Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

D ates for the ADAM Con- ference - the only event of its kind in the UK for dental practice managers and administrators – have been re- vealed and it is set to take place in Harrogate on May 18 and 19. The Association of Dental Administrators and Managers (ADAM), formerly the Brit- ish Dental Practice Manage- ment Association (BDPMA) is thrilled to be hosting a confer- ence again, after an absence of four years. The ADAM Conference in partnership with MDDUS, is called The Nuts and Bolts of Practice Management and will take place at the 4-star Majes- tic Hotel. A relevant, diverse and interesting programme has been developed, highlights of which include a mock disci- plinary hearing on the Friday afternoon and high-calibre guest speakers. Jill Taylor, ADAM’s presi- dent, said: “There aren’t many events in the dental calendar designed with only practice managers and administrators in mind, so we are hoping this will be popular. We have devel- oped a jam-packed programme that will leave delegates buzz- ing with ideas and a desire to get back to the practice to im- plement a host of new initia- tives. “To crown the event, we are very much looking forward to the ADAM Conference Din- ner and Awards Ceremony, which promises to be an excit- ing end to an enthralling con- ference.” Speakers, including Den- plan’s chief dental officer, Rog- er Matthews, business plan- ning expert Andy McDougall from Spot On Business Plan- ning and Jann Gardner, spe- cialist in health care delivery and service management, will impart their wisdom on a range of topics close to the hearts and minds of practice managers and administrators, including customer service, performance management, financial con- trol, making the most of hu- man resources and developing assertiveness skills. To crown the event, the ADAM Conference Dinner and Awards Ceremony will offer delegates, ADAM Awards final- ists and supporters the oppor- tunity to dress up, network, eat, drink and be merry, and ap- plaud the winners of Practice Manager of the Year, Admin- istrator of the Year and Treat- ment Co-ordinator of the Year. Early bird tickets are now available. For members, prices start at just £64 for the Friday, £120 for the Saturday or £165 for both days. For non-mem- bers, early bird tickets cost £80 (Fri), £150 (Sat) and £215 for both days. Tickets for the ADAM Conference Dinner and Awards Ceremony on Saturday night cost £45 and include a three- course meal and two glasses of wine. Early bird tickets are available until March 14. DT • To download a conference brochure visit www.adam-aspire.co.uk ADAM Conference has practice management at its heart D o you work in a great team? If so, this is the ideal event for you and your colleagues. Bridge2Aid, (B2A) the dental and communi- ty development charity working in the Mwanza region of North West Tanzania, has arranged a fantastic fundraising event for teams of three to six people. Your team is challenged to walk the Yorkshire Three Peaks in under 12 hours. The spectacular route is roughly 24 miles long, taking in the summits of Pen-y- ghent (694 metres), Whernside (736 metres) and Ingleborough (723 metres). That makes ap- proximately 1,600 metres of as- cent and descent. The event takes place on Saturday 31 March and is be- ing run for B2A by Eight Point Two, a specialised organiser of challenging events who will provide qualified instructors, marshals for the mountains, communication systems and full support. Completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge in 12 hours is no easy task and will require the right preparation, support and lots of determina- tion. Participants should do some pre-event training – walk- ing, of course, as well as swim- ming or cycling. The cost of registration is £20 per person and teams must commit to raise at least £200 per person before the event. Practice Plan and IDH have already entered two teams each and there have been ver- bal commitments from several other companies in the dental industry. Why not enter your team to tackle the physical chal- lenge while enjoying spectacu- lar Yorkshire scenery – as well as raising vital funds to help Bridge2Aid’s essential work in Tanzania? For more information about the Yorkshire Three Peaks go to www.eightpointtwo.co.uk/ YorkshireThreePeaks. To find out more about the B2A chal- lenge and to register your team go to www.bridge2aid.org or contact Kerry at fundraising@ bridge2aid.org DT Team up for Three Peaks challenge Ingleborough, the second highest of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks A new report looking into lit- eracy levels in the UK has uncovered more than five million adults have a reading lev- el below that expected of an 11- year old – which could potentially harm their oral health. The 2011 Skills for Life Sur- vey, published in December by the Department for Busi- ness and Innovation found that one in six (15 per cent) of adults aged 16-65 achieved literacy skills at or below entry Level 3 – the equivalent expected by the National Curriculum of those leaving Primary School. Chief Executive of the Brit- ish Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, says the profession need to make sure those who lack basic reading skills get the right information in a form that is more easily understood. Dr Carter said: “Millions of people in the UK suffer from poor literacy skills and this can have a troubling impact on their oral health. Regrettably, this will ultimately have an effect on a patient’s ability to read, un- derstand and use oral healthcare information to make decisions and follow instructions for treat- ment, often leaving them won- dering where to go and what to do next. “Patients are not expected to understand medical jargon and dental professionals must con- sider carefully how effective their communication is verbally, on- line and in print.” The British Dental Health Foundation offer a series of more than 50 easy to read information leaflets, ranging on a variety of dental topics. Over one million leaflets were sold to dental prac- tices and oral health educators in 2011, while a further million vis- ited online versions on the Foun- dation’s website. Dr Carter added: “We have a strict policy on plain English for all our educational material. Our Tell Me About range offers easy to understand information, which avoids medical jargon and includes diagrams outlin- ing various stages of treatment. Written and verified by qualified dental professionals, in an easy to understand Q&A format, they have proved immensely popu- lar with the profession and are undoubtedly a worthwhile tool to make sure the patients leave with the right information. Our Dental Helpline service also gives patients another way to get the clear and simple information they need.” The nationwide survey inves- tigating literacy levels through- out the UK also found that an estimated 1.1 million adults fit into entry Level 1 – the equiva- lent of National Curriculum for 5-7 year-olds. This figure has in- creased by a third since the pre- vious study in 2003 (from 3.4 per cent to 5 per cent). Poor literacy may be a wide- spread problem but dentists can only act if they know they exist, but there are several tell-tale signs to look out for. Patients could struggle completing forms, having problems replying to re- call letters or have difficulty fol- lowing written advice. Patients with such difficulties should report them to their den- tist so they can receive the infor- mation in a format that is easy to understand, giving them the best possible care. The Foundation’s Dental Hel- pline, manned by trained dental nurses and oral health educa- tors, is open between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday on 0845 063 1188. Alternatively the team respond to enquiries from the website. DT Literacy difficulties ‘hurt oral health’ A low reading level below could potentially harm a person’s oral health January 23-28, 20124 News United Kingdom Edition