Sebastian Evans

A patients’ group has defended a survey which sparked global headlines about do-it-yourself dentistry in the UK. The Dentistry Watch survey, overseen by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, asked more than 5,200 patients and 750 dentists in England for their views on today’s dental service. It found six per cent of…

The British Dental Trade Association (BDTA) has announced that this year’s Showcase was the most successful to date. Earlier this month (18-20 October) 347 stands exhibited the latest dental products, technologies and services to 11,876 visitors who attended the exhibition at the NEC Birmingham. It makes Dental Showcase 2007 the biggest yet in terms of…

Professor Elizabeth Davenport has been appointed as chair of a new GDC board. The role is to ensure the successful delivery of the Council’s new examination for overseas dentists applying to work in the UK – Overseas Registration Examination (ORE). She will now help establish and lead the Overseas Registration Examination Board (OREB), playing a…

John Chope notes that whilst dental practices may vary they are all linked by a common thread.   Every practice is different   Dental professionals work in a wide range of practice environments and the infinitely variable combination of practice staff, facilities and patient care makes every practice unique. In fact, it could be said…

The publication of ‘NHS Dental Reforms – one year on’ prompted thoughts about how little has changed in half a century of NHS dentistry, writes Dentistry columnist Dr Roger Matthews. There were, in the 1970s, a good number of practising colleagues who could clearly recall the days before the introduction of NHS dentistry in July…

The Mouth Cancer Foundation, while welcoming the government’s introduction of a human papilloma virus (HPV) immunisation programme for girls aged 12-13 against cervical cancer, is concerned that boys are not being vaccinated. This decision follows the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which, based on a detailed review of evidence surrounding HPV…

A British multi-millionaire has announced plans to introduce a series of drive-in dental clinics in a bid to help solve the UK’s dental problems. Judith Wilson, who with her husband Fergus is one of Britain’s largest private housing landlords, aims to eventually open a dental clinic every 100 miles throughout the nation so that no…

A new chilli-based local anaesthetic that appears to prevent pain without causing numbness could have a huge impact on dental treatment, according to the British Dental Health Foundation. The Foundation welcomed the work of the research, which was carried out by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and said the new anaesthetic could make…

Gaining financial security is the main reason why most people turn to property, which is no surprise because property has been – and continues to be – one of the most solid investments around. Investing in property represents the best reward versus risk investment you can make for you and your family. It’s commonly known…

Contraction shrinkage effects of command-set composite materials is well documented and therefore the onus is placed on the operator to reduce these distorting shrinkage effects by a careful incremental placement technique. In this way the composite shrinkage can be minimised as a smaller total proportion of the filling. Composite materials are said to shrink towards…

The Health Select Committee has announced the details of its inquiry into NHS dental services. The Committee, a cross-party Parliamentary group whose purpose is to scrutinise the work of the Department of Health, will examine NHS dental and orthodontic services, looking at both General Dental Services (GDS) and Personal Dental Services (PDS). The Committee’s inquiry…

The General Dental Council (GDC) will be introducing compulsory continuing professional development (CPD) for all dental care professionals on 1 August 2008. The introduction of compulsory CPD is in line with the GDC’s Standards Guidance, which sets out the principles that all registered dental professionals should follow, including the maintenance of their professional knowledge and…

A dentist who was denied an NHS contract and switched to the private sector now charges less for treatment. Andrew Brown, who runs the Grappenhall Dental Practice in Cheshire, was told he would have to run a private clinic because of a lack of funds at the local primary care trust 18 months ago. ‘I…

Knowing the desired end point of endodontic therapy in a clinical context is essential. Seeing a white line to the apex of a root is very different from achieving the three-dimensional cleansing, shaping and obturation of the canal space from the orifice of the canal to the minor constriction (MC) of the apical foramen. A…

Lavender Road Dental Practice sits just off one of the main roads into Leicester, deep in the Midlands. An unassuming exterior, sitting on a quiet tree-lined street, belies the forward-thinking practice that sits within. Following a summer overhaul, it not only boasts four single-chair surgeries, but also has a fully kitted out implant surgery (with…

A recent Daily Telegraph story* claimed that some dental patients are paying more for NHS treatment than they would if the same treatment were provided privately. The article said: ‘The price for a filling on the NHS is now £43.60 but some private surgeries charge just £35…’ This raises a potential question for dentists: should…

Last week, when sitting in a traffic jam, I watched a street cleaner tidying the grass verge and thought how blissful it would be to do such simple work. No doubt other people with demanding high-pressure careers will at times entertain such thoughts. Although the desire for a simpler life may appeal for a fleeting…

With nearly 350 stands in over 17,000m2 of hall space, the 2007 Dental Showcase at Birmingham’s NEC is set to smash all records. Speaking exclusively to Dentistry, BDTA executive director Tony Reed said: ‘Put simply, this will be the best attended Dental Showcase ever.’ International companies and others new to the dental arena have been…

Kevin Lewis ponders what effect the gloomy UK economic forecasts will have on the dental industry.   Fair trade   In a recent column I made passing reference to what I saw as the progressive unravelling of the whole infrastructure of dentistry, in terms of the relationships that have traditionally existed within the broader dental…