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DENTALTRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · United Kingdom Edition Published in London www.dental-tribune.co.uk Vol. 11, No. 1 FINANCES DentallawyerAlanSuggettabout the Making Tax Digital scheme and why it is another headache for dentists. INTERVIEW Dr Kashif Hafeez speaks about the fundamentals of patient-centred care and why it should be imple- mented in every practice. ORTHO TRIBUNE Read the latest news and clinical developments from the field of orthodontics in our specialty sec- tion included in this issue. ” Page 8 ” Page 10 ” Page 17 Tough Brexit could affect UK dentistry Mydentist Clinical Services Director warns of shortages and rising costs King’s proves method to help teeth repair themselves By DTI LONDON, UK: Earlier this month, Parliament cleared the way for government to invoke Article 50 in March that will open negotia- tions for the country to leave the European Union. Prime Minister Theresa May announced earlier this year that the UK will not re- main in the single market regard- less of the deal negotiated with Brussels. In an article, mydentist Clinical Services Director and member of the Association of Dental Groups Dr Steve Williams has now warned that this ver- sion of Brexit could have serious implications for dentistry in the UK. Exploring the potential conse- quences of the referendum out- come, Williams said that NHS den- tistry could be one of the areas most likely to suffer from the country leaving the EU. “Dentistry is one of the areas of NHS care that is most heavily dependent on EU trained profes- sionals,” he said. “It will be vital to ensure that Brexit does not undermine our ability to provide NHS dental care by inadvertently disrupting the supply of dentists in the UK.” Currently, almost one-fifth of dentists currently registered with the General Dental Council are from Europe. To withdraw these professionals from the workforce would be devastating, especially in underserved areas, where there is already a shortage, according to Williams. “The UK dental market relies strongly on the European work- force. Without them, the profes- sion’s ability to recruit would be greatly affected. Unless training places can be increased, there will be a continued need for additional European dentists throughout the UK,” he explained. The government has announced no specifics about the status of EU nationals in the UK after the country has left the EU; however, the protection of their rights was included in the 12-point plan an- nounced by PM May to guide the Brexit process. “Any announcement made on whether European professionals will be allowed to stay in the UK will be hugely beneficial for den- tistry, as at least some stability will be guaranteed,” Williams said. Practice owners should expect the prices of consumables and materials to increase as a result of the plummeting exchange rate between the pound and other currencies. “We are already seeing a ripple effect as a result of the referendum outcome. Indeed, not only did the pound plummet to a 35-year low shortly after the vote—which will likely continue to fluctuate and generally worsen as we get closer to Article 50 being triggered, but the exchange rate is also ex- tremely poor right now,” Williams said. Things are not all bad, however, as a split from Europe could also mean restructuring legislation. “There are a number of EU laws that affect dental practices —including regulations on tooth whitening and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide that can be used. What’s more, current EU legislation prevents the trans- fer of NHS contracts by any way except through the partnership route, which could change if the UK decides to create its own com- missioning rules. The problem is that so much legislation will re- quire changing, that it will be several years after leaving the EU before anything will actually take affect,” Williams said. By DTI LONDON, UK: Scientists from the Dental Institute at King’s College London have reported on a new approach found to be successful in mobilising the growth of stem cells inside teeth. By delivering a specific type of small molecules through biodegradable collagen sponges in mice teeth, they were able to almost completely repair carious lesions within only six weeks. According to the researchers, who published their results earlier this week in the Scientific Reports journal, as the sponges degraded over time, new dentine almost entirely formed in their place. Using this tooth’s natural ability to repair itself, the new approach could potentially reduce the need for fillings or dental cements, par- ticularly for the repair of larger cavities, they said. Currently, there are a number of trials underway worldwide that seek to use dental stem cells to re- pair tooth defects. Alternative ways to induce dentine regeneration in- clude the use of keratin proteins and synthetic materials. At King’s, the scientists used small-molecule glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-3) antagoniststomobilisecellgrowth, including Tideglusib, which could also help to fast-track the new ap- proach to use in the practice, ac- cording to the researchers, as it has already been used in clinical trials to treat Alzheimer’s and other neu- rological diseases. “The simplicity of our ap- proach makes it ideal as a clinical dental product for the natural treatment of large cavities, by pro- viding both pulp protection and restoring dentine,” lead author of the study and head of King’s Craniofacial Development and Stem Cell Biology Division Prof. Paul Sharpe said. “In addition, using a drug that has already been tested in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease provides a real opportu- nity to get this dental treatment quickly into clinics.” The report, titled “Promotion of natural tooth repair by small molecule GSK3 antagonists”, was published in Scientific Reports. Brexit graffiti on a wall. Prime Minister Theresa May announced earlier this year that Britain will not stay in the single market regardless of what deal is negotiated with the EU. © M-SUR/Shutterstock.com © Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com © edwardolive/Shutterstock.com