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News Review
Following the long-awaited government announcement of the draft terms of reference for the forthcoming public enquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic, FTA Law has announced the creation of the Covid-19 Inquiry Dental Alliance (CIDA). The alliance has been launched in order for professionals from across the dental industry in England and Wales to have their voice heard as part of the forthcoming inquiry and brings together representatives from key disciplines including dental hygienists and therapists, as well as practice owners, associates, practice managers, technicians and dental nurses.
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A steering committee comprising selected individuals, trade-bodies and organisations from each key area has been set up with a view to representing as broad a spectrum of the dental industry as possible. FTA Law and Sam Karim QC are, on behalf of CIDA, preparing an o cial application to be the appointed representatives of the Alliance at the inquiry upon its commencement. The alliance will be inviting further parties to join the steering committee and details of existing and new representatives will be published in due course alongside further details of how all interested parties within the dental sector can provide their valuable input into the evidence that is ultimately going to be presented to the Inquiry. Thomas Coates, the MD of FTA Law, comments, “Since the possibility of a public inquiry into the pandemic was fi rst raised in mid-2021 we have had mind to the fact that the pandemic has a ected all aspects of dentistry in myriad di erent ways. The purpose of the Inquiry is to examine what happened, why did it happen and how can we ensure that we are better prepared in the event of it happening again. To that end, it seemed to us paramount that all interested parties from within the dental sector are given the opportunity to have their voices heard. The formation of an all-encompassing alliance comprising respected, infl uential, experienced and expert representatives from across the sector seems the obvious way to achieve that and we are heartened by the expressions of support we have received to date. Solicitors Lindsay Dixon and Sarah Buxton of FTA Law together combine vast experience of the dental sector and dispute resolution and alongside Sam Karim QC, a specialist in health and social care, public law and national and international arbitration, they comprise a formidable team worthy of representing the alliance and the wider dental sector in giving evidence to the Inquiry on these most sensitive and vital of issues.”
The College of General Dentistry has broadened its eligibility criteria for membership, enabling suitably qualifi ed non-registrants to join, and o ering practitioners with relevant non-dental qualifi cations the ability to progress to higher grades of membership. Registration with the General Dental Council or an equivalent overseas authority is normally required for entry as an associate member. However former registrants, and those who hold a relevant qualifi cation but may not be required to register with the GDC due to their job role – such as dental academics – are now eligible to join. Those wishing to join as full members (MCGDent), or upgrade to full membership, have until now been required, in addition to meeting the requirements for associate membership, to hold either the DGDP, MJDF, MFGDP(UK), MFDS or a postgraduate certifi cate level qualifi cation in a ‘relevant dental subject’. However, full membership is now also open to those whose qualifi cation is in a “subject relevant to the enhancement of oral healthcare”. associate fellowship (AssocFCGDent), have up to this point needed to hold the MGDS, a specialty membership of a UK dental faculty, or a postgraduate diploma level or master’s level qualifi cation in a dental subject. However, this recently instituted membership grade, which o ers a stepping stone to fellowship, is similarly now available to those whose qualifi cation is relevant to oral heath rather than being strictly ‘dental’ in scope. The changes also apply to fellowship (FCGDent), applications for which have now opened beyond the existing membership through the ‘fellowship by experience’ and ‘fellowship by equivalence’ routes. They are further to earlier departures from the eligibility criteria of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice, from which the college evolved – most notably the ability of dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental nurses, dental technicians and clinical dental technicians to apply for membership at all grades, and for practice managers and other non-clinical members of the dental team to join as a liate members. Abhi Pal, president of the college, said, “Among the key aims behind the establishment of The College of General Dentistry were the promotion of both dental and oral health, and to create a new type of college, breaking down barriers which are unnecessarily prescriptive and exclusionary, and replacing them with an inclusive approach fi t for the 21st century. “We are implementing this step by step, and are already a college open to all members of the dental team, formed of practitioners across the UK and beyond, and bridging the NHS/private divide. “These latest changes o er recognition to a wide range of individuals and professional roles whose contribution to the advancement of general dental practice and oral healthcare is hugely signifi cant, and we look forward to welcoming them into membership, and to bringing their signifi cant knowledge, expertise and experience to bear in the fulfi lment of our mission.”
Dental students face wellbeing crisis
The British Dental Association Benevolent Fund has revealed the fi ndings from the fi rst-ever survey into the fi nancial and wellbeing needs of UK dental students.
Conducted in October and November 2021, the survey was designed to explore the fi nancial and wellbeing issues facing dental students, to help the charity increase awareness and improve support. The report revealed high proportions of students experienced wellbeing challenges, most notably stress or
Oral health toolkit for people with additional needs launched
People with learning disabilities will benefi t from improved oral health thanks to an online toolkit developed by CDS CIC and Leading Lives, launched by Peter Aldous MP on a visit to the new Community Dental Services Clinic in Lowestoft in February. During the visit, the MP toured the Lowestoft community dental services clinic, which treats patients with complex needs on a referral only basis, and met members of the dental team and representatives from Leading Lives.
The online toolkit has been developed in partnership with fellow social enterprise, Leading Lives and aims to support people living with learning disabilities to develop skills to manage their oral health e ectively. Produced in an interactive, easy read format, the toolkit will also help users to understand how choices such as diet, alcohol and smoking can a ect oral health, and how maintaining good oral health can impact positively on their overall health and well-being. The toolkit has been created through working closely with a user working party made up of customers at the Leading Lives Community Hub in Lowestoft to understand their needs and how to best convey information. The toolkit will be made available to any organisations supporting people with additional needs to better manage their oral health.
Peter Aldous, MP for Waveney, said, “I’m most grateful to CDS and Leading Lives for the work that they are doing to ensure that people with learning disabilities have accessible information on how best to look after their oral health. A focus on preventative rather than reactive dental treatment is vital and the online toolkit being developed is a great exemplar of this.” Helen Paisley, chief operating o cer for Community Dental Services, said, “We are delighted to be able to welcome MP Peter Aldous to our clinic to see the investment in specialist dental care for people with additional needs locally and to see how we are developing new tools to help people manage their oral health.” Emma Gunner, assistant director for Oral Health Improvement, said, “Making sure people with learning disabilities are supported is really important. Not maintaining good oral health can cause issues in the mouth causing pain and complications which can seriously impact on people’s overall health and well-being. We want our toolkit to be accessible to all, and our workshops with Leading Lives customers means we have been able to really understand user needs.” Tony Carr, MD of Leading Lives, added, “We’re very proud to be working in partnership with CDS to produce this toolkit. Our social purpose is clear; to support people to lead the lives they choose, therefore empowering them to take charge of everyday health improving habits means they are able to get on with their lives. Our customers deserve to have the best dental experiences and oral health information possible, and this toolkit will help them do that.” CDS is a referral only dental service providing dental care for people with complex needs who cannot be treated in general dental practices. Leading Lives provides high quality social care support for people with learning disabilities, autistic people, and those with complex needs across Su olk and beyond. burnout (90 per cent) and performance anxiety (77 per cent). Around half of students were also impacted to some degree by severe wellbeing issues such as depression (55 per cent) and bereavement (50 per cent). Covid-19 had a signifi cant impact, with 74 per cent saying the pandemic had increased their need for wellbeing support (74 per cent). The transition to online classes and the suspension of wider university activities were highlighted as major contributing factors. However, only 33 per cent of students had accessed some support for their wellbeing. In terms of fi nancial stressors, 74 per cent of students stated that fi nancial issues impacted them to some degree during their studies. The main contributing factors were mental health (61 per cent), family circumstances (59 per cent), fi nal-year funding changes (46 per cent) and business closures linked to Covid-19 (44 per cent). Despite this, 51 per cent of students stated they had not accessed fi nancial support even though they had experienced money problems. Ros Keeton, chair of the BDA Benevolent Fund, commented, “This report reinforces the pressure and wellbeing issues that we have in not just dental students, but in the profession as a whole. It reinforces our understanding of how di cult the scenarios are that people are facing and how anxietymaking they are. We, in the UK, need to say, ‘that’s not a good place for a profession to be in’, and we need to look at ways that we both train and support younger dentists in particular through that. “I hope that the profession collectively responds to the survey. Because I think that’s where the answer is – it’s in the collective response – it’s not about passing the buck.”
Total number of registered UK dentists remains stable
The number of dentists on the UK Register, following the recent annual renewal period, has remained stable and in line with the trajectory of previous years. On the morning after removals there were 42,215 dentists on the Register, an increase on the equivalent fi gure for 2021. This year, 1,079 dentists did not renew their registration, which is 2.56 per cent of those on the Register on December 31. This compares to an average of 2.96 per cent over the previous four years. Gurvinder Soomal, the GDC’s chief operating o cer, said, “Following such a challenging period in dentistry which continues for many, it is encouraging to see the number of registered dentists in the UK remain stable.”
These fi gures provide a benchmark for the total number of dentists registered in the UK. However, it is important to note that they do not provide insight into the number of professionals working in di erent patterns (such as full time vs part time), how many dentists are working in NHS services compared to private practice, local workforce condition, or the numbers of professionals working in di erent roles (such as academia).
Gold For Kids needs your scrap dental material
Scrap metal is possibly not at the top of a practice agenda. What does the money that is occasionally receive on unwanted or broken crowns, bridges, PFMs, PFGs or other precious or semiprecious material mean to you? To some children it can mean the chance of a better life. There are more than 4.5m children living in poverty in the UK.
Most dentists and dental professionals are unaware of the huge potential that the combined value of removed restorations represents, choosing to either ignore it, or retain it personally. A new charity has been set up by two dentists who believe that patients, professionals and the public can be united in the belief that this money could be better used for the greater good – to help the many children’s charities across the UK in their vital work.
Gold For Kids Co-Founder, Leticia Casanova, said, “My friend Kimberly MacGregor and I have always looked for ways in which we could do more to give back to our communities. As parents, the welfare of children always struck a chord with us – we were looking for a way that we could help many of the deserving causes out there. And that is how Gold For Kids was born – a way for dental practices who are driven by their values to make a di erence – collecting and turning restorations into cash for children’s charities.
We hope that many more people in the dental industry will become involved, and in turn, we can raise more much needed money to donate to crucial children’s charities.”
To download a registration form and become a supporter of Gold For Kids, visit www.goldforkids.org/contactus/
Vaping’s role in gum disease explored
A series of new studies by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry highlights how e-cigarettes alter oral health and may be contributing to gum disease. One such study, published in mBio, fi nds that e-cigarette users have a unique oral microbiome—the community of bacteria and other microorganisms— that is less healthy than non-smokers but potentially healthier than cigarette smokers, and measures worsening gum disease over time.
“To our knowledge, this is the fi rst longitudinal study of oral health and e-cigarette use. We are now beginning to understand how e-cigarettes and the chemicals they contain are changing the oral microbiome and disrupting the balance of bacteria,” said Deepak Saxena, who led the research with Xin Li; both are professors of molecular pathobiology at NYU College of Dentistry. According to Bupa, 90 per cent of adults have some gum disease, if only a small amount. Whilst smoking cigarettes is a known risk factor for developing gum disease, less is known about the impact of e-cigarettes—which vaporize nicotine and other chemicals—on oral health, especially the long-term consequences of vaping. “Vaping appears to be driving unique patterns in bacteria and infl uencing the growth of some bacteria in a manner akin to cigarette smoking, but with its own profi le and risks to oral health,” said Fangxi Xu, a junior research scientist in Saxena’s lab and the study’s co-fi rst author. habit,” said Scott Thomas, an assistant research scientist in Saxena’s lab and the study’s co-fi rst author. “Unlike smoking, which has been studied extensively for decades, we know little about the health consequences of e-cigarette use and are just starting to understand how the unique microbiome promoted by vaping impacts oral health and disease.” This research was supported by the National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (DE025992, DE027074), the National Cancer Institute (CA206105), and the NYU Mega-Grants Initiative. The study included additional collaborators from NYU College of Dentistry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and the University of Pennsylvania.
