Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

Q ueensway Dental Clinic in Billingham, Teesside has announced a new part- nership with the University Hos- pital of Hartlepool. The clinic can now provide a new general anaes- thetic service for adults who have a severe phobia of visiting the dentist; a first for the north east. Whilst approximately one in four members of the public suffer from Odontophobia, only five per cent of the population suffer from a ‘severe dental fear’. In a bid to tackle this issue, Queensway Den- tal Clinic has partnered with the University Hospital of Hartlepool to provide a general anaesthetic service for those patients who have a severe phobia. Managing Partner, Dr Paul Averley, Queensway Dental Clin- ic, explains: “There are a small number of people whose phobia of the dentist is so severe that they haven’t attended check-ups nor had their dental issues attended to for many years, sometimes even decades, resulting in substantial oral health issues. It is for these patients for whom all other pain and anxiety control methods have been exhausted, that we have in- troduced this general anaesthetic service.” Private adult patients wanting to undergo dental treatment with the support of general anaesthetic will attend an initial assessment at Queensway Dental Clinic in Billingham, where Dr Paul Aver- ley will ensure that all patients who are to be put forward for a general anaesthetic have genu- ine oral health needs and severe anxiety issues which cannot be met using other methods, such as conscious sedation. If the patient is deemed suita- ble they will have an appointment made for them at the University Hospital of Hartlepool where an experienced team from Queen- sway comprising a lead dentist, anaesthetist and nurse will work with the Hospital’s staff to provide treatment and after care. For dentist and patient infor- mation on the general anaesthetic service, visit www.queensway. co.uk. DT Dental clinic helps adults with severe phobia Queensway Dental Clinic T he Department of Health has announced a £30 million boost for NHS dentists. This will allow more patients to register with a dentist, and get their oral health checked. Lord Howe, Health Minis- ter, said: “Since May 2010 more than a million new patients are seeing an NHS dentist. “We want to make sure that this progress continues and that dentists give the highest stand- ards of care as well as treating more patients. That’s why we have invested this extra £30 mil- lion in funding. “Better oral health is a key priority of the Government and we recently extended the dental pilot programme which will see preventative care at the heart of dentistry going forward.” Barry Cockcroft, Chief Dental Officer for England said: “Having a healthy smile is so important and I hope this £30 million will see thousands of new patients pick up the phone and register with an NHS dentist. “Having stained teeth, un- healthy gums and bad breath is not only bad for your health, it is so damaging for confidence too.” Dental surgeries have been applying to the local NHS to ac- cess the extra funds which will al- low them to take on new patients and fund extra clinics. This is the second year the Government has made ex- tra dental funding available. Dental practices can use the ex- tra funds to either put on extra clinics, attract new patients or buy in new services such as ortho- dontics. DT A survey of more than 1,600 people across the UK has revealed how few pa- tients think about complaining about their dental professionals. Two per cent of those who say they have visited a dentist say they have complained or even considered making a for- mal complaint about a dental professional during the last 12 months. Specifically, 95 per cent say they had never complained and 93 per cent of these say they have never considered com- plaining. When people complain, or consider making a complaint, they tend to complain or want to complain directly to the prac- tice where they had the treat- ment. More than a third (37 per cent) approached or would ap- proach their dental practice to make a complaint. However, 32 per cent of those who’d complained, or considered making a com- plaint, weren’t sure who to complain to. The survey also asked those who had consid- ered making a complaint, what prevented them from doing so. Twenty nine per cent said they did not know where to start and a further 26 per cent said they didn’t know who or where to go to for information on how to complain. DT Five per cent of dental patients make complaints Dental complaints aren’t as common as previously thought Dentistry gets £30 million cash boost L ast month, the UK Army began broadcasting a se- ries of live television ad- verts filming Territorial Army (TA) members live from op- erations. The TA LIVE recruitment drive is intended to demon- strate the wealth of the oppor- tunities for specialist profes- sionals such as dentists with the TA and raise awareness of the Army’s current recruit- ment targets. The Royal Army Dental Corps provides an opportu- nity for dentists looking to do something extra with their time and seek a rewarding experience outside of normal working hours. The Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) is responsible for the maintenance of the Army’s dental health. TA per- sonnel with the RADC serve in dental centres, in many lo- cations around the world, but they are soldiers too and have a role within field hospitals during military operations. As part of TA LIVE, over 150 TA recruitment events took place across the country throughout February. TA units also took over the city cen- tres in London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle and Portsmouth on 16th February to put on sev- en extensive TA open events to demonstrate to the public what the TA is all about. Each unit brought a range of specialist equipment and supplies to put on demonstra- tions and educate the public about the role of the TA and its importance to the UK Armed Forces. Stands included TA ambulances, assault boats, weapon displays, armoured vehicles, mobile bridges, air portable dozers and light- weight vehicles. For more information about the career opportunities available for medics and other specialist professionals in the Territorial Army, visit www. army.mod.uk/join or call 0845 600 80 80. DT T he General Dental Coun- cil (GDC), has successful- ly prosecuted a woman for the illegal practice of dentistry. Ms Joana Antunes Catre Dos Santos, who was working as a dentist at the Advanced Dental Clin- ic, 25-27 Moorland Road, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 1DS appeared at Newcastle-un- der-Lyme Magistrates’ Court. She pleaded guilty to four offences of unlawfully prac- tising dentistry whilst not regis- tered, contrary to Section 38 (1) and (2) of the Dentists’ Act 1984. Ms Santos has never been registered with the GDC. She has been fined £600 for each of the four offences and or- dered to pay £1,500 towards the GDC’s costs. In addition she must pay a victim surcharge of £120 and a total of £248 in victim compensa- tion. Chief Executive of the GDC Evlynne Gilvarry said: “People who practise dentistry unlaw- fully pose a significant risk to the patients they treat. The GDC is committed to ensuring public safety and I hope this prosecution sends a clear message to others who may be tempted to practise without being registered with the GDC.” DT Opportunities for dentists with the TA Dentist admits illegal practice 2 News United Kingdom Edition March 11-17, 2013