Archive for May, 2011
May 26, 2011 at 6:53 am by Ian Kerr
Filed under Behind the Headlines
Channel 4s “documentary” program endeavors to go undercover to expose wrong doing in various institutions and highlight the inequalities in systems throughout the UK. As with most of these types of programs it starts with an agenda to show the bad side of a situation so feels no need to balance its presentation. The recent program on NHS dentistry stuck to form but did not really show anything new and actually made a stronger case for blaming the NHS funding system rather than the individual dentists.
It is always going to be easy to find examples of bad dentists doing bad dentistry because, sadly, there are plenty of them out there. Highlighting these individuals does not, however, give any insight into the workings of the rest of the profession. It was not coincidence that root canal fillings were picked on as an example of “gaming”. I made my predictions several years ago about what would happen to NHS root fillings and sadly they have been proved to be correct. If you pay a dentist £47 for the treatment but expect them to dispose of up to £45 worth of instruments each time it cannot come as a huge surprise that they are reluctant to provide this work. The government will not spend more money on this and it is an absolute inevitability that NHS funding for dentistry will be cut over the next 2-3 years. This situation will worsen and blaming dentists for being greedy is not the answer. If a dentist has to fund the setting up of their practice through bank loans often secured against their houses and then has to pay for all of the staffing costs and equipment they are going to need to make a profit or they will go bust. Relying on the “missionary spirit” of dentists to provide work consistently at a loss is wildly optimisitc but it is, in effect, what the government is doing.
As ever the best pathway to receiving good dentistry is to find a dentist who you like and trust and engage in an open and honest conversation about what work is required, what the alternative options (along with any pros and cons) and what the costs will be. Any dentist not prepared to have this conversation (and put it in writing for you) is not worth spending time with.
May 25, 2011 at 4:30 pm by Ian Kerr
Filed under Behind the Headlines
Recent press articles may have been suggesting that tooth whitening is to be banned in the UK. Fortunately this is not currently the case but their is serious cause for concern that the department of trade and industry may be about to stick it’s oar into the debate by instructing leading dental suppliers to stop supplying it. The whitening industry in the UK is a multi million pound business and to close it down would lead to major job losses in the dental supply industry and would deny patients a safe and easy treatment that can boost their sense of well being and happiness.
This current lunacy stems from a case involving the mistaken prescription of a higher dose in surgery gel for use at home by a patient. The dentist in question made a mistake and no one is denying this; the problem has however been leapt upon by the DTI who have gone after the dental supplier rather than the dentist to try and shut down the use of whitening products in the UK. This “battle” has been going on for many years and stems from a disagreement over whether whitening gels are part of a cosmetic process (which cannot contain >0.1% hydrogen peroxide) or a medical product which can. Clearly the dental profession feels that it is a medical device and exempt from these restrictions but for reasons unknown to any but a few in the higher levels of power the UK government feels it is a cosmetic product. (My oversuspicious mind has always felt that the government has a vested interest in it being a cosmetic product so it will not have to supply it on the NHS but that is purely my opinion).
The stance at StoneRock remains the same. Whitening teeth using 10% -15%carbemide peroxide gel in specially fitted trays (so called vital night guard bleaching) is the quickest safest cheapest and least invasive way of enhancing your smile. To deny patients this option is unethical. All aesthetic procedures need to be viewed as purely elective (ie done at the patients request only). A thorough pre-whitening examination is required and full written warnings regarding sensitivity etc should always be given prior to treatment commencing.
Hopefully common sense will prevail but you never can tell when it comes to governments and health issues.
May 25, 2011 at 4:00 pm by Ian Kerr
Filed under General
It is fair to say that National Smile Month rarely grips the nation in say the royal wedding does but on this occasion the British Dental Health Foundation have come up with a interesting bit of home diagnosis to help people rate their dental health. It should be stressed that this is not an alternative to visiting the dentist but may help spur people on to go for a check up when they otherwise may not have bothered.
You can clik on this link to try the test http://bdhf.mydentalscore.com/