The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) has announced the launch of a very special conference to mark their 25th anniversary.

'Holistic Dentistry – Putting the Mouth Back into the Body' will take place on Friday 3 November in partnership with Simplyhealth Professionals and feature a keynote address by Professor Iain Chapple as well as presentations from leading names in the industry.

Mick Horton, Dean of FGDP(UK), said: 'Dentistry and healthcare in general are changing. We can no longer view areas of the body in isolation; what we do as professionals can impact on the rest of the body, and vice-versa. This holistic approach to treatment brings together modern techniques and their relationship with general disease'.

This unique conference is designed for clinicians at all stages of their careers and aims to provide: updates on the latest research that provides the foundation for the contemporary management of common dental diseases; a fascinating insight into the complex inter-relationships between oral diseases and the general health of patients in all age groups; and the revealing evidence base that demonstrates the long-term impact of some traditional treatments on oral and general health.

Speakers will include:

  • Professor Mike Curtis – how strong is the link between oral and other diseases – hype or reality?

  • Avi Banerjee – Dental Caries and the Human Body – the 'MI'ssing link

  • Professor Trevor Burke – The Ultimate Guide to Restoration Longevity

  • Professor Iain Chapple – Time to Put the Mouth Back into the Body: the truth about periodontal-systemic links

  • Dr Stephen Fayle – Oral Health in Childhood – Getting it Right from the Start

  • Professor Nairn Wilson – Inter-professional Working and Education: The Need to Broaden Horizons to Integrate Dentistry into General Healthcare.

Bookings are now open online – visit http://www.holisticdentistry.eventbrite.com or call 020 7689 6750.

The FGDP(UK) has also announced its support for a new standards document from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on oral health promotion in care homes. The new quality standard recommends that residents have their oral health needs assessed on admission and recorded in their personal care plans, and are supported to clean their teeth twice a day and/or their dentures daily. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/QS151