Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

2 News United Kingdom Edition July 2014 Published by Dental Tribune UK Ltd © 2014, Dental Tribune UK Ltd. All rights reserved. Dental Tribune UK Ltd makes every effort to report clinical information and manufacturer’s product news accurately, but cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims, or for typographical errors. The publishers also do not assume responsibility for product names or claims, or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune UK. Editor Lisa Townshend Tel: 020 7400 8979 Lisa@healthcare-learning.co Design & Production Angharad Jones Tel: 020 7400 8981 angharad.jones@healthcare- learning.com Advertising Director Joe Aspis Tel: 020 7400 8969 Joe@healthcare-learning. com Dental Tribune UK Ltd 4th Floor, Treasure House, 19–21 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8BA T he Care Quality Commis- sion (CQC) has hired 134 inspectors who failed ba- sic competency tests, official re- ports reveal. Internal documents show inspectors the CQC recruited in 2012 failed “some or all of its recruitment activities” during its “significantly flawed” hir- ing process. This was at a time when the regulator was under fire following a series of scan- dals in the NHS and care sector. The document, which was obtained by the Health Service Journal, says that the CQC may face legal action if they try to get rid of the staff as those em- ployed were unaware of the flawed process. The report re- veals that pass marks for tests to get a job as an inspector were dropped from 60 per cent in or- der to fill the posts. It further reveals that 126 of the staff who failed the tests remain in post – more than one in ten of its 1,031 inspectors. However, those 126 are not aware of the issue. The regulator says records which provide any evidence about why the recruits were given the jobs have been de- stroyed, as they are automati- cally deleted from the NHS Jobs system after 12 months. David Behan, CQC Ex- ecutive, said: “This issue is not about individual inspec- tors but about the systems and processes used at the time, which we have changed. All of our inspection staff, regardless of when they were appointed, receive training, are subject to a probationary period, regular performance manage- ment reviews, one-to-ones, and their work is quality assured.” DT Report reveals failure in CQC inspector recruitment P oor oral health remains a major problem in the Navajo Nation and among American Indians overall, a new study from the Colorado School of Public Health has found. Terrence Batliner from the School said: “The oral health among Native Americans is abysmal with more than three times the disease of the rest of the country. The number one problem is access to care.” The study, published in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, showed that 69.5 per cent of Navajo children had untreated tooth decay. That compares with 20.48 per cent among all other race and ethnic groups. Much of the Navajo Na- tion is remote with 22 dental clinics serving 225,639 resi- dents. The dentist-to-patient ratio is 32.3 dentists per 100,000 residents; among the lowest in the country. Batliner says the crea- tion of dental therapists for the reservation will increase access to care. “They learn how to do fillings and extractions along with providing preventa- tive services. This program has proved to be a raging success among tribes in Alaska. The quality of care is good.” However, the American Dental Association has filed suit to try and block the use of dental therapists on tribal lands. DT Almost 70 per cent of Navajo children have tooth decay A woman has been prosecuted by the Gen- eral Dental Council (GDC) for continuing to practise dentistry after she was removed from the register. Anita Loftus was removed from the GDC register on 3 August 2011 for failing to pay her Annual Retention Fee. Between 10 June 2012 and 5 February 2014, Ms Loftus worked as a dental hygienist at Tavistock Dental Practice in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and at Liam G. FitzGerald Associates in Thame, Oxfordshire. She has been fined £200, and ordered to pay £250 towards the GDC’s legal fees and a £20 victim surcharge. DT Unregistered dental hygienist prosecuted S cientists are develop- ing an innovative pro- cedure that would use cells from adult patients to grow full, functioning teeth in situ. Teeth can be grown from embryonic cells but Professor Paul Sharpe at King’s College London Dental Institute, says a treatment using only adult cells and growth-stimulating chemical factors has a much better chance of ever making it to market. Embryonic cells are sur- rounded by ethical controversy and could not be collected in the numbers necessary for ap- proved large scale treatment in- patients. Adult cells are a more accessible option and, if the pa- tient’s own cells are used, they could also negate the need for a lifetime of immunosuppressant drugs to avoid rejection. To grow a new tooth requires two types of cell, epithelial cells and mesenchymal stem cells. One of these types of cells must send instructions to the other cell population to begin creat- ing the different cell types and tissues needed in teeth. The team has already shown that epithelial cells collected from adult patients’ gum tissues during routine dental surgery can respond to instructions from embryonic mesenchymal cells to growth of teeth. The team is now searching for a source of mesenchymal cells from adults that will trigger the same responses. DT Tooth development from adult stem cells Wales bans smoking in cars with children Research predicts oral cancer aggressiveness R esearchers at Washing- ton University School of Medicine have found a way to predict the aggressive- ness of mouth cancer in pa- tients. Published in Clincal Can- cer Research, the investigators found a consistent pattern of gene expression associated with tumour spreading in mice. Analysing genetic data from hu- man oral cancer samples, they also found this gene signature in people with aggressive meta- static tumours. This exposure sometimes produced tumours in the mice that did not spread, but other times resulted in aggressive metastatic tumours, similar to the variety of tumours seen in people. DT F irst Minister Carwyn Jones and Health Minis- ter Mark Drakeford have announced that a ban on peo- ple smoking in private vehicles when children are present will be introduced in Wales. In 2011, the First Minister announced the Welsh Govern- ment’s intention to mount a campaign to tackle children’s exposure to second-hand smoke in cars. New research shows that although the number of children being exposed to smok- ing in cars has declined, there is still a ‘sizeable minority’ of young people who are exposed to smoke in private vehicles. Welsh government-backed research by Cardiff University has shown that one in ten chil- dren continue to be exposed to smoke in family cars. The re- search also found that there is public support for the ban; with 84 per cent of people surveyed agreeing that smoking should be banned in cars carrying chil- dren. Dr Graham Moore, who led the study, said: “There is evidence to show high levels of public support for a ban on smoking in cars carrying chil- dren. Our evidence points to a need for continued action to make smoking in front of chil- dren less socially acceptable, whether in the car or at home.” Health Minister Mark Drak- eford said: “Although the re- search findings show that progress has been made in re- ducing children’s exposure to second-hand smoke in cars, we now believe the introduction of regulations to prohibit smok- ing in private vehicles carrying under-18s is needed as the final piece in the jigsaw to eliminate the harm and end persistent in- equalities in exposure.” The government has said that a consultation on the pro- posal will be launched shortly. DT

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