Dental Tribune United Kindom Edition

For 3D Imaging, please read on... www.velopex.com Call: 020 8965 2913 Email: enquiries@velopex.com let Velopex Lead You into the Digital Future... Proud of our 50 Years in Quality Imaging, DTo3ds27.04.11rpc A rchaeologists have dis- covered one of the vic- tims of a suspected mass Viking burial pit found in Dorset had grooves filed into his two front teeth. Experts believe a col- lection of bones and decapitated heads, unearthed during the creation of the Weymouth Relief Road, belong to young Viking warriors. During analysis, a pair of front teeth was found to have distinct incisions. Archaeologists think it may have been designed to frighten opponents or show status as a great fighter. Oxford Archae- ology project manager David Score said: “It’s difficult to say how painful the process of fil- ing teeth may have been, but it wouldn’t have been a pleasant experience. “The incisions have been very carefully made and it is most likely that they were filed by a skilled craftsman. The pur- pose behind filed teeth remains unclear but, as we know these men were warriors, it may have been to frighten opponents in battle or to show their status as a great fighter.” Dorset County Council sen- ior archaeologist Steve Wal- lis said radio-carbondating showed they come from about AD970 to 1025. Mr Wallis said those dates fell within the period of Viking raids on the Anglo Saxons in the UK, and isotope analysis of teeth found in a severed jaw suggests they were from the Nordic countries. He added: “It’s great that the burial pit on Ridgeway is still surpris- ing us and teaching us more about who these men may have been and what they may have been like. “It is very rare that this kind of deliberate dental modifi- cation is found in European remains, although it is often found in cultures from around the world, so that it was found in an excavation in Dorset is fantastic.” DT Dorset burial pit Viking had filed teeth A round fifty members of the dental trade gathered at the renowned Birmingham Wheels Karting Centre for an un- forgettable and exhilarating racing experience. The event, organised by the British Dental Trade Associ- ation and in its third year, saw staff from compnies such as BDTA, Me- division, DB Orthodontics, Practice Plan, Septodont, A-Dec and Takara Belmont take to the track. The day began with instruc- tions and a qualifying practice, followed by a two-hour Le Mans style endurance race, which was certainly a challenge for the drivers, who wore full racing gear in the warm weather. Participants raced along the track with eve- ryone showing their competitive side as they displayed some im- pressive moves and tried to gain position. The fastest lap of the race was set by A-Dec at an impressive 48.797 seconds. A-Dec was also the winning team, with Takara Bel- mont in second and Septodont in third. Tony Reed, Executive Direc- tor at the BDTA commented: “The event has proved to be popular in previous years and is a great way to bring member companies to- gether, this year was no exception. Well done to everyone who partici- pated and helped to make the day enjoyable for all.” DT Go-go-go karting! The new Button and Hamilton? H ealth Secretary Andrew Lansley has announced plans to help all NHS staff lead the service to become truly world class. Speaking at ‘Change through Leadership,’ the Health Secre- tary revealed plans for a new na- tional Leadership Academy. This means for the first time all NHS staff will have access to the same opportunities for developing their leadership skills, putting nurses, doctors and other clini- cians on an equal footing with non-clinical managers. Developing clinical leader- ship is crucial in giving frontline staff the skills they need to take advantage of their role in tak- ing the driving seat in shaping a modern NHS for the future. The Academy will give doctors, nurses, and other NHS carers the skills they need to transform the NHS into a genuinely patient- centred service, in which dif- ferent services work together to provide integrated care. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “I was lucky enough to be born into a society with a National Health Service and I am committed to ensuring that it is protected for genera- tions to come. Both as a patient and as Health Secretary I have seen the passion and dedica- tion of staff across the NHS. I would like to join everyone else today in thanking them for their hard work as we celebrate the 63rd birthday of our National Health Service. “It is this passion and dedica- tion of NHS staff which we want to embrace and support through the NHS Leadership Academy. In Cambridge we have already seen huge improvements for people with diabetes thanks to frontline staff taking the lead and helping people manage their condition. By establishing the Leadership Academy today I want to help all doctors and nurses develop the leadership skills they need to drive a truly world-class NHS. “Frontline NHS staff have shown they can work smart- er, be more responsive and give patients better health out- comes. The challenge now is to make this the rule, not the exception.” DT NHS staff to lead NHS of the future L ondon Deanery’s Coach- ing and Mentoring pro- gramme has won the Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA) NLIAH award for best learning and de- velopment strategy. The HPMA Awards rec- ognise outstanding contri- butions to human resource management, and the tangi- ble difference to patient care. London Deanery developed and implemented a strategy to pro- vide access to coaches/mentors for doctors and dentists working in the NHS in London. Since the scheme was launched,morethan900trainees, newly qualified consultants, GPs and SASGs have accessed the service; 350 clinicians have been trained in coaching and mentoring skills, and more than 40 mentors are undertaking a certificate or diploma in execu- tive coaching and leadership mentoring. Evaluation of the serv- ice has confirmed that mentors were highly satisfied with the quality of training and supervision they had received and reported ben- efits to their own behaviours, in- cluding patient care, as a result of the experience. In response to the award, Tim Swanwick (Dean of Profes- sional Development) said ‘This is justly deserved recognition for the inspiring work of Re- becca Viney and her team. In the last few years there have been so many national reports and policy documents recom- mending coaching and men- toring, it has been fantastic to have been part of an initiative that is actually doing something about it’ DT Mentoring strategy gains HR award July 18-24, 20116 News United Kingdom Edition