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Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

Published by Dental Tribune UK Ltd © 2011, Dental Tribune UK Ltd. All rights reserved. Dental Tribune UK Ltd makes every effort to report clinical information and manufacturer’s product news accurately, but cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims, or for typographical errors. The publishers also do not assume responsibility for product names or claims, or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune International. Editor Lisa Townshend Tel: 020 7400 8979 Lisa@dentaltribuneuk.com Advertising Directo Joe Aspis Tel: 020 7400 8969 Joe@dentaltribuneuk.com Sales Executive Joe Ackah Tel: 020 7400 8964 Joe.ackah@ dentaltribuneuk.com Editorial Assistant Laura Hatton Laura.hatton@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Tel: 020 7400 8981 Design & Production Ellen Sawle ellen@dentaltribuneuk.com Tel: 020 7400 8921 Dental Tribune UK Ltd 4th Floor, Treasure House, 19–21 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8BA T he Dentist, (pictured), by renowned por- trait artist, Sir John Lavery, has been purchased by the British Dental Asso- ciation’s (BDA) Museum, the UK’s only museum dedicated exclusively to dentistry. Paint- ed in 1929, it features dentist Conrad Ackner in situ treat- ing his patient, the artist’s wife, Lady Lavery. The work is considered to be significant both in dental and art history terms, being the only known accurate depiction of the early 20th century den- tist in a surgery, and by one of the leading portrait paint- ers of the time. The painting is set in Ackner’s Welbeck Street practice in London and reveals aspects of the clinical environ- ment including an early x-ray machine and headlamp, ex- amples of which are already held by the BDA Museum. An appeal for help in rais- ing the £60,000 required for the purchase saw donations flood in from individuals and BDA branches whilst both the MLA/ V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Art Fund, the national fund- raising charity for works of art, awarded grants. The painting itself will go on permanent display and is expected to be the highlight of guided tours, and will be fea- tured during events and as part of the museum’s programme for schools. To celebrate the purchase, the museum is staging a tem- porary exhibition telling the story behind the painting, the artist and the dentist. Featuring examples of ob- jects depicted in the paint- ing, it also includes a scrap book compiled by Ackner’s staff, which records the King of Norway and Marlene Dietrich amongst his patients and gives a fascinating insight into the everyday life of the surgery. Head of BDA Museum Serv- ices, Jason Finch, said: “The opportunity to purchase this unique painting was too good to miss and we are grateful to all our supporters in helping us bring it to its rightful home, particularly in these financially challenging times. Not only is the work historically signifi- cant, it also provides us with an unique insight into the practice of dentistry in the 1920s. The portrait depicts a dentist who used the most up-to-date equip- ment of his time, and who also pioneered the use of x-rays in dentistry.” Stephen Deuchar, Director of the Art Fund, said: “It is a great pleasure to have been able to assist with the purchase of this painting for the British Dental Association’s museum. It is a wonderful study with some fascinating detail about cutting edge dentistry at the time.” DT BDA Museum brings home The Dentist P eople with severe dental phobia may be able to over- come their anxieties with a single session of Cognitive Behav- ioural Therapy (CBT), research published in the latest issue of the British Dental Journal (BDJ) suggests. The authors of the study, based on an initial pilot of 60 pa- tients who relied on having intra- venous sedation before they could undergo dental treatment, con- cluded that the benefits were of such significance that they advise dental providers to implement this approach now rather than wait to pursue further research. They point out that patients benefit from not being exposed to the health risks associated with repeated intravenous sedation; and this ap- proach saves money for the NHS. The initial cohort of 60 patients had all attended a spe- cialist dental clinic in Sheffield for people with severe dental pho- bia. Half the group were offered CBT, with 21 patients accepting the treatment. Twenty of these went on to have dental treatment without having to be sedated. An audit of these patients a decade later found that of the 19 patients located who had had CBT, none had returned to sedation in the in- tervening 10-year period. The benefits of having CBT for severe dental phobia appear to endure over time, the authors of A joint approach to treating dental phobia: A re-evaluation of a collaboration between commu- nity dental services and specialist psychotherapy services 10 years on, conclude. The latest 10-yearly survey on adult dental health published earlier this year by the NHS Information Centre suggests that as many as 12 per cent of people may experience extreme dental anxiety. Professor Damien Walms- ley, the BDA’s scientific adviser, said: “Dental phobia is a seri- ous problem because it deters some people from ever going to the dentist, except when they are in severe pain. At this stage, they may require more invasive treat- ment than might be the case if they went to the dentist regu- larly. Sadly, this cycle of anxi- ety, non-attendance and pain is often repeated in the children of those with dental phobia, perpet- uating the problem and feeding another generation of oral health problems. “CBT is one of a range of techniques than can be used to make the experience comfort- able for patients who feel es- pecially anxious about having dental treatment, and the results of this study look promising for those who experience se- vere dental phobia. “All den- tists are highly-skilled, caring health professionals who are trained to put patients at ease. Many also undertake additional training in techniques, such as hypnosis, and acupuncture, and of course, CBT.” DT Is this the cure for dental phobia? T he BDA Benevolent Fund, a charity dedicated to helping dentists and their families in times of need, has an extra reason to be proud this year. 62 years after winning a bronze medal in the Empire Games, 91 year old Vice President Tony Chivers, (pictured), hopes to take part in the 2012 Olympic Games! The Benevolent Fund has nominated Tony, who was its Chairman from 1986-93, as a Torchbearer for next year’s Ol- ympics. He has been successful in making it through to the re- gional selection stage. After serving his country as an RAF pilot during the War, he went on to have his own prac- tice in Hampshire. In 1996 he was awarded the MBE for his services to dentistry. He is still actively involved in local ath- letics and continues to raise money for charity. The Benevolent Fund be- lieves that he embodies the positive spirit of the Olympics and wishes Tony every success in his Olympic bid! DT Tony carries the torch for BDA New treatment could be a great relief for dentists and patients September 12-18, 20112 News United Kingdom Edition