Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

January 16-22, 20126 News United Kingdom Edition I n honour of its 30th anniver- sary the AOG held its ever- popular Annual Ball at Lon- don’s Mayfair on Saturday 10th December 2011. The event was an all-round success, befitting the organisation’s three decades as one of the UK’s leading den- tal community groups. The cel- ebration is the highlight of the AOG’s social calendar. All the proceeds of the ball, will go to the AOG’s charitable projects in the UK and abroad. Last year, the AOG travelled to Chitrakoot in India, where the AOG supports a cleft lip and palate treatment centre. The facilities provide dental care to 500 nearby villages. Money raised by the AOG was also used to provide blankets and musical instruments to tribal children. After funding the creation of a fourth full dental surgery and laboratory in one of the most deprived areas of India, the AOG are currently raising funds for the building of a rehabilita- tion centre for disabled people in Musoma, Tanzania. The AOG has already donated £5,000 to- wards the centre. AOG Presi- dent Dr Pomi Datta, who was delighted at the Association’s ability to continue supporting this worthy cause, made the an- nouncement at the Ball. Speak- ing on the charity work done so far, Dr Datta said, “Thanks to the generous support of members at events such as this, 40,000 patients have already been as- sessed and treated by staff and volunteers of the project. Cases have included oral cancers and the repair and treatment of hundreds of cleft palate pres- entations. Improvements to the Chitrakoot Dental Institute have also made possible the re- habilitation of many burn vic- tims and more complex facial prosthesis procedures.” The 2011 charity ball was the most successful to date. As well as a sumptuous Indian din- ner provided by Ragasaan, there was a fund-raising raffle, clas- sical Indian music from Simran Ghalley while contemporary music and DJ H of Kudos kept everyone on the dance floor until the small hours. The at- mosphere was set off by mood lighting sponsored by Dentsply, while Dental Directory ensured the party was in full swing by providing a free bar and compli- mentary drinks throughout the evening. The AOG is a welcoming group and a magnet for like- minded dentists, their staff and families. It has grown, both in numbers and stature, attract- ing colleagues with a calling for giving. Although there is a committee structure, there is no social hierarchy. Coincidentally, ‘aog’ in Hindi means ‘welcome’, hence ‘AOG’ is no longer an ac- ronym and now means simply that: ‘welcome’. The AOG is well known for its packed dinner dances, fun family days, international trips and worldwide charitable pro- jects. Its motto is, “Everyone is welcome and everyone is equal.” Next year will see fund- raising trips such as a trip to South Africa and a charity trip to open the Disability Centre in Tanzania and Nairobi. During the last 30 years, all AOG activi- ties have led to a charitable con- tribution as a matter of habit, with the idea to give something back in gratitude for all they had received. DT • For further details on forth- coming trips and events, or to join, visit www.aoguk.org. AOG Annual Ball 2011 - Special 30th Anniversary Celebration Pictures Provided Courtesy Of Kanvas Photography (Kanvasphotography.Com) A UK oral health charity is expecting 2012 to be a challenging year for the nation’s oral health as the NHS starts to make savings of £20 billion. The British Dental Health Foundation is expecting 2012 to be a challenging year for oral health as the Com- prehensive Spending Review and the Chancellor’s budget announced in March last year begin to take effect. The NHS in England was one of the few Govern- ment departments not to see its budget cut in the Com- prehensive Spending Review published in October 2010. However, its £106 billion budget is only planned to rise by 0.4 per cent over the next few years and will decline from 2015 onwards. More pressingly, the NHS needs to make productivity and efficiency savings of £20 billion by the end of the cur- rent Parliament as a result of reducing expenditure and ris- ing demand. The Foundation is con- cerned that oral health pro- motion budgets will come under increasing pressure within the NHS as cuts begin to be made in the next finan- cial year, resulting in a signif- icant negative impact on the nation’s oral health. Chief Executive of the Brit- ish Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, said: “It is really important that all den- tal and health professionals responsible for improving oral health continue to lobby hard to protect their budgets and keep oral health a prior- ity. Once the money has been lost from local budgets it is unlikely to return for the fore- seeable future.” The British Dental Health Foundation is playing its part in 2012 to help cash-strapped budget holders, and ensure that oral health education is seen as affordable, effective and value for money. To find out more about National Smile Month 2012, including registering for free resources, visit www.smilem- onth.org DT A tough year for oral health? 2012 is set to be a challenging year for oral health