women.aol.co.uk, bad teeth is the second-most unappealing characteristic in a man, beaten only by poor body odour. And that spells good news for cosmetic dentistry! Sally…

The British Society of Oral Implantology website has temporarily closed down after computer hackers got into their system over the weekend. Chairman Dr Ken Nicholson said it was unfortunate timing for the society in the run-up to its inaugural symposium as visitors to the site will be unable to access information. The BSOI symposium and…

Scottish dentists are warning that patients’ costs will rise and there will be hundreds fewer dentists because of stringent hygiene rules. They say regulations requiring them to have separate facilities for cleaning equipment by the end of 2009 will mean surgeries will have to shut to be turned into sterilisation rooms. Dentists in buildings which…

Men neglect their teeth more than women, a recent survey has uncovered.  A survey of UK adults – commissioned by dental plan providers, Denplan – found men were more likely to brush their teeth just once a day, and less likely to use mouthwash, dental floss or breath mints. They were also less likely to…

A new invention is using the concept of a virtual reality game console to create perfect dentures. The Wii – the video game from Nintendo that allows players to control the game action by moving their arms in front of a motion-sensor – made its global debut in 2006. The ‘dental Wii’ is the creation…

Dental practices in Sheffield are being offered a £400,000 cash incentive to stick with the NHS. Sheffield Primary Care Trust is offering 17 practices the extra funding if they continue to accept new NHS patients – or if they give faster treatment to patients waiting to receive NHS dental care. John Green, Director of Dental…

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A drunk driver who blamed his dentist for his alcohol reading has been banned. Barry Squire, from Ifield, claimed he was unsteady and slurring after smashing into a car because his dentist had given him 12 injections of anaesthetic before having his tooth pulled out. The 45-year-old man, who pleaded not guilty to driving a…

Focusing on the systemic links between oral health and overall body health, the campaign aims to make the public aware of how taking good care of their mouth can benefit their whole body. There is mounting evidence that people who suffer gum disease are more at risk of serious general health conditions like heart disease,…

Men take less care of their teeth than women, new research reveals. A survey of UK adults – commissioned by dental plan providers, Denplan – found men were more likely to brush their teeth just once a day, and less likely to use mouthwash, dental floss or breath mints. They were also less likely to…