Toothbrushes made from vegetables?
Canadian dental patients can now choose to use a new line of vegetable based dental products. The products are the first biodegradable toothbrushes made from corn, wheat, tapioca and potatoes which are designed to decompose into organic material in 180 days in a commercial compost facility. According to the Canadian Dental Association, consumers should replace […]
Dental Practices in the UK are going Green
A US eco dentistry expert has applauded the efforts of dentists here in the UK for spearheading ‘green’ practices in the surgery. In Pockrass, co founder of the US Eco Dentistry Association said, “The UK is ahead of the curve on capturing mercury containing dental materials before they enter the water supply. Without this local […]
Royal Wedding Tattoos for your Teeth?
A plumber from Bristol has spent £1000 for teeth tattoos for Prince William and Kate Middleton. Baz Franks, 29 spent 6 hours in the dentist’s chair while portraits of the happy couple were painstakingly added to his front teeth using stencils and ultrafine brushes. The tattoos are temporary and will last up to 3 months […]
Could Oral Bacteria Halt Dental Plaque?
A team of scientists from Japan are suggesting that an enzyme produced by mouth bacterium inhibits dental plaque. This finding could eventually lead to the development of toothpaste that harnesses the body’s own plaque fighting tools. The team have shown that the bacterium, a non biofilm forming and otherwise harmless inhabitant of the human mouth, […]
Will Dentistry be commissioned by a New National Board?
The British Dental Association (BDA) has urged the Department of Health not to abandon their plans for dentistry to be commissioned by a new national board. The call follows the House of Commons’ Health Select Committee’s suggestion that responsibility for commissioning should instead be moved to new NHS local commissioning authorities. John Milne, chair of […]
New Dental Contract to be Trialed
Health Minister Lord Howe has announced that from this summer dentists will be paid for the quality of treatment given rather than the number of treatments provided. 62 dental practices have been selected to trial this new dental contract that will help improve outcomes for patients. The trials are being carefully designed to improve the […]
Gum Disease Bigger Risk Than Diabetes
New research presented at the 89th International Association for Dental Research suggests that gum disease carries a higher risk of causing a non fatal stroke than diabetes. In recent years there has been growing evidence of the link between gum disease and strokes. Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation said, […]
Undecided CQC Fees
The British Dental Association has called for clarity on CQC fees. In a letter to the CQC, the BDA has said that it is unacceptable that dentists still do not know what fees are to be charged, even though the deadline for registration is just three weeks away. The letter also highlights that fact that […]
Dental and Prescription Charges Set to Increase
Prescription fees and dental charges will increase from 1st April. Prescription fees will go up by 20p to £7.40 and dental charges will increase, with band 1 treatments going up to £17, band 2 treatments increasing to £47 and band 3 treatments increasing to £204. The announcement has been greeted with anger, just days after […]
Spring Clean Your Teeth
Spring cleaning is not just for houses! Dental Health Experts advise that it is a great ethos to adopt when it comes to avoiding gum disease. Spring is a great time to tackle the hidden oral hygiene problems that could be undermining your body’s overall health. Health Experts recommend the below to spring cleaning our […]
GDC Postpones Vote on Dr Title
A decision by the GDC to postpone a vote on whether dentists should be able to continue using their ‘Dr’ title so that an impact assessment can be carried out allows proper consideration of the issue, the BDA has said. The decision to take the recommendation back so that the impact of the issue can be […]
CQC Costs
The British Dental Association has argued that dental practices should not have to pay to register with the CQC emphasising the financial pressures confronting dental practices, the failure of the CQC regime to add any value and the considerable time practices must inc=vest in becoming registered and concludes that a fee for registration would be […]
Overcome Your Dental Fears
A leading dental practice is using acupuncture to calm nerves and relieve pain. Receiving acupuncture prior to dental treatments is the latest combined offering to be introduced by the practice pioneering in advances in dentistry. Recent studies in Sheffield and Denmark concluded that acupuncture has a ‘beneficial effect on the levels of unease in patients […]
Calling All Dental Practice Managers
The British Dental Practice Managers’ Association (BDPMA) is seeking to attract registered managers to become members. CQC registration requires managers of dental practices to have suitable experience and training. The BDPMA has negotiated discounts with many training providers with annual membership costing just £85. Membership is open to all members of dental teams as well […]
New NHS Dental Services Contract
Plans to mark the first steps towards a significant NHS White Paper commitment to introduce a new dental contract that will improve the quality of patient care and increase access to NHS dental services, with an additional focus on improving the oral health of school children has been published by the Department of Health. The […]