Sebastian Evans

A dentist who implanted temporary fake boar tusks into his assistant’s mouth as a joke has won his case against an insurance firm which had refused to pay out after he was sued over the incident. Dr Woo, of Auburn, Washington, had put in the false tusks while the woman, Tina Alberts, was under anaesthesia…

Dental industry leaders have demanded guarantees that NHS funding will not be squeezed when Primary Care Trusts are given greater control over spending. From April 2009, ring-fencing will end and PCTs will be expected to fund local dental services from their general budgets. It means NHS dentistry will have to compete for cash against other…

Dr Edwin Scher has been appointed a full visiting professor at Temple University, Philadelphia, USA, in the department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology. Dr Scher, a prominent figure in the field of implants in the UK, is a specialist in oral surgery and prosthodontics. He has been placing implants since 1986 and been involved in…

Researchers have concluded that early two-stage orthodontic therapy for prominent front teeth in children does not appear to have any advantages over a single-phase treatment in early adolescence. Having prominent front teeth is a potentially harmful problem. If it occurs at a young age (7 to 11 years old) then the orthodontist has to decide…

A dental practice in Scotland has announced it will stop treating approximately 200 children on the NHS. The Bridgend Dental Care Centre in Thurso has written to 650 parents and guardians offering them places as private patients. A spokeswoman for the local health board (LHB), NHS Highland, said: ‘It is extremely disappointing that the practice…

A dentist whose work left a patient complaining of crooked teeth and a damaged jaw has been cleared of serious professional misconduct following a disciplinary hearing. Pirooz Diba, 45, was accused by patient Danut Stefanescu of botching the installation of a new dental bridge at a surgery in Bristol. Mr Stefanescu, 45, also claimed the…

I can think of two good things resulting from government intervention that relate to dental health, but sadly nothing to do with patient attendance. The new law about smoking has obvious advantages, and I was reminded of a similar intervention regarding child obesity which had the desired effect of reducing the sugary snacks sold in…

In my lectures, one question arises more than any other: ‘How large do you instrument your cases?’ In response, this column was written to help guide clinical decisions with regard to the creation of the ideal master apical file (MAF) size for general dentists in daily practice. The MAF is the last file taken to…

Over this series of four articles we are considering where blockages to uptake of periodontal care exist. In previous articles I considered the following as the four key areas: 1.Initial attendance – the failure to attract patients to the practice 2. Uptake of care (case acceptance) 3. Compliance with preventive strategies on a long term…

Ann Keen has been confirmed as the health department’s ministerial team member responsible for dentistry, replacing Rosie Winterton. Ms Keen, the MP for Brentford and Isleworth, joined the health department last month as parliamentary under secretary of state for health services. Prior to this, she was parliamentary private secretary to Gordon Brown at the Treasury…

Public opinion will be sought about NHS dental services in Cumbria following the launch of a new campaign. The county’s three health forums have joined forces with others across the country to launch ‘Dentistry Watch’, and the campaign is keen to ask people what they think about the matter. The Cumbrian Patient and Public Involvement…

Patients in north Yorkshire who have had their orthodontic treatment delayed for months are finally being seen. The cash-strapped North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) imposed restrictions on orthodontic treatment and oral surgery in March, insisting that patients needing surgery such as wisdom tooth extraction or orthodontic treatment would have to be assessed…

Wrigley has revamped its UK oral health education programme for 2007, bringing it in line with the scheme in the rest of the world. After nine years under the name ‘Wrigley Oral Healthcare in Action’ (OHA), the initiative is changing its name to ‘Wrigley Oral Healthcare Programmes’. The change reflects the streamlined nature of the…

With the introduction of enhanced professional status for Dental Care Professionals (DCPs) as a result of expanded GDC registration, it is essential that the profession provides opportunities for ongoing learning to make staff feel valued and to develop, which will in turn meet patients’ increasing demands and needs. The GDC has produced a Continuing Professional…

Q. The hairdressing salon across the road from my practice has leaflets in a box just outside their front door. I often see people take one, read it, and then go in. Would a similar approach work for my practice? A. Your hairdressers are obviously pretty switched on when it comes to marketing! Clearly it…

Dental care professionals (DCPs) have a new opportunity to gain continuing professional development through an innovative assessment unveiled by the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK). The Key Skills in Primary Dental Care assessment for DCPs enables all DCP groups to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the seven Key Skills identified by the FGDP (UK)…

The trial of a former dentist who was accused of plotting to make bombs intended to endanger life has ended after the jury failed to return a verdict. Dentist David Jackson, 62, along with ex-BNP local election candidate Robert Cottage, 49, denied conspiring to set off explosions with chemicals they bought on the internet. The…

Health chiefs in Bolton will pump almost £1m into dental services to ease the growing crisis in the area. Just two of Bolton’s 32 practices are currently accepting new NHS patients, with one of those only accepting children. The Bolton Primary Care Trust plans to spend the money over the next three years, with the…

Fake toothpaste contaminated with a potentially dangerous toxic chemical has been sold in the UK, the British medicines regulator has said. Diethylene Glycol has been added to fake tubes of Sensodyne, which have both Arabic and English writing on them. The manufacturer of the legitimate product, GlaxoSmithKline, has released a statement saying the imitation toothpaste…