Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

A dental practice has per- formed complete dental implants for free after win- ners were nominated on Face- book. Brighton Implant Clinic’s charity, The Smile Foundation, provides dental implant treat- ment for those in need of urgent surgery, but without the means to cover its costs. The Smile Foundation launched a Facebook page ear- lier this year to change the lives of people who need dental im- plants after oral neglect caused by dedicating their lives to help- ing others. “I’ve always wanted to give something back for the support I’ve had in my life. The Smile Foundation is a way for me to use my dental skills to help those less fortunate than myself,” said Dr Bruno Silva. Head surgeon at Brighton Implant Clinic. In 2006, Donald Rodriguez, a carer, suffered a severe stroke, causing the paralysis of his left side. His dental health suffered enormously as he lost the ability to brush his teeth, resulting in serious gum disease and infec- tion. For both mental and physical wellbeing, the dental implant pro- cedure was essential to his contin- ued health. Bruno Silva saw Donald as an ideal candidate for The Smile Foundation, so carried out the dental work, removing the infect- ed teeth of the upper and lower jaw, and replacing them with new, strong dental implants. The pro- cedure would have cost £12,500. The Smile Foundation is us- ing Facebook as a voting plat- form, where social networkers can vote for those who deserve treatment. Using Facebook has allowed patients to inter- act with one another and write why their nominations deserve free treatment under the char- ity. This year with the help of Facebook Dr Silva has begun offering regular opportunities to win a ‘smile makeover’ tend- ing to the winner’s every need. So far we have seen hundreds of cases where people’s teeth simply need to be restored. The prize is open to UK residents who are between 21 and 99 years of age. The con- test closes on November 29th at 5.58pm. DT East Sussex practice offers free dental implants R esearchers in Australia have found that those with rheumatoid arthri- tis are likely to develop peri- odontal disease. According to doctoral candi- date Melissa Cantley from the University of Adelaide, gum dis- ease has a direct impact upon joint tissue health, and arthritis influences and alters healthy tissue within the mouth. The research found that mice who suffered from peri- odontal disease would suf- fer major bone loss within the joints, and that mice who had rheumatoid arthritis showed signs of major bone loss in the jaws. Research studies are cur- rently being carried out to see if it is possible to reduce symptoms of rheumatoid ar- thritis by treating only peri- odontitis. Researchers hope that it will be possible to help relieve rheumatoid arthritis by treating mouth conditions such as periodontal gum dis- ease. DT Link between rheumatoid arthritis and tooth loss Y oung dentists are calling for support for their de- mand for Government to guarantee all graduates from UK dental schools a Dental Founda- tion Training (DFT) place. The demand comes in the British Dental Association’s (BDA’s) newly-published YDC Asks, a mini-manifesto for young dentists developed by the or- ganisation’s Young Dentists Committee (YDC). The Committee is asking those who support it to sign a Government e-petition founded by YDC Chair Dr Martin Nim- mo. The petition argues that the failure to allocate DFT places to UK graduates both wastes taxpayers’ money invested in their training, because deny- ing each individual a DFT place means that they are prevented from providing NHS care, and is unfair to the graduates who taken on significant amounts of debt in order to complete their studies. The launch of the petition follows a recent admission by the Department of Health (DH) that 35 UK graduates from the 2011 cohort have not been allo- cated DFT places. Each gradu- ate, DH acknowledged, will have cost the public purse ap- proximately £150,000 to train. Dr Martin Nimmo, Chair of the BDA’s Young Dentists Com- mittee, said: “It is perverse that students who have strived hard to pursue a career in NHS care are being denied the training places they need to fulfil that ambition. This is a significant waste of taxpayers’ money, and a tragedy for the graduates who have taken on large amounts of debt in pursuing their vocation. Given that there are some areas of the UK where patients who wish to access NHS care cannot do so, it is also nonsensical. “I urge all current and po- tential members of the pro- fession, and taxpayers, to join young dentists in calling for a guarantee that this farcical situ- ation will never be allowed to happen again.” YDC Asks also expresses concerns that robust data should be used in workforce planning, that barriers to young dentists becoming practice owners are mounting and that careers in dental academia and specialist training must remain viable op- tions for young dentists. DT Young dentists call for DFT guarantees United Kingdom Edition Oct 29 - Nov 4, 2012 0845 0715040 sirona.com info@sironadental.co.uk 1962 - the very latest in dental technology More than 50 years of knowledge and innovation. 2012 - the very latest in dental technology Sirona Orthophos XG Family • Proven, tested, reliable - the most sold OPG unit worldwide • Superior image quality through latest technology • Intuitive workflow with ease of handling Sirona Dental Systems, Lakeside House,1 Furzeground Way, Stockley Park, Heathrow, London UB11 1BD