Health Minister Rosie Winterton visited Rotherham recently to launch a new distance-learning package for dentists to help them play a greater role in preventing oral disease.

Image courtesy of the Rotherham Advertiser

The CD-Rom, 'Improving Oral Health with the New Dental Contract', is aimed at dentists operating under the General Dental Contract and has been produced by Nigel Thomas, Director of Dental Public Health in Rotherham with input from both South Yorkshire dentists and national experts. Under the new General Dental Contract, primary care trusts (PCTs) have now been given new responsibilities for assessing oral health needs of local people and providing information to help prevent tooth decay.

This involves working more closely with dental practitioners to promote good oral health. The CD-Rom provides a resource for dentists to understand the impact of their role on the population and the wider responsibilities of PCTs to identify practical ways of developing a successful preventative practice. Rosie Winterton MP, said, “I have been heavily involved in improving access to dental treatment under the NHS, but we should never overlook the fact that nearly all dental disease is preventable. We are resolved to reducing all health inequalities, including inequalities in oral health, not just by restoring decayed teeth but by giving people the knowledge to look after their teeth and prevent further decay occurring. This is the key theme of the CD that has been launched in Rotherham and which will be going out to every dental practice in the country.”