This week, on the 23rd March, the bill was passed in Congress by the smallest of margins.

Historically America has had terrible healthcare and dentalcare if you couldn’t afford it, or weren’t insured. These days, that includes much of the population.

These reforms will mean that people, many of which are children and young adults under the age of 21 will stand to gain dental health benefits. The main focus will be on low income families and children.

Quite simply put, struggling families simply could not pay for the insurance, let alone dental treatment. Finally a new generation will get the care they deserve, and Dentists will be in high demand. If they are not already I hear you say! I can hear Uncle Sam preparing the Green Cards for foreign dentists, because I think they will need some.

The bill will also encourage and support the work of dental hygienists by recognising them as primary healthcare providers; they will offer grants for development and further training and will encourage them to take on a more active role in dental healthcare.

A sizeable portion  of money will also be directed towards education and preventive dentistry. Again mainly children will be targetted  but adults will also benefit from the new schemes. Education is at the root of all this, so that preventive dentistry can take hold and the information can be passed down to the next generation.

We very much look forward to seeing this health reform bill in action, it has been a long time in coming. Whilst the editors of PrivateDentistry.Org are based in the United Kingdom, we all feel the American people deserve this fantastic change.

Many agree this has been a longtime coming in dentistry, from green practices in dental care and equipment to energy and waste considerations.

The EDA states that for a dental practice to be green friendly it has to meet criteria in the following departments:

1/ Sustainable Location
The building, the site, and proximity to public transport facilities.
2/ Waste Reduction
3/ Water Conservation
Internal processes, facilities and external ground maintenance.
4/ Energy Saving & Conservation
5/ Patient Care, Public Education and Community Outreach
6/ Pollution Prevention
7/ Dental innovation
8/ Forward thinking Management and Leadership

A number of dental practices are eco dental certified already. They have enabled eco dental procedures ranging from low-radiation x-rays ,metal-free orthodontics, to fulfilling Green Building Regulations.

A 30,000-year-old child’s teeth are shedding new light on the evolution of man. The findings and research are by The University of Bristol in the UK.

The teeth are part of the remarkably complete remains of a child found in the Abrigo do Lagar Velho, Portugal and excavated in 1998-9 under the leadership of Professor João Zilhão of the University of Bristol.

Classified as a modern human with Neanderthal ancestry, the discovery of the child’s teeth brings up all sorts of questions about how extensively Neanderthals and modern human groups of African descent interbred when they came into contact in Europe.

Photo courtesy of UCL Institute of Archaelology

‘Early modern humans’,  whose anatomy was very similar to that of us today, emerged over 50 millenia ago. Most of academia has presumed very little has changed in the physiological makeup of humans since then.

Many experts look over ‘modern humans’ and see no huge differences with us today. Preferring to look further back to the neanderthals for the real differences.

With this in mind, an international team, including Professor Zilhão, reanalysed the dentition of the Lagar Velho child (all of its deciduous – milk – teeth and almost all of its permanent teeth) to see how they compared to the teeth of Neanderthals, later Pleistocene (12,000-year-old) humans and modern humans.

Employing a technique called microtomography which uses x-rays to create cross-sections of 3D-objects, the researchers investigated the relative stages of formation of the developing teeth and the proportions of crown enamel, dentin and pulp in the teeth.

X-ray microtomography (XMT) is basically a miniaturised version of medical CT or CAT scanning. A series of X-ray projections are recorded at a number of angles around the specimen . In XMT, unlike medical CT, the specimen is usually rotated, rather than the X-ray source and detector.

They found that, for a given stage of development of the cheek teeth, the front teeth were relatively delayed in their degree of formation.  Moreover, the front teeth had a greater volume of dentin and pulp but proportionally less enamel than the teeth of recent humans.

The teeth of the Lagar Velho child thus fit the pattern evident in the preceding Neanderthals, and contrast with the teeth of later Pleistocene (12,000-year-old) humans and living modern humans.

Professor Zilhão says:

“This new analysis of the Lagar Velho child joins a growing body of information from other early modern human fossils found across Europe (in Mladeč in the Czech Republic, Peştera cu Oase and Peştera Muierii in Romania, and Les Rois in France) that shows these ‘early modern humans’ were ‘modern’ without being ‘fully modern’.  Human anatomical evolution continued after they lived 30,000 to 40,000 years ago.”

The team was led by Priscilla Bayle (Natural History Museum in France) and Roberto Macchiarelli (Poitiers University in France) and included Erik Trinkaus (Professor of Anthropology at Washington University, St.-Louis, Cidália Duarte (Câmara Municipal do Porto, Portugal), and Arnaud Mazurier (CRI-Biopôle-Poitiers, France).

At the seminar you will get 1 hour verifiable cpd free, along with a complimentary 3 course meal.
The theme of the dental seminar is ‘Maximizing My NHS Practice‘. The majority of private dental practices have their NHS dentistry side, so this is a must for most of you if you are in the area and can attend.

The dental seminar will cover the following points and have the following guest speakers on dentistry:

Rob Walsh – Clear Vision – Dental Accountancy and Consultancy
How to Run a Dental Business not a Dental Practice

Russell Abrahams – Abrahams Dresden – Dental Solicitor
NHS Contract Transfers and the Legal Aspects of the new NHS Contract

Matt Elliott – Medicruit Ltd – Practice Broker
Dental Practice Goodwill – and what you can do to enhance Goodwill

Thomas Dickson – Essential Money – Dental Financial Planner
How Much do I need to earn, save or sell my practice for, to give me the lifestyle I want .

The address of the seminar is: Orton Hall, The Village, Orton Longueville, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE2 7DN.

To find out more details or to arrange a place, either contact Medicruit via Contact Form or call Alanna Harrison from Medicruit on 01332 609318

Due to the blurred line between what seems to be a purely aesthetic and entirely practical and functional dental treatment, cosmetic dentistry is not a legally recognized specialty nor does it have strict governing bodies or organizations that oversee the field. Thus, general dentists are given the right to perform dental treatments for aesthetic purposes, even if they have very little training in the field.

Due to this fact, cosmetic dentistry mistakes and badly botched procedures can appear with regular frequency, underlining the unique knowledge and training required to properly master cosmetic dentistry. From improperly selected porcelain veneers and unsuitable material to uneven texture, bad tooth bonding color and more. Occasionally general dentists make mistakes that only properly trained cosmetic dentists can fix.

Cosmetic dentistry requires intensive training in dental science and physiology as well as honing judgment skill in deciding what is best for the patient. A cosmetic dentist must have extensive knowledge of tooth color, tooth variations and its effects on different materials, translucency and opacity, physical characteristics and texture of different materials and so on. It takes a significant amount of education before a dentist can fully qualify to be a cosmetic dentist.

Some skills can only be gained by hands-on training. Besides the extra education after graduating from dental school a dentist will need to commit a great deal of time and effort to practicing and gaining experience. One needs to learn how to address a patient’s concern with compassion and reassure them without compromising dental care. The best cosmetic dentists are sensitive to their paitients’ wishes and are committed to creating a smile they will be proud of and that also promotes good oral health.

The professional cosmetic dentist differs from the general dentist in many ways. Cosmetic dentists need an extraordinary attention to detail, besides having a passion for beauty and perfection. In a lot of ways a cosmetic dentist can be compared to an artist; both professions strive to produce beauty, take pleasure in their work and their creations are permanent testaments to their skills. Where an artist pleases the multitudes, the cosmetic dentist changes the lives of people one at a time.

Qualified and experienced cosmetic dentists can work true wonders, and for many to achive the highest standards in this area of dentistry is the pinnacle they are striving for and aiming for. Of course it is the most profitable area of dentistry, along with for many, the most satisfying area, due to the transformations that can take place. Transforming lives in the process.

Cosmetic dentists are a rare breed – a lesser-known group of passionate dentists who strive to fulfill a patient’s wishes and create beautiful smiles with their knowledge and skill. Often, many unsatisfied patients turn to them to correct mistakes done by general dentists who fail to give them what they want. They can often correct the ravages of injuries and congenital deformities as well as improve minor flaws. Cosmetic dentists will always remain in demand, particularly because they render an exclusive service so many patients need.

Wherever you practice private dentistry in the World, from Scotland to South Africa, our readers would be fascinated to hear all about you and your life as a dentist in the private dentistry sector.

We want to hear about when you got started in dentistry, your trials, tribulations and successes.  About your practice and above all your staff and the patients you serve. The World may be small these days, but it is still an immensely varied and interesting place. A dental associate’s job will be affected by many other factors than just finances and politics. Geography, facilities, education levels, just a few of the circumstances affecting other dentists from other parts of the Globe.

If you would like to Contact Us in the first instance, and tell us a little about yourself and to apply to do an article. We don’t pay for articles or guest authors, but merely offer this section to those practising in private dentistry to have their say. To connect with others in the same profession all over the world. It is an opportunity to raise your own profile as well as your practice , along with highlighting problems that you may face in your home country.

We look forward to hearing from you and publishing your article.

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All articles and submissions will be subject to our approval. We cannot endorse people or practices, but merely proofread articles submitted. We cannot offer any guarantees that articles will be printed and can take no responsibility for their integrity. Whilst we will do our level best to look into all articles submitted. Any work you submit must be your own work and original. Including all photos and artwork. We accept no responsibility for copyrighted work printed without permission. All of our rights are reserved and our full terms and conditions apply. We can also take no responsibility for any external links and their integrity.

The plan is to run the dental scheme for initially 3 years. The project has been instigated by the government and is only running in Wales currently, as Welsh children have the highest rates of tooth decay in the United Kingdom.

This pilot scheme has been branded ‘Designed to Smile’. Toothpaste, toothbrushes and free advice will all be given out to the welsh school children.

On average, a five-year-old in Wales has between two and three decayed, missing or filled teeth, compared to less than two in Great Britain as a whole.

Really, these statistics are shocking. The standards in England seem bad enough, but in Wales, this is just terrible. It is a preventable disease, so it is good to see the government finally do something. Hopefully with a positive message and free ‘equipment’, we may see standards rise in future years.

It is the youngest that are being targeted by the campaign. Nursery children, pre-school and the first couple of years of primary schools.

It is definitely a step in the right direction!

Now this wouldn’t be for your private patients, but for  NHS patients only.

It would be 4 days a week, as at least 1 day a week , normally the end of the week, the VDP would have  to attend postgraduate training . It is of course not just dental practice owners, but dental associates  can also fill the role of a VD Trainer.

The first step to get the ball rolling is for the practice owner to discuss the ides with their local NHS Primary Care Trust.

The PCT would let you know if this was possible and what financial resources it was willing to commit to the venture. We should say that a practice or associate should not consider taking on a VDP purely on a financial basis. It should be out of service to the public and NHS, and to raise the profile of your practice and dentistry in general. There is a lot of work and responsibility involved, but can be a richly rewarding experience for everyone involved. On all four sides. The VDP, the VD Trainer, the PCT & the public.

Having said everything, an injection of capital is good for any business and on top of everything, it could mean a sizeable chunk of income directly given to your practice. A mid 5 figure sum paid initially, with all of the VDP’s wages covered by them. The catches would be the PCT would tell you how much work they must achieve in terms of numbers of NHS patients treated. If they over perform you will get no extra, and if they under perform, then you will have to pay money back, so it is a well regulated relationship.

You would be paid additionally for your time. It would only be assessed as a couple of hours a week, but would achieve maybe £10,000 a year income for you and your practice. Realistically it may take up more time though, and can be quite a bind. The standard of the individual would make quite a bearing to time management and potential issues.

VDPs are not  allowed to do private dentistry work to earn extra money or to help out. It is forbidden except in certain circumstances. The University heads would have to expressly grant any permissions. The view is that if they have time to do  private work, then NHS patients and the general public may not be getting the due care that they deserve.

Credits:

Top photograph, courtesy of : Erik Christensen

Wikimedia Commons

Scotland has a massive deficit in the number of NHS dentists and has a very poor service to the Scottish taxpayer and population in past years.

Recent government figures state that 31,000 of the 80,000 population in the grampian area are without an NHS dentist.

The dental school is not brand new in principle, it actually opened in 2008, but the students and teachers moved to this new building at the end of January 2010. The dental school is linked and run by the University of Aberdeen and is funded by the Scottish Government and Grampian NHS directive.

A University spokesman told us:

Students’ fees are paid by the Government through the Scottish Funding Council.
Those who receive the bursary will have to work in the NHS for at least 5 years after they qualify.

The school cost £17.7 million and is truly a state of the art dental training facility. The SNP Government delivered the dental school on time and £2.5 million under budget. Maybe some lessons could be learned here by us here in England in overseeing projects and budgets.
The dentistry project project was a partnership between NHS Grampian, Aberdeen University, Dundee University Dental School, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and the Scottish Government. It was funded by £13.6m from the Scottish Government and £4.1m from NHS Grampian.

It was First Minister Alex Salmond who officially opened the new facility. He had this to say on the opening day:

“The Scottish Government is committed to reversing the long term decline in dentists in Scotland. Since March 2007, the number of dentists has risen by more than 10%, and we are determined to ensure that this trend continues.

“This fantastic facility, which was delivered on time and significantly under budget, will play a key part in the Scottish Government’s drive to improve the dental service provided to the people of Scotland.

“Aberdeen Dental School will deliver a significant increase in the number of NHS dentists, and our incentives will help ensure that they stay here and continue to practise in areas such as the North East, where there is most need.

“I am confident that this school will become a cornerstone of Scotland’s health service and educational tradition, producing highly skilled dentists for many years to come.”

Professor William Saunders, Dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Dundee, had this to say:

“‘The University of Dundee is privileged to have had major involvement in the development and implementation of the new Dental School in Aberdeen. Our partnership with the Scottish Government, the University of Aberdeen, NHS Grampian and NHS Education for Scotland has worked extremely well and the experience and expertise in undergraduate dental education we bring to the new School has ensured a strong foundation for this joint venture.”

Watch the video of the opening day at the new dental training facility in Aberdeen, along with coverage of the equipment, student dentists, and Alex Salmond’s comments.

It has been discovered through testing that plasma jets are capable of killing tooth decay. Or rather the bacteria that causes it.
Firing low temperature plasma beams at dentin – the fibrous tooth structure underneath the enamel coating – was found to reduce the amount of dental bacteria by up to 10,000-fold. The findings could mean plasma technology is used to remove infected tissue in tooth cavities . In the past and the here and now, the dentist’s drill is used.

German scientists have tested the effectiveness of plasma against all common mouth bacteria. The type that we all know damage the surface of teeth and are capable of not just eroding tooth enamel but the dentin below which cause cavities.
Sample teeth and dentin were infected with the said bacteria, the plasma jets were fired at the sample teeth for short periods of time. 5 – 10 seconds, typically. The results were astounding and the longer the jets were applied , the more bacteria disappeared.

Plasmas are known as the fourth state of matter after solids, liquids and gases and have an increasing number of technical and medical applications. Plasmas are common everywhere in the cosmos, and are produced when high-energy processes strip atoms of one or more of their electrons. This forms high-temperature reactive oxygen species that are capable of destroying microbes. These hot plasmas are already used to disinfect surgical instruments.

Dr Stefan Rupf from Saarland University who led the research said that the recent development of cold plasmas that have temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius showed great promise for use in dentistry.

“The low temperature means they can kill the microbes while preserving the tooth. The dental pulp at the centre of the tooth, underneath the dentin, is linked to the blood supply and nerves and heat damage to it must be avoided at all costs.”

He went on to say:

“Drilling is a very uncomfortable and sometimes painful experience. Cold plasma, in contrast, is a completely contact-free method that is highly effective. Presently, there is huge progress being made in the field of plasma medicine and a clinical treatment for dental cavities can be expected within 3 to 5 years.”

This technological advance is win, win for dental patients and dental professionals. Less messy, noisy, potentially risky work for dentists, and a much better, less painful, clean option for patients.
The drill is the single biggest fear most dental patients have, so eradicating it may be a fantastic thing. We may look back and wonder how we managed with the drill for so long.
Although for some patients it will always be needed.