Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

H igh earning dentists have reason to cel- ebrate following the announcement by Chancellor George Osborne that the 50 per cent income tax rate on earn- ings over £150,000 will reduce to 45 per cent from April 2013. This could be off-set, however, if they are buying or selling very expensive properties. Stamp Duty Land Tax on residential properties over £2 million will be increased to seven per cent from five per cent. The main rate of corpora- tion tax is going to come down which will also benefit higher earning dentists who have in- corporated and who earn more than £300,000. For most of the profession, however, the tax position will remain unchanged in the years ahead. Alan Suggett, Chartered Ac- countant of UNW LLP media officer for NASDAL, welcomed the announcement that the Chancellor is going to intro- duce tax avoidance legisla- tion – known as an anti-abuse rules - in next year’s finance bill: “Dentists will be aware of tempting schemes for reduc- ing tax which sound too good to be true and are usually to be avoided. The new legislation will stop the ultra-aggressive and contrived arrangements, eliminating the temptation– which will prove to be a good thing as they usually come to regret having entered into them.” Of all George Osborne’s an- nouncements, the increase in tax on tobacco by 37p is most potentially divisive, celebrated by non-smokers and the medi- cal and dental professions, which support smoking cessa- tion, and reviled by smokers with no intention of giving up! George Osborne’s third budget speech, which took 58 minutes, two minutes longer than the previous year, was the second shortest in 150 years. DT Key changes: • The top rate of income tax of 50 per cent on over £150,000 will reduce to 45 per cent from April 2013 • The main rate of corpora- tion tax will be cut to 24 per cent next year and will fall 22 per cent from 1 April 2014. The small company rate remaining at 20 per cent • The personal allowance (PA) will rise to £9,205 from 6 April 2013, and age related allow- ances for pensioners will be phased out over time as the PA increases • A cap will be introduced on unlimited income tax reliefs for anyone claiming more than £50,000 of relief. The cap on a variety of different reliefs will be restricted to the higher of 25 per cent of income or £50,000 NASDAL comments on the Budget April 9-15, 20122 News United Kingdom Edition T he government has an- nounced £4m of fund- ing for businesses to develop ideas to address some of the biggest health problems of our time. The Department of Health has opened two new competi- tions with up to £2 million of funding each to develop tech- nological and innovative solu- tions that can: • Change people’s behav- iour in order to reduce the impact of obesity and alcohol related diseases • Improve the number of patients taking their medica- tion as prescribed Obesity and alcohol re- lated diseases and patients not taking their medication as prescribed are major health challenges. Alcohol and obesity related diseases cost the NHS over £7bn each year and between 6-10 per cent of all hospital admis- sions could be preventable if prescription medication was taken correctly. Businesses are invited to come up with innovative solu- tions to these challenges. This could be anything from a de- vice which helps people moni- tor what they eat or drink or a personalised care package to help people take their medi- cation as prescribed. Health Minister, Lord Howe said: “Technology and innova- tion have an important role to play in helping to address the healthcare challenges facing the NHS. That is why we are investing £20 million in new and creative ideas and pro- jects which can make a differ- ence to patients’ lives. “Today’s competitions pro- vide an opportunity to develop innovative solutions for some of the biggest health problems of our time and we look for- ward to seeing the results.” Sir David Nicholson, Chief Executive of the NHS said: “Investing in innovation is vi- tal for a modern and efficient NHS- it will benefit the pa- tient, the taxpayer and UK plc. The Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) is a key part of the Innovation, Health and Wealth agenda, which aims to spread innovation throughout the NHS. “These competitions pro- vide vital funding for busi- nesses to explore, develop and test new technology before it becomes commercially avail- able. Organisations are invit- ed to submit their ideas which could have a real impact on patients and the NHS.” The competitions will be run through the Small Busi- ness Research Initiative (SBRI) process and are open to all organisations not just those in the health sector. Recent competition winners include Eykona Technologies Ltd. who has developed a nov- el 3D wound imaging system which allows healthcare pro- fessionals to monitor chronic wounds more effectively and tailor treatment accordingly. This system is currently being sold to the NHS. The competitions will be managed by NHS London and NHS Midlands and East. Businesses can find out more about the competitions by attending a briefing ses- sion, held in London on 12th April. More details are avail- able at www.innovateuk.org. uk/SBRI. DT £4m for innovative solutions to tackle healthcare problems A study, undertaken in Ja- pan, has looked at the oral health and eating habits of more than 800 university un- dergraduates, and compared the levels of gum disease between students who were classed as underweight, normal weight and overweight. The study found that students classed as overweight, that regu- larly ate fatty foods and rarely ate vegetables, were at an increased risk of severe gum disease likely to result in tooth loss. Students classed as underweight or nor- mal weight were not exposed to the same risk. The study also suggested that young people who were overweight, but frequently ate vegetables were less likely to suffer from severe gum disease. The findings are food for thought for around 450,000 stu- dents who start university in the UK each year. Current esti- mates suggest that over one in four young people aged 16-24 are classed as overweight in the UK, and potentially at greater risk of gum disease and tooth loss. Chief Executive of the Founda- tion, Dr Nigel Carter, said: “Start- ing University is an exciting time for every student, but perhaps not for their oral health. “One of the key ingredients to good oral health is a balanced diet, something I’m sure many people who have gone through university will admit to foregoing. The myth about the higher cost of healthy eating is one the BDHF believes must be overcome in order for good habits to become the norm, and Dr Carter believes there’s a perfect opportunity around the corner to do just that. “National Smile Month is an ideal opportunity for colleges and universities to urge students to think about what they’ve eaten throughout the semester and how they can put it right not just dur- ing the campaign, but ensure that a good, balanced diet remains part of their lifestyle. “Whether it’s a healthy can- teen on campus grounds or an initiative from one of the many dental schools, promoting a better diet to combat weight problems and improve oral health can make a difference.” National Smile Month, which runs from 20 May to 20 June 2012 is the UK’s biggest annual reminder to look after their oral health. The campaign encour- ages everyone to brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, cut down on how often they have sugary foods and drinks and to visit their dentist regularly, as often as they recommend. DT Overweight students are risking losing their teeth D ue to the resound- ing success follow- ing the launch of the ADI Dental Nurses’ Course last year, the ADI is continu- ing the Original Dental Nurs- es’ Course for 2012 and has created an Advanced Dental Nurses’ Course. The Original One-Day Course on Dental Implants for Dental Nurses aims to increase the understand- ing of dental implantology to dental nurses. The course caters for the inexperi- enced dental nurse, offering nurses the knowledge and confidence to support the operator with surgical implant placement and subsequent restorative ap- pointments. The Advanced One-Day Course entitled ‘Surgical Den- tal Implant Procedures for Dental Nurses’ has been cre- ated for dental nurses who are experienced in assisting with implant placement or have completed the Original One- Day Course. The course aims to exam- ine the dental nurses’ role in assisting with advanced surgical procedures in implant dentistry. Upon completion, nurses will rec- ognise the instruments re- quired, the process and the indications for each of the procedures. The courses are located in London and Edinburgh. Both courses are booking up fast, with the first 2012 London date for the Original Nurses’ Course already full. For more information visit www.adi.org. uk or call the ADI on 020 8487 5555. DT ADI implant courses for dental nurses