Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

T he BDA/Dental De- fence Union (DDU)/ DENTSPLY Student Clinician Awards programme supports international under- graduate study, focuses on orig- inal research and accentuates the strong and continuous bond between the profession and the dental industry. DENTSPLY is proud to spon- sor this prestigious programme, which gives students a valuable opportunity to gain research ex- perience and the chance of a trip to San Francisco next October as an honoured guest of DENT- SPLY and the American Dental Association. In addition to this, the winner’s school will receive a £10,000 research grant. The DDU is also proud to be involved in the prestigious awards as Rupert Hoppenbrou- wers, Head of the DDU explains: “The Student Clinician Awards act as a showcase for some of the best young talent in British dentistry and it is always great to see how many intelligent, hardworking and talented den- tal students there are in the UK. The awards themselves pro- vide a unique opportunity for the winning dental student and their school. The DDU is com- mitted to undergraduate and postgraduate education, and is delighted to be involved in such a prestigious event.” Fourth year students are in- vited to create a small presenta- tion (in poster form) based on any topic relevant to the world of dentistry. It should include the student’s own research and should be prepared with minimal input from dental school staff. The presenta- tion should show clear, logical thinking and be delivered in a professional manner. Each dental school in the UK will appoint one fourth year student to represent them in the competition. The student whose project is judged to be best in the school will be chosen to present to a distinguished panel of judges in London on 2nd February 2012 and will receive two exclusive invitations to the black tie Clini- cians Awards ceremony on 3rd February, including two nights in The Royal Horseguards Hotel. Now in its 35th year, the BDA/ DDU/DENTSPLY Student Clini- cian Programme Awards will be held at The Royal Horseguards Hotel in London in February with judging on February 2nd and the awards ceremony the fol- lowing day. The event will be a chance to celebrate not just the achieve- ments of the student clinicians, but also DENTSPLY’s on-going commitment to the future of dentistry and the practitioners of tomorrow. For more information, please call 0800 072 3313 or visit www. dentsply.co.uk DT 2012 BDA/DDU/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Awards R esearch has suggested that a diet rich in vita- mins and fish may help protect the brain from ageing. The Neurology study found that elderly people who had high levels of vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids in their blood had a better mental per- formance and less brain shrink- age. On the opposite end of the scale, the research suggested that a diet of junk food pro- duced opposite effects; in the case of this study, Trans fats, which are found in processed foods, were linked to lower test scores and more shrinkage of the brain, a factor typical of Alzheimer’s. For the study US experts analysed the blood samples, which were taken from 104 healthy people with an average age of 87; the participants had few known risk factors for Alz- heimer’s. According to a report, the results revealed that those par- ticipants who had more vitamin B, C, D and E in their blood per- formed better in tests of mem- ory and thinking skills. Those participants who had high lev- els of omega 3 also had high test scores. However, those participants whose blood sam- ples had more Trans fats had the lowest scores. The researchers, from Or- egon Health and Science Uni- versity, Portland; Portland VA Medical Center; and Oregon State University, Corvallis, then carried out brain scans on 42 of the participants. The results showed that the individuals with high levels of omega 3 and vitamins in their blood were more likely to have a large brain volume. Those par- ticipants who had high levels of Tran’s fats in their blood had a smaller total brain volume. According to study au- thor Gene Bowman of Oregon Health and Science Univer- sity, the results still need to be confirmed, however, as a re- sult of the findings, a UK medical charity has called for more work into diet and de- mentia risk. DT Could a change in diet help prevent Alzheimer’s? T wo grants, worth a to- tal of almost £160,000, have been awarded by the Shirley Glasstone Hughes Trust Fund for research projects that will examine the role of dentists’ anxieties in clinical decision making and the impact of the choice of lin- ings under amalgam fillings have on outcomes for patients. The winning projects were selected by an international panel of experts, following a comprehensive peer review process of all the applications received. Dr Peter Thornley, a Bir- mingham based general dental practitioner, has been award- ed £81,849 for a three-year randomised controlled trial to identify whether different lining materials used under amalgam restorations have a significant effect on clini- cal outcomes. It is hoped that the study’s results will make it easier for dentists to select the optimum treatment options for their patients. Dr Helen Chapman, a den- tist based in Solihull, has been awarded £77,357 to carry out a 15-month study to explore the issues that contribute to den- tists’ anxieties in a primary care setting and how these in- fluence patient care. Dr Chapman also intends to develop and pilot a ‘cop- ing skills’ package to mitigate the ‘fear’ factor that may play a role in the clinical decisions made by dentists. Commenting on behalf of the SGH Management Com- mittee, Chair of the Trustees of the Fund, Professor Liz Kay, said: “The grants provided by the Shirley Glasstone Hughes Trust Fund seek to advance the role of evidence in everyday clinical practice and expand the research base that under- pins dental care. We are delighted to be pro- viding grants to two further projects which seek to achieve exactly those goals. Our con- gratulations go to both win- ning bids, which have been se- lected from a very strong pool of entries.” For more information visit the Shirley Glasstone Hughes Trust Fund website. DT Trust fund awards £160,000 in GDP research grants T he General Den- tal Council (GDC) is pushing for legislative change to bring in a range of further reforms aimed at streamlining the way it han- dles complaints about dental professionals. The proposed changes mark Phase Two of a raft of re- forms of the GDC’s Fitness to Practise (FtP) processes. In September 2011 a number of policy chang- es were agreed that didn’t need legislative amend- ments and these are currently being implemented. However, there are others that will re- quire alterations to the provi- sions of the Dentists’ Act and its accompanying rules. These include the introduction of ‘case examiners’ who will be able to: • conclude a case with no fur- ther action • issue a letter of advice • issue a warning letter (and where appropriate direct that the letter be published) • refer the case to one of the Practice Committees • request an assessment of health or performance • refer cases to the Interim Or- ders Committee • revoke orders made by the Interim Orders Committee (in certain circumstances) • agree and monitor undertak- ings (in certain circumstances) • make decisions on requests for voluntary removal from the register when a registrant is under investigation • cancel a referral (in certain circumstances) Recently, the Council agreed that the reforms should be put to the Department of Health for inclusion in a Sec- tion 60 Order– the instrument necessary to change the Den- tists’ Act. The GDC has conducted a preliminary consultation with key stakeholders already and a full consultation will be con- ducted in early 2012. Neil Marshall, Director of Regulation at the GDC, said: “These changes mark the lat- est steps in a complete over- haul of the GDC’s complaints handling processes. They are aimed at improving timeliness and proportionality and ulti- mately ensuring patient pro- tection.” The Department of Health has indicated that a Section 60 Order will be published in early 2012 and priority will be given to changes aimed at in- creasing public protection and reducing costs. DT GDC pushes for further changes The GDC is pushing for legislative change with regards to handling com- plaints January 16-22, 20122 News United Kingdom Edition