Dental Focus

Welcome to our News Roundup 'Dental Focus'

A digest of news reports, press comment and current management and training topics, specifically selected and prepared for Dental Practice Managers by First Practice Management

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Issue 9 – May 2008

Applications invited for the 2008 BSGDS Scholarship Award for research in primary dental care
The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) and the British Society for General Dental Surgery (BSGDS) are inviting applications for the 2008 BSGDS Scholarship Award for research in primary dental care.
Established by the BSGDS in 1993, the scholarship supports a single research project in primary dental care and is awarded every two years. The successful recipient of the 2008 scholarship, which is aided by sponsorship from KaVo Dental Ltd, will receive up to £7000 to fund their project.
Applications are invited from general dental practitioners with at least four years' experience in a primary care setting, and should be submitted by completing the FGDP(UK)/BSGDS protocol submission form.
A protocol submission form for applicants, as well as guidelines for completing the form, can be found at www.fgdp.org.uk/research, or can be requested by contacting Amrita Narain on 020 7869 6750 or anarain@rcseng.ac.uk. You can also visit www.fgdp.org.uk for further details.

Compulsory registration for dental nurses and dental technicians required by 31st July 2008
Time is ticking down on the deadline for the compulsory GDC registration for dental nurses and dental technicians which comes into effect on 31 July 2008. Registration is already compulsory for: dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists.

The British Dental Association is advising its members that the GDC has made it clear that dentists working with unregistered dental nurses, who are not 'in training', after 31st July this year may face fitness to practise proceedings and risk their own registration. There is more information about registering with the General Dental Council at:

http://www.gdc-uk.org/Potential+registrant/
Regulating+the+dental+team/
Information+for+dental+nurses+and+dental+technicians.htm

GDC Registration drop in days for Dental Technicians
To call yourself a dental technician from 30 July 2008 you will need to be registered with the GDC. If you don't have a current qualification and plan to register on the basis of a qualification that is no longer awarded, by experience or by previous membership of the voluntary register you must do so before 30 July 2008 - after the deadline the only way to register will be with a qualification.

In order to aid this process the GDC are holding registration drop in days around the country for dental technicians in conjunction with Schottlander and the Dental Laboratories Association.
They can check application forms as well as offer advice on the registration process. If everything's in order they can take completed forms back to the office for processing. Completed forms and accompanying documents can be submitted by colleagues for those who can't make it themselves.
You can download an application pack in advance.
Please remember to bring certified copies of all relevant supporting documents.

The events are being held between 12 noon until 8pm at the following venues:
14 May at the Novotel, Plymouth
15 May at the Sandy Park , Exeter, County Suite
12 June at the Menzies Strathallan Hotel, Birmingham, Pentland Suite
13 June at the Holiday Inn, M6 J2, Coventry, Warmsley Suite
27 June Schottlander, Letchworth, Hertfordshire

Amended GDS and PDS Statements of Financial Entitlements issued
The amended Statements of Financial Entitlements which give effect to the financial increases for 2008-09 can be found at:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/Chiefprofessionalofficers
/Chiefdentalofficer/DH_073891

Primary Care Dental Contracts – advice to PCTs on managing end of year issues
Department of Health guidance provided in January 2007 (Gateway reference 7719) has been updated to reflect comments from the NHS and to clarify expectations for the end of the financial year. The guidance is now generic and does not relate to any one year in particular.

This note provides advice for SHAs to share with PCTs on year end performance issues, including:

arrangements for carrying forward any under-delivered services within the 4% tolerance allowed for within dental contracts
working with dental providers to ensure, as far as possible, that an even pattern of service is delivered throughout the contract year, and any early completion of contracted activity is managed

The guidance can be found at:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/
Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_084448

BDA urges reconsideration of NHS commitment criteria (Scotland)
The British Dental Association has called for action from the Scottish Government Health Department (SGHD) after new figures revealed that almost a third of dental practices across Scotland that provide NHS treatment do not qualify as being committed to the NHS. The latest figures from NHS Practitioner Services Division, which relate to the quarter ending March 2008, show that almost 30 per cent (29.5 per cent) of the 879 practices providing NHS care in Scotland are not deemed to be committed.

The current criteria, imposed as part of the Dental Action Plan introduced in April 2005, mean that dentists whose NHS lists are focused on children or socially deprived members of society do not qualify as committed. Nor do those whose number of NHS patients reduces significantly. Practices not deemed to be committed are not eligible to receive the full General Dental Practice Allowance or rent reimbursement payments from NHS Scotland intended to retain dentists in the NHS. The BDA has lobbied strenuously for the qualifying criteria to be reconsidered.

18 weeks Orthodontic Commissioning Pathway published
The 18 weeks Orthodontic Commissioning Pathway has been published on the 18 weeks website and includes the various amendments stemming from the Consensus Event held in February, together with supplementary information including examples of good practice (click the 'show/hide menu' box to access the supporting layers of information). The pathway will be reviewed regularly and, where appropriate, further information and examples of good practice will be added.

The pathway can be accessed here.

National Smile Month: May 18 to June 17
The UK and USA are running a simultaneous national Smile Month from May 18 to June 17 2008. By working together, the British Dental Health Foundation, its global arm the International Dental Health Foundation, and Oral Health America aim to educate, inform and influence an even larger global audience on the importance of good oral care for a healthy mouth and body. Thus the main theme of the campaign on both sides of the pond will be the link between oral health and overall body health, featuring the strapline 'Brush for Health' to reinforce the connection between good oral healthcare and general wellbeing.

Click here for more information.

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Dental Focus uses third party information and links to third-party websites, but neither endorses nor can guarantee the accuracy or authenticity of these sources.